the owl watches - ghost of a train

This project had its beginnings while I was playing in another band, the eccelctic Tony Island based out of Boston MA. While we were working on a Tony Island CD in 2000, I started to do The OWL WATCHES simultaneously. Inspired by working with a multi-faceted artist like Tony gave me tons of impetus to try something of my own, which he wholeheartedly supported and encouraged. I gradually constructed it at my home studio in Boston MA where I lived at the time and finally unleashed it in May of 2002 in the form of "Tales From The Inflatable Forest". It was me (Phil McKenna) playing ALL instruments (guitars, bass, keyboards/fake Mellotron, drum programs) and wrote the whole thing. I self-produced it and sold/marketed it online. Even though doing everything on it, I am primarily a guitarist who doubles on bass.

I would consider my strongest influences to be Miles Davis, King Crimson, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and composers like Ravel, Stravinsky and Debussy. My musical background included private lessons and being self-taught (or rather a self-inflicted musical miseducation so to speak). I played with fusion, art-rock, folk, blues and rock & roll bands of varying descriptions. When home recording technology became more and more sophisticated and affordable, I felt a clear calling to seek out my muse. I do however plan to put together a live Owl Watches band, still, nothing beats playing in front of an audience.

After having relocated to Atlanta GA in early 2004 and re-equipped myself for digital music production, I set to work on my new disc, "Ghost Of A Train", this time utilizing the contributions of live drummers and others. I sought to convey a loose theme/vibe of the long-gone steam age and the remnants it left behind.

"Ghost Of A Train" is a dark, fiery and complex disc of instrumetal progressive rock best experienced at night with candles and your favorite pair of headphones or good speakers.

toast of a grain

massick - discography

... rippin' genre-skipping grind-pop-punk ...

Massick are a band that, much like Le Scrawl, at first glance appear to be a crusty grindcore outfit, but then they start to toss in all kinds of musical styles into their songs, one second playing goofy, super-catchy garage rock and Misfits style pop punk, the next tossing bits of ska, funk, f**ked up noise rock, surf rock, keyboard heavy Reggie And the Full Effect-esque pop, polka, trumpets, and jangly indie rock into a ferocious grindcore assault.

Perplexing, sure, but these guys are so catchy and energetic that it's tough not to get swept up in their schizophrenic genre hopping. It's like a Teutonic punk band heard Naked City and tried to apply that kind of cut-and-paste songwriting style to their fast paced, goofy melodic thrash, turning into a tightly constructed schizo hybrid of Napalm Death, Samiam, Melt Banana, Mr. Bungle, and Swedish melodic avant-crusties G-ANX.

Fans of genre-splicing grind and avant outfits like CSSO, Le Scrawl, Naked City, Cibo will love this disc, which includes Massick's self-titled 10", the 7", compilation tracks, and unreleased stuff, 19 tracks total which mostly date from the late 90's. -crucial blast

massick - discography

justice on a budget

Justice on a Budget are a core trio of musicians from the Philadelphia area who craft bold compositions through the language of improvisation. Justice on a Budget began as an informal collection of musicians who gathered to improvise over very loose structures and soundscapes, with all preconceptions left behind.

With one foot in the past and one foot in the future, the group explores genres and themes that are linked by simple structures, resulting in expressions from standard jazz to post-rock to breakbeat and beyond. Over a three-year period, these players developed a relationship that allows them to collectively express a shared sonic vision, with a wide-open approach to the creation of new music.

For this recording, the addition of guest musicians ranges from Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussionists to four part horn chorales, augmenting the scope of sounds offered by this thoughtful and dynamic trio. With this unique debut, Justice on a Budget will deny and maybe even confirm your wildest categorizations.

joab

the shy trafficker - hurt seconds

The Shy Trafficker is a math rock band that embraces pathos on an epic scale. On its debut LP "Hurt Seconds" (Ariadne Records 2004), the band carves out an expansive, volatile soundscape that resonates with fans of bands like Explosions in the Sky, The Sea and Cake and Tortoise.

Formed in 2001 by three students at the University of Texas-San Antonio, Shy Trafficker played its first few shows in a placid town known mostly for its raucous role in Texas state history. Like the city of San Antonio, band members Mark Coburn (guitar, vocals), Kenny Day (drums, vocals), and David Irvin (bass) seem quiet and unassuming, more intellectual than intimidating. But onstage, the members of Shy Trafficker shed the mildness, trading it instead for explosive intensity. Shy Trafficker has played shows throughout Texas, with bands such as The Octopus Project (Peek-a-Boo Industries), Oma Yang (Slowdance Records), and Jana Hunter (Fleece Records).

