Over two days in early February, NYC’s Leroy Justice filed into the comfortable confines of LOHO Studios with skilled producer and engineer John Siket (Phish/Sonic Youth), and began the recording sessions for their soon to be released second album. Leroy Justice circa-2008 is a relatively rogue outfit. Still unsigned to a major label, the group is amped and ready to share the strides in creativity that they’ve made since the release of their debut record, Revolution’s Son.
Three years ago, the band was drawing impressive crowds with their own citified version of power-blues; think Southern Harmony-era Black Crowes if they came from the West Village instead of Atlanta. It was around this time that the band met Siket through a series of mutual acquaintances. Singer/guitarist Jason Gallagher says about their relationship with Siket, “We all get along like old friends, and we appreciate his skilled, yet laid back style.” The partnership between Leroy Justice and Siket has resulted in an abundance of solid material that teeters between psychedelia and heart-and-soul country. As bassist Bradley Wegner says, “When we did Revolution’s Son, everything was laid out before we got into the studio, and then everyone just came in and played their parts. But on this record, John was really pushing for us to come in and play live, and get more of an organic sound.”
Using this approach, the new material represents an evolving Leroy Justice looking to shoot a spark into the bar-room boogie that was the calling card of Revolution’s Son. The dark sludge of “Patriot” sounds raw and abrasive, like a nod to Jack White - someone who Wegner has been listening to a lot of lately. Moving in the other direction, “Bathroom Wall” carries the faint aura of something from the Stones’ Let It Bleed album, and all of the tracks recorded thus far ring out with true precision. One gets the impression that the band is looking to challenge the ears of their fans with this latest crop of recordings. They’ve added some key players into the fold - such as lead guitarist Brendan Cavanaugh – that have emboldened the overall atmosphere of the music, and alongside Gallagher, Cavanaugh’s playing has added an accentual element of soul to Leroy Justice. New drummer Josh Karis brings youth and inventiveness to the band. Between takes, Karis confers with his fellow band mates about the overall feel, and he is always looking for new avenues to approach each song from. Outside-the-box thinking appears to be running rampant in Leroy Justice, as Wegner explains, “We realized while playing out on tour that if we were patient with the music, and we let it evolve naturally, then the fans would hang in there and remain patient with us.”
With Leroy Justice performing now at such a high level, even Siket remarks that “I’m just here turning a knob every now and again. Everything else is just them in the moment.” Some of the songs, such as “Temporary Cure,” were only rehearsed by the full band once or twice before cutting the track. While music of this caliber can only be created with the highest amount of commitment from everyone involved, Leroy Justice has no worries in that department. Even Siket’s full dance-card this year won’t keep him from coming back to mix the album once production wraps. Keyboardist Sloan Marshall refers to Siket’s match in dedication by saying, “It’s kind of crazy, actually. He just finished work on the new moe. record, and right after he’s finished here, he’s going to start work on Mike Gordon’s new record.”
During the sessions, not only does CBTS come by to visit, but so does a representative from Hard Head Management that has taken an interest in the band. If the pressure is on, the members of Leroy Justice aren’t letting it show. They laugh and riff off of each other with great camaraderie, and they put forth a confidence that is founded in their trust and comfort with one another. The sessions culminate with the raucously moody and aptly-titled track, “So High.” Built around a haunting bass refrain, the band whirls over the ten-minute cut like a dusty circus caravan, and after the final crescendo booms from speakers inside LOHO, the members of Leroy Justice all share a moment of silent satisfaction. With the album nearing completion, Leroy Justice is looking forward to this spring with anxious anticipation. “Man, I’m so excited for this record to come out,” says Cavanaugh. “It’s definitely taken on a life of its own. The more we work on it, the more I’m amazed by what we've accomplished.”
The Black Lips
by Daniel Alleva
Atlanta’s Black Lips are a hot-stepping hybrid of smarts, humor, and song. For the better part of this decade, the Black Lips have been tearing it up together - ever since guitarist/vocalist Cole Alexander and bassist/vocalist Jared Swilley formed a mischievous bond together while in junior high school. “We didn’t know how to play, but we booked a gig anyway. So, we kind of had to learn a little bit,” bemuses Cole, speaking about The Renegades - a band Cole and Jared first formed which also included Black Lips guitarist Ian Saint Pé. By time Jared and Cole were kicked out of high school, The Renegades were done, and the Black Lips - in all their anarchic glory - were born.
