2012 Artist Feature - Velocicopter

The best way I can describe and/or prepare someone to see Velocicopter is "Watch the fuck out!" This band does not mess around. I've now played two shows with them, each one getting heavier and gnarlier than the last.

We're really excited to have them join the pig roast and heat up the afternoon. Oh, don't forget to check out their BRAND NEW song "Drag" below and on our 2012 Rock and Roll Pig Roast Mixtape!

How long have you been playing together, and how did you form?

We’ve had the pleasure of sharing two scolding hot summers in two different rehearsal spaces with no air conditioning together… so about 2 years, maybe a little over. The sweat stