Albion Fit Is A Swimwear Design Pick

Last year, I was taken with a new swimwear collection that was anything but boring. The collection carried a retro pinup styling with knotted bodices and ruffled skirts. They were anything but expected.

As it turns out, the Stardust collection created for Shabby Apple had a story behind the story. The designer responsible is a family-owned husband-wife team based out of Salt Lake City.

For the last five years, Liz and Dave Findlay have designed and led a core team of designers and pattern makers to create a full line of swimwear with a mission. Or, more precisely, a motto: feminine, sophisticated, true, and timeless. For about three of those years, they have had fun drawing inspiration from the 40s, 50s, and 60s to draw out some of those timeless qualities and recreate a smarter sexy.

"For us, it's all about looking as good as you possibly can in a suit and that often means leaving a bit more to the imagination," says Liz Findlay. "It also is more practical and more comfortable, making it a win, win." 

The cuts and stylings aren't the only inspirations borrowed from the past. Albion Fit frequently picks a color palette that complements each suit. And while they don't use many patterns, the few that do have patterns tend to be classic. Stripes and polka dots are still very cool.

"I think what sets our suits apart is that, often, they just don't look like a swimsuit," she says. "The gown suit [for example] could be a dress if you look at it from the waist up."

The one-piece gown suit is one of several that caught my eye this season. Although it is a one-piece suit, the Findlays designed it with flattering ruching at the waist. There is also a creative flair along the top of the suit, a ruffle that gives it a little more to look at and it's timelessness.

The fabric makes a difference too. Rather than adding cover ups, all anyone has to do is pull a skirt up over the bottoms and create the illusion that the swimsuit is a form-fitted top. It's flattering and functional.

Other styles that have recently rolled out at Albion Fit.

Although the gown is an immediate eye catcher, there are several suits that make an impact. Albion has created pin-up cuts, ballerina suits, nautical two-pieces, and a variety of mix and match bow tops. Most of them feel fashionably modern with a nod to the past.

The nautical bow suit, for example, adds more coverage while looking a little more flirty with its bow-tie detailing. The look is classic, inspired by the sixties, and immediately reminded me of an active suit more fitting for surf or scuba diving than what many women wear.

Although Albion writes it up as a suit with strategic ruching and ample coverage, the real twist is finding something that not everyone is going to be wearing on the beach. Even the bottoms, with two rows of buttons as accents and a boyish charm that contrasts with the form-fitted top, rewrites the rules about getting noticed.

A few more graphs about the design team at Albion Fit.

While many residents from Utah might know better, the rest of the country might be surprised to find fashion-savvy swimsuits coming out of Salt Lake City. Although the Great Salt Lake isn't suitable for swimming, the city does have three lakes nearby, all within a 40-minute drive. Lake Powell is also a beautiful place for inspiration beyond their California ties.

"I went to graduate school at the University of California, San Diego, and my husband was a graphic designer in La Jolla for five years," says Liz Findlay. "We lived five blocks from the beach and pretty much lived there when we weren't working."

Nowadays, however, it is more likely that they are both working. The Findlays have had a huge year, opening their first retail space at the new City Creek Center in Salt Lake City. Their new store puts them alongside neighbors like Tiffany and Rolex.

Maybe even more memorable is the personal connection they have with the space. They are located in the same spot where they met 15 years ago (the copy room of a law firm that literally exists above their store). And across the street? It's the same place they married a decade ago, completing a full circle journey.

Retro Swimwear By Albion Fit Splashes 8.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While the Stardust Collection is still available from Shabby Apple, Albion Fit has also launched its own online store. All of the inspired designs are readily available from the online store and many are featured in the company's new retail space. Along with swimsuits, the designers have added a sports line too.

When you visit the site, you might notice that the tops and bottoms of many suits are sold separately. This is by design because Albion Fit doesn't want anyone to feel like one has to be married to another. What they have done instead is to add a "consider this" drop down that suggests several ideas, although customers tend to be more creative on their own.

*Special thanks to our editor Rich Becker who interviewed the Findlays and contributed to the story.

The Dirty Nil Are A Purely Indie Pick

Not many people have heard of Dundas outside of the film industry, which sometimes takes advantage of the 19th century small town architecture outside Hamilton, Ontario. And although Dundas has sparked a few indie electronic starts, it's not the first place someone would look for rock and roll.

At least, it's not the first place someone would look for rock and roll like the kind played The Dirty Nil. This Canadian three piece is loud, unabashed, and often out of control, which is exactly how the three of them found each other.

"Kyle [Fisher] and I have known each other since kindergarten and we met Dave [Nardi] in high school," says frontman and guitarist Luke Bentham. "It was a small school so we were pretty much immediately introduced because of our common appreciation for all things loud."

Their first music video off a 7-inch single, Little Metal Baby Fist, caught some attention after the band put out a roughly edited and camped up lip sync video with friends. The video became what Bentham calls the love child of two Daves — drummer Nardi plotted the concept and their long-time friend Dave Durham had the gumption to execute it.

"It came together very quickly and painlessly, which is reflected in the production value," says Bethman. "Fuck any square that can't get down with a strobe light or Tom Hanks."


The backside of the Little Metal Baby Fist hits equally hard. Hate Is A Stone drops back the pace into a brooding, self-reflective alternative rocker. It also contains a roughed up rage cover of Moonage Daydream by David Bowie.

The Dirty Nil strips the cover back to under three minutes, easily making it their own. At the same time, the rendition pays homage. Bowie's lyrics play as relevant today as they did back then.

"Lots of songs get thrown out. It's an important part of making anything. Once you stop editing, you're done," Bentham said. "As for meanings: space, sugar, liquor. You know, the usual."

Little Metal Baby Fist also represents a change in direction from their earliest work, if not their attitude. What is harder to discern is where the directional changes are leading them. For Bentham, the major changes are bigger amps and becoming increasingly comfortable with vocal harmonies.

Although out on a different 7" inch release, The Dirty Nil just recently put out Zombie Eyed, a fiery single that makes no apologies for sounding like a harsher, screaming early Weezer. The single is slightly less dirty than the live cut made for the video, but not by much.


Zombie Eyed was put out as a split with Northern Primitive, a four-piece out of Welland, which is closer to Niagara Falls and Buffalo, but also part of the Hamilton music scene. The song, Positive Bondar, is heavier and sludgier than some the band's other atmospheric folk rock pieces.

"The split was a long time coming. We've played a lot of shows with Northern Primitive and this was the perfect time to come together," says Bentham. "Hamilton is packed with awesome bands who don't step on each other's toes. It's a great place to be a band because it's big enough to draw great crowds but small enough to grow. The rent is cheap."

Hamilton is also a great city to be based as the band broadens their touring radius, including cities like Toronto. As they put together some more tracks, they are also anxious to play on the other side of the border. In fact, Bentham says they would like more American ears to hear their music before they lay down their first full length. After playing together for five years, any LP would likely be well received.

Little Metal Baby Fist By The Dirty Nil Punches 8.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Although The Dirty Nil wears its influences audibly, they always manage to reshape their sound in ways that are distinctly their own. The fact is that the band might already be signed if not for a few questionable early offers making them skittish about contracts and how much fun they have putting out singles and EPs.

As long as they continue to make music, either creating it organically as a band or off some power chords and vocal melodies that Bentham brings in, the three of them are happy. Although you won't find their music up on Amazon or iTunes, the band lists their recent releases on Bandcamp. You can also find them on Facebook. The best place to see them is in a venue, where all local bands need support.

