Tales from the Road: Dog Shredder

Tales from the Road: Dog Shredder

From the moment we left I had a good feeling about this tour. I’ve toured the West coast 12 times, East coast once, England, Scotland, and played seemingly every town over 5,000 people in Washington and Oregon then back again. I felt that this one was going to be particularly special and rewarding, though. And it was not in vain.

We cleaned out the old ‘92 Dodge Ram 250 (identical to the one Cicadas abandoned in a Ross Dress For Less parking lot in Missoula), built ourselves a loft (Jonny V. from Rooftops, I’m sending a big public thank you in your direction), packed away some instant coffee, and we were off. Seattle, Portland, and Arcata: you were all awesome!

Some of the first friends we were excited to see were Casey and Travis of The Americas in Chico, CA. Our history with these two runs pretty deep and they were proper company as expected. We played at a strip-mall theater that normally hosts theatrical types of goings on, but we were happy to be of the first bands to play there. Fresh off their US tour, The Americas were absolutely at the top of their game that night. They played a long set for the hometown audience and I had hoped that a few weeks on the road would do for Dog Shredder what it had done for them. We partied late and Travis rode with us to San Francisco the next day where we met up and spent a couple nights with the wonderful ex-’hamster Christy Greenwald.

We spent the day off in ‘frisco walking through Golden Gate Park and avoiding Amoeba Records. We spent the night chatting, laughing, and playing Super Nintendo. You know, rock star stuff. Our show was double booked and we were billed last of 5 bands (one of which was the phenomenal Mongloid Village from Portland). So we patiently sat through the first few bands and took some heckling from a horrendous touring singer/songwriter-type who accused us of never being on tour because if we had, we would know that we “support all other touring bands.” Sorry no one was watching your set, brah. I think you lost our attention during your 45-minute set-up.

Anywhoo, onward we went. Our LA show was cancelled so we stopped and spent the night at The Holland residence in Burbank. Thanks to my mom, dad, sister and oma for putting up with us. I feel lucky to have such supportive parents. Not all approve of this type of running-all-over-the-country business, you know.

Our San Diego show was a big highlight, we hung out and watched the Cavs game and then played to a packed house, and Phoenix was fun because we got to hang, play, and talk scrabble with our friends from Red Fang. But nothing quite prepared us for what was next.

In the words of Federation X: “Fuck Detroit, Flagstaff Rock City!” Man do these people know how to party. I mean seriously. These guys in Arizona eat, sleep and breathe rock & roll. We played at our friends from This Runs on Blood’s house and the basement just went nuts. We played for donations and by the end of the night we were one harmonica, a Denny’s coupon, four pieces of nicorette, a bunch of loose tobacco, a duct-taped can of Hamm’s, and $80 richer. What a blast. The next afternoon we went down to the park and played kickball. Now, I have played some kickball. But much like their raucous rock & roll lifestyle they play by their own inexplicably awesome rules. No keeping score is allowed, the inning is over after four outs, and talking lots and lots of shit about the other team is a must. At one point the field was raided by as many dogs as there were fielders (that’s nine, coach). Delay of game.

We were in the neighborhood and were too poor for Vegas, so we spent a day off camping at the Grand Canyon. More rock star stuff!!

We stuck around Flagstaff for a couple more days, played another show there, and sped to Denver, CO. This is where the long, long drives begin. We played this place called Bar Bar and, true to its name, IT TOTALLY WAS A BAR! Say you took the (sometimes) delightfully seedy clientele of the Horseshoe, mix in the hipster Caps crowd, give them all free reign on booze and a jukebox and you’ve got this place. Right in the center of the highly developed downtown Denver area, Bar Bar has its own little rock block amid the skyscrapers and couldn’t look more out of place. It looked like it had been a rock bar for 100 years, and the bathrooms, I’d say, maybe 150. We stayed with our friend Luke from Kingdom of Magic (check them out at Jinx next month they rule!) and kept moving.

The drive from Denver to Missoula is 13.5 hours (iPhones rule it on tour, by the way). We made it about 11 and stayed with Noah’s Dad and his family. If you are reading this, thanks for the cookies, guys!

The last show was in Missoula, MT. I can’t say enough about how much I love it there. Totally bizzaro Bellingham. Missoula is where it goes down for W ntage USA’s AMAZING annual all-you-can-eat-then-barf buffet of rock & roll insanity known to most as Totalfest. Josh and Nikki from W ntage came out to the show, as did our friends from Victory Smokes, solidifying our perfect record of having friends and familiar faces in EVERY SINGLE CITY OF THE TOUR.

I knew it was going to be a good one. I almost went to jail, all of our gear got a little more road cred, the band got tighter, our intra-state friendships got stronger, and our amps got progressively louder. Deaf as we are, I’d say it was a good one indeed.

Black Breath at Jinx. Photo by Paul Israel

No mainstream Bellingham venue could get away with charging $6.66 at the door. However, The Karma Kitchen is by no means a mainstream venue. Actually, it’s the epitome of underground and indy venues.

