I started to jot a small list of bands that Ashtar Command reminded me of so that I would be able to say for fans of fill-in-the-blank-awesome-bands, you will love this. However, the amazing, brilliant thing about the debut album from this band is that list can easily be 20 names long. What else can you expect from two guys-Chris Holmes and Brian Liesegang- that have a music pedigree that includes Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, and Filter between them? The music ranges from sweet, happy pop tunes, bittersweet love lost songs to an addictive guitar opened rock song-all the better to match the guest line up. Priscilla Ahn is heard on two tracks (“Rosa,” “The Breakup Song”), Rachel Yamagata (“Blister of the Spotlight”), Joshua Radin (“Mark IV”), Z Berg (“Gravity”), Alex Ebert (“Save Me”), and last, but most definitively not least, Har Mar Superstar (“That’s How It Is”). How awesome is your band that this many artists said sign me up, let’s make music together? Pretty damn awesome, my friend. Ashtar Command proves that eclectic and diverse are not code words that really mean wow-a-producer-would-have-been-nice. The sound is inclusive and cohesive by design; this is music by guys who know what they like and what they like is to never be limited by a single genre. In an interview with our very own Hillary Smith, Holmes stated they want “…to bring joy to the people and help them feel a part of their soul.” Liesegang added “The only pertinent, vital, and essential job as an artist is to communicate.” Well, then on their inaugural mission, Ashtar Command has achieved success.
Chris Holmes and Brian Liesegang of Ashtar Command should be considered their own species of musicians. DJs they are, but art enthusiasts, sci-fi geeks, and old school MTV lovers they will always be. Their sound is a beautiful reflection of all the places they’ve been and the people they’ve met as well as their insane insights into the music industry. Chris and Brian talked with The Owl Mag’s Hillary Smith about their all encompassing journey including being a part of Nine Inch Nails and touring with Paul McCartney.
The Owl Mag: Who have been your favorite people to work with musically?
Holmes: For me personally, it’s been a joy to work with everyone. This record is really a celebration of our lives and friendships. So many people played such massive roles in helping us with the project. There are people like Matt Walker, Solomon Synder, Oliver Kraus, and Joey Waronker who have played a role from start. The true list is hundreds of people. That’s the concept of the project. My favorite person to work with above everyone else is Cory Nitta. He’s an unparalleled musical genius. I expect him to become a very vital and important person in Ashtar Command moving forward. I can’t wait to work with him again. His record Goodnite Life with his band The Philippians is one of the most beautiful records ever made.
Liesegang: On our record we were blessed to have contributions from so many of our talented friends. Ollie Kraus, the cellist, defies belief in what he can do with what could be a very pedestrian string ideas Chris and I will throw at him. Cory Nitta, who has worked with everyone and is about to become completely famous in his own right, has been our latest and favorite discovery to work with. Matt Walker is our drummer, he was my drummer in Filter, went on to replace Jimmy Chamberlin in the Smashing Pumpkins, and is currently Morrissey‘s drummer. He brings magic to what Chris and I do. We have always referred to him as our secret weapon and I don’t think I will ever play with another drummer. In the past, I have had the tremendous fortune to work with such artists as Trent Reznor, Flood, and Billy Corgan. They (Trent and Billy) have a preternatural ability to create songs and ideas and soundscapes in such unique ways and so quickly it boggles the mind. He never stops working. He has probably written more songs this morning before I woke up then I will in a month. Ultimate respect. And obviously, what can I say about Trent? Give him two notes, and he will make a song of symphonic beautiful destruction. I was very young when I had the opportunity to contribute what I could to Nine Inch Nails and all of that stays with me to this day. I was a 19 year old kid and he gave me a chance. Amazing, amazing talent and vision.
The Owl Mag: From your website and your band name it seems like you guys are into spirituality and possibly extraterrestrial beings, how did these interests come about?
