BLAMM-O!

Madison hard rock act, BLAMM-O! is celebrating their tenth anniversary this year with their release of their first full-length CD, THE ROAD. Featuring cover art of the lead singer, Joel Hooks’, real wrecked car, THE ROAD represents the band starting to re-emerge after a period of semi-hibernation. “The past three years BlLAMM-O! has been laying kind of low”, Hooks says. “We had not released any new music since our self-titled EP in 2006, so we decided to get off our asses and put out something which represents where we’re at right now musically.”

With a straightforward high-energy hard rock sound, their influences range from Van Halen to Meat Puppets to Joy Division. And you can hear an epic sweep in the vocals, raunchy distorted guitars, and the crashing rhythms. But just because they have a little U2-meets-Three Doors Down vibe going on doesn’t mean they can’t be a little more irreverent than Bono. As Hooks explains the origin of their name, “The name BLAMM-O! actually comes from REN AND STIMPY specifically from one of their mock commercials (remember ‘Log by Blamm-o!’). We tried dozens of names, even playing our first show and radio debut under a different one. BLAMM-O! seems to describe us best, a massive release of sound and energy!”

THE ROAD is the band’s first full-length and for people who aren’t familiar with their sound, Hooks has a suggestion. “Normally, I might answer with one of our full-on, in-your-face rockers,” he says, “but I think ‘Facing Fate’ would be a good first BLAMM-O! experience. I think the song has great dynamics. It demonstrates some of the range and diversity we have as a band and our unique style of rock and pop.” But his favorite song on the record is the title track. “I love ‘Free-Fall Cover-Up’ because of the kick-ass guitar riffs and solo. The guitars have almost a ‘middle eastern’ sound to them which is ironic once you understand the content of the song. However, because of the recent loss of someone dear to me, I’ve been leaning towards the title track ‘The Road’ lately. It speaks of the struggle, hardships, and tragedy of the path we all must travel, yet the strength we must maintain to get to our individual destinations. “

And Hooks hopes that BLAMM-O!’s re-emergence in the Madison music scene will last for awhile. He says confidently, “We just keep chugging along like the ‘little engine that thinks it can’, striving to write interesting music.  No one freaks out and has a hissy-fit if someone says, ‘Hey that lick or melody sucks, try something else.’ We all understand it’s the constructive criticism which forces us to write better songs. Plus we all like to spend time together outside of BLAMM-O! when we can. We’ve been in each others’ weddings, seen families grow, and have had good times the past five years… With the new album we’d like to get out and play more shows in Madison and beyond, perhaps doing some more work with charities. We’ll focus on writing new material and recording some singles. We already have one new song completed with several more in the works… I feel our personal relationships help stimulate creativity and our best songs are yet to come.”

BLAMM-O! is going to be celebrating their CD Release Party at The High Noon Saloon on Friday August 12th and it’s the next event on The Rökker Vodka Tour. As Hooks explains, “There will obviously be some awesome vodka to throw back!  The release party should be an interesting multi-media event. We’re having Madison artist, Everett Kitts, paint while we play. He’s going to tie the painting in with a T-shirt design he did for us. After the show, we’ll auction off the painting and give a portion of our sales from the evening as a donation to Porchlight, Inc. a local charity helping the homeless… Expect a tight, energetic, and entertaining show. One hell of an audio-visual, tasty Happy Hour to start the weekend. What else would you want to do?” And then he adds with his tongue firmly in his cheek, “If you’ve never experienced a BLAMM-O! show, come check us out.  You’ll be glad you did.  We’re way better than reality TV!”

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Blaqk Audio

Sometime around the year 2000, AFI’s Davey Havok and Jade Puget started to discuss the possibility of making their mutual love of electronic music reality in the form of a side project called BLAQK AUDIO.  Though AFI’s success kept both of them so busy that talking was all they could do, seven months ago, the duo managed to steal away some precious time and record CexCells.  The album has done well, far exceeding the expectations of both Puget and Havok and the single, “Stiff Kittens”, placed as high as number 20 on the rock charts.

Fans of AFI’s hard, rock and roll sound were taken aback by the dynamic dance music that filled the speakers after purchasing CexCells, but it seems that most have since accepted the side project and all it has to offer.  The name BLAQK AUDIO was the brainchild of Puget, who thought the name suited their desire to make dark, electronic music.  He claims that the unusual spelling was a simple twist on the obvious, as well as being a nod to the Aphex Twins song “Drukqs”.

Although the tour officially ended September 27th, with a final show in Los Angeles, Puget and Havok plan to continue to make music as BLAQK AUDIO in between their commitment to AFI.  Now that the two are, hopefully, resting before picking back up with AFI, Puget was able to sit down for a chat about the tour, the sexual content of CexCells and his plans for the future.

Maximum Ink:  Are there any questions that you are tired of answering?
Jade Puget:  I guess the obligatory meaning behind CexCells, all the usual stuff.  I actually don’t mind answering that stuff either, if there’s something you really want to know.  A lot of people aren’t that familiar with Blaqk Audio as a side project.  If you want to cover some basic information, that’s fine.