The wall of sound commonly known as Dog Shredder got the bid to open things up. With such a stellar band going first I knew the rest of the night would be exciting. The amount of noise these three make is amazing. Josh Holland is a Jedi-Master in the realm of feedback; on stage Holland’s SG becomes an extension of his body. As a unit they’re tight and diverse, and technically untouchable. Noah Burns (drums) and Jeff Johnson (bass) are the perfect blank canvass for Holland to sonically paint. There were plenty of comfortable couches and tables, but almost all of them were empty. The crowd of about 70 stood huddled, enjoying the raw skill and power of Dog Shredder.

When Seattle band Heiress started sound checking, Bellingham’s finest arrived and shut down the show. Luckily there’s a place in town that is so dedicated to art that two of the three remaining bands loaded up and moved the show. Heiress didn’t make it to the new location, but by the time I got there the Lesbians were ready to go.

Hailing from Seattle, Lesbians are a mostly instrumental four piece that can go from ambient to progressive rock in one song. Lead guitar player Aaron McInnis replaces the lead vocals by screaming on his SG standard on most of their songs. Being ready to play at the drop of a dime is something that only an accomplished band could pull of, and the Lesbians did.

Although their MySpace states that they’re a Seattle band, Black Breath has two ‘Hamsters’ amongst them. Drummer James Byrum and vocalist Neil McAdams used to rip up the scene as members of Old Rawler, surprisingly they both had different roles back in the days of The Show Off Gallery; James played guitar and Neil was on bass. These two have been making great music for over a decade, and the great thing is they progressively get better.

Black Breath, signed by Southern Lord Records, started at midnight. Instantly the crowd began to mosh which is a rarity at Bellingham metal shows. The sound coming from the five men of Black Breath is brutal, unabashed old school metal. Heavy down tuned power chords and fast, clever leads makes it easy for the audience to lose their inhibitions. Neil is an awesome vocalist, the simplest way to put it; this guy has serious mic control. It takes a strong scene and high energy bands to successfully move venues during the middle of a show. This night was a win for the Bellingham music scene on many levels.

It’d been several years since seeing The Americas live (Lobster Manor ‘06?) but honestly, I think I was more excited to hear the new songs (Sweet Release just released, sweet!). There was the guy who joked to his friend, “When’s the rest of the band gonna come out?” Americas ruled.

Casey drummed standing and Travis gnarled it up. They even drove up from California to kick-off their month-long coast-to-coast tour with Rooftops, whom readers may recall my prediction of winning Best Album (told you so). Taking advantage of the hometown send-off, Rooftops played a tight set to an incredibly warm and receptive crowd with a guest appearance by Pan Pan’s Sarah Jerns. So, question: how will the horn melodies be replicated on tour? There was a call out for TvN’s Kat Bula to join the stage as well, but she unfortunately managed to hide from the crowd.

THE WINNERS:

Best Silver Platter: Rooftops A Forest of Polarity
Best Up Close and Personal: Dirty Bird Cabaret
Best Heavier Than Heaven: Dog Shredder
Best Booty Shakin’ Music: Yogoman Burning Band
Best Twilight Zone Soundtrack: Pan Pan
Best Highway Americana: The Librarians
Best Moniker: The Ghost and the Grace
Best Axes of Folk: Biagio Biondolillo
Best Spinner: Yogoman
Best Rhyme and Beats: The Productionists
Best Newby: Pan Pan
Best Rock ‘N’ Roll Explosion: Sugar Sugar Sugar
Best Pop Will Rock Itself: The Love Lights
Best Skin in What’s Up!: Femme Uke
What’s Up! Appreciation Award: Bucketz
What’s Up! Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Sarazin Blake
What’s Up! Lifetime Achievement Award: Gunther Frank (RIP)

Poops was the host and he started the night off proper by singing a country song about drinking at the 3B, and accompanied by Sarah on the guitar. After a few awards were presented, we were introduced to the Dirty Bird Cabaret, who danced in between bands.

The first musical act of the night was Femme Uke. Promoting their new EP In the Key of G-spot, Laine and Ashley took the stage armed with two ukuleles and a ton of hilarious songs, these ladies were a pleasure to watch. In my opinion they saved the best song for last, “Big Fatty.” This was the only song they harmonized on and a clever bridge showed that this was the best structured song of their short performance.

Next up was Pan Pan. A large buzz has been circulating about this group, and I was excited to hear them. Layers of sound with fabulous structure and dynamics showed me that Sarah Jerns is much more than an artist; she’s a genius composer. Even though Sarah writes all the parts, don’t discount her band, they’re incredibly tight and professional.

To this point there had not been a rock band. The crowd was ready for something heavy. Dog Shredder had just won the “Heavier than Heaven” award and got on stage to prove it. Guitar player Josh Holland’s stage presence was like if Iggy Pop strapped on a guitar. The overall sound is mind numbing and hypnotic. They can go from beautiful stripped down melodies to brutal unabashed metal in the drop of a dime. The rest of the band is very talented as well drummer Noah Burns lost a stick in the middle of a song and never missed a beat.

We’ve had funny music, intelligent music, face melting rock, and with Acorn Project, the fourth group to play, we finally had some dance music. These guys have been around the scene for a long time and had a great 2009 promoting their new album We’ll be Fine. The first song they played was an epic new wave song. Showing their versatility they dropped into a straight ahead funk set. These guys are one of Bellingham’s best jam bands a strong tenor on vocals and great guitar tones might even turn out the most devout metal-heads.

