Guitarist Gina Gleason Breathes New Life into Baroness - Interview

Baroness Crowns a New Queen

by Christine Leonard

Monarchs and butterflies. Baroness rules their field.

When BeatRoute last touched base with melodic metal monarch John Dyer Baizley, the leader of Savannah, Georgia’s Baroness, it was mid-2016 and singer/guitarist/visual artist was in a warehouse in England, or as he puts it “an alternate universe version of preparing for the tour by rehearsing a lot.” Having subsequently introduced Europe to their moody Grammy-nominated album Purple, the first release on the quartet’s newfound Abraxan Hymns record label, Baizley more recently found himself looking for another mountain to summit. That challenge unexpectedly arrived when longtime friend and member Pete Adams announced his amicable departure from the band after a decade of providing backing guitars and vocals. Fortunately for Baizley and remaining crew, bassist Nick Jost and drummer Sebastian, the next ascendant to the royal family was waiting in the wings, axe in hand.

“It was just one of the easiest and perhaps luckiest things that’s happened to us in our career,” says Baizley of Baroness’s acquisition of guitarist Gina Gleason. “We got really lucky, Gina is an incredible player and she’s got a great attitude. She is an incredibly diligent and hardworking musician. We have found yet another incredible musician to join the band and do what we love doing.”

Novelty never entered the picture according to Baizley, who perceives the recruitment of a woman to Baroness’s muscular lineup with an open mind and a discerning ear; just as he did for the ingestion of Jost and Thomson in 2013.

“Much the same as when Nick and Sebastian joined the band, our response time between members has been phenomenally fast and often seamless. I’m always afraid there’s going to be some extremely laborious process of integration and chemistry building, but it’s just never been that big of an issue for us. Her qualifications for joining the band and becoming a member of Baroness had nothing to do with gender. Anybody with her skill level that had shown interest would have gotten it. It just happened to be her. We couldn’t be happier.”

Baizley continues. “Additionally, I’d like to think that this band is now, and has always been, a place where ideas like gender or age or race aren’t significant to who we work with and how we work with those people. It is awesome. If I’m being honest, I don’t’ think we see enough of it out there in our scene. It can feel a bit male-dominated, I’m might be the wrong person to even say that being a male myself, but she’s proof made flesh that your gender has virtually no bearing to what you’re able to accomplish and the way you’re capable accomplishing it. And I’m really glad that I can say this about this band and about this woman.”

Well-past the terrifying 2012 road wreck that crippled the band and effectively broke them in twain, Baizley is in a better place both physically and mentally. He explains that the group would have “more than likely” gone down an alternate path if destiny hadn’t intervened “had we not experienced what we experienced on the first tour for Yellow & Green (2012 Relapse Records) – which, of course, is when we had that flying bus accident off the cliff – had we not suffered that and lost members and had to rebuild and restructure…” It’s amazing how things can change in an instant. “When we were a younger band, we played seven days a week. After I was injured… I’ve got the type of injury where I’m a better musician if I get a few days off a week.”

Taking time to recharge and write has been beneficial and by Baizley’s estimates a “not uncolourful” release from the freshly-forged Baroness is lurking right around the corner. An accomplished painter and illustrator in his own right, Baizley was actually completing the artwork for their yet-to-be-unveiled album’s cover as this interview was being conducted.

“We’ve finished recording the next album and now we’re just in the process of figuring out how, when, where, why, what it’s going to look like. With each record we lean into something entirely different. We really pushed as creatives and as songwriters with this new record. We were without a doubt a difficult group of people to satisfy. We held ourselves to a very high standard creatively and wrote something that I think some people will like. I like the Hell out of it. I think it’s the best record we’ve ever done. I’m extremely excited.”

Baroness perform March 23 at The Palace (Calgary)

22nd, March 2019 

in • AB - Features, • Rockpile, FEATURED, MUSIC

Flashback "Heathen of Influence" - Album Review

Flashback
Heathen of Influence

There’s no dressing up a Heathen of Influence, so you might as well grab your best denim vest and join the festivities when Flashback throws down the proverbial metal-studded gauntlet.

A long, Sabbathy, drag off a perilously short cigarette, the Calgary-based outfit’s third LP burns from tip to filter with an arsenal of hemispheric headnodders.

Raised in the den of the Steppenwolf, the single “Widow’s Breath” is a sonic saga infused with a lust for life and liberty that would have Fonda and Hopper delivering drive-by high-fives from beyond the grave. Epic guitar swells and pounding percussion set the four-man warship a-heave as vocalist/guitarist Aidan Demarais’s commanding growl gouges through a sea of sludge.

The evil rip-chord chug of “Darkened Plague” recalls an outboard motor that runs on petrol and Pabst. There’s just enough time for a fat booty boogie guitar solo before all of the oxygen has been sucked from the room.