Aric Davis Takes Rough Men On A Ride

The worst nightmare of any parent isn't to outlive a child. The worst nightmare of any parent is to lose their son or daughter to a senseless violent crime, and then not being able to count that child among the innocent. For author Will Daniels, the news was almost too much to bear. His son Alex was guilty.

There were three of them that went into the credit union, all of them armed. And by the time all three assailants left, more than a half-dozen people would be critically wounded or killed. The first victim, a loan officer who attempted to trip the silent alarm, was shot by Alex. The last victim, Alex, would be discovered days later in an abandoned barn, shot in the head and burned beyond recognition.

For Daniels, the news crews and public outcry were surreal compared to the unshakeable feeling that he had failed as a father. The same dark lure that he himself had barely escaped had come back to claim his son and, despite leaving that life so far behind, Daniels feels compelled to seek out answers.

Rough Men is an adventurous crime thriller by rising author Aric Davis.

Although devoid of the tenderness Davis has shown to a litany of broken characters in A Good And Useful Hurt, Rough Men is an action-driven crime adventure with a reluctant protagonist who brushes up against punks, thugs, and members of the vicious transnational criminal gang, MS-13. The book packs a punch despite some rough edges and delivers on the author's signature blend of intensity and empathy.

"Rough Men came out hard, fast, and mean, and that attitude was meant to rip off of the page. I was coming off a rejection on a novel that I’d worked on for months," says Davis. "More than anything else, it got me back in my wheelhouse. 'Writers write' is the oft repeated mantra in the book, and I was trying my damnedest to write. The sessions at the laptop saw my ears covered in headphones, while raucous punk rock played too loudly."

Struggling to produce a third novel that would be accepted is something author Davis shares with his fictional counterpart. Like Davis, before the horrific atrocity consumes his life, Daniels is an author who questions his own success and struggles with bouts of self-doubt and writer's block.

"There is definitely a little bit of myself in the Will Daniels character, although it does seem that my subconscious may have been a bit too forthcoming with some of the details. I do feel like an accidental writer, and I did struggle with a submission sent off to my publisher prior to Rough Men, so at least in those two things, we are similar," said Davis. "Like Will, I struggle with being an accidental writer, and it makes it very easy to second guess myself. To be perfectly frank, I often have nightmares of having the rug pulled out from under me, and of being told that this was all some bizarre mistake."

Rough Men is a reverse transformation with ample redemption.

There isn't any mistake. Although Rough Men doesn't necessarily ascend to the caliber of his previous novel, literary prowess and real life grit shine throughout most of it, with occasional flashes of brilliance. Davis continues to show real promise as a writer for his generation, unafraid to take a hard look at life but without sacrificing humanity.

Where it pays off in Rough Men is that the story does rip off the page, establishing the fictional Daniels as a conflicted author barely able to cope with past, present, and future circumstances. Daniels doesn't like the man he was and had worked hard to distance himself from it, but neither is it in his nature to surrender to the softer and insulated trappings of life that he has created. He has to take action, away from the prying eyes of media and police proceedings. His son Alex may have turned dark, but it doesn't lessen the responsibility of being a father or dull the hurt of hearing that his son was murdered.

"There is always another side to these stories, and as easy as it is to dislike those who were closest to one of these time-bomb individuals, it was a rock I wanted to overturn," said Davis. "I'm not sure it is a rock I want to look under again."

This rock takes Daniels, his brother, and a former associate who hasn't completely opted out of a hardened lifestyle. The three of them commit to following the trail wherever it might lead. In this case, it leads to a series of subcontracted criminals, including MS-13, which is known to let other gangs take all the risks while they extract the rent.

While the climatic action culminates into a furious confrontation on the eve of a brutal Michigan super storm, the clipped post-climax wrap-up might baffle some readers as Davis admittedly takes a literary leap to establish a trail end. This leap, along with another seemingly misplaced scene that offers a nod at the spiritual or supernatural (but one still appreciated by fans of A Good And Useful Hurt), disrupts the otherwise fast-paced and potent work. Fortunately, it's not enough to malign the merit as a must-read stopover for Davis.

Rough Men By Aric Davis Shoots Up 6.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

There is plenty to look forward to from Aric Davis. On the heels of Rough Men, Davis will be releasing a Kindle serial called Breaking Point. The first chapter will be released in March, with subsequent chapters released every two weeks. The serial is a prequel, of sorts, to another book to be scheduled for publication by Thomas and Mercer in July.

He already has other projects in the works, having given up his occupation as a tattoo artist in order to turn his attention to being a full-time writer and novelist. You can also meet him in person at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Feb. 26 and at Bouchercon 2013 in Albany, New York. His is open to other appearances within a reasonable drive from Grand Rapids.

Rough Men by Aric Davis is available at Amazon. You can also find Rough Men at Barnes & Noble. His first two novels, Nickel Plated and A Good And Useful Hurt, are available as audiobooks on iTunes. It is only a matter of time before Rough Men joins them there too.

Lions For Real Growl Emerging Artist

A couple of years ago, The Loft, an unsigned Nashville-based indie rock band with plenty of grit and promise, shrugged off their seven-year run and called it quits. Like many indies, they had sacrificed plenty over the better part of a decade. Most members were done.

John Banzhoff (vocals) and Jonathan Biggs (drums) were the exceptions. They didn't see the split as the end of something as much as the beginning of something else. So they continued to jam together whenever and wherever they could, all the time wonder what might come next.

The answer came to them somewhat unexpectedly. At the same time their band was winding down, two others that played the same circuit were coming close too, freeing up guitarist Andrew Adkins (Mellow Down Easy) and bassist Kyle Blankenship (The Goodside) to start Lions For Real.

"John, Biggs, and I met up late one night after a show for a few beers, drinks, and a jam session," said Adkins. "From that moment on, we occasionally jammed together. But it was probably when we caught wind that Kyle would jam with us that we realized that what we made together was magic and unique."

They weren't the only ones to think so. After working with the Gavin DeGraw family to put together a demo, some of the new band's recordings made their way to Los Angeles, where a 5-year-old experimental label made up of long-time friends Timmy "The Terror" Anderson and actor Ryan Gosling. The label, Werewolf Heart Records, had recently recruited a former Atlantic Records scout who happened to be friends with Banzhoff. They heard pretty much what we heard.



"After the recordings were passed to Werewolf Heart Records, we were on a plane to L.A. within a couple of months," says Adkins. "We're currently recording our first album now. There will be a couple of songs people have heard, some reworked songs from our live shows, and new material that we've been writing, scrapping, and writing again."

The Movement, which is one of a handful of songs that were originally meant to be released as an EP, captures the indie funk rock sound that is likely to be a signature sound for Lions For Real. Most notably, it showcases Banzhoff cutting loose like that he rarely did with The Loft and backed by members with an ear for funk, rock, and soul.

"The entire process is definitely a 4-way process. One member might come up with the original melody, rhythm, or idea, but the rest of it just sort of falls into place," says Adkins. "There is an unspoken chemistry that happens here that is unlike any of our previous bands."

By the sound of the initial recordings, some of it is the style. In composing The Movement, Adkins was listening to artists like Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fela Kuti when these rhythmic-oriented artists sparked the main riff. From there, the rest of the song unfolded with the band and Banzhoff writing something universal in the lyrics that he could deliver with a smoky Southern rock passion.

