...Curtis, the lead singer of The Sugar Report, responds, "I'm called to do it. I wake up some days and I just have to write. I like playing music for myself and if people like what I write as much as me--well, that's amazing!" "My ideas are unclear to me, my id doesn't look like me", Curtis Williams sings these lyrics originally written in Newark airport. Their drummer, Joe Zdaa, continues in his precise ferocious beats as Daniel Plenge, bass player and back up vocalist, chimes in with Eric Stephenson, keyboardist and back up vocalist, to create a harmonious sound that creates goose bumps on your arms. Finally, add the lead guitar player, Sean Kinchy, to the mix and you have a perfect sound to nod your head to.
They earn their stripes in NYC by doing it the old fashioned way--playing the local circuit at all the well known venues. But truly, the enthusiasm is when their fans actually travel over 50 miles to see them play live. Or when their fans dub their songs over their favorite video game and skateboard videos. Or when their fans confess it was their songs that they listen to on the treadmill at the gym or helped them when recovering from kemotherapy or that helped them through a break up.
The Sugar Report writes music that people like. When asked, what do you sound like? The Sugar Report responds that they are not your typical NYC band. On Myspace.com under influences they write: "a good time." These are the real inspirations: David Bowie, Velvet Underground, Led Zeppelin, The Pretty Things, The Smiths, The Cure, and The Beatles. When asked why, you get: "Originality, it's out of left field and on another playing field, heavy and memorable, dark and depressing lyrics yet somehow oddly uplifting, and never locked into one idea." These are the characteristics that The Sugar Report encapsulate. Every show there is something different-- a new song, a different rhythm, a darker rhyme. Yet their sets are unified and you can't mistake the sound that is The Sugar Report. Psychopedia's Jennifer McMenamin describes the music as, "Drop-dead sonics that make you feel the Edge from U2 already came back for a second reincarnation." Band Website
Froman: Which of your songs would make for a good porn soundtrack?
The Sugar Report (in the words of Daniel Plenge): Points of Light, which is also known around the Lower East Side as The Fuck Song. It’s on our new Espace EP. Go to our website and get free. The first taste always is kids.
Froman: Is it true for the guitarist if the audience can’t see your cock it isn't rock?
SR: No, not true. The cock doesn’t have to be seen. Scott Stapp hid his behind leather pants. So I guess when you see leather pants, you’ll know its cock rock.
Froman: If you could add one member from any band who would it be?
SR: I always thought Gino Vannelli had a killer voice. So I’d ask him to come sing with us. But he’d have to grow his hair back out like the good old days.
Froman: Drum solos...only good for other drummers or audience pleasing?
SR: Drum solos are cool but Joe usually shows his talent in a more low key way. That guy can drink 3 Skittle bombs in a row and not puke.
Froman: Record companies. Need them or want them?
SR: Ehh.,.,don’t even know anymore…We’ve been doing it ourselves like every other band before getting signed. Of course, broadening our reach would be great, but things are so messy right now you can’t even understand whats going on anymore. You’ve heard the horror stories of bands getting signed and then getting all sorts of money to hire a big-name producer at a big-name studio and after all is said and done the label doesn’t find the album ‘commercially viable’ and ends up shelving it. One guy in the band picks up a trendy coke habit and next thing you know the band’s in debt 100 grand with no album released.
Froman: Do you all have equal say in songwriting?
SR: Curtis comes in with the ideas and we work them out into songs in our cramped practice space on Stanton St in the LES. We’ve all started bringing ideas to the table so its really nice to have such a wealth of ideas swirling around. We have an intense work ethic so we get together 3 or 4 times a week after we get done making rent money.
Froman: What band/artist would you like to beat up?
SR: Not gonna start any shit but we were playing at Pianos a couple months ago and this band after us went up to our buddies in line for the bathroom and was like ‘I’m going in there next – I’m in the band that’s playing now.’
Hahaha I mean really – we’re all fuckin no names here so who do you think you are?
Froman: Ever play a concert where you were almost too fucked up to go on stage?
SR: I try to keep it in line but yeah a couple times I lost myself and had to pull the trigger to get it all outta me before we played. I learned my lesson the second time.
Froman: What's the creepiest venue you've ever played? Ever fear for your life on stage?