With all the awards given out there was only one thing left to do, party hard to the sounds of The All Nighters. Introduced by Brent Cole as “One of Bellingham’s best bands,” they played and we loved it. Halfway through their set Andy Piper joined them onstage and sang a Charlie Feathers cover. Andy killed it and the crowd went nuts. The Wild Buffalo was a time bomb, Poops lit the fuse, excitement grew, and ‘The All Nighters’ provided the explosion.

What's Up! Cover - February 2010

Hello, welcome to the world of local music, may I please take your coat?

We held the What’s Up! Awards Show at the end of January and from all accounts, everyone had a good time judging by the money the Buffalo brought it, a very good time! In my estimations, it was probably top two awards shows of all time. I’d like to thank everyone involved Femme Uke, Pan Pan, Dog Shredder, Acorn Project, The All Nighters, Poops, DJ Postal, Dirty Bird Cabaret, Hallie Anderson, Brittany Smith, James Gillies, Sarah Holmes and my wonderful wife Becca who helped keep me going when I was ready to slide off the rails. I’d also like to thank the Wild Buffalo, especially Craig Jewel, for all the wonderful support working with them is part of what made the event so much fun. Finally, the presenters were the best yet and I’d like to thank them Carey Ross, Josh Holland, Austin Santiago, Cara Alboucq, Jenni Potts, Daniel Anderson, Ian Imhof and Sara Jerns. All told, everyone involved did a hell of a job. Thanks to everyone!

While all those people deserve a lot of credit, I’d like to single out Hallie and Brittany who managed the show that evening and made it so I had more fun and the show went better than ever before.

The key for the show, though, was how incredible the music was. Our host Poops together with Sarah started off with a great ditty, Femme Uke got things rolling by playing a set that would make my mom blush, Pan Pan was ridiculously amazing as well, Dog Shredder made my skull collapse, Acorn Project got everyone dancing and really rolling then the All Nighters capped it all off they were unbelievably good. Adding in DJ Postal, Poops and fantastic dancing by the Dirty Bird Cabaret (who added a special bit of love for the show)… well, hell, it was just a special, special night.

The night before the awards show, we held the 2nd annual Pre Awards up on campus. The Bellingham Free Choir and Council of Lions played at the Underground Coffeehouse with Sugar Sugar Sugar, Rooftops, Yogoman Burning Band and Idiot Pilot at the Viking Union. Wow, all six bands were unbelievable Bellingham Free Choir was straight fun with Council of Lions getting the crowd dancing, Sugar Sugar Sugar brought the rock back to campus, Rooftops are flat amazing, Yogoman got everyone dancing and Idiot Pilot blew the doors off the place they were one of the loudest bands I’ve ever seen. (We even received emails from folks who attended saying the same thing!) A whole bunch of underagers got to see what Bellingham has to offer and soaked up every bit of it.

RECORDS & RELEASES

Dog Shredder spent a week in Portland recording their debut long player. There’s no official word on when a disc will be released or on what label, but I’m looking forward to it with baited breath. Also, I want to make a special mention that Dog Shredder didn’t just go for two days and tried to record an album, they took (in indie terms) a lot of time and put a lot of effort into the recording each day (I’ve heard 14-hour days). Instead of rushing and sweating money, they did it right as they always seem to do.

Sugar Sugar Sugar are releasing a new disc and heading out on tour at the end of the month heading down the West Coast, the circling up the Midwest in Missouri and Nebraska before heading back through Montana. The CD release is being held on Feb. 25 at the Plan B Saloon with the discs hitting the streets the same day. (You can find more about the band on page 22 of this issue.)

The Productionists are inching closer and closer to wrapping up their new album. Rumor has it that it’ll be done in early spring most likely by the end of March. Having heard parts of it, you’ll be blown away by how good it sounds.

Another band who was recently in the studio is Vaughn Kreestoe who spent a little time at the end of January. No word on what came of the sessions, but I’m sure it’s some good funk.

The Dt’s have a new single out on Pure Vinyl, a label out of Austria, with another single slated for Ghost Highway Records out of Spain to be released this summer. The band has been working on new tracks and hope to wrap up this summer, according to Dave Crider.

She’s on Fire have just released their first record and it is pretty fantastic. Full of the mighty rock, check it out they’re selling ‘em at shows.

I have a cat compilation record in the office. It’s about cats, but with great Bellingham bands (and some not so great). Seriously… cats. First we had David Ney’s cat band, now the cat compilation which features 25 songs about cats. I’m not sure why Bellingham is going through a cat fetish right now, but… well… I’m just not sure. Either way, pick it up, it’s damn interesting most of it at least (Ian, I’m looking in your direction).

ON THE ROAD

Another band heading out is Rooftops, who are going on a gigantic tour beginning in mid-March. The boys will be heading to New York and back with stops in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and lands in between. Rooftops were also featured as CMJ’s Band of the Week at the end of January a very cool honor for a very cool band.

Yogoman Burning Band just got back from a wild tour, you can read about it in this month’s Tales From the Road (page 35). They’re going on another short tour in February, after which Robert Sarazin Blake will be leaving the band (they’ll remain a four-piece for the time being). Look for a new record out this spring.

