kata rokkar...

Everyone that goes through a tramatic experience usually has a song or record that goes hand in hand with that experience. Jeremy Enigk is that artist who reminds me of a time in my life where I overcame an issue that had me questioning everything from relationships to family to my own personal future. Luckily, music came to the rescue (as it usually does) and finally get to see Sunny Day Real Estate/Fire Theft ex-lead singer rock out at Great Scott in Allston this Saturday (31st May). I haven't had the privilege to see Jeremy's other bands but I'm quite content with seeing the man himself belt out the best tunes from his epic World Waits album and also some new tunes. This also will be the first time I tape a show with my new camcorder...so I'll probably suck at it. Well,at least the show won't.

Jeremy Enigk - Dare A Smile

This new song blasts with sounds of summer ecstasy and pure Icelandic bliss. The track comes from their fifth record entitled "með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust"  . This is going to be a good year for new records...

Sigur Rós - Gobbledigook

Barack Obama on Memorial Day...

"..On this Memorial Day, our nation honors the generations of patriots who were willing to give their lives to defend this country. While we may come from different places, cherish different traditions, and have different political beliefs, all Americans hold in reverence those who’ve given this country the full measure of their devotion. They are a shining example of what’s best about America. Today is also a reminder of our obligation as Americans to serve our fallen heroes as well as they served us; as well as the wounded warriors I’ve had the honor of meeting at Walter Reed have served us; as well as the troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world are serving us. That means giving the same priority to building a 21st century VA as to building a 21st century military. It means having zero tolerance for veterans sleeping on our streets. It means bringing home our POWs and MIAs. And it means treating the graves of veterans like the hallowed ground it is and banning protests near funerals. So on this day, of all days, let’s memorialize our fallen heroes by honoring all who wear our country’s uniform; and by completing their work to make America more secure and our world more free."

I couldn't agree more. For more Memorial Day articles that you need to read, click below...
Jon Stewart receives USO-Metro Merit Award
10 Things You Need To Know About Memorial Day

Dispatch - The General from the album, Bang Bang

 While most hipster white people are listening to Flight of the Conchords, us New Englanders are getting our laughs from a different musical humorist; Robby Roadsteamer. Roadsteamer has straddled the line between comedy and music for the past seven years, performing at comedy clubs and in rock clubs with his band or as a solo performer. He's seen the worst of both worlds - good bands and good comedians struggling to be heard over the din of wannabes. Originally the lead singer of the band the Sweatpant Boners which was a metal/punk band formed with Ken Susi of Unearth and Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage. Now he's running solo with his gut-busting acoustic rock comedy tunes. Robby sings about all sorts of weird shit; from how wonderful Allston, MA is to peeing with your father...as ridiculous as the may sound, it's hilarious. It may take a while for one to "get it" but while other New Zealand acts are mocking the folk-indie genre, Robby is poking fun at the Elliott Smith wannabes and grunge rock posers. You can download Robby Roadsteamer's whole album, "This Album Syncs Up With Toejam and Earl" right here. You can also see Robby at the Slipper Room on 167 Orchard St. in New York City on the 25th of May at 8pm with Shane Webb.
So here's this weeks edition of the Kuestionnaire with Robby Roadsteamer...Enjoy.

1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one do you own the most albums by?  Springstein  

2. What's in your record/CD player right now?   From A Basement On A Hill

3. What song would you say sums you up?   Memory Lane

4. What's your favorite local band?   HUMANWINE

5. What was the last show you attended?   Jason Bennett And The Resistance
 
6. What was the greatest show you've ever been to?   Springstein Fenway Park 03'

7. What's the worst band you've ever seen in concert?   The Sweatpant Boners

8. What show are you looking forward to?   Campaign For Realtime at the Paradise

9. What is your favorite band shirt?   Someone send me something.

10. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?   Elliott Smith... I know

11. Metal question - Jeans and Leather vs. Cracker Jack clothes?   Cracker Jack

12. Sabbath or solo Ozzy?   Sabbath

13. Commodores or solo Lionel Ritchie?
  Commodores

14. Punk rock, hip hop or heavy metal?   Hip Punk Metal

15. Name 4 flawless albums:   From A Basement On A Hill Figure 8 Darkness At The Edge Of Town Strange Days

16. When did you realize you were a music geek?   Right now      

17. What was the greatest decade for music?   60's... People still believed music could be much more than background music for Lexus commercials  

18. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?   Hedwig And The Angry Inch