Holmes: I co-hosted a radio show at University of Chicago on WHPK, called “In Advance of the Landing.” On the show we interviewed everyone from Jacques Vallee (famously played by Francois Truffet in Close Encounters), Whitley Strieber, Budd Hopkins, Stanton Friedman, Zecharia Sitchin, Robert Anton Wilson, Robert Shea, and even Heaven’s gate prior to their mass suicide. I’ve always described it as a cross between Art Bell and Ira Glass’ “This American Life.” Several of our guests on our show referenced “ashtar command,” they described it as “an intergalactic united nations that oversees all the good aliens battling the evil aliens (the greys and reptoids for those paying attention) for the soul of humanity.” I always thought it was an amazing metaphor for what we were trying to do musically. Both Brian and I are massive science fiction fans. We met over our love of Dr. Who and modular synthesizers in college.
Liesegang: Absolutely we believe in sentient beings outside of our own experience. There is so much we don’t know and are not told, and so much yet to be revealed. Yes, Chris and I are sci-fi geeks and love Doctor Who. Always have, always will. Our belief system and agenda will become clearer over time as we release more albums and material. And we are mad that we are constricted to releasing things in smaller parcels of material, as we have so many songs that paint the tapestry of our concept, and our challenge is finding the most eloquent method of release.
The Owl Mag: It seems like you both have done a lot performance wise, Brian you were in the Nine Inch Nails, how would you describe that experience?
Liesegang: Well my performances have mostly been with Filter and touring with Billy Corgan, etc. I love playing onstage. Richard Patrick and I (who is one of the best singers I know and is going to be singing on the next Ashtar record for a song), drove ourselves insane. Back then it was making a record, having Warner Brothers behind you, doing a great video for MTV, and losing money on tour in an effort to sell a record. Now it’s almost flipped. But we have and will survive that. I remember always talking to Richie onstage, and we had a motto, of “if you can see yourself from the outside, you suck.” And by that I mean we had to be a vessel for the music. If you were perceiving yourself from the outside it was fraudulent. Trent taught us, or would talk about, that every show had to mean something in the fact that no one could say, “well, I saw Nine Inch Nails, and they were…whatever.” We learned that they either had to hate you or love you. My personal favorite experience was opening up for the Smashing Pumpkins on the Mellon Collie tour and playing a bullring in Portugal where there had been a bull fight the evening before and there was still blood in the sand. That night, as usual, I was watching from the side of the stage and James Iha (Pumpkins’ guitarist) came up and just handed me his guitar and said, “you finish the set.” So, I just walked out there, Jimmy Chamberlin gave me a thumbs up, Billy heard a hiccup in the sound, but was ok with it…and I just tried to do my best to noodle my way through it. And after that it became a tradition. And simply put, well, I was not worthy.
The Owl Mag: Chris, you were just on tour with the Paul McCartney, what was that like?
Holmes: Being on tour with Paul is the best thing I’ve ever experienced. Every day is a joy. He is singularly the most inspiring human I’ve ever been around. He surrounds himself with amazing and brilliant people who I’ve had the pleasure of traveling around the world with. If I had 3 wishes, doing what I’m doing with Sir Paul right now would be one of them. Every night after I DJ I get to see him play and I get to see the faces of the audience as they get to experience the songs that shaped their lives. He is amazing. The band is amazing, the crew is amazing. It’s really been an education; it’s what is possible if people at the heights of their talents all get together and pull their resources. We just got back from Abu Dhabi, playing the Formula One race there. It’s really beyond words. I’m a massive fan and I count my blessings every day I get to be around him. I wish everybody could see Paul from my perspective; it’s so amazing that someone whom you idolized your entire life is cooler and more talented than you ever could imagine.
The Owl Mag: Your website is quite impressive, what was your process on creating it as far as design and content?