COMINGS & GOINGS

Bluebird has called it a day, which is pretty disappointing. Patrick Everman has split off to form Don Juan, which I like. He also plays in Catcher with his girlfriend Alexandra, and will be heading out on tour in March, down to Los Angeles and back.

One more band that’s headed out this spring is Candysound, who will be heading south for a week or so. Their show in Salem will be with the aformentioned Catcher. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Teo Crider’s voice is amazing, one of the coolest I’ve ever heard. That’s no exaggeration – he’s unbelievably good.

A band that’s been in the scene off and on for awhile is Sisturn Moth featuring Chris Hipskin. Well, they’ve added Henry Miller on guitar and appear ready to take on the world. I dig the band quite a bit, so watch for shows and hopefully a new disc soon.

A new band to be on the lookout for is the mighty Frontbutt (unless they’re called Rose Hips now). It features Alex from Cumulus/Bellingham Free Choir and Luke from Palisades and is pretty punk rock (as told by their early recordings).

I’ve also been told that They Hibernate is a new band on the scene as well as Ruby Parasols (who have a myspace and just released an EP). Each day, new bands start up it’s part of what makes this town so cool.

A very informed source says that Game for Vultures are working on a reunion show. Who the hell is Game for Vultures, you might ask? It’s Mort’s band before the Mono Men Bellingham circa 1988 (I think). For the geezers in town and anyone who digs good music this is gonna be a hell of a thrill.

The Lonely Forest have signed to Atlantic Records. Seriously. Wow.

BOOKED & HOOKED

Joel Ricci will be making his return to Bellingham this month with a special show at the Green Frog on Feb. 8 (Joel moved to Portland last year). His band, Magic Worm, features Ricci and Ivy Ross playing with a weird worm that that connects their heads. Not much else you can say about that.

Blessed Coast are taking their scene to another venue spinning at Plan B on Thursday nights. They’ll be joined after 11 p.m. by DJ Clint Westwood (who will be up at Poppe’s from 9-11). Gotta love the Blessed Coast cats, they’re not effin’ around.

This month, WhAAM is hosting a Girl’s Music Workshop on Feb. 13. (You can read about it on page 19.) I love that there are more women playing music in town and those women are trying to get even more women going. Can be kind of a dude fest in the music scene, so it’s great to see some balance.

Incidentally, WhAAM has a new PA that’s got some volume. Each year, it just gets better and better.

Visqueen and So Adult played a fantastic show at Boundary Bay in January. I can’t say enough great things about that place they always support local music and local organizations. I’ve been told that the shows previous to Visqueen haven’t been well attended and are in danger of stopping so, please, go to the late night shows whenever they’re around. The next one is on Feb. 19th and features none other than the wonderful Pan Pan as well as Portland’s Talkdemonic. All proceeds go to the Haiti relief effort.

One of my very favorite events, Winter Commission, is taking place Feb. 20 at the American Museum of Radio and Electricity. While everything is still coming together, I can tell you the list of artists is staggering, simply staggering.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Bucketz reminded me that it’s been five years since Reece passed away suddenly. I can’t believe it’s been five years already, just seems like it was yesterday. So, on Feb. 5, if you can’t make it down for a special show at Plan B, just take a second and say a little prayer or send a good thought his way. We’ve lost too many people in the last five years, here’s hoping to less of that over the next five years.

Wanted to make a plug for our friend Hollie Huthman who has her photographs hanging up at the Nightlight! Hollie is a wonderful photographer who captures the Bellingham music scene with great skill so be sure to check out the goods!

Finally, Bob Ridgley (also known as Binary Bob) is going to be honored in a very special way during the Olympics. Back in 1989, Bob and a bunch of snowboarder friends filmed Mount Baker Hardcore (MBHC) one of the first independent snowboarding films ever produced. The movie shined a new light on snowboarding, taking it from a fringe sport and beginning its revolution into the mainstream all the while spawning countless independent snowboard videos. (Mount Baker was the center of the universe for snowboarders). During the Olympics, the movie will be part of a snowboard timeline display at the Boardshop in Vancouver (the hub of Vancouver’s snowboarding) put together by world-renowned photographer Trevor Graves. This is an incredible accolade for Bob, who deserves a lot of credit for not only highlighting early snowboard culture, but consistently being a fantastic audio engineer and filmmaker (he’s currently working on a project called “Faces of Change,” A Civil Rights-era project that will be released this spring). Bob, thanks for all you’ve done, congrats! (You can read more about Bob and MBHC on page 38).

Well, that’s about it for now, see you next month, when we celebrate What’s Up!’s 12th birthday! Thanks for all your support!

-Brent Cole

Dirty Bird Cabaret and the All Nighters - Photo by Django

Here are the winners of the 2010 What’s Up! Awards.