Adkins says the passion is real, with almost every song that survives the creative process being bits and pieces that are significant to each member. It's important to them, he said, to craft songs that capture their personalities as much of their musical abilities. And everything, everything, is a jam session anywhere.



Heavy Stereo, which is one five tracks the band is currently sharing around as part of a pre-release package, naturally sounds fuller. Banzhoff and Adkins pull it off nicely as an acoustic. Add in Blankenship's well-placed and pronounced bass along with Biggs' drum progressions and the song, although light on lyrics but heavy on emotion, defines what they call a powerful cooperative of talents.

The same can be said for any one of the five recordings out on the net. Fever and On The Run are especially solid, bringing in some influences from generations past while precariously carving out their own direction. They also have much more to draw upon, with more then 20 songs recorded.

"Over all, we have recorded around 20 songs, all of which we've played during shows," says Adkins. "The reaction of these songs in front of a live audience has definitely influenced our choices in scrapping them or keeping them around. We want to make and keep a connection with the crowd."

There is little doubt that the connection is made. Lions For Real manages to put down most of their music as if they're performing live. Never mind that everything that they have recorded to date has been done in their own studio. It's this sound we're hoping to hear soon when their label releases the debut — one that Adkins says they hope reaches a broad audience but never becomes overly processed or embarrassing like some commercial bands.

The Movement By Lions For Real Shakes Up 8.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

With most members of this Nashville-based four-piece having put in at least a decade of time and sacrifice into their music, there is legitimate excitement in seeing them on the doorstep of what they've been working toward. With the raw DIY aspect of the band intact, expect to see them hit the road soon and see their debut album follow suit.

Links to the album will be added after the debut's release, but you can still catch five tracks from the band on Bandcamp. Their upcoming shows will be soon listed on Facebook, were you can hear both The Movement and the studio version of Heavy Stereo in anticipation of the album's release. Put them down on your watch list this year.

SMAC! Sock Monkeys Are All Good Will

Cancer doesn't keep a schedule. Not for Jennifer Windrum. Not for Windrum's SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer campaign. And not for her mom, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005.

This month was meant to be a celebration, a brief and fleeting moment of accomplishment in between bouts of bad news, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. She was supposed to focused on nothing else except raising funds for her SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer product line, a milestone for Windrum's WTF? For Lung Cancer campaign and a source of pride for her mom who inspired it.

The cancer had other plans.

Although she is still doing what she can to ensure the growing grassroots support for SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer, her mom is losing and most of Windrum's time has been bedside. Even answering a few email questions for an interview is hit and miss. It depends if her mom is fortunate enough to fall asleep, a reprieve from the growing pain and discomfort she endures.

The same thing happened last July. After her mom survived three weeks of intense radiation treatment, Windrum had taken a trip to Chicago to attend a friend's wedding. The voicemail came during the reception. Cancer had other plans. Her mom was taken to the hospital, unable to breathe. The next few days were dizzying as treatment for pneumonia led to an infection that required emergency surgery.

"The whole experience has changed me so profoundly that I don't even know where to start," says Windrum. "We've learned to talk about death candidly and, aside from the horrific reasons my mom is dying, we've transformed it into a beautiful and intimate experience."

Not everyone can exhibit the same courage, but Windrum and her mom are resilient in life as they face death. Some of it comes from the decision they made together seven years ago when they learned the awful truth about lung cancer. There is virtually no funding for research because it has become associated with the stigma of smoking.

Except ... Windrum's mom never smoked. And she's not alone.

About 80 percent of the people diagnosed with it have never smoked or quit smoking decades prior. But because of the stigma and because popularity drives cancer research, lung cancer is largely ignored despite accounting for 30 percent of all cancer deaths. If you are diagnosed with it, the five-year survival rate is only 15 percent — about the same as it was almost 40 years ago.

"Because the government, and a majority of the medical community and public have long deemed lung cancer a self-inflicted disease, using the smoking stigma as an excuse, lung cancer research has been virtually ignored for decades," Windrum says. "The true story of lung cancer wasn't being told."

It was when Windrum learned that the lack of research and funding for lung cancer was as much to blame for her mom having to heroically survive the last seven years that they decided to chronicle her mom's story and make it public. Windrum was the right person to do it. She's a former reporter.

The SMAC! Sock Monkey Campaign is three times a charm. 

There are only three good things to come out of this tragic story. More people are aware that lung cancer doesn't discriminate and only target smokers. Windrum and her mom have forged a bond that few people will ever experience. And now, there is the SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer.

The sock monkey concept came out of their long and tireless journey together. As the distance between mother and daughter was often more than 1,200 miles, Windrum had always wanted to find something filled with love, support and comfort.

The spark of an idea finally materialized when her mom landed in a Denver hospital. Because Windrum couldn't be there for the week, she sent along two little sock monkeys that her twin daughters had given to her for Mother's Day. Named Phoenix and NoMo, these two little monkeys became a symbol of everything any cancer patient might need — a huggable reminder that there are people who care more than words.

SMAC! sock monkeys are unique too. They come in pairs. Any time someone purchases a SMAC! sock monkey, another will be sent to someone with cancer. And any time someone purchases a SMAC! sock monkey, it will raise funds for the National Coalition of Oncology Nurse Navigators (NCONN) and Liz’s Legacy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Eppley Cancer Center.

"I chose NCONN because everyone with cancer should have an advocate who manages the overwhelming number of appointments, phone calls, and treatment regimens," said Windrum. "And I chose UNMC Eppley because of their lung cancer research. I believe in the work they do there and can see tangible results with my own eyes."

SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer Are A Good Will Pick.

At least once a month, Liquid Hip highlights good will efforts undertaken by people with big hearts. We don't score them. That belongs to you.

The story of Jennifer Windrum and her mom, Leslie Lehrman, is a triumph in the face of adversity. While there is nothing they can do for Lehrman, they have been an open book for years in the hope that they can help other people who are diagnosed with lung cancer in the future. Maybe someone you know and love, because anyone can be diagnosed with lung cancer.

SMAC! Sock Monkeys Against Cancer is working to raise $35,000 to help produce the first 1,000 monkeys, using the StartSomeGood crowd funding platform. Pledges start at $10 as a show of support. Those over $50 include your choice: Phoenix carries the WTF? logo and NoMo carries the SMAC! logo. Larger pledges include monkeys being shipped to cancer patients.

The Veda Rays Die Fast When Life Kills

The post-punk experimental band from Brooklyn that shook through the arthouse rock scene last year with Gamma Rays Galaxy Rays Veda Rays has undergone an evolution, easily heard across two recently released back-to-back EPs. The equally haunting but more subdued atmospheric work assembled represents two sides of a conceptual journey — a descent into the underworld and the ascent out of it, surviving but forever changed nonetheless.

"We considered making it a full length, but in the end we decided to break it up into two EPs for the conceptual differences," says Jim Stark (vocals, guitar). "Die Fast is a series of reflections, the equivalent of someone's life passing before their eyes. Life Kills represents what has been gleaned from the experience with a new found awareness."

"Be in the world, not of the world" becomes the traveler's mantra.

The evolution in sound began last year, with Stark and Jason Gates a.k.a. Jason Marcucci reconsidering how they approach recording and arranging instrumentation. The intent was to contain the atmospheric elements of the work, leaving more room for each element and then sonically evoking a greater sense of spaciousness.