What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, or so the saying goes. In "Hurt Seconds," Shy Trafficker peeks under the bandages and measures its wounds with a ruler, asking the listener to decide whether the painful experiences of life are really worth the pain. The album starts off with an intellectual conundrum and a slew of mathematical song titles, but evolves into a suspenseful quest through the human heart. "W" begins with tension and danger, but moves to a heroic and triumphant, but tragic climax. "Boolean Train II" begins with upbeat, impish guitar lines, but devolves into a song fraught with with peril and dissonance.

Though several members of the band sing on the record, Shy Trafficker lets the music speak for itself on "Hurt Seconds," in the language of muscular bass lines, playful guitarwork, and urgent rhythms.

The record was recorded at and produced by Shy Trafficker at their studio in San Antonio and mastered by Chad Clarke (Fugazi, Q and not U, Black Eyes) at Silver Sonya in Arlington, Va.

hurt seconds

the star junction - euphemic

We are four guys that make Instrumental Rock which is as heavy as it makes your eyelids. Incorporating everyday sounds and noises in a way that makes you forget they are even there. We like noises. Anything that has rhythm, texture and some sort of sonic depth, we like it. We also like guitars, bass and drums. It's the cornerstone of rock and roll. Artful punk aesthetic. Repetition, drones, riffs and organic sounds culminate in huge dynamics that attempt to take you along. Distorting our guitars with objects as well as effects pedals, we wring out the emotion with any method available. Noise = Rock

We don't really like singing. Don't get us wrong, some of our favorite bands have great singers, but most lyrics are saying the same stuff over and over, and they reside higher than the music. We want to hear the music, loudly, and want the music to be more of an experience than just a song. That probably sounds pretentious, but we also strive to keep it as unpretentious as possible.

Check it out, I think the music will speak better than I can write.

"Kent-based The Star Junction fuses a mix of experimental elements to create a sound that's equal parts noise and melody. Throughout Euphemic, the band jumps between two different worlds of music, creating rich, full melodies one moment and offering creeped-out collections of everyday noises the next. It captures a sound similar to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, though the lack of vocals makes this mood music more than anything else." —the free times

the star junction - euphemic

suppression - release the piranha

Suppression formed from the ashes of Suppression. The last man standing (Jason from The Amoeba Men) came across a human mathematical equation (Ryan from Darkest Hour) and the 2 men have channeled all demons and sexual energy into musical form to delight pop fans worldwide with overdriven bass,and vocals heavily treated as another instrument and outlandish drum patterns. Guaranteed to alienate hardcore/grindcore/crust elitists

Man, these guys have been around forever. I remember seeing them in DC in 1998 where their entire performance was comprised of them assaulting a car transmission with sticks. It was pretty wild. So here we have the new configuration of Suppression, after more than a decade of hardcore festival performances and raw split 7"s with the powerviolence cognoscenti, the duo of Ryan & Jason. Release The Piranha takes the grindy noise and hardcore of their older stuff and seasons it with the weirdo skronk and rubbery bass blast of bands like Lightning Bolt and Ruins. Wonderfully f***ed up.

Suppression is a bass and drums duo, but stow your accusations of bandwagon-jumping under your seats for now pilgrim, because these two twisted f***s have been at it for years. Similarities to Ruins and Lightning Bolt abound, due to the sheer fact that their instrumentation is the same, but these guys are coming from a far sillier, noise-punk based viewpoint, complete with vocals. Opening with a bubbling blast of treated electronics before shatting out the first song proper, which sees someone a-whooping and a-hollering over some tapped drums before going into some seriously noisy spazzcore s***, the band continue in a seemingly random vein, neatly complemented by the unpleasant lyrical content. These two guys are pretty much reassuringly wrong in the head, and the whole thing is fun, if a little disposable. Incidentally, the drummer also plays in Darkest Hour. Sometimes you can really tell. Short, sharp and sick. I like it! -Collective-zine