What’s Up! Appreciation Award: Bucketz

What’s Up! Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Sarazin Blake

What’s Up! Lifetime Achievement Award: Gunther Frank (RIP)

Best Silver Platter: Rooftops – A Forest of Polarity

Best Up Close and Personal: Dirty Bird Cabaret

Best Heavier Than Heaven: Dog Shredder

Best Booty Shakin’ Music: Yogoman Burning Band

Best Twilight Zone Soundtrack: Pan Pan

Best Highway Americana: The Librarians

Best Moniker: The Ghost and the Grace

Best Axes of Folk: Biagio Biondolillo

Best Spinner: Yogoman

Best Rhyme and Beats: The Productionists

Best Newby: Pan Pan

Best Rock ‘N’ Roll Explosion: Sugar Sugar Sugar

Best Pop Will Rock Itself: The Love Lights

Best Skin in What’s Up!: Femme Uke

January 2010 Cover by Bradley Lockhart

"Painted Backs" by Shelly Browder for "supporting artistry through community"

Well hello, there, boys and girls. Happy New Year! How are you this year? I’ve gotta say, aside from the birth of my darling Ruby, 2009 was a challenging one. So we’re looking forward to a new year and welcome 2010.

And to start the year off we launched a new look to What’s Up! Magazine. Not many folks know this, but my initial idea for the magazine (during its conception) was to publish in a tabloid format. At the time, though, it didn’t work out, so we went with something different. Almost 12 years later, I’m very, very excited to have the new look, it’s what it was supposed to be in the first place.

We are not doing a massive overhaul of the mag’s feel we love the magazine, just needed to implement it into a tabloid feel. This change is more affordable for us (which helps keep us in business!) and allows us to publish more content! This issue, for example, we added the feature “Off Beat,” which looks at a news story that may be of interest to music lovers, as well as “What We’re Listening to,” a rundown of some of the great music (from all over the globe) that local folks are listening to.

With this issue, we had some things pop up after the holidays that kept us from being able to include everything we’d have liked to (or allow us to get out on time – we apologize for the delay). But stay tuned over the next few months, as we’ll be adding and expanding our music content, including more columns and special features, diversifying and providing you with lots more local goodies to read. I would tell ya about them, but then it wouldn’t be a surprise.

In other What’s Up! news, it’s that time again! The 9th Annual What’s Up! Awards Show is being held on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Wild Buffalo and will feature Femme Uke, Pan Pan, Dog Shredder, Acorn Project and the All Nighters along with sets by the Dirty Bird Cabaret. Poops will again MC the night, while DJ Postal will be spinning at the breaks. Plus, all the glorious awards, which will be amazing. there are some incredible surprises this year. Cost is five bucks. FIVE BUCKS! Ya know, I really can’t believe the show is in its ninth year blows my mind.

And don’t forget, on the night before the awards show we’re going to host the 2nd Annual Pre-Awards Show at the Viking Union and Underground Coffeehouse. Things will kick off at the UCH with Council of Lions and Bellingham Free Choir, then followed at the Viking Union by Rooftops, Sugar Sugar Sugar, Yogoman Burning Band and Idiot Pilot. The UCH show will be free, however the Viking Union show will cost $7 for general admission and $6 for students with a WWU ID.

Over the two nights, you’ve got 11 of the best bands in town, all playing music for your listening pleasure. Come check it out, should be a hell of a weekend! Thanks to everyone involved and supporting the show.

We’d like to welcome aboard the contributions of photographer Matthew Curtis. He’s begun taking photos for the magazine, including this month’s Pan Pan and Jessica Lohafer are courtesy of Matt.

Finally, before we get to the music, we have one last bit of news… What’s Up! is again working to update the local band database. Yeah, I know I’ve said this before, but this time around we have someone specifically working on it. And this someone is not just an overworked dad (me) trying to fit in the time. So, if yer in a band, send over your information (band name, members, contacts, etc.) to editor@whatsup-magazine or send us a message via MySpace or Facebook.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

The big news, of course, is the opening of the Plan B Saloon in the old Factory space. Opened up by Bucketz and crew, they kicked things off with epic show on New Year’s Eve with the Cheeps, Sugar Sugar Sugar, The All Nighters and Boss Rhino. They are working hard to get the month booked up, and one thing that is for sure (if early reports are accurate) is that Wednesday evening open mic is damn good. You can look for the club to be similar to the Rogue, but better, because it’ll also mix some of the Factory vibe (R.I.P). I expect this to be an incredible addition to the local music scene. Go and down and support them. We wish you the best you guys!

Speaking of the Cheeps, they are a band again. As Lupe from Sugar Sugar Sugar said to me, “thank f@#!ng God.” Agreed.

Chris Gusta (aka Deer Seeking Headlight) has teamed up with Bill Anker from the Whiskey Wailers as well as Jess Manley and AJ formerly of Octagon Control to make Scum Eating. They played their first show in early December and will hopefully be playing live more in the upcoming months. And hopefully changing their name, because Scum Eating freaks me out.

I’ve really been digging Dylan Morrison lately. He’s another guy that’s been a bit under the radar, but is very cool. Good folky stuff, check him out if you’ve got the chance. He left town for awhile, but is back in the fold.

Queen Amena are either on a long hiatus or have called it a day. I got the impression it was just a long hiatus, but ya never know with these things.

Another band that’s flying under the radar a bit is Hoot Hoot, featuring Alex Niedzialkowski from Cumulus as well as Sonja Prins and Cora Glass. They haven’t played a whole bunch, but I really love the couple songs on their MySpace site.