Growing up listening to the music of their parents, the band was influenced by a multitude of different genres, ranging from blues and country to straight-up oldies. “Then we got into punk rock,” says Cole, and punk would prove to be the glue that would bind the Black Lips’ distinct tastes together. One needs to look no further than their latest release, Good Bad Not Evil, for the proof. Whether it’s the ferocious energy of the album’s first single “O Katrina,” or the shimmying doo-wop of “Bad Kids,” the Black Lips potpourri of sound is sure to keep rock and roll off of life support for good.
Before signing to Vice Records, the band made a name for themselves with their chaotic live show. Last summer, when the band played the Siren Festival in Coney Island, they tossed a live chicken out on stage while feathers were dumped on the crowd from above. The Black Lips have been known to get naked, make out with each other - or as alleged - leave bodily fluids behind on stage. Thankfully, though, frenzy and fowl all play perfectly into the Black Lips motif. It’s the reason they’ve been dubbed one of the hardest working bands in the game right now - and perhaps even the best live band, too. But all hijinks aside, the Black Lips are a force to be reckoned with musically. Their sound is a 1-2 power-punch, and Cole is fully aware of how centered the band is in their strengths. When asked if he thinks if signing with Vice has changed the band after several indie releases, Cole says that while he’s quite pleased with how the live show has evolved, he notes that, “for the most part, we still do what we’ve always done.”
What they’ve done, exactly, is keep the weird rolling with full steam ahead. Good Bad Not Evil’s companion piece last year was Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo - a live album that might, or might not have been, recorded in Tijuana, Mexico. Given the psychedelic nature of the Black Lips’ tunes, it’s quite possible that the actual location will forever remain a mystery. Not a mystery is where Cole and the rest of the Black Lips hope to be this summer. “We’ve got a lot of new material written, so I want to head back to Atlanta - it’s great to be able to record there, and then head home afterwards to crash.”
Still, there’s no rest for the wicked. This year the Black Lips plan to crash the silver screen not once, but twice. “The details are a little sketchy still, but we’re supposed to be playing this 80’s-era, DIY band.” says Cole. What is definite, though, is that the band will be featured in “We Fun: Atlanta, GA Inside Out,” the sequel to the cult-classic music documentary, “Athens, GA Inside Out.”
The Black Lips play The Bowery Ballroom on March 10th.
The Black Lips - "O Katrina"
Three years ago, the band was drawing impressive crowds with their own citified version of power-blues; think Southern Harmony-era Black Crowes if they came from the West Village instead of Atlanta. It was around this time that the band met Siket through a series of mutual acquaintances. Singer/guitarist Jason Gallagher says about their relationship with Siket, “We all get along like old friends, and we appreciate his skilled, yet laid back style.” The partnership between Leroy Justice and Siket has resulted in an abundance of solid material that teeters between psychedelia and heart-and-soul country. As bassist Bradley Wegner says, “When we did Revolution’s Son, everything was laid out before we got into the studio, and then everyone just came in and played their parts. But on this record, John was really pushing for us to come in and play live, and get more of an organic sound.”
Using this approach, the new material represents an evolving Leroy Justice looking to shoot a spark into the bar-room boogie that was the calling card of Revolution’s Son. The dark sludge of “Patriot” sounds raw and abrasive, like a nod to Jack White - someone who Wegner has been listening to a lot of lately. Moving in the other direction, “Bathroom Wall” carries the faint aura of something from the Stones’ Let It Bleed album, and all of the tracks recorded thus far ring out with true precision. One gets the impression that the band is looking to challenge the ears of their fans with this latest crop of recordings. They’ve added some key players into the fold - such as lead guitarist Brendan Cavanaugh – that have emboldened the overall atmosphere of the music, and alongside Gallagher, Cavanaugh’s playing has added an accentual element of soul to Leroy Justice. New drummer Josh Karis brings youth and inventiveness to the band. Between takes, Karis confers with his fellow band mates about the overall feel, and he is always looking for new avenues to approach each song from. Outside-the-box thinking appears to be running rampant in Leroy Justice, as Wegner explains, “We realized while playing out on tour that if we were patient with the music, and we let it evolve naturally, then the fans would hang in there and remain patient with us.”