"It might seem like an odd way to get there, considering our earlier work," said Stark. "But we were going for something just as full and just as dark as anything we have ever done in the past but in a different manner. We wanted everything to be heard this time around."

Part intentional and part happenstance, stripping away gratuitous layers of distorted guitars wasn't the only change. Stark and Gates are all that remain the previous four-piece band. Bassist Tyson Frawley dropped out to invest all of his energies into raising his son as a single dad. Guitarist Jimmy Jenkins moved to Colorado with his long-time partner.

Neither are completely out of the picture. Stark says that both may contribute later down the line in different ways, and Jenkins had contributed to Better The Devil and Cop Knock on Die Fast before the move. The absence is noticeable, but not for the fullness. Even live, Stark and Gates have compensated by adding sequences and electronic elements to retain their enveloping sound.

Likewise, the changes have opened up other ideas. One of them played out shortly after Gamma Rays Galaxy Rays Veda Rays was produced. The closing track on Life Kills on Time Is A Vise features Julee Cruise, the singer and actress most noted for recording the theme song to Twin Peaks.



Her involvement began after she and Gates met by chance through their mutual work as part of the New York studio scene. As Cruise became curious about the Veda Rays, Gates half-jokingly asked if she would contribute her voice to the track. She agreed without hesitation and Gates almost passed out.

"Cruise, even partially demystified, creates a surreal experience," says Stark. "She fit perfectly in that the song is about being bound to the physical machinations of the physical universe as we understand it. We're enslaved by the ego and organic desires. And this song is about your knowing your place in the scheme of things, allowing yourself to suffer the world instead of being attached to it."

How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go?

The mind bending near mysticism isn't surprising from Stark. Along with his hypnotic and soaring vocals, he readily composes deeply contemplative songs with richly layered meanings, many of them straddling both physical and metaphysical planes of time, thought, and space.

Case in point. Whittled into Time Is A Vise is a Nikola Tesla's thought that everyone is automation, with geniuses being more efficient automatons. Stark then carries this forward with a twist of William S. Burroughs' awareness that "a paranoid is someone who understands a little bit of what is going on," while simultaneously giving nods to both the late Michael Hutchence of INXS and Neutral Milk Hotel.

It isn't the only one that plays like a puzzle box. At the top of the steps descending down, Better The Devil addresses the problem of self-styled indie hipster bands against the grain of original musicians. Untitled 93 contains a Carl Jung postulation interwoven with all the untitled tracks written by Elliot Smith. And even if he didn't hear it while recording the demo, Noble Beast now reminds Stark of Jean Cocteau's La Belle et la Bete, originally written by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. The beat, a bull being led around by his nose, plays the part of tempter and redeemer. Those are only starters...

The Veda Rays Double Down With Two EPs At 8.0 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

I have to be honest. When I first heard Die Fast and Life Kills, it was difficult to listen without longing for the primal beastliness and urgency of their pervious outing. But as everyone settles into the ethereal qualities of both new EP sessions, there will be a general consensus that Stark and Gates have produced something as remarkable as it is unique.

Die Fast and Life Kills really belong together, and play perfectly alongside Gamma Rays Galaxy Rays Veda Rays. There are too many meanings, nods, and notes to even begin to list them all. You can find the 4-track Die Fast and 3-track Life Kills on iTunes. Die Fast and Life Kills are also available from Amazon. For upcoming shows in New York and elsewhere, visit the Veda Rays on Facebook.

Pigeon Park Is An Emerging Artist Pick

When Nick Weber (vocals) and Kevin Okabe (guitar) were writing music in the hallways of school a few years ago, they didn't really know where it might lead. Everything just started falling into place.

Artur Leppert (bass) and Hunter Elliott (drums) had already formed a duo, but were looking to expand their sound. It was as the four of them were just coming together that they happened to hear Logan Pacholok (guitar, vocals) at a winter talent show.

They were blown away and invited him along for the ride. Nothing after that, however, was anything but chance.

Pigeon Park is an emerging artist pick from Vancouver. 

Named after an area that once served as an unofficial dividing line between the prosperous and struggling sides of downtown Vancouver, Pigeon Park had no problem booking shows. Their initial draw was their diversity. With each member having different musical backgrounds and interests, it was easy enough to play a gamut of sound ranging from blues and reggae to roots and indie rock.

"It's something that's a bit of a challenge, especially with the press. They hear the first track off the album and assume the rest is going to sound similar," says Okabe. "Instead, they're hit with an abundance of genres. Some people like it. Some don't."

Expect some of that to change in the years ahead, but not entirely. The blues-rock infused opening track of their new self-titled EP has the band leaning toward a heavier, smoky sound. However, having the freedom to take music in any direction can be addictive.



The song, Lovelight, started like most Pigeon Park songs. One member brought in the spark for it and then the rest of the band turns it into an elongated jam session with each member contributing. Except Lovelight was a bit different in that Okabe, who writes many of the songs, was much more specific.

"I was a bit of a control freak during the jam process, which is a rare thing for me," said Okabe. "I don't like telling people what to play, basically ever. In this case, I just had a really specific vision of how I wanted the song to sound."

Part of the reason is related to the inspiration. Love doesn't always present itself clean. It's often saddled with indecision and doubt. The second track, Figures, which has a lighter and jazzier pop-rock sound, conveys the same idea in a different way. Written by Weber, it titters back and forth on he bright and biting sides when you fall for someone.

"Most of it has to do with me learning a lot of hard lessons, like most people go through," says Weber. "They are things that have made me a better person. On the outside, it can all seem so simple. But when you live through it, it all feels more complicated."

How Pigeon Park makes richly diverse work.

The two songs are different, but even those differences don't fully represent the dramatic and occasionally jarring contrasts that have become part of the Pigeon Park repertoire. Although most songs are somehow grounded in blues, the band frequently moves in any direction.

"Our diversity was never something we planned," says Weber. "Sometimes it happens quickly and other times it takes a long time for it to grow into something we feel is 'us.' Whatever direction it happens to turn can be hard for a fan to accept. It might even mean losing people, but it's part of who we are."

There are some advantages, however. It's not uncommon for the band to adjust during live performances, leaning in one direction or the other. Several fans have told the band that every show sounds different and that makes sense. The band members say every show feels different.

"We've never really had a consistent set list. People tell us that we ought to keep the same set list, but we never have," explains Pacholok. "There are differences between cities. Things tend to get a little more metal-ish as we head east so we never truly decide what to play until we see the venue and feel out the vibe."

Being an independent artist helps too. Okabe says it can be great in the sense that they retain 100 percent control over what they produce. The downside is it takes a little more time to manage the business side, the music side, and keeping a day job. Leppert is equally balanced in his take, adding that it's important to enjoy what you're doing as much as making music that people dig. And, he says, you have to keep getting better.

"We're pretty much married. When you spend 40 days on the road together in a cramped van full of stinky feet, it really brings you together," says Okabe.

Other tracks down the EP punctuate the point. It's easy to catch the chemistry in Statues Of Feathers even if it took longer to come together. It was only after little bits were added across dozens of jams that an outro riff helped make the track happen. It's Not That Likely too, which ends the EP, is a short, quirky little song that seems a million miles away from Lovelight. But then you'll smile with the band, just the same.

The Pigeon Park EP Lands 4.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

It might take a little time for Pigeon Park to catch the bigger break, but count on one to come. Some of the typical band hardships have already played out. Even this EP, which they tracked in house after an exhaustive summer tour and during a particularly cold Canadian winter, wasn't pain free.