GOOD TIMES

Micah Knapp, one of the many badass movie guys in town, has a couple projects in the works. First off is a little movie called Fantastic Stan Goes to Hell, which includes none other than David Stray Ney playing the devil (don’t say anything), as well as a cool documentary on the Cliff House, which he’s been working on for a couple of years. There’s also rumors of a video for Jenni Potts. Gotta love a busy movie man.

I rarely, rarely ever talk about shows happening in Seattle, but there’s a fantastic band playing on Jan. 24 called White Denim. They’re from Austin and one of the best bands I’ve heard in the last decade. They’ve got nothing to do with Bellingham (other than we hope they’ll swing through our neck of the woods on their next tour), but thought I should give ya’ll a heads up anyhow.

RECORDS AND RELEASES

Four Players are releasing their debut CD, Four Score, with a pair of CD release shows on Saturday, Jan. 16 at Cap’s with guests Go Slowpoke, and also on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. at Everyday Music. The band includes members of the Roaming Moanies as well as Shea from the Sweaty Sweaters. Very cool music from a band that’s floated under the radar a bit.

Months ago, I mentioned in le Beat how much I love the Holy Tailfeathers. Well, the four-piece have finally released their debut CD (which I’ve had a version of for a while) and I’m ready for the town to fall in love with it as well. I’ve heard from more people that think they are, by far, the most underappreciated band in town, and I couldn’t agree more. They are absolutely fantastic, an incredible band with a fantastic vocalist in Leatherpants. It’s time you all discovered them.

The boys in Caparza have a new demo out and some shows coming up, so check ‘em out. Lance and the boys like to rock… err… RAWK (wow, I went old school on that one).

The Low Country Thieves have finished up their latest, The Nickajack EP. The bands been working on the album off and on for six months, so they’re excited it’s finally all wrapped up. You can buy the disc at CD Baby or at one of their local shows.

Vantage have just returned from a sweet little tour down to San Diego and back up to Bellingham, hitting some good hot spots in between. You can read more about how it went in this month’s Tales From the Road (page 33). This month, they’ll be at Two Sticks, the studio owned by Jason McGerr of Death Cab for Cutie fame (who, incidentally, has moved back to town) recording with Jackson Long. Looking forward to hearing the boys after they’ve been Jacksoned.

Another band at Two Sticks is the Love Lights, who are taking their first real break from playing live shows while they record their new album. No idea on when the disc will be released, but they’ll also be Jacksoned, so we’re sure it’ll sound good.

The Lumpkins, one of Bellingham’s gifts to country music, is just about done with their debut recording, Another Wasted Day. I’ve been told by head Lumpkin, David Stray Ney, that the band is incredibly excited how the recordings turned out. Initially the disc will be released on digital format only, then followed by 12″ vinyl. Good stuff. Also look for a story on them in the February issue of What’s Up!

Even though he’s got an album just out, Daniel Anderson is already working again on the new Ghost and the Grace CD… while he’s also working on the new Idiot Pilot CD. Both of which, from what he’s said to me, are above and beyond anything he’s ever done. Resident genius? Possibly. Hell, I’d give it a damn, damn good chance.

Yogoman Burning Band are working on a February tour, with details to be out soon. Jordan has also been down in Killion Sound in LA working on finishing up the new album. Fantastic.

Baltic Cousins have recently been in the studio, recording with John Brooks from Brunette Sweat. You can look for a story on the band next month in this very magazine. Ya know why? ‘Cuz they are GOOOOOOOOODDDD.

ON THE ROAD

Hitting the road in the spring is Sugar Sugar Sugar, who are playing a huge tour across much of the country. Obviously, ya know how much I absolutely love this band, they are the real deal and incredibly special. I’m looking forward to them spreading the Sugar gospel all over the U.S.!

Looks like Candysound will be hitting the road again this spring, down to California and back. No word on exact dates, but any time these guys hit the road, good things happen. They also recently went into the studio, though no official word from the band as to what happened with those recordings.

SHOWS

A couple of local bands are playing this year’s Sound Off! 2010 at the EMP Skychurch on Feb. 13. Candysound along with Pan Pan and Cozy Kitchen will be playing this huge show. Good luck!

On Jan. 21, Boogie Universal will make their triumphant return with a show at the Wild Buffalo. The Official Pre-Party and Fundraiser will include sets by Michael Manahan and Rob Noble as well as special guests. The show is a precursor to the big event, which will happen on Feb. 27 at the Majestic Hall and include Super Geek League, March Fourth Marching Band and over 100 performers. This will be one of the most incredible shows this town has ever scene!

The Winter Commission is getting organized for another event in the second week of February. Honestly, I don’t know much more than that but the news of another Winter Commission is really exciting.

Finally, as many of you know, a terrible tragedy stemming from domestic violence took place in the Kendall area. If you are in a domestic violence situation, please seek help. There are many, many different organizations that are out there to help including Womencare Shelter and Domestic Violence Services (734-3438) and Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services (715-1563). For help with alcohol abuse, seek out your local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous for resources and help. Sadly, since 2003, I have known someone who has passed because of a situation stemming from alcohol or drugs. I’m not trying to end the column on a somber note, I just want to urge you to stay safe. Life, no matter how painful it may sometimes get, is absolutely worth living. If you need help, please seek it out, tell someone you love.