With Leroy Justice performing now at such a high level, even Siket remarks that “I’m just here turning a knob every now and again. Everything else is just them in the moment.” Some of the songs, such as “Temporary Cure,” were only rehearsed by the full band once or twice before cutting the track. While music of this caliber can only be created with the highest amount of commitment from everyone involved, Leroy Justice has no worries in that department. Even Siket’s full dance-card this year won’t keep him from coming back to mix the album once production wraps. Keyboardist Sloan Marshall refers to Siket’s match in dedication by saying, “It’s kind of crazy, actually. He just finished work on the new moe. record, and right after he’s finished here, he’s going to start work on Mike Gordon’s new record.”
During the sessions, not only does CBTS come by to visit, but so does a representative from Hard Head Management that has taken an interest in the band. If the pressure is on, the members of Leroy Justice aren’t letting it show. They laugh and riff off of each other with great camaraderie, and they put forth a confidence that is founded in their trust and comfort with one another. The sessions culminate with the raucously moody and aptly-titled track, “So High.” Built around a haunting bass refrain, the band whirls over the ten-minute cut like a dusty circus caravan, and after the final crescendo booms from speakers inside LOHO, the members of Leroy Justice all share a moment of silent satisfaction. With the album nearing completion, Leroy Justice is looking forward to this spring with anxious anticipation. “Man, I’m so excited for this record to come out,” says Cavanaugh. “It’s definitely taken on a life of its own. The more we work on it, the more I’m amazed by what we've accomplished.”
The Black Lips
by Daniel Alleva
Atlanta’s Black Lips are a hot-stepping hybrid of smarts, humor, and song. For the better part of this decade, the Black Lips have been tearing it up together - ever since guitarist/vocalist Cole Alexander and bassist/vocalist Jared Swilley formed a mischievous bond together while in junior high school. “We didn’t know how to play, but we booked a gig anyway. So, we kind of had to learn a little bit,” bemuses Cole, speaking about The Renegades - a band Cole and Jared first formed which also included Black Lips guitarist Ian Saint Pé. By time Jared and Cole were kicked out of high school, The Renegades were done, and the Black Lips - in all their anarchic glory - were born.
Growing up listening to the music of their parents, the band was influenced by a multitude of different genres, ranging from blues and country to straight-up oldies. “Then we got into punk rock,” says Cole, and punk would prove to be the glue that would bind the Black Lips’ distinct tastes together. One needs to look no further than their latest release, Good Bad Not Evil, for the proof. Whether it’s the ferocious energy of the album’s first single “O Katrina,” or the shimmying doo-wop of “Bad Kids,” the Black Lips potpourri of sound is sure to keep rock and roll off of life support for good.
Before signing to Vice Records, the band made a name for themselves with their chaotic live show. Last summer, when the band played the Siren Festival in Coney Island, they tossed a live chicken out on stage while feathers were dumped on the crowd from above. The Black Lips have been known to get naked, make out with each other - or as alleged - leave bodily fluids behind on stage. Thankfully, though, frenzy and fowl all play perfectly into the Black Lips motif. It’s the reason they’ve been dubbed one of the hardest working bands in the game right now - and perhaps even the best live band, too. But all hijinks aside, the Black Lips are a force to be reckoned with musically. Their sound is a 1-2 power-punch, and Cole is fully aware of how centered the band is in their strengths. When asked if he thinks if signing with Vice has changed the band after several indie releases, Cole says that while he’s quite pleased with how the live show has evolved, he notes that, “for the most part, we still do what we’ve always done.”
What they’ve done, exactly, is keep the weird rolling with full steam ahead. Good Bad Not Evil’s companion piece last year was Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo - a live album that might, or might not have been, recorded in Tijuana, Mexico. Given the psychedelic nature of the Black Lips’ tunes, it’s quite possible that the actual location will forever remain a mystery. Not a mystery is where Cole and the rest of the Black Lips hope to be this summer. “We’ve got a lot of new material written, so I want to head back to Atlanta - it’s great to be able to record there, and then head home afterwards to crash.”
Still, there’s no rest for the wicked. This year the Black Lips plan to crash the silver screen not once, but twice. “The details are a little sketchy still, but we’re supposed to be playing this 80’s-era, DIY band.” says Cole. What is definite, though, is that the band will be featured in “We Fun: Atlanta, GA Inside Out,” the sequel to the cult-classic music documentary, “Athens, GA Inside Out.”
The Black Lips play The Bowery Ballroom on March 10th.
The Black Lips - "O Katrina"