SR: There’s this big old church in Montclair, NJ where the local youth group kids have shows and its really crazy cause you don’t wanna do anything ungodly even if you don’t believe in god. As for fearing for my life, I always worry about getting electrocuted from all the electricity flowing. Ever see Almost Famous?
Froman: Of course great movie, fantastic soundtrack.....Is there anyone in the band that you have to dress b/c he’s embarrassing?
SR: Luckily we all look the same. Black shirts and tight ass jeans. And dress shoes. It’s pretty easy. Sometimes at practice I wear a wig to remind me of the good old days, but thankfully the guys are ok with who I am.
Froman: Describe your sex: light some candles or lay down the tarp?
SR: Well, each time is different. But do keep in mind they call me Slow Horse.
Froman: Who gets the most groupies? Or at least give us a best groupie story?
Eric gets the most action cause he has this quality where you feel really safe and he makes you laugh. Next thing you know you’ve got your arm around him and he’s pouring whiskey down your throat. And then you get outside and its 6:30 in the morning and the birds are chirping and you get that feeling that no other experience can give you. Its trouble, its danger, its nostalgia, it’s the end of high-school.
Froman: Next time I need roofies I'll call Eric. Aquanet or paul mitchell?
SR: Hahaha I use this shit called Johnny B. Its this rockabilly pomade that smells fucking great.
Froman: What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve seen requested for backstage (aside from 1000 brown M&Ms to fill a brandy glass)?
SR: Well once we asked for a Red Bull refrigerator and not to name any names but this dude comes in and fuckin takes it out like we hadn’t asked for it. It was so weird. So we’re sitting there with a bunch of warm drinks.
Froman: A 17 yr old gorgeous little groupie comes in thru the bathroom window…play ball?
SR: Oh man.,.,no way.
Froman: Any spinal tap moments?
SR: Yes definitely. You should see us try to figure out our vocal parts after not playing for a couple days. Hilarious.
Froman: The day your band dies, what would u like its epitaph to read?
SR: “Here Lies The Sugar Report – Party Band of The Lower East Side. These guys could get anyone to take their shirts off, especially at St. Jeromes on July 4th.”
Froman: Hell yeah, we'll be there Slow Horse. The Sugar Report - 'It's Good to be Back' - Live
Sounds like: Yeasayer on a hung over Sunday morning passing the bong
Why you should give it a shot: When a band I don't know has an album come out that not only NY Magazine called 'the best album of '08' but also Spin Magazine has it in their top 10 of '08? Well I usually kick myself and then wake the F up and pay some attention. Yes Bon Iver is very mellow, but they are also haunting, catchy and fantastic plus for a 3 man band they are fun to watch because they all play at least 2 instruments and sing at the same time. Thats what we like to call talent.
Heres their live performance on Letterman a couple weeks ago:
The latest video off "The Illusion of Progress". And in other not very important Staind news, Aaron Lewis is getting ready to hit the road for his annual post-holiday solo acoustic tour, before touring Europe with the rest of the band. You can find confirmed US dates here.
Add Iggy Pop to the long list of peeps contributing to the upcoming BPA album. Look out for the release of the original version of this song and the album 'I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat' in 2009. Thus far there's been good buzz around Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim's latest project which mashes rock, soul and rocksteady.
Beastie Boys will reissue their epic Paul’s Boutique on January 27th to celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary. The classic LP has been digitally remastered for the first time, with all three Beasties overseeing the 24-bit process. The album’s original vinyl artwork will be restored in an eco-friendly, eight-panel digipak displaying a panoramic view of the intersection at Rivington and Ludlow in New York City’s Lower East Side. Also be on the lookout for some track-by-track commentary.
Drops 1/27. Order here or download illegally.
"Hey Ladies"
Well at least that's the rumor. Don't hold your breath.
Buried deep in an article about Guns n Roses guitarist Richard Fortus and his one-night reunion with Pale Divine is this bit of potentially huge news: A GNR tour should start in late March and is expected to last “at least two years,” according to Fortus. The band had hinted at a possible tour on their official Website in April, saying the fifth Chinese Democracy tour since 2001 was in negotiations — “When we begin to put tour plans together, we’ll see where things are,” the band said at the time — and a source close to the band told Rolling Stone an ‘09 tour was in the works. With album sales slumping and Axl Rose still reluctant to conduct any interview outside of message board forums, a tour is just what the album needs for a promotional boost. If the March start date is correct, it puts Guns in a position to headline several huge festivals in 2009 on both sides of the Atlantic.