Holmes: The art for our website is based on the work of my favorite artist, Joanna Skumanich. She is truly so next level, I really hope that our collaboration will turn people on to her body of work. I worked with my friend web designer Kyle Conkright (from The Planetary Group), and we broke down her painting into 500 distinct sections so Brian and I could continuously change and adapt the site. We wanted to create a million rabbit holes that people could follow, to turn them on to the stuff that inspires and motivates us.
The Owl Mag: You guys have a lot going on that it’s hard to focus on a couple of things. What made you want to switch from playing guitar to DJing?
Holmes: I was producing a lot of dance music with Felix Da Housecat, I’m from Chicago and spent all of my nights going to watch Derrick Carter and Mark Farina spin. It was like watching Myles Davis in his prime. Tommie Sunshine was a huge inspiration for me as a DJ. Tommie co-wrote “Blister of the Spotlight” with me and I want to thank him for everything he has done to shape the music landscape we all live in. It was the Soulwax, 2manydjs guys that first told me that DJ skills were easy to come by and that the only thing that matters ever is taste. That is always on the forefront of my mind every time I DJ. I’m more of a musical curator than a DJ, guys like Tommie Sunshine, Felix Da Housecat, Derrick Carter, Z Trip, and DJ Mehdi are DJs to me. I’m just a guy who likes to play good music for people.
Liesegang: DJing is something I put off for a long time, and something Chris really showed me the art in. I felt before that I was either being egotistical playing songs to a crowd that I wanted to hear, but once I learned the subtleties of taking a song that preexists, and turning it into something else contextually and how it can effect a room, it kind of opened up to me. I also am not quite sure about the whole performance element of it. I hate seeing DJs jumping around while playing a song like THEY wrote it. (Unless of course they did…) We are not meth-ed up party people. We are geeks who read too much and pontificate ridiculously, so it’s sometimes difficult to fit into the mold of what DJs are supposed to be, but hopefully we can contribute to the ongoing vernacular of what that craft is.
The Owl Mag: Do you aim to achieve any sort of signature in your work?
Holmes: We just want to bring joy to people through our music and help them feel a part of their soul.
Liesegang: I think the only staple we put on ourselves is referred to as “quality control.” I think Chris and I can find as much wonder in a Willie Nelson song, to Daft Punk, to Pink Floyd. It’s about speaking honestly from who you are, and as quaint as that may come off, I think everyone can delineate the difference in “quality” from a brilliant Radiohead song and Nickleback. Seriously. Some artists speak to your soul, others are just the soundtrack to a frat boy attempting to get their load on. The only pertinent, vital, and essential job as an artist is to communicate. What you want to communicate and how legitimately you do so is the difference.
The Owl Mag: When and where is your next show?
Holmes: I’m going on tour with Paul McCartney for the next month. Playing in Bologna, Milan, Paris, Cologne, London, Stockholm, Helsinki, Moscdow, Manchester, and Liverpool. After that tour is over Brian and I are going to get started on our long overdue live show, you can check out our live version of “Deadman’s Gun” from Red Dead Redemption on Youtube in the meantime…
Liesegang: God, I can’t wait for us to deliver this (album) live, which is quite a challenge in how we did the record. We will be doing so. Honestly, we are working on the second Ashtar Command record (we have it planned out right now as a set of 3 with our initial ideas and concepts), the Paul McCartney shows, and it looks like we may have a tremendous opportunity to work on a score of a film of amazing importance in-between… so all we do is work-work-work every day. Chris and I are really just trying to communicate our message in the best means we know how. And playing to our strengths. Ashtar Command has big plans (and at the sake and acknowledgement of sounding ridiculously arrogant, who doesn’t?), and a big picture, and we are doing our damnedest to fill that picture in. The world has changed. Music has changed. The way music is delivered and heard has changed. There is no reason to adhere to a dying model of how it used to be. Go forth and flourish, communicate, bear your soul, create a tapestry, and sonically create a world that sometimes, just sometimes, can be more interesting than the one we think we inhabit.