Forging a new mythos out of melody and madness, Flashback hurls venomous lightning bolts, navigates warp-speed tempo shifts and revels in dense mercurial meltdowns. From the harshly acidic “The Atomic Fog,” to the hair-toss gong-crash of “Fortune’s Guild,” and the Satriani honeybucket “Fortune’s Guild,” this old school hard rock outfit is clearly happy to flex its ample talent before stretching out for inspection like some fuzzy-lensed centerfold.

Best Track: “Widow’s Breath”

By Christine Leonard

Noise Rock Trio BORIS Push Boundaries Of Modern Japanese Music - INTERVIEW

Guitarist/vocalist Takeshi on finding catharsis in extreme music and releasing music independently.

BY CHRISTINE LEONARD

Being a rebel in a country full of renegades is one thing, but for Japanese noise-rockers Boris, going against the tides of tradition was a much more controversial proposition. Defined from the outset by their brutal and beauteous compositions exploring the interplay between power and pop, the groundbreaking outfit has always defied convention, pushing the boundaries of modern Japanese art and music since the early 90s.

Opting to go the independent route for their latest album, NO, vocalist/guitarist/bassist Takeshi, vocalist/guitarist Wata, and vocalist/percussionist Atsuo distilled a year’s worth of thoughts and emotions into one resounding statement before entrusting the files to mix-master Koichi Hara for sharpening.

Gliding between styles with a shapeshifter’s ease, Boris tapped into the core of their collective anxieties to transmute their insecurities into sonic certainties. Assuming an activated stance in response to the current global crisis, the psych-metal trio has come together with a common goal, forming an effective outlet to rechannel any negative energy that has besieged 2020.

Pressed to answer the burning questions of fate and fortune, Takeshi and his bandmates point to the potential of extreme music to elevate the human spirit. The strength of that conviction shines through in every moment of NO, encapsulating the band’s desire to create a new means of artistic expression while offering a place of psychic solace.

Why did you decide to self-release this album? Did this make things easier or more difficult?

Takeshi: We began song-writing sessions for this album on March 24. The speed of album production was the fastest in [our] recent history, but the (coronavirus pandemic) became worse even faster. Thus, we wanted to release quickly and deliver to the listeners. Without going through a label, we were able to determine our own decisions and speed. It’s less stressful because we don’t need to wait for someone else’s decision. Distributions are stagnant worldwide, so we can’t wait for physical copies to be completed. That’s why it was completely self-produced and released only on Bandcamp.

This was our first time doing streaming-only, but results-wise, we felt it was the best way in this situation. Hopefully, in the near future, we can get CDs and vinyls pressed.

What was your attitude going into the studio to record NO?

T: We began recording NO around the time we were finishing up the LφVE & EVφL World Tour in Japan in 2019. This was around the time when we were entering the coronavirus disaster. Most live concerts and tours were getting canceled, and we felt the need to keep creating pieces of work. The world is chaotic, and cultural acts are stagnant. We resisted it by creating music and delivering it to the listeners. 

What themes and moods did you want to explore and introduce to your audience?

T: NO is an attitude that a person should have. Currently, there’s so much negative language and information that is confusing and overflowing on the TV and internet. We take in the information without questioning, we conveniently interpret it, and we’re eventually paralyzed even to unreasonable things. You eventually forget to think about how to interpret what that means.

It’s an abominable system. Everything begins by questioning yourself first. Thus, we want you to feel and understand this work.

Would you still consider Boris to be outside the box compared to your peers?

T: I’ve never advocated that Boris’ music genre is XXXX. We don’t try to stick to a limited style of music. All we’re doing is shaping the sounds and images that we find interesting in those moments. Kind of like drawing as we like. It seems the people who are in bands around us establish a band to run a band, which differs fundamentally. For Boris, it feels like we have a band to draw and to create a movie. It’s like we’re drawing a picture, and with time, those pictures become a movie. That’s how Boris’ music and work are created.

What do you think defines Boris as a Japanese band, especially when you are abroad on tour?

T: When we first began traveling internationally, we were surprised by the food and culture. Now, we’re not really conscious of ourselves being Japanese. It’s probably because we’ve gained a global sense. We have many overseas tours, so on the contrary, we feel more self-conscious that we’re Japanese when we’re back living in Japan. We feel suffocated through the realization of the strength of collectivism unique to Japan.

What is the overriding or underlying message or emotion behind NO? And how is this philosophy or feeling presented to the listener? 

T: We only create positive work. When I was in my teens, I would release unspeakable anger and frustration by listening to extreme music such as hardcore and thrash metal. The emotions I couldn’t verbalize rode the evil noise and spoke for my negative emotions. There’s anxiety, hatred, and sorrow widespread in the world now. I hope this album reflects people’s negative emotions like a mirror and reflects them in another direction with something positive.