When they were done, their management agency dropped them. So they headed back into the studio with someone willing to give them more time. They tapped Vancouver producer Jordan Oorebeek to produce it, and found themselves with a richer, fuller sound.

You can find the Pigeon Park EP on iTunes. Each track deserves its own listen, given the genre jumps, but there is no question this band has the talent and chemistry to see it all come together. You can also hear the EP on Bandcamp, along with their first release, Sun. To follow the band, look for them on Facebook.

Kara McGraw Makes A Good Will Pick

Thirteen songs benefiting 13 causes over 13 weeks. This is the vision of a singer-songwriter Kara McGraw who recently composed and produced her first album in more than a decade. She wants to raise awareness and funds for a variety of nonprofit organizations, all of them close to her soul.

"Music heals hearts, and it only makes sense to me that it also extends to healing the world," she says. "Each song on the album is designated to raise funds for a specific charity. Some of them are very personal choices."

Among the most personal are the Alzheimer's Association and National Multiple Sclerosis Society, as her grandmother is afflicted with Alzheimer's and a close friend from college is diagnosed with MS. The Yonso Project also has a personal connection. Her cousin and cousin's fiancé founded the program in the Ghana, which sponsors education, micro-loans, and other innovative programs to lift up people in isolated rural areas within this West African country.

As for the rest? She's connected to all of them, with some suggested by her friends and family. It's her hope to help as many people possible, while giving each organization the equal attention it deserves.

The Hound And The Hare as an uplifting good will pick. 

The compositions that make up the album are uplifting, haunting and reflective songs with theatrical leanings. All of them are vivid enough to conjure images of costumes and spotlights, musical arrangements that have an apparent affinity to be choreographed and then played out on stage.

"The album is two-sided to reflect two frames of mind: One is personal, inward focused, and vulnerable; the other is playful and outgoing," she says. "I am constantly bouncing between these two sides of myself."

Side A, The Hound, is the extroverted side, with many of the songs of exhibiting an excitement and bounce. A few are reminiscent of the musical Chess by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, not in content but in influences felt in the arrangements. Listen to Tough Cookies first.

Side B, The Hare, carries more quiet self-reflection as opposed to the robust self-discovery on The Hound. While these too could be set to the stage, some of the confessional, contemplative and dramatic upticks could stand alone as pop songs. Start with the first track, Icebreakers.

McGraw, a self-described closet introvert who often comes across as an extrovert, says she wrote most of the songs over the last ten years while working on unrelated musical and joining several writer groups. Last year, she also released a single to benefit farmers recovering from Hurricane Irene.



"Making my own music is nothing new," says McGraw, who won the Vermont Young Composers scholarship award for her ballad “Comic Books and Flashlights” in 2001. "What is new is that this is the first time I have the opportunity to promote my own music using some of the knowledge I've gained  [over the years] and I'm honestly not sure how it will be received. My songs are personal; they feel like part of me."

While McGraw sometimes struggles with the range her compositions call for, it's always clear where she is going as a singer-songwriter and composer. She has a beautiful voice, but also leaves one imagining what Broadway performers could bring to her work.

The organizations that benefit from The Hare And The Hound. 

McGraw's fundraising efforts began with Free Arts NYC during the first week of the release. Other organizations include: Heifer International (Oct. 2), Rainforest Action Network (Oct. 9), Kiva (Oct. 16), Creative Visions (Oct. 23), American Diabetes Association (Oct. 30), A Child's Right (Nov. 6), Alzheimer's Association (Nov. 13), The Bully Project (Nov. 20), The Nature Conservancy (Nov. 27), Yonso Project (Dec. 4), National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Dec. 11), and Wild & Scenic Institute (Dec. 18). You can find a listing of the songs as she matched them to organizations on her site.

If there is a common thread in her picks, it's two-fold like her album. McGraw seems to gravitate to giving people a hand up or those people who can't sadly accept one. It's also worthwhile to note that the project could give her a hand up too by helping her refocus on the major musical she has composed.

The upcoming musical (unrelated to the release) is about a young college student who falls for a coal miner's son and is then tempted by the divine trappings of choice. The girl can be selfish with the man she loves and find her way into heaven or selfless in her action and face damnation. Much like the emotion love, which it explores for all its fury and comfort, there might not be a 'right' choice.

The Hound And The Hare By Kara McGraw Is A Good Will Pick.

At least once a month, Liquid Hip highlights good will efforts undertaken by people with big hearts. We don't score them. That belongs to you.

McGraw clearly has a passion for the arts as well as the world around her. We think it's great that she found a way to bring the two together, much like she did last year with The Chandelier. This time, she takes a decade of work and gives it freely to several worthwhile organizations.

By purchasing the album during specified weeks, select organizations benefit. You can find The Hound & The Hare on iTunes or download it from Amazon, but McGraw notes that Aurovine and Nimbit afford more proceeds to the artist (and thus more proceeds to the benefactors). Currently, McGraw is planning a CD release party in the Bay area. You can keep up on her appearances on Facebook.

Abel Braves Fire To Make It Right

After several shakeups since their debut album Lesser Men in 2010, Poughkeepsie, New York-based alternative rock band Abel is releasing a heavier, darker and more pragmatic sophomore album. The 10-track indie album Make It Right is right on target, a superbly crafted collection of songs that deliver amazingly authentic vocals and wildly addictive music.

"I think we've always wanted to do something a little grittier and bluesier, but music has a natural progression," says front man Kevin Kneifel. "We weren't ready to make that leap on Lesser Men."

Make It Right is an album of life lessons.

As Kneifel calls it, Make It Right is not as complex as Lesser Men. What it delivers instead is an impassioned execution that only comes with surviving adversity. And while Kneifel is reluctant to speak on behalf of the band, he is unafraid to share what was on his mind during the dark period that led up to it.

"Abel did a lot of touring in 2010 and that was definitely a really stressful time in my life," says Kneifel. "I was really struggling to figure out what I wanted to do with myself and where I thought music and touring fit and in my life in general. To top it off, tensions were really high between Alex [David] and myself on tour that year, and we even spent some time not talking to each other."

Like many singer/songwriters and musicians, Kneifel found himself at a crossroads — feeling like he had to commit to the band or the four-year relationship with his girlfriend. The choice wasn't so easy to make because he doubted his ability to do either. It didn't help watching several outside relationships he admired break down and fall apart. The ones who suffered the most, he said, were the children.

"These were the things that were on my mind at the time," he said. "So these were the stories I brought into writing the lyrics for Make It Right."

It can immediately be heard on the first track released by Abel in advance of the album. Fire Walk With Me is a soaring rocker, opening with a smoldering chorus that blisters against self-doubt and self-righteous hypocrisy.



"It's also about running away from your problems," says Kneifel. "It's easier than owning up to the things you've done and the promises you've made."

Several songs on Make It Right carry a similar theme, which is where Make It Right has the most bite. I'll Be Waiting is about the relationship he considered the model of a stable, loving marriage before the cracks began to surface and the couple split apart. Even so, Kneifel maintains some semblance of hope in the song. He says sometimes people need space from each other to work out personal issues. It would be nice to know that they have someone to come home to.

Fine Lines also hits close to home, with Kneifel writing about his long-time friendship with Alex David (bass). During the 2010 tour when tensions peaked, insincere apologies were bantered about just to keep things moving forward. They didn't recognize it until they got back, but pride and putting success before friendship almost caused a near irreparable rift.