19. Do you like Journey?
  Why not  

20. What is your favorite movie soundtrack?   Natural Born Killers

21. What's the crappiest CD/record/etc. you've ever bought?   Bell Biv Devoe

22. Do you prefer vinyl or CDs?   Vinyl

Robby Roadsteamer - In Allston Mass

Robby Roadsteamer - They Laid Your Father Off From the Dick Factory

Robby Roadsteamer – Sad Cat Land

Robby Roadsteamer – I Put a Baby in You

SUYT – Hey You (Skee-Lo vs. Les Rythmes Digital) from Mashuptown

Why? – Sand Dollars

Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne in C# minor

Lately I’ve been neglectful of my metal roots. I grew up on Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Metallica. Unfortunately over time I ended up listening to generic nu-metal bands and disposable alt-rock bands. Eventually I found my way through friend recommendations and tons of insane live shows. I haven’t gone to a metal/hardcore show in ages, however I will still put on some “Seasons of the Abyss” when the time feels right. I’ve always told my friends that no matter what kind of music you’re into, you need to own at least one death metal record. Whether it’s for shits and giggles or to show your friends that you don’t just know metal bands from Guitar Hero; everyone needs to own one death metal record. Let me suggest “Foreshadowing Our Demise” from the Albany band, Skinless. Their brutal vocals and crushing musical brutality will slay any hardcore metal fan in seconds. In addition they have hilariously morbid samples that kick off each song (ex. "Life sucks…and then you DIE!"). It may not sound like the next new band at Coachella, but they’re good fun fucking metal music.

Skinless – Deviation Will Not Be Tolerated

Mastodon – Rise To Fire

The Jonbenet – Black Lion

Kayo Dot – Eptaceros

Droids Attack – Dope Smuggler

This weekend is messing with my head. I’m a little stressed about moving and Weebly hasn't fixed my sidebar yet. Well I guess this is a good a time as any to say that this whole site will be moving to a new address once I move to California. All Kuestionnaires and Unsigned Artist Showcases will be transferred over as well as a few other popular posts. I’ve had too many issues with Weebly and their shotty support. It’s been a long time coming but kata rokkar will be up a fully operational until the first week of June, then we’ll be back sometime in July with a whole new set-up.

Stay Tuned…

DJ Sun – Dubai

Kidz In The Hall – Drivin’ Down The Block

Doomtree – Flex

Chromeo – Fancy Footwork

Cut Copy - Lights + Music

Kaddisfly – Empire

Cloud Cult – Chain Reaction

San Franciscan folk musician Sean Hayes is not a music geek. Well at least as far as we know from his answers on this edition of the Kuestionnaire. Despite his lack of music geekiness, Sean Hayes is quite a talented man with the ability to make some the most soothing, catchy and danceable tunes this side of Nick Drake. While Natalie Portman may have added him into her compilation disc last year, he still seems to be one of the Bay Area’s best kept musical secrets. Sean will be touring the West Coast this summer and will be dropping by the Outside Lands Festival on August 23rd, early that morning. 

Sean Hayes website

1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one do  you own the most albums by? 
I lose and give away everything. But now I have access to most every record I would want to listen to.
Digital madness…… 

2. What's in your record/CD player right now?
California Honeydrops

3. What song would you say sums you up?
Skinny man how did your hair get so big ?

4. What's your favorite local band?
California Honeydrops

5. What was the last show you attended?
Bon Iver

6. What was the greatest show you've ever been to?
mmmmmmmmmmmmm……I do not remember

 7. What's the worst band you've ever seen in concert?
I worked at a big night club in SF for years. That is a lot of bad bands and lost brain cells……

8. What show are you looking forward to?
California Honeydrops

 9. What is your favorite band shirt?
I do not have one

10. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?
Brian Blade

11. Sabbath or solo Ozzy?
Fiest

12. Commodores or solo Lionel Ritchie?
Ottis Redding

13. Punk rock, hip hop or heavy metal?
Hip Hop

14. Name 4 flawless albums:
Astral Weeks Aeroplane over the Sea Kind of Blue Nina Simone Live at the Village Vangaurd


15. When did you realize you were a music geek?
I’m not

16. What was the greatest decade for music?
60’s I suppose lots of change….but it is impossible to say

17. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
no

18. Do you like Journey?
 I owned a picture disc in the 80’s

19. What is your favorite movie soundtrack?
I do not have one……

20. What's the crappiest CD/record/etc. you've ever bought?
 MMMMMMMMMMMMmmm I could make something up. 

21. Do you prefer vinyl or CDs?
Vinyl has soul. Cd’s are already dead……….

Bon Iver – Skinny Love from the album, For Emma, Forever Ago

Sean Hayes – Mary Magdalene from the album, A Thousand Tiny Pieces

Sean Hayes – Pollinating Toes from the album, Big Black Hole and the Little Baby Star

Buddy Wakefield - Guitar Repair Woman

My mother told me,
“If you ever become a rock star
do not smash the guitar.
There are too many poor kids out there
who have nothin’
and they see that shit
when all they wanna do is play that thing.
Boy
you better let’m play.”