Holmes: I just want to give a shout out to the DJs that are out every night in clubs and backrooms of LA, rain or shine, sometimes DJing for drink tickets. DON’T TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED! THEY DO THIS SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST, NONE OF THESE GUYS ARE IN IT FOR THE MONEY… They are creating the soundtrack to our lives. We have a strong camaraderie between us from Table Manners mgmt (Will Crimes, Chris Masterson, Adam 12 et al), to the DJ Embassy (Chris Holmes, Ana Calderon, Robyn, Clark Duke, Tim and Damian from OK GO, Simon White, Mickey Madden, Nigel Godrich — my compadre and favorite guest DJ, Thom Yorke, Joey Waronker, Elijah Wood, Aziz Ansari, Alan Yang, Edgar Wright, Myles Hendrick, Jeremy Scott, James Oliver, Shepard Fairey) to Matt Dance right, Daisy O’Dell, Anne Lee, Cosmic Kids, Sugu and his neet crew, Diplo and Switch, the disco kids, DJ Ruckus (mindblonwing skills), ZTrip, Dj Swamp, Sean Patrick, Zak Rosencrantz, DJ Momjeans, DJ Them Jeans Thee Mike B, Cosmic Kids, Acid Girls, and the new writers room, the list goes on and on. Morty Coyle keeping the dream alive!
After going from project to project, former Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin finally got to see the stars align when Skysaw came together. Although comprised of several talented guys in their own right, there is nothing individual about the process that produced Great Civilizations. The checks and balances were highly present and accounted for during this effort.
Great Civilizations is rich with drum rolls that grab your attention, convicted guitar melodies and heart-felt lyrics. The whole album is an acclamation, a moving anthem. The tracks are arranged in a way that controls the mood; one song leading up to a frenzy the next turning the mood to a more reflective tone. This owl was only too happy to go along for the ride. For example, “I’ve got a voice, I’ve got a choice and I know how to use it” in the song “Am I Second” to the very next song “Nothing’s Ever Easy” describing defeat: “The catalyst of hope, but just outside the sidelines, it disappeared in smoke.”
All 10 tracks can stand alone (especially “Nothing’s Ever Easy”: I fracking love that song!) but listen to the whole album for the emotional affair it administers. It’s worth it.
This is not a buzz band; buzz bands annoy the shit out of me, as they tend to be more machine hype than worthy listens (still looking at you, The Vaccines). This is not an indie hipster trip of pretension; that annoys the hell out of me, too.
The fact is Sabrosa Purr is a collision of stoner fuzz and metal punched up by guitar rock (\m/) and glam, as ethereal and enigmatic as any drug induced head trip, yet no laws need be broken in order to indulge. Comparisons have been made to many bands of note from Smashing Pumpkins to Jane’s Addiction; let your own ears be the judge for similarities. After that, what is left is the very pure ebb, flow, and flex of the band’s unapologetic and in-your-face muscular thrust (the imagery is intentional), as well as their ability to skirt the edges of definition; dishing a transcendent melody then going My Bloody Valentine loud in the space of a breath. Charmingly, the music is prime to do naughty things to… or you could just rock the fuck out to it.
Delays, effects, beats and loops accent what Will Love (vox/guitar), Angie Mattson (bass), Jeff Mendel (guitar), and Mahsa Zargaran (drums) make happen and that may sound tad confusing as the band draws on many influences, but nothing sounds or feels contrived here. Will’s vocals may make your eyes water and wonder how he can possibly carry on a post-show conversation; so intensely ferocious is the howl he comes equipped with, while his band mates provide a balance of kindle and cool.
Sabrosa Purr has returned from making a healthy mark upon SXSW and play The Viper Room on Monday March 28th. Go. See. Hear. Love.
This year’s Not So Silent Night (NSSN) lineup looked too good to be true. And in some ways, it was, but it mostly lived up to its hype. The crowd was an exact dichotomy of two different factions: one being the elder, sophisticated Smashing Pumpkins fan, and the other being the perfectly pruned 12-year-old punk princesses right outta the Hot Topic catalog (read: My Chemical Romance fans).