They had been there before. These were the same pressures felt when Kneifel and David had played in another band together. They were all suffering from tour burnout when their bass player quit The Comeback Tour. While the shakeup helped them discover Dan Bishop, who later joined Abel, the momentum had collapsed.

When they did reunite, David had picked up bass and Kneifel invited John Rell III to play drums. It clicked well enough for Dreamt Music to produce their debut EP and Come&Live to back their Kickstarter-funded debut album. This time around, Come&Live is supporting the album, but Make It Right was funded exclusively by Abel fans through Kickstarter.

Along with their savings, the band retreated to the Catskill Mountains and then went on to record with producer Matt Malpass (Manchester Orchestra) in Atlanta. Come Home, which is a standout ballad, was one of four songs they finished writing there. It's a nice change of pace in that it was written for Kneifel's girlfriend for their wedding day. The direct contrast to the ballad, An Ultimatum, is based on her telling him to man up or leave.

Make It Right By Abel Hits 6.6 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

This is the kind of album that can propel a band forward. There is a synergy in the collaborative writing process along with influences from Malpass throughout. More than that, it's a landmark album for the band and, in particular, Kneifel. He never had to choose his wife or the band. He only needed faith.

Make It Right is available on iTunes. You can also find Make It Right on Amazon or visit Bandcamp, where you can also listen to Daughter. The band has a heavy set of shows planned at the end of September in support of the album, kicking off in Danbury, Connecticut.

Daniel Pearson Spins Around Satellites

Singer-songwriter Daniel Pearson might have grown up near the banks of the Hull River in the United Kingdom, but his soul can be found in the heartland of America. His music, much like the American landscape that characterizes the region, rolls along for miles with equal parts pain and hope.

"When you grow up in a place without much of a musical identity, you end up looking elsewhere for inspiration," says Pearson. "I've always been drawn to American music and bands, which I think gives me a sense of escapism."

Kingston upon Hull (Hull) in East Yorkshire shares some similarities with the heartland. The economy struggled for decades, the land feels flat and unchanging, and the people are weathered but resilient. Singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and Neil Young were easy for Pearson to gravitate toward, especially after his parents introduced him to Bruce Springsteen.

"Even in the mid 90s, the biggest bands were all in the U.S. — Nirvana, Pearl Jam, REM, Green Day,  and Weezer," he said. "It was only through Britpop a few years later that I got into The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But I think us Brits have always been a little in love with America."

Satellites captures the spirit of temperate American folk rock.

Although Pearson says the iconic images and ideas transfer pretty effortlessly into his culture and psyche, it doesn't always mean that record labels are willing to take a chance. After shopping his first set of songs around, he learned it's easier to be a boy band, dance act, or female soul singer nowadays.

Undeterred, Pearson started his own label. He oversees everything from finance and distribution to promotion and bookings. All of it comes back to him with a handful of people who help out a little where it counts.

"It was a blessing in disguise really. I've learned an incredible amount about how everything works while managing to stay totally in control of the ship," he said. "I'm also ultra-prepared when in the studio — the record was done and mixed inside a week and a lot of the songs are first and second takes."

There is perhaps no better place to hear his conviction than his second track, Wishing Well. The steady but brilliantly composed song about overcoming adversity underscores Pearson's desire to retain the purity of folk rock without being overblown.





"It reminds me that life is short and I need to keep working away on things that I believe in and strive for," he says. "When I listen to it now, it's as much for me as anyone else."

Waves In The Sea, with its haunting and darkly mortal undertones, is different. While the track is obviously a love song, its inspiration came from The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The book, he said, set him off thinking about the end of the world and the last fragments of humanity being tested. Although he admits it might sound hokey to some, he sincerely hopes love can survive it.





While his brooding arrangements capture more attention, Pearson is not confined to the pace. His straightforward and upbeat 4th July, full on with a harmonic backing, is a quick fire pop song played in under three minutes. It almost didn't make the album, but goes a great distance in lending more texture.

Civilians too, although familiar in its pacing, offers up an unexpected twist that might make some early reviewers blush. Although the song has some of the daydream qualities of Pearson's serious prose, the song is a response to the celebrity and talent show culture that has become so influential in society.

"A lot of the reviews in the U.K. actually misunderstood that song and took it literally, like I was the one wanting a magazine deal and all those things," laughs Pearson. "Next time, I need satire stickers for those kinds of songs!"

While no artist would necessarily pass on the rush of being discovered, Pearson is more practiced in patience. Even when he composes music, he invests more of his time in building a couple of lines of melody around a phrase or two. Sometime after settling on a chord progression or sound, he fleshes it out and starts writing draft lyrics.

Sometimes he even records a demo straight into his phone, just to listen to it a few days later. Most of the songs, he says, are scrapped before anyone else can ever hear them. The ones people do hear are often play tested live before he steps into a studio.

Satellites By Daniel Pearson Rolls Over 6.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Incidentally, the song that Pearson most relates to on the album also touches on the connection between East Yorkshire and the American Midwest, Satellite Town. The relaxed acoustic captures the passage of time in one of those hundreds of towns in the shadow of a city.

Pearson, who has been stateside several times, will be visiting Los Angeles this August after the release of his next single in the U.K. (yesterday). The better songs, however, are all on Satellites, which was put out by his Saint In The City Records (SIC Records) label. Satellites is also available on Amazon. You can keep up with his career on Facebook. He's one to watch.

Sunday Lane From Where You Are

Emerging artist Sunday Lane never imagined becoming a singer-songwriter. She was just an ordinary girl growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And like many children in Tulsa, her parents wanted to expose her to music.

At the age of 5, they enrolled her at the Janell Whitby School of Music led by Janell Whitby to learn classical piano. But there is something different about the way Whitby teaches. She believes all children are born with a natural aptitude for music and nurtures their connection to it as early as possible.

"I wouldn't trade all the time I spent there for the world," says Lane. "The school not only helped me learn to play, but also understand it, feel it, and eventually love it."

Even as Lane grew into her music, singing and songwriting was still the furthest thing from her mind. At 12, she learned to play chords and joined a band instead — a setting she wanted to be part of. But this isn't a story of a classically trained pianist from middle America who joined a band and later found her voice at 15. Not at all.

Sunday Lane is a gifted songwriter and deeply passionate singer. 

Lane cut loose from Tulsa to attend Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. What she found there was the makings of a musical career at the Musicians Institute of Hollywood. Although unsigned, two of her songs have since been picked up for the television show One Tree Hill.

Both — Heavy Heart, Heavy Hands and Reckless One — appeared on her debut EP Bring Me SunShine. The latter is most likely to become a live show staple, a song about someone willing to fall in love with someone who isn't ready to fall in love.



The EP is good, but her new indie album co-produced with drummer Zach Annett is what caught my attention. From Where You Are is an 11-track blend of piano-driven indie pop, with some folk rock leanings.

The best track is the sad and sobering Painted Blue. Inspired by the realization that you can't be someone's everything, the song is bittersweet in its wisdom and pained in the loss of the illusion. Although stronger with the backing of her piano off the studio track, the live cut captures Lane's spirit as it gets going, weeping out the words as much as she sings them.



"Down the line, I'd love to work with other producers but I'd always like to have a say in the production because my songs mean a lot to me, and the way they are presented," says Lane, who often draws from personal experience. "I wrote Slowly when I was 17 and had my heart broken for the first time."