Under this type of situation, we actually need mean, extreme music. We hope that listening to this album will help people heal and give them the strength to move forward.

How do you see yourself presenting these albums once touring becomes a possibility, again?

T: It’s tough trying to see what the future will be like because the situation is still uncertain. There may be more albums before we begin touring again. All we can do is create, so we are constantly continuing production. Many artists are live broadcasting and are taking action through trial and error. Those actions may kill the culture that has been cultivated this far. We want to think and act carefully. We’ve felt this before, but the band is a miracle. So many miracles have continued to happen. We think of this new album as a piece of miracle. We’ll keep moving forward to create new miracles and to move towards one day getting to see everyone again. Please keep supporting us. We really thank you.

After 28 years together what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as a band?

T: I’m appreciative of those around the world supporting a Japanese band doing whatever they want. We receive power from the audience while touring, and that becomes the motivation for producing the next piece of work. It’s thanks to this that we three have been able to do this for so long.

Translated by Kasumi Billington

Bebe Buckskin Defines Her Own Style With Leathers, Feathers & Fur

With Janice Joplin as her style icon, the Metis/Cree blues-rocker embraces her roots, allowing her natural Nêhiyaw beauty to shine through. 

BY CHRISTINE LEONARD

Growing up in the heart of Alberta’s great northern muskeg, Nêhiyaw blues-rocker Bebe Buckskin (aka Danielle Ghostkeeper) wasn’t too concerned with keeping up with the latest fashion trends. A self-described plain-Jane as a teenager, she moved to the “big city” of Calgary 10 years ago and launched her musical career in earnest. It was then that Bebe began to assemble signature ensembles of distinctive clothing accessories that were befitting of a dynamic entertainer and show-stopping diva.

“I would say it developed over time,” explains Bebe. “The more I became immersed in my music and the more I honed in and developed my style. As I came of age in my late teens I started experimenting with different aesthetics. I tried the hip-hop thing. I went through a punk phase. But then sort of settled into a hippie aesthetic in my early twenties that has been the base of my style since. I love that Summer of Love sensibility.”

Creative and intentional in her approach to both music and fashion, Bebe has always gravitated towards a more relaxed and organic lifestyle. With a soulful new EP, Asiskiy (Cree for “dirt”), arriving this month, the singer/songwriter is feeling more comfortable than ever with her on-stage image and emerging reputation as a fashionista.

“I’m into the 50s, 60s, 70s blues-rock stuff and my style definitely reflects my primary musical tastes,” she admits. “I have sort of reigned it in and now the way I dress is on purpose. I purposely look like I’m a mess, but it’s chic. I do the shabby chic thing a lot, but I’m aware and conscious of what I put on my body and every day I try to make a statement. Whether it’s a piece of jewellery or a pink feather boa like Janis Joplin—she’s a huge style icon of mine. Plus, I love fur and luxurious fabrics and textures.”

That combined love of the history and tactile symbolism is naturally connected to Bebe’s background and integrated into the warp and weft of her identity as an artist and as a Cree/Metis woman.

“The fur thing is huge for me,” says Bebe. “I love to wear animals. As weird as that sounds. I love to wear leather, feathers, fur. You’re honouring that life. You’re honouring that spirit. It’s a huge part of our culture and that definitely plays a role in why I like to wear it so much. To honour tradition and pay homage to where I come from and where I grew up, my heritage and my culture.”

Aware that boldly championing such a hot-button issue is bound to garner a wide range of reactions, Bebe continues to make bold fashion choices that affirm her own experiences and reflect her ancestral origins.

“Lately I’ve been wearing pelts. My coyote pelts and my fox pelts. Just draped over my shoulder as a statement. I did that in New Orleans when I played Folk Alliance Festival. I got a lot of mixed reviews on that. I got called out. I got called—oh my God—I got called a murderer and I thought they were going to throw red paint on me. So, it’s like you are always taking a risk with the fur thing,” she says.  “C’mon. Like, fuck you, man. My grandpa’s a trapper. I’m Indigenous from Northern Alberta. Fuck you!”

Affirming that truth, beauty, and fashion lie in the eye of the beholder, trailblazing blues-folk chanteuse Bebe isn’t about to put her personal sense of style in a corner.

“I don’t really have a specific structure of what beauty should be in my mind. A person who embraces who they are and what they dig—that’s beautiful to me. Diversity is beautiful. Confidence is beautiful. Your demeanour and how you hold yourself. A confident person shines and that is beautiful.”

Bebe Buckskin’s new EP, Asiskiy, is available to stream now.

LA Priest "Gene" - Album Review

LA Priest
GENE

Writer/producer Sam Eastgate (aka Samuel Dust) cuts loose for his sophomore appearance as the ubiquitous bon vivant, LA Priest.