Blasting, weirdo, wall-of-noise, distorto f***ed up punk rock. Ten tracks culled from recordings over the last three years. “Release The Pirahna (into the gene pool)” is pure genius: “mail my head to Afghanistan/ drop the bomb/ wax the gland/ wear the t-shirt/ buy the magnet/ conceive a cab driver/ watch Dragnet/ release the piranha into the gene pool.” “I masturbated when the Challenger Shuttle exploded” is precious. I like this quite a bit. Fans of the band will love it and fans of the B*tthole Surfers, Fat Day, Lightning Bolt or Mr. California who haven’t checked out these long running loons could start right here. –MRR

Suppression incorporates numerous elements and styles into one enjoyable, noisy romp. It’s p*ssed and thunderous, then small and quiet yet frantic. There are some hints of grind, but much more intricate, with lyrics that sound like beat poetry at times. Great record. –Punk Planet

release the piranha

heavy metal jazz concepts

Heavy Metal Jazz Concepts is a group of individuals who share a common interest in integrating heavy sound in jazz. Our consistent elements are improvisation and emphasis on heavyosity. we love all music and try not to restrict ourselves to any one style. We compose our originals and as well, has arranged jazz standards. Our music consists of different styles, for example, rock, lLatin, funk, swing, free style, etc. We attempt to fuse these elements together in a cohesive way with artistic expression and for listening enjoyment.

from the Musicians' Ombudsman:

A new jazz concept?? Canadian based ''Heavy Metal Jazz Concepts'' is definitely taking the mainstream jazz idiom to the 'edge.' To say that this disc is experimental, would understate the group's focus. The merging of heavy metal, punk, & funk to the bebop jazz style as in the case of their treatment of the Miles Davis romantic composition, 'Blue In Green' tests our acceptance as to whether or not these two distinct musical idioms (heavy metal & jazz) can or should be mixed in any manner.

All in all, the band is 'out there' however, testing the musical waters, & that's good. It'll certainly be interesting to see if they develop a solid jazz following. All music is valid! It's not the first time that a band has tried to create a new 'musical school.' It won't be the last! A disc like this can be helpful to all music lovers in that it tests our ability to search for the deeper meaning of music in the abstract.

conceptual jazzy metallic heavies

a surgical instrument with a cylindrical blade ...

.... is how the word trephine is defined in a dictionary ...

musically speaking however:

" ... (trephine) sound like unfinished metallic mini-operas played by musical mad scientists taking the best parts of one idea and applying it to the next uncharted direction." -Metal Maniacs

"If Mars Volta and Yes swung the ropes in a game of double-dutch for Mastodon with Voivod and Mr. Bungle kicking cans along the gutter, you might get the unpredictable street soiree that comprises Baltimores' Trephine."
-Live 4 Metal

"Baltimore's Trephine delivers an invasive blend of black, shale rock like Jack the Ripper on acid strapped in a chair watching a slow-motion train wreck while trying to psychically manage an exploding cosmos."
-sk

"Purely instrumental math-rock with teeth, this plays like some rabid , Slayer-ized version of Don Cabellero... The Fucking Champs meet Mastodon... Clutch and Moe Staiano's Moe!kestra!... or something like that. These guys pull off some obtuse, angular riffage and jazzy beats but keep this firmly rooted in the HEAVY, balancing all of the abrupt shifts, propane-tank percussion, and complex shredding and abstract structures with some serious metalcore riffs, swaggering Southern sludge ,and over-all evil-sounding crunchiness."
-Crucial Blast Records

"... one of the most distinctive metal acts gracing the underground and deserves to be heard far and wide."
-Fishcom Collective

"Imagine the bastard offspring of King Crimson and the Melvins sold to the traveling freak show... moody prog rock pieces to heavy noise complex math rock chaotic assaults... recommended listening for your next surgery disaster."
-Jackalblaster

"... a bit metal, a bit sludge, a bit math rock and all good, so definitely give these guys a listen... "
-Daredevil Magazine

"If you like music at all, dig up Trephine and rediscover whats so enchanting about this audible form of art."
-Ultimate Metal

"...teeming with demented circus tunes, futuristic robot sock hops, and dark forays into doom-land ... these guys are well aware of their abilities to drop jaws with the kind of cyclical riffery that will leave your head in a thick but welcome fog. So when they flirt with jazzy elements and mathed-out herky jerks, it just pushes this one into the realm of brilliance. You wont be disappointed."
-The Nerve

"TREPHINE dodges in and out of traffic while juggling sharp objects and simultaneously kicking dirt in your face."
-Peacedogman