The song captures the moment between being hurt and still wanting the person who hurt you. And yet, Lane works in the realization that there is no benefit in a slow departure. The longer you hang on, the longer it hurts.

"There comes a time when you can't linger in the pain any longer and you have to let each other go," she says. "Writing has always been therapeutic for me."

Although Slowly means the most to her personally, dramatic tracks such as Waltzing With Fire and Let Me Go capture her range. She co-wrote both with singer-songwriter Hannah Crockett and immediately knew she wanted to include both on her next album.

"We played a lot of shows together last year and both of those songs were written when we were supposed to be practicing," says Lane. "I wrote the lyrics, but she helped shape the melodies and instrumentation. Solo writing and co-writing music and are two very different experiences, but I love them both."

It was also those songs, as well as her upbeat A Little Too Young, where Lane almost seems reminiscent of folk rock singer-songwriter Melanie (Melanie Safka) in the mid 1970s. Although Lane is unfamiliar with the artist, the two singer-songwriters share a commonality in that they sound wiser than their years.

From Where You Are By Sunday Lane Rises To 5.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Sunday Lane is an emerging artist pick who could easily move toward pop or folk rock. The latter seems likely as she said she would like her next album to be more guitar-driven. As long as she can retain the soulfulness of her voice, I'd cover it. If you are in Los Angeles this weekend, you can catch her third during a showcase set On The Rox (above the Roxy) on July 21. I plan to be there.

Otherwise, you can find From Where You Are by Sunday Lane on iTunes. From Where You Are is also available on Amazon. You can keep up with her solo career on Facebook, but she also splits her time as part of Thick As Thieves, a contemporary mashup band that blends pop harmonies with hip hop and rock.

Breathe Out Exhales On The First EP

Six months after longtime friends and former bandmates Alex Clegg and James Goodhead put their solo projects on hold and started working together on a recording project, their new collaboration nearly fell apart. It wasn't anything that anybody aid. It wasn't anything that anybody did.

Just as the duo was starting to feel prolific about their work and even talking about starting a proper band, Goodhead had a heart attack. Lights out.

"I basically died twice," says Goodhead. "It set us back about a month, but the demos were being emailed back and forth with increased urgency. The first time I heard [our song] Deep Impact, I was still in the hospital."

Deep Impact is one of five tracks that make up the band's self-titled EP, Breathe Out, put out by Art Is Hard Records. The song is about loss, with the opening lines still a foreboding reminder as Clegg sings, "I'm still here, but I had my fill. The temperature is set to maximum chill."

The song is haunting even without the connection. Propelled by a wicked bass line and screaming distorted guitars, it sets down the eclectic indie rock/pop sound that is slowly taking shape in London.

"I think the eclecticism has helped us to stand out with out recorded music as there are a million bands doing the fuzzed out 90s influenced power pop thing," says Clegg. "I think we have a slightly more interesting take on that by mixing in other influences. The idea of this band has always been to do whatever kind of music we felt like."



Incidentally, Deep Impact wasn't the only song to see some hospital time. The music video shot by Goodhead in the hospital adds an eerily ethereal and out-of-body experience to the down tempo Elite/Corrigans, a song he had written almost year earlier and recorded only a month before the collapse.



"The lyrical content is so obviously profound to to me now, a young man saying goodbye to his friends and family," says Goodhead. "If things would have turned out differently, this song would have been some horrible epitaph but luckily things turned out okay. For the video, yes, I was fully aware I was making the video for that song and wanting a visual document of my time in the hospital."

The contrast in the composition alludes to how the original duo tackles their music. Each song starts as a demo and then is built out by the rest of the band. Originally, it was Clegg and Goodhead who wrote and recorded everything, but there is more collaboration since adding Stuart Dando and Nick Shaw with the result being a more balanced output.

"I kind of have two ways of writing songs. One is to spend a few weeks slowly building up all the parts  and the other is to just sit down with a guitar and let the whole song flow out in about 10 minutes," says Clegg. "Champion was definitely the latter. I had a true story about a mock execution, which was really upsetting but also kind of darkly funny and ironic. We tried to give it a raw, live kind of feel."

The track, which was one of the first highlighted by the band, carries a much lighter, campy 60s throwback pop rock sound with a few arrangements similar to early Weezer. While this might throw off some people who gravitate toward a certain sound, Clegg is right in that it makes the band more unexpectedly listenable much like their influences: Beatles, Blur, and even Brian Jonestown Massacre.

In fact, Goodhead had just downloaded the entire Jonestown catalog and was obsessing about the 60s U.K. psyche scene and often forgotten bands like July when he wrote Cut Out And Keep, which played as the B-side to the Champion single. Listen carefully and you'll catch what Goodhead calls cheeky references to Bob Dylan and David Bowie.

The song itself is about a stoned boy taking a beautiful girl hime for the first time in hipster London, circa 1960s. Bringing his new Telecaster home for the first time didn't hurt either. Goodhead says that nothing is more inspiring than a new guitar.

"We're planning to spend most of the summer recording as we've got at least ten new songs to get out. I think these will probably go toward another EP later this year," says Clegg. "As far as remaining independent, we always just take each opportunity and decision as they come."

By the sounds of things, Breathe Out has had a steadily increasing number of opportunities and gigs in London. Not too surprising. Making music is all they want to do. It's always been that way, ever since they first played in a hardcore band called Shooting Victor Francis together and even did a stint in a hip hop cover band better known as Monster Goodhead. And then there was Big Detail and Slam Dunk (Clegg was once a semi-pro basketball player, but that is another story best saved for another time.

The Self-Titled EP By Breathe Out Blows Over 7.9 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

The swirling 1960s guitars and infectious melodies tie every track together, but there is just enough diversity between each number that it seldom gets old. If anything, Breathe Out gets better with every listen. This time around, it sounds like they've found a sound to call home.

They also have a studio to call home. Clegg co-runs Sound Savers, a studio located in Hackney, East London. So even when the band isn't making their own music, they're making music with a half dozen bands booked at any given time.

The single Champion is currently listed on iTunes, but without the B-side, Cut Out And Keep. For that, the best bet is to order both songs from the Big Cartel. The self-titled EP that we love can be ordered directly from Art Is Hard. You can also keep up with Breathe Out on Facebook. If you want to hear more, they also have a double A-side single on Bandcamp with all proceeds going to charity.

Tall For Jockeys Calls From Manchester

You won't be able to purchase the new EP from Tall For Jockeys anytime soon. The upstart alternative rock band from Manchester, United Kingdom, is just too new for that. They cut their first 4-track EP in January.

It was recorded in a garage in Wigan, which is just northwest of Manchester. Drummer Jordan Lilford describes the entire week-long session as cold, cramped, and tenuous. By the end of it, they had all started to unnerve each other.

It wouldn't be the first time. Tall For Jockeys came together shortly after the bassist from their original band called it quits. They almost continued down that path, but then decided to use the departure as a catalyst. They recruited another longtime friend to play bass, changed the sound, changed the name, and changed everything until it felt more focused.

"[Josh] Reid woke up in the middle of the night with the name and asked us our thoughts," says Lilford. "Cal was the first to say that the name sounded like a pop punk band. But he's just a new bassist so we went with the name anyway."

Get Japan On The Phone by Tall For Jockeys is alternative rock at its grungy best.