Unfortunately the sets started early, and with commuter traffic down to San Jose, we clear-cut missed Broken Bells and the local band winner (even though the tickets said start time was 7pm, curious). Bummer. We showed up just in time for Black Keys. Although the crowd wasn’t too enthused, there were several hundred of us dripping sweat, screaming the lyrics, and head-bopping the hell outta the Ohio duo’s grungy rock n’ roll. And it really doesn’t get much better than these guys. Dan Auerbach has a stage presence that most singers would kill for, and Patrick Carney is quite simply one of my all-time rock heroes. The man works his kit like noneother.
Following Black Keys was 2010’s breakout stars, Phoenix. To my delight, they played mostly older tracks from albums like 2004’s Alphabetical, and 2006’s It’s Never Been Like That. It was pretty obvious that everyone was looking around with blank stares on their faces wondering where “1901” was, but I didn’t really care. This particular set was way different than any other I’ve seen from them. More like hanging out in their practice space while they jammed than being at a huge arena show.
Next up was half of what everyone was waiting for, and not that there’s anything wrong with My Chemical Romance, but, well, yeah there is. Not to be harsh, but they were easily the worst band I’ve ever seen live. It was like painful torture sitting through 45+ minutes of their nonsense. What I did learn, however, was that apparently if you dye your hair red, and wear skeleton gloves, anything can be alternative! The poppy, energetic beats, and don’t-slit-your-wrists lyrics confused the hell out of me. Not to mention the mass exodus of teeny boppers after their set was beyond obnoxious (I imagined the lines of mini-vans outside the HP Pavilion scurrying away before Smashing Pumpkins). Whatever happened to real angsty tunes? I’m talking The Cure angst, that’s what I was hoping to see, but I digress.
Although Billy Corgan is really the only one left from the original Smashing Pumpkins, the new SP was just as impressive and demanding of your respect. Blending hits with new tunes, the set was unpredictable, but delightful with its mosaic mirror pinwheels reflecting beautiful shades of light, and minimal special effects, but just enough to keep you intrigued. At the end of the night I felt like I had seen a legend, although not during their peak, it was good enough for me.
Live 105 shuffles in another impressive N.S.S.N. lineup. I’m not sure why I still get surprised at the local station’s ability to put together stellar shows. I figured radio had been left for dead. Apparently not in SF. And not when Aaron Axelsen is behind the scenes.
Smashing Pumpkins, The Black Keys, Phoenix, My Chemical Romance, Broken Bells, and a local band winner…It’s looking like a Happy Holidays indeed come December 10th at the HP Pavilion, San Jose (ughhhh).
For the record, Common is one of the best live performers I have ever seen. That’s saying quite a bit seeing as how I have been to literally thousands of live shows in my life. More on Common in a minute. First, let’s set the scene.
Saturday’s Sunset Strip Music Festival was a great time for all who came out to see an eclectic mix of rock, pop, and hip-hop. My friends and I decided to forgo the parking and traffic nightmare that would inevitably put a damper on our trip, so we four cabbed it over from my Beverly Hills residence. At 3 dollars a head it was a no-brainer. We arrived to a very long line, but thanks to the lovely, accommodating, professional staff and security, we were able to get in and enjoy the people-watching, street food, and dueling outdoor stages.
We surveyed the setup and settled on the East Stage which featured Saint Motel, Big B, Neon Trees, Semi Precious Weapons, Common, and Kid Cudi. Along the south side of Sunset Blvd booths featuring the 98.7FM live radio broadcast, the Vitamin Water photo booth, the MINI display (featuring two minis), and several other sponsors served as a great place to stop by and get free stuff before heading to the beer garden and then the East Stage.