A sparkling follow-up to his 2015 rural isolation project, Inji, this is Eastgate’s first solo release since the dissolution of his UK dance-punk outfit Late Of The Pier. GENE probes pop-electronic territories with the same expansive curiosity that fuelled his Soft Hair (2016) collaboration with Kiwi psych-funk “Jassbuster,” Connan Mockasin.

“Beginning” coaxes the listener out from under the couch and into the realm of the absurd. Preaching the gospel of groove on the scintillating “Rubber Sky” and day-tripping through “Open My Eyes,” Eastgate sets off on a lazy backstroke through a shimmering catalogue of loungey sprawlers.

An expert improviser who grew up surrounded by his New Wave musician father’s junkheap of busted amps and wonky keyboards, Eastgate drops the pressure on exquisitely crafted tracks like the quirky confessional “What Moves,” the soul strumming “Sudden Thing,” and the atmospheric “Monochrome.” Further along, the wispy Prince-paramour “Kissing of the Weeds” segues into the crystalline lab-work of “Black Smoke,” methodically culminating in the post-coital hush of “Ain’t No Love Affair.”

A playful and self-liberating selection of sonic place settings, GENE’s super-structure is designed to dissolve even as it leads you up the double-helix staircase. Hustle without the flex, it’s a beautiful thing.

Best Track: “Rubber Sky”

By Christine Leonard

Spectres Look Back in Black With Dark Wave Reverie

Influenced by groups like The Smiths and Echo & The Bunnymen, the goth-punk quintet are consciously taking a step towards the dance floor.

BY CHRISTINE LEONARD

Arrayed with a gloomy presence and an eerie sound, Vancouver post-punk band Spectres have been haunting fans with their brilliant yet reserved brand of goth-rock severity since 2005.

Surpassing those initial stirrings, the West Coast quintet has grown from an ambitious anarcho-punk DIY entity that pushed its way onto a sceptical scene to become the vanguard of Canada’s contemporary new wave upsurge.

“We’re not trying to hide the fact that we’re making music that sounds a certain way or draws a certain era to mind. We wear it on our sleeves,” guitarist Zach Batalden tells BeatRoute. “We’re conscious of our influences and that a lot of the music is about looking back and having certain feelings about your own past at different times than where we are today.”

Beyond a backwards glance at the crushingly elegant phrasing and melodies that epitomize a time and place, Spectres latest offering, Nostalgia (Artoffact Records), immortalizes the spirit of ennui and psychic discomfort that inhabits the lyrical realms established by groups such as The Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen and The Psychedelic Furs.

“The bands that inspired us in the first place and still inspire us today. Maybe not John Hughes, but certainly the late 70s and early to mid-80s Manchester sound is pretty strong in what we’re doing with Nostalgia for sure.”

Recorded at Jacknife Sound with producer Jason Corbett (ACTORS), Nostalgia relies heavily on the dark emotional interplay between Batalden, lead singer Brian Gustavson and drummer Mitch Allen, while integrating the talents of more recent arrivals, bassist Jason Renix and guitarist Adam Mitchell. Dauntless, yet utterly prone to pursuing synth-pop romances down mysterious causeways, Nostalgia is perhaps Spectres most dance floor destined work to date.

“That’s totally a part of the goal is that people will be able to dance,” says Batalden. “Hopefully they’ll feel like moving around when they hear the music.” 

Spectres’ Nostalgia is available now via Artoffact Records.

Car Seat Headrest "Making a Door Less Open" - Album Review

Car Seat Headrest
"Making a Door Less Open"

Breaking their four-year fast with a fresh set of songs and a newly rinsed outlook on life, Car Seat Headrest conceived their latest album as a conversation between producer/drummer Andrew Katz and lead singer/guitarist Will Toledo’s split-personas. Together the two form 1 Trait Danger, a synth-based auxiliary that actively forces CSH’s restless pop-rock anthems through a futuristic electronic filter.

Keen to collaborate with himself, Toledo wanted every song to reflect his personal listening habits, which runs on singles as opposed to albums. This ‘in the moment’ perspective is strongly reflected in the disparate natures of his anti-social sonic hybrids.

CSH’s technical transformation reveals itself subtly as the dronetastic introduction, “Weightlifters,” pushes through a pool party of rippling angst and drum machine heart murmurs. Dipping below the surface, the suburban drift of “Can’t Cool Me Down” is quickly eclipsed by the full-sun sizzle of “Hollywood,” with its brassy highlights and top-down morality.

Soft-pedaled by a sensory-deprived middle section, diary burner “Deadlines” and Kodachrome snapshot “Life’s Worth Missing” pick up the pieces and the pace just in time for the closing cerebral scramble, “Famous.” Constantly switching up their climate control, Toledo believes he has struck upon a winning nu-folk formula. A malleable and reinterpretable genre with no maximum mileage or occupancy.

Best Track: “Hollywood”

By Christine Leonard