Thanks for all of your support in 2009, and we wish you a happy, healthy 2010 full of good times. See you next issue.

-Brent Cole
editor@whatsup-magazine.com

Dog Shredder is Noah Burns on drums, Josh Holland on guitar and vocals, and Jeff Johnson on bass. Photo by Marty Watson

Witnessing the aural assault that is Dog Shredder live, the audience may become disoriented. With drop on-a-dime time signature changes, blasts of feedback and noise, as well as heavy metal guitar eruptions that never seem to relent, the band does not necessarily ingratiate listeners who came to dance or move in any uniform way to music. Plus, your jaw is stuck on the floor due to the incredible precision and musicianship that is being displayed on stage. So what do you do at a Dog Shredder show? Well, you just kind of behold.

“The chaos and speed is just how we think about music and how our hearts communicate with our limbs. It may seem very difficult to people listening and watching, but it’s very natural and fun for us,” said guitarist Josh Holland.

Dog Shredder breaks the mold of what many might think of as thrash-metal or tech-metal. The largely instrumental music could almost be considered the purest form of the genre. John Fahey and Leo Kottke used the acoustic guitar as a means to display instrumental prowess in the American folk tradition, and Dog Shredder, although stylistically the exact opposite, perform the same function, with extraordinary results. “We’ve come under criticism before for everything you would expect: showing off, being a band for musicians, being too loud. ‘You know, you just can’t dance to it.’ Some of that criticism is all great for back-handedly validating 15 years hunched over the edge of your bed with a practice amp. But it’s just about the fire. All music has it,” Holland stated.

Seeing that fire released from the band live is an incredible display, and it can become difficult to look past the technical flare, volume, and basic awesomeness of Dog Shredder. What really becomes exciting is seeing why the band works so well together. Guitarist Josh Holland wields his instrument like a weapon, thrashing wildly to coax a huge and violent noise. The drummer Noah Burns matches the intensity of the guitar by stuttering, stopping, and pounding perfectly in time with every change. And bassist Jeff Johnson plays away to not only keep a sludgy low-end, but to also hold the whole thing together, making sure the chaos does not descend into total confusion.

Dog Shredder formed from the ashes of the legendary instrumental metal powerhouse Cicadas in 2008, with Josh and Noah continuing their musical relationship from that band. Jeff Johnson from the Russians was asked to join the duo, and eventually Dog Shredder was formed. Cicadas had a large local following and a basic similarity in sound, but Dog Shredder contains key differences. “Some differences would include a certain focus that we could never quite grasp before. As a result I think the tunes are a bit more realized. Earnest. They meander less,” Holland said.

Indeed the songs are shorter and more explosive than Cicadas, with less sonic wanderings and more of an emphasis on even tighter musicianship. Although they have taken their musical aptitude towards precision to new heights with Dog Shredder, they still do not fall under any constraints musically. When asked about improvisation and experimentation, Holland said that “We’ll never be a truly great band if we can’t play in the moment with each other, and we don’t allow this techy-metal thing to prohibit that. There is space when we don’t know where it’s going to go. I’ve always wanted to be in a band like that.”

What makes Dog Shredder’s (a name Holland states is “a bit tongue in cheek”) music truly fascinating is not just their technical ability but their talent at crafting songs. We all know a huge amount of skill goes into their actual playing, but the tone of the songs have dark undertones that conjure dangerous images and entice certain sinister impulses as all good rock ‘n’ roll does.

On songs like “Battle Snake,” the combination of speed and chaos, coupled with Holland’s distorted howl, make the music swirl into an otherworldly mass. Burns’ turbulent tribal drums are accented by Johnson’s growling bass, which build and build until the entire band explodes into a frenzied bedlam on “Brontosaurus Rex.” This new found focus, this ability to hone tension and release it at just the right time, has made the band a more ferocious beast, free from the shadow of its predecessor.

The band has been in the studio putting the finishing touches on their debut album in Portland with Adam Pike (Red Fang, Black Elk), which they hope will see a release date by the end of winter. So far they have planned a tour to follow up the release, as well as many more local and regional shows slated for the future. This will be a perfect time to check them out and behold the rabid fury that is Dog Shredder.

December 2009 Cover by “Mighty” Mitch Vega

Aaaah, December, my favorite month of the year. It’s cold as hell outside, we all get to celebrate the holidays and vote on the What’s Up! Awards nothing but good stuff.

As always, we’ll touch on a little What’s Up! before the music scene goods. The big news of the month is the What’s Up! awards ballots are ready to go! Visit our online ballot and vote for your favorite album, live band, new band as well as 11 other categories. (Remember, we can tell if you are ballot stuffing.) It’s a new system this year, and many thanks go to Django, owner of Seatthole and Merch Bot, who created the site and has been extremely patient with this process. He’s a great asset to the community and I’m just damn glad he’s on my side. Check him out for your shirts and stickers needs and if you want to give a damn good Christmas gift, go to Merch Bot!

This year, there will be not one, but two pre-awards shows, both on Friday, Jan. 29 the first at the Underground Coffeehouse with Council of Lions and the Bellingham Free Choir followed by a huge show at the Viking Union. Four of the best local bands… who, you might ask? Well… that’d ruin the surprise! Keep checking to the What’s Up! website, facebook and myspace pages for the big announcement.