Tall For Jockeys never intended to be labeled a grunge band, but the moniker seems to be sticking. And there is some good and bad associated with the term. While almost everybody loves a bit of grunge, nobody ever expects it to evolve. It was about a place in time, a bright and burning retread of rock and roll.

"Everyone's a critic now and there are a lot of loose comparisons that get thrown around," says Lilford. "I don't think we try to set ourselves apart. We just do whatever comes naturally because there wouldn't be any fun in doing stuff that's already been done."

What is fun for the band is being "blown away" as an opening act at the Ruby Lounge. Jay Taylor has been very supportive of the new band, enough to put them on the ticket with reasonably established acts like Those Darlins and The Calimocho Club. They'll add Future Of The Left to that list this month.

"Everything is very much a group effort. Someone usually brings in a riff or two they like to rehearsal and we all bounce ideas around," says Lilford. "Once the music is all there, Josh Reid writes his 'feelings' into the music." 

The EP kicks off with Riptide, a song that singer/guitarist Reid (he trades rhythm and lead guitar duties with Whelo) brought into rehearsal as a skeleton before the band started building chords, beats, and melodies around it. It's easily one of their most accessible songs with distorted guitars, sludgy bass line, down tempo drums, and Reid's melodic but straining anxiousness.

As good as Riptide might be, the band has taken to opening gigs with Louis TherouXXX, a cock rocker that they originally scrapped. Recast with its chugging guitar open and throwback feel, it's easy to understand why the band opens up with the angst-laden driver. It sets a furious stage pace that immediately draws attention.

"Heir started as a jam that just happened at practice," says Lilford. "The slow breakdown happened accidentally. And then Reid started screaming lines over the top and suddenly we brought something more sinister in the world."

The lyrics to Heir are perhaps some of Reid's most compelling work. Tall For Jockeys turns death on its head and focuses in the survivors, especially those waiting around for a cut of the pie. "You're an oxygen thief. You're an oxygen thief. I'll make the funeral plans if you write the will," dares Reid at the climatic finish.

The EP ends with German Suplex, a song that the band started working with based on nothing more than the title. It's easily the heaviest piece of work in their arsenal with more metal influence than any other genre. Lilford says it's the most challenging to play, a signature finish that demands whatever they have left to pull it off.

Of course, everything is subject to change. The band has put together several more songs that they'll be testing out live in Manchester this summer. While Lilford says it's too soon to think about about a full length, they already have one "anthemic" track that's near completion. And, because some members study in Leeds, they plan to add that city to their roster too.

"It's just a loose base for us sometimes, I suppose," says Lilford. "Cal's house is pretty disgusting though, so we prefer to stay away. As I said earlier, we try not to take this too seriously. Too many bands try too hard and it's sad to see them flogging themselves."

Call Japan On The Phone By Tall For Jockeys Rings 9.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

As an emerging alternative rock band from Manchester (although most are from nearby Warrington), Tall For Jockeys is a band to watch from afar. While some elements of the music do take a nod from grunge, there is a noticeable diversity in their arrangements, play style and potential.

While Call Japan On The Phone is not for sale, you can still find it online. All four tracks are available for free download via Bandcamp. No email is required, but you can be a sport and set your own price for each song. You can also follow the band on Facebook, where they post upcoming gigs and other things that they just happen to like. Hat tip to Christian Van Fields and Rob Lawson for the first rate garage production.

Rising Artist Pick: Monks Of Mellonwah

When you ask Joe de la Hoyde who were some of his earliest musical influences, one name stands out among a long list of names. It stands out because it's the one name most people would never know.

John de la Hoyde is his brother, who taught himself to play guitar by downloading tabs from the Internet. Joe eventually did the same, falling in love with the guitar and diving deep into classical guitar studies, which he eventually pursued in school.

It was at school that one accidental happening would be the foundation of the Sydney-based indie rock band Monks of Mellonwah. The two brothers and three classmates — Will Maher from performing arts; Josh Baiddari from music studies; and Josh's friend Vikram Kaushik, who was already an accomplished guitar and violin player — planned to learn a few cover songs to raise money for the school's charity day. 

"Sometimes you are on a special journey and don't even realize it," says Joe de la Hoyde. "It was from there that we grew into our own band, Monks of Mellonwah."

Aside from Kaushik, who left the band to study overseas shortly after recording their first EP, the Monks of Mellonwah have always been the same bunch. What isn't exactly the same is the sound. Their upcoming 4-track EP, Neurogenesis, carries an unexpected maturity for a band that hasn't cut an album.

Some of the credit belongs producer Ryan Miller (RM Music). Joe de la Hoyde says Miller gave them much more freedom in the studio, reinforcing the band's decision not to be hung up on traditional structures or hurting to cut every song under the 3:30 finish line.

"Some parts were done with Miller and others in different recording spaces, in different frames of mind," says Joe de la Hoyde. "The result could be seen as a product of those places and moments, giving it all a big open and free feel with nothing ever feeling rushed."

Free is a fitting description for the album. All four of the band members are spiritual, with the idea of an existence outside of the physical one very real to them. Underscoring this point is the inspiration behind the second track, which the Monks of Mellonwah are using as an introduction to the EP. Some of the video footage is as personal as the song.

"When we were writing these songs, John and Joe's grandfather passed away," says singer Will Maher.  "This event in their lives and in ours had a very heavy influence on the Neverending Spirit. It's about coping with loss by embracing the idea of another life. Their love can't escape your heart."

According Maher, the band is equally attached to all of the songs. Each has a particular connection to one or more of the band members for different reasons. Kyoto is about someone losing their mind and forgetting who they are. You Shine is about love and the power to heal. And the opening track, which is clearly the standout of the four, is about J. Robert Oppenheimer, often called the father of the atomic bomb. 

"I was trying to get inside Oppenheimer's head when I wrote it. I mean: What was his emotional reaction to what he had to create? What did it mean to him?" says Maher. "The chorus suggests a kind of attachment between Oppenheimer and his creation, like Frankenstein and his monster. It's a dark attachment."

Like many of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer had mixed feelings about the necessity of bringing the atomic age to life. He later said that it brought to mind words from Bhagavad Gita. Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. (Verse 32, Chapter 11). 

"Neurogenesis is probably a standout as it touches deeply, particularly when we play it live," he said. "When we get up on stage and connect with the audience, it feels amazing. Music breaks down cultural barriers and in some cases makes a positive change in people's lives. Connecting the universe through art is the ultimate experience."

Incidentally, Neurogenesis and Neverending Spirit were mixed by Jeff Bova (Michael Jackson, Billy Joel) and Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins) put together the final mixes. For their upcoming album, the band will be entering the studio with Keith Olsen (Fleetwood Mac, Ozzy Osbourne, Grateful Dead) in November. The expected release date is early 2013. 

Neurogenesis By The Monks Of Mellonwah Explodes At 8.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Advanced tracks of Neurogenesis have earned some wildly mixed reviews, from flaming to fawning for their departure from the more funky rock and indie pop sound that epitomized Stars Are Out. Our take is that Neurogenesis is a progression that will easily pave the way to greater things for this band, with Neurogenesis being darkly brilliant, Neverending Spirit carelessly confessional, and Kyoto perfectly distributed. 

Although the EP originally had a release date of May 25, the iTunes release date was kicked back to June 6. We'll update this interview with download links as soon as the album is available. In the interim, you can give the three remaining songs on the album a spin on the band's website. Their early work as a 5-piece, Stars Are Out, can be found Amazon or downloaded from iTunes.