"To put it as easily as possible, it's as if Buckethead somehow lent his DNA to Candiria, found a way to wash out the hip-hop elements, dismembered Carley Coma, and then fed this scientific hybrid a steady diet of Coltrane, Davis, Beefheart, and Patton. Then left it to fend for itself for twenty more years. And did this four times (once for each member)... If you thought Dysrhythmia or Pelican were intriguing and awe-inspiring, you haven't heard Trephine. This is a shameful release, leaving all other instrumental prog-funk-jazz-metal fusion bands in a wake of scattered ashes, debris, and unrecognizable bone structure."
-Decoy Magazine

trephine - s-t

the mass - towards darkness

note: this is NOT the jazzy, thrashy, avant-garde "the mass" from oakland, ca .... this incarnation of the mass are from canada.... they are now called towards darkness

from crucial blast:

First things first... nope, this isn't the Oakland indie thrash / klezmer dirge outfit with two releases on Crucial Blast. Yes, "our" THE MASS had the name first.

Moniker confusion and band alligience aside, we've gotta admit that Canada's THE MASS are pretty crushing, due in no small part to the prescence of former members of the 90's Canadian crustcore / powerviolence band SEIZED, who were sort of Canada's answer to Man Is The Bastard, doing the two-bassist thing with brutal, bleak, grindy hardcore. There's a little bit of SEIZED's apocalyptic churn here, but MASS are tipped further towards the "crusty epic post-metal" sound making the rounds... think WAKE UP ON FIRE and the crop of newer crust/grind bands that have been listening to alot of later NEUROSIS, GODSPEED! YOU BLACK EMPORER, and ISIS.

Mega heavy dirge metal played at a sludgy tar-crawl with monstrous vocals that breaks into subdued, haunting post-rock passages. Imagine early ISIS / early 90's NEUROSIS with a gnarlier doom/crust attack and minimalist MOGWAI-esque quiet parts. Gloomy, oppressive, and monstrously heavy.

the mass - towards darkness

the sha-pels - nights of malta

Instrumental music that is a mix of jazz, prog, metal, surf, experimental, psychedelic & primitive rock elements.

...noisy, instrumental pseudo-jazz music.... heavy rock noodling, populated with irreverent tenor saxophone lines, sort of like the band Morphine but furiously hyped up on crack..... a heavy soup blend of atonal psych rock and jazz tendencies.

nights of malta

apis bull - exercises in futility

This strikingly brash, peculiar, and loud North Carolina duo formed late 2005 with the purpose of delivering sonic messages to the public. These two make a statement with their drums and guitar. The meaning of these statements cannot always be determined, but there is a true, concealed meaning.

Apis Bull is not to here please the listeners with melodic vocals, catchy riffs, and pop sensibility. Rather... Kevin Apis (guitar / cynical rants) goes to "The Oracle" for answers to today's questions about government, society, life, etc... He takes these amphibolies to Tony Murderhands. Together the two decipher and preserve these messages to be abrasively delivered at loud volumes to anyone in within reach of Kevin's guitar cable.

exercises in futility

united movement - rock destroys your mind

It is that kind of rock that deserves "noise" written in big letters behind its logo, if you know what I mean. Liberated from the ideological constructions, the music of United Movement fills any room like a massive block of distorted guitars and heavy hitting drums. And they like to deal heavy blows. In between they polished their double-vocals for screamers and wailers and manage to, unlike many other modern bands, never lose their pressure and power even in the "softer" parts.

United Movement are the raudy, raunchy revenge from the soft white underbelly of rock music at the over-styled fashion-bands topping the alternative charts. There is no "the" in front of the bandname on purpose. Dial "UM" for United Movement, motherfucker.

On their first proper full-length album United Movement have refined and destilled their very own formula for noise rock like the best alpine liquor. The reduction of means, the reinforcement of effectivity and the preference for the more direct approach make this hard but tasty stuff. In between United Movement fall into a completely distorted version of blues rock, or into a bigy city pschosis run amok and put into music. They only take themselves back to come back again harder.

Whenever they start a refrain that invites to singing along, they’ll come around the bend with another dirty, weird idea. Like taking the fists up towards alleged modern heroes (e.g. Bobby Fisher or Red Adair). Inspite of all the variety and diversity the songs all sound like they have fallen from one single mould, forming a big bastard of a record together. Which brings us right back to the beginning. -(written by Georg Cracked)

destroy your mind