If she ever starts in on one of these lectures
your best bet is to pull up a chair, Chief,
‘cause Momma don’t deal in the abridged version.

She worries about me so much some days
it feels like I’m watching windshield wipers
on high speed
during a light sprinkle
and I gotta tell’er, “Ma,
yer makin’ me nervous.”

She was born to be laid back,
y’all, I swear,
but some of us were brought up in households
where Care Free
is a stick of gum,
and the only option for getting out
is to walk faster.
The woman
can run
in high heels
backwards
bursting my bubble,
while double-checking my homework,
rolling enough coins
to make sure that I have lunch money,
and preparing for a meeting at school
on her only day off
so she can tell Miss Goss the music teacher,
“If you ever touch my boy again, big lady,
I’ll bounce a hammer off yer skull.”

I remember her doing these things swiftly
and with a smile
in her discounted thrift store business suits
that she wore just bright and distinguished enough
to cover up 30 years of highway scars
truckin’ through her spine.
Some accidents
you don’t need to see, rubbernecker.
Keep movin’
‘cause she made it.
She’s alive
and she’s famous.

We can stretch Van Gogh paintings
from Kilgore, TX to Binghamton, NY
and you still won’t find the brilliant brush strokes
it takes to be a single mother
sacrificing the best part of her dreams
to raise a baby boy who – on most days –
she probably wants to strangle.

We disagree - a lot.
For instance, she still thinks it’s okay
to carry on a conversation
full throttle
at 7 a.m.
whereas I think…
Oh, wait, I’m sorry…
I don’t think at seven in the morning.

But we both agree that
Love
makes no mistakes.
So at night time,
when she’s winding down
and I’m still writing books about
how to get comfortable in this skin she gave me,
I see rock stars on stages
smashing guitars.
It’s then when I wanna find’m a comfortable chair,
get’m a snack,
and introduce them to Daylight:

This is my mother,
Tresa B. Olsen.
Runner of the tight shift.
Taker of the temperature.
Leaver of the light on.
Lover of the underdog.
Mover of the mountain.
Winner of the good life.
Keeper of the hope chest.
Guitar
Repair
Woman.

And I am her son,
Buddy Wakefield.
I play a tricked-out electric pen,
thanks to the makers of music and metaphor,
but I do my best to keep the words in check,
and I use a padded microphone
so I don’t hurt you,
because sometimes I smash things,
and I don’t ever wanna let’er down.

I Love You.

Buddy Wakefield – Guitar Repair Woman from the album, Run On Anything

If you can imagine a dancier John Vanderslice, you are probably thinking about Alan Wilkis. Mr. Wilkis is a Brooklyn based singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist who makes some pretty interesting music. The more I listen, the more I realize just how many influences he uses in his music. The most obvious is Prince; probably because his voice has this lofty sound that goes very well with the bouncy electronic music he creates. It seems that most people only talk about making ‘different’ music and Alan Wilkis just does it.

Alan Wilkis Myspace Music Page
Buy Alan Wilkis - Babies Dream Big

Alan Wilkis – In My Dreams from the album, Babies Dream Big

When drowning in the appropriate sound, you find yourself achieving the same fundamental effects in your soul as coming up for air has on the body. City Breathing is that appropriate sound. Their atmospheric and moody sound is akin to Explosions in the Sky or Mono except with vocals. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, these three young men have crafted a sound that is immediately riveting, emotionally devastating, and achingly passionate. Characterized by towering walls of sound, oceanic guitar work and vicious rhythmic elements, City Breathing is a band that knows how to imbed itself within the part of you that refuses to easily surrender. You can download their entire debut release here. Or if you have a short attention span, just this song…

City Breathing – We Can Retrace The Sinking Sky from the album, Look How It’s Snowing Upwards, Look How They Move Towards Heaven