From our shady spot on the north side of the street, just outside Frankie & Johnnies Pizza, we watched as techs struggled to get the sound onstage up to par for the live drummer, keyboardist, and DJ. We repeatedly heard requests to get the monitors going and make sure the DJ was included in them. When the set start time came and went, the performers decided to just get going so the crowd could get the full show. Common came out in full force, with high energy and doing the entire set without monitors. At the midway point between a collection of hits from his BEand Finding Forever albums, he launched into I Used to Love H.E.R. his famous tribute to hip-hop. It was further enhanced by an additional PAIR of tributes to hip-hop: the first being a medley of great hip-hop hooks and the second, a 6 minute freestyle calling out sponsors, fellow performers, and West Coast/Sunset Strip greats as well as President Obama. The set wouldn’t be complete without a dedication to his fallen friend J Dilla, who he said, “loved Los Angeles” and a stirring rendition of “The Light” with long-time friend and collaborator, Bilal.
When they left the stage, we headed over to The Roxy to check out the VIP lounge at On The Rox and grab some grub at the Grilled Cheese Truck, one of the many famous food trucks on hand to serve the masses.
We caught the last few minutes of Slash and Fergie‘s set including “Barracuda” and “Paradise City” before it was time to get a good spot for The Smashing Pumpkins.
The Smashing Pumpkins (now Billy Corgan and a whole new cast of characters: Mike Byrne, Jeff Schroeder, and Nicole Fiorentino) took the stage and opened with Teargarden Kaleidyscope track “Astral Planes.” The set list was comprised of songs from most of the band’s legacy albums as well as the newer tracks. The sound was exceptional for a street stage and the mix lent itself to the music of the Pumpkins’ distinct style. A humble Billy Corgan read aloud a list of L.A. musicians, most of whom got their start on the Sunset Strip, to whom he played his own tribute. Wailing guitars and Billy’s nasally howl took us all back to the 90s as a noticeably older than 25 year old crowd hovered closer and closer to the stage. The straggling teenagers making their way over from the late-finishing Kid Cudi set hung out in the back and seemed to be discovering these sounds for the first time. Perhaps they were recognizing the familiar t-shirts peppering the audience from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World or maybe they thought they heard one of their favorite bands of the day onstage. Either way the crowd swelled and grew until the final song when all were dancing and shouting “Emptiness is loneliness and loneliness is cleanliness and cleanliness is godliness and god is empty just like me.”
The peaceful crowd moved into the rest of the venues still hosting events well into the night: The Roxy Theatre, The Viper Room, Cat Club, Whisky A Go-Go, and the Key Club. The sun and the long day proved to be too much for me and my crowd so we walked a few blocks down from the big party and caught a cab back home.
If you are a music fan with an eclectic music collection, a wild wardrobe, and an open mind, you would have thoroughly enjoyed this festival. The growing success of the Strip businesses partly due to their leader, Nic Adler owner of The Roxy Theatre and partly due to the support of the local community means they show no signs of stopping their steady upward movement. There will no doubt be a SSMF next year and I would anticipate a swirl of great shows in the fall season from these terrific venues. The area continues to reinvent itself, so the next time you’re in L.A., don’t forget there’s always a party on the Strip!
The Smashing Pumpkins – Sunset Strip Music Fest Setlist
Gioia Bruno, lead singer of the still touring ’80s pop band Expose, has been charged with trafficking methamphetamines. Apparently Bruno worked a deal with police in order for a lesser sentence, but has been on and off drugs for years, according to anonymous yet “close” sources.
From time to time you can download free mp3s from artists and bands that we love listening to. We scour the web for these links, occasionally hosting our own, in the hopes of influencing you to go out and buy/support these artists and bands. If that bugs you, because you hate free stuff and wish to be compensated for it, let us know and we will remove it ASAP. Happy listening.
Folks have been going World Cup-crazy all through San Francisco, what with the drinking and celebrating early in the morning. Oh, and the soccer. The boys of Weezer have made us realize how cool soccer really is, considering 