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Blind Boys of Alabama

It’s not every day that you find music which has earned as many awards as The Blind Boys of Alabama. They are, without a doubt, one of the most highly respected acts in Gospel music with five Grammy awards, and an induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. They have also found respect in relation to The National Endowment for the Arts with their Lifetime Achievement Awards. They were formed in 1939 and have a history that is as rich as their sound. Currently members include Ben Moore (vocals), Bishop Billy Bowers (vocals), Jimmy Carter (vocals), Eric “Ricky” McKinnie (drums/percussion/vocals), Joey Williams (lead guitar/vocals), Tracy Pierce (bass), Peter Levin (organ), and Clarence Fountain. Their latest album, Take The High Road, features music that could have easily been as appealing to past generations as it is today. The album showcases the band at its best, debuting on the Americana Radio Chart at #27. With Jamey Johnson co-producing and offering guest vocals, along with the likes of Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Vince Gill, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Lee Ann Womack, the album offers music with soul. Maximum Ink caught up with Jimmy Carter and spoke with him about gospel music and their new album.

Maximum Ink: Do you consider yourself privileged to be working in an act that is so steeped in tradition?
Jimmy Carter: Indeed. I consider myself very lucky to be part of The Blind Boys.

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Blog 27

Polish skater punk/punky hip hop/pop Blog 27 won the MTV Music European Award in 2007, making Tola the youngest artist to win that ever. The band received a 4 star rating from Blender magazine in 2008 who dubbed Tola the ” Polish Ashlee Simpson”. The single, Hey Boy (Get YourAss Up) was listed as one of the best singles of 2006 by ABC News. Tola and the band also were a European Border Breakers Award winner in 2007.

Maximum Ink: Can you tell us a little about where you are from, who you are, and what makes you tick?
T: I’m from another dimension, that slightly differs from the reality I’m living in right now. I’m a creature born on the streets of art. Honesty makes me tick, real people and seeing the things the way they are.

MI: At what age did you know you wanted to be a professional musician? What do you think you’d of liked to become if not that?
T: I was about three when my mind started projecting the image that I’m bringing into reality today. I feel like I didn’t really choose to become an artist, it’s been inside me. I have hobbies but none of them come close enough to being as serious as my goal of becoming a successful singer.

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bloodsimple

It takes a special kind of band to attract the attention of Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray. That band is bloodsimple.

“People are going to be blindsided by this record, and I can say that with confidence. I think this is my greatest work,” says frontman Tim Williams, who along with guitarist Mike Kennedy, spawned bloodsimple from the ashes of their acclaimed metal-core outfit Vision Of Disorder. While VOD were visionaries on the heavy music front, bloodsimple offered the pair an opportunity to stretch their musical muscles, further expanding their hard-hitting dynamics from sheer aggression and amplified rage, to subtle soundscapes that stress their uninhibited extremes.

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Bobaflex

As most of you know, the music industry is such an incredibly volatile place right now. With the ever increasing emergence of digital downloads, online radio, and other technologies constantly changing the landscape, it makes it even harder for bands to survive or make a decent living at their art. That’s why it’s so hard to meet bands that are truly good people and in it for the right reason; to make kick ass music that people genuinely relate to and enjoy. The epitome of this type of band has to be the good ‘ol boys from West Virginia, Bobaflex. Never have I come across a group of super-talented musicians who are humble and down to Earth. They’ve been through just about every bullshit situation a band could go through and survive yet Bobaflex has done much more than that. They’ve taken the situations they’ve had to deal with and let it make them even stronger. Vocalist and guitarist Marty McCoy talks with Maximum Ink’s Aaron Manogue about the band’s new album “Hell in My Heart,” System of a Down, Simon & Garfunkel and 94.1 WJJO.

Maximum Ink: Talk to me about playing WJJO’s Taste of Madison stage Labor Day weekend with that kickass backdrop and playing for JJO again. What’s it like?
Marty McCoy: Oh my gosh, man! It just feels like; I don’t even know what it feels like! When I was looking at that capital singing, I was just like, “Sing your lines and quit staring at the background.” JJO and Madison, Wisconsin is just one of those places that are blue-collar, hard fucking rock towns. That station is so cool, it does what it wants and you can actually call the program director (Randy Hawke) and he’s nice as hell, he takes chances and he listens. He reads all the numbers and stuff but he takes chances on bands that he thinks are cool. And that’s the way the town is, the way that station is; Madison just has that vibe that everything is cool man.

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Brainerd

Dan Dieterich, founder of Brainerd, is a man who is not afraid of getting in touch with the darker side of life. If you are aware of Madison, Wisconsin’s musical history, chances are you’ve heard of this band. Recently signed by (Zodiac Killer Records), their third album approaches. Called simply, “The Goat Album,” Dieterich says that Brainerd plays “deathpunk” and has “congealed into a unique sound.” He describes their first album, “There’s No Eye in Pussy” as “an amalgamation of sound that ranges from traditional punk to rockabilly. We came together more on our second album ‘Animal Mother’. That was more grindy. Fans who come out to hear our latest music can be assured that they will receive a hearty dose of high-powered, high-energy rock n roll party music.”

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