Forget all those other split screen video's of some lame ass song...we now have the metal version and it kicks ass. One man takes on Guitar, Bass and Drums all by his lonesome...add in some growls and we have a hit.
DJ Earworm takes the Billboard top 25 songs of 2008 and makes a nice ballad style mashup. Here is the track list:
Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain - Low, Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love,Alicia Keys - No One, Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major - Lollipop, Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic - Apologize, Jordin Sparks Duet With Chris Brown - No Air, Sara Bareilles - Love Song, Usher Featuring Young Jeezy - Love in This Club, Chris Brown - With You, Chris Brown - Forever, Ray J & Yung Berg - Sexy Can I, Rihanna - Take a Bow, Coldplay - Viva La Vida, Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl, T.I. - Whatever You Like, Rihanna - Disturbia, Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music, Natasha Bedingfield, Pocketful of Sunshine, Chris Brown Featuring T-Pain - Kiss Kiss, Ne-Yo - Closer, Colbie Caillat - Bubbly, Mariah Carey - Touch My Body, Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes, Pink - So What, Finger Eleven - Paralyzer.
There's a lot of Notorious video footage floating around, but this one in particular is pretty solid. Biggie breaks the news of Tupac's death to his own mom.
Brooklyn MC Jamal “Gravy” Woolard has been outspoken about his intense boot-camp-like training he received for the film at Julliard, where he dove into method-acting techniques and had cotton balls stuffed in his mouth to learn better diction. In Notorious, director George Tillman Jr. gives viewers a crash course on Christopher Wallace. The movie begins with the Brooklyn MC’s youth and quickly leads to his eventual life as Kwest, the hustler who also raps, who then becomes full-time MC, the Notorious B.I.G.
"'Man n***** come through I'm taking high school rings too/ Bitches get stripped down for they earrings and bangles/ And when I rock her and drop her I'm takin her door knockers/ If she's resistant then...baka! baka! baka!'"
Kurt's smashed Fender Mustang guitar was sold at auction for $100,000, making it the second-highest selling Cobain item ever.
“It’s a really cool-looking guitar because it’s smashed and held together with duct tape and Kurt Cobain wrote on it,” a curator at Seattle’s Experience Music Project said. The ax dates back to Nirvana’s first U.S. tour, where Cobain it onstage in New Jersey. Staying with a musician named Sluggo at the time, Cobain traded the destroyed guitar for a working one for his next gig. Sluggo, who was in bands like the Grannies and Hullabaloo, held on to the guitar through the decades, eventually lending it to the Experience Music Project for display.
Despite the sale, Sluggo hopes the new owner will allow the guitar return to Seattle in 2010 for a planned Cobain exhibit. “There’s not a huge amount of broken Nirvana guitars out there,” the curator added, saying most of Cobain’s destroyed guitars were “little slivers and fragments.” In 2006, a Mosrite Gospel Mark IV guitar — which was probably still in working condition — owned by Cobain sold for $131,000.
Post punk LA rockers keep the genre alive with their third self titled album, The Bronx III
Did you grow up on LA punk like Pennywise, Bad Religion, etc and have now matured slightly and are listening to bands like Against Me! in order to fill that void? Well than this could be your new favorite band.
Puberty is no longer a prerequisite for face-melting rock. Be on the look out for these boys to rule the airwaves and sell out arenas in 2009.
Hailing from Coweta, OK, the four members of Crooked X were only 14 years old when they broke through in 2008. Sounding like a mix of their heroes Black Label Society, Pantera, and Shinedown, the teen group caught the attention of the EMI label after opening gigs for the likes of Kiss and Ted Nugent. EMI signed the band and released its debut digital EP, Til We Bleed, in late 2008. Two of the EP's songs appeared in expansion packs for the hit video game Rock Band. Meanwhile, MTV filmed the band for a rags-to-riches documentary set to air in early 2009. You can find more on their myspace.
Chek out Rolling Stone's cover story here
Music video for "Adrenaline"
Crooked X perform "Gone" on the Johnny Dare Morning Show - 98.9 FM Kansas City. December 1, 2008