Then, the next night, Saturday, Jan. 30, we’ll hold the 9th Annual What’s Up! Awards Show at the Wild Buffalo. Performing bands include Femme Uke, Pan Pan, The All Nighters, Dog Shredder, Acorn Project, GNS and the Reparations, The Dirty Bird Cabaret, DJ Postal and more! And once again, the night will be hosted by the beautiful and infinitely sexy Poops. It’s looking like the night will be the biggest and most extravagant awards show to date. Get there early, because things will be wild right from the get go gotta trust me on this one.

As if that wasn’t enough, the poster for the 9th Annual What’s Up! Awards Show will be created by Nat Damm, drummer of Akimbo and designer extraordinaire, who has done posters for bands such as Death Cab For Cutie and KISS, and events like Missoula’s TotalFest, just to name two. Nat has been gracious enough to lend his talents to What’s Up! It will be epic.

While we look forward to bringing you the Award Show weekend, it’s not the only big news for the magazine. Next month, we’re going to make a major, major format change one that has been in the works for awhile, something we are unbelievably excited about. What’s Up! Magazine will move away from the smaller format to what’s known as a “tabloid” format, like The Stranger, for example, and Seattle’s old music publication The Rocket. There are several reasons we’ve decided to make this format change. First and foremost, it’s a style of publication that I love and have flirted with doing for many years (since the mag’s inception, really), and will make it possible for us to include more content. We’ll bring you all the current music content and more, as well as other entertainment features. This move also makes more economic sense in the long run. It’s kinda of a win-win-win situation. Look for the new issue to hit the stands the first week of January, as well as new shirts and stickers.

Finally, What’s Up! has teamed up with Black Market Boutique for a cool series we’re calling Supporting Artistry Through Community. Each month, we’ll publish a piece of original art from a local artist in an effort to showcase some of the incredible talent in town. For more information, check out page 35 for guidelines and submissions. We look forward to seeing what ya’ll create!

COMINGS AND GOINGS

The Rogue, a venue that has been the breeding ground for the local music scene for several years, will no longer be putting on live music. Due to changes to laws about sprinkler systems in establishments, Rogue decided to stop the music because the cost to fix or replace the system was far more than the bar could endure. The owner of the Rogue, Steve Duthie, has been a great asset to the music scene and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. The booker and soundman, Bucketz, also deserves an unbelievable amount of credit for his devotion to the music scene.

And now for some good news. Bucketz, along with four partners, will be opening the Plan B Saloon at the old Factory space on State Street. There are still several hoops they need to jump through before everything is official, but look for a potential opening in early 2010.

Doug Krebs, an old friend of mine and others, has made his way back to town after stops in Cincinnati, Portland and New Orleans. Doug was the old sound guy at the 3B, had a great studio and played in the Lago Volunteers (along with Eli from Black Breath). He’s back in town, doing some mastering, filling in at the Nightlight and playing music again this time in a new band called Antenna Eleven with members of the Sugar High Mustangs.

While it’s great Doug is back in town, a couple long time Bellingham residents are moving on. DJ Velveteen and Paul Chandler will be moving to the Bay Area. We’ll miss you guys you’ve been incredible contributors to the scene.

The Cheeps are a band again! One of the most epic bands to ever reside in Bellingham were so inspired by their Halloween show that they’ve decided to reform. That’s the good news. Bad news is half the band still lives in Leavenworth so don’t expect a ton of shows.

A band to watch in 2010 is Four Players, which features Shea from Sweaty Sweaters and Karate Kitchen. He’s joined by John Everett Allis, Karen Kunkel and Nathan Oglseby in what they call “freaky folk opera.” I just call it damn, damn good.

RECORDS AND RELEASES

Candysound has just released a new EP. Singer Teo Crider (in my estimations) is one of the coolest singers in the scene right now. Something about his vocals just blows me away.

The Love Lights will be recording with Jackson Long at Two Sticks in January. It’ll be the first badass studio time for the band, so expect the quality to jump from an already amazing level. No word on when the new album will be out, but hopefully they’ll get it to me, and the last one. (Rob… I’m looking in your direction).

Sexy Sexy Robert Blake is back in town this month playing a weekly Monday night gig at the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern. Ya know how much I respect Robert and I’m not going to lie I’m glad he’s in town instead of being out on the road. The quality of music in this town goes up a notch when he’s playing live in town.

WELL WISHES

Once again, I’d like to plug Carnelian Agency, a huge supporter of the magazine and a great resource for this town. Their posters are top notch and the best prices around (they are the only place we go to for posters including those for the benefits last month) and they’re the best deal you’ll find for short run CDs. Their services are affordable, and it’s easy to work with this good, local company. So, bands, do the best thing for you and a cool company, go through Carnelian. All you have to do is e-mail them your poster and they’ll turn it around that day! For more info, e-mail Teri Cruzan at tericruzan@carnelianagency.com.

Congrats to Steeb Russell and Libby Chenault on the arrival of beautiful little Franklin Sparrow, who entered the world on Dec. 2 at 3:20 a.m. We’re so happy for you guys. Can’t wait to meet you little man!

Happy holidays!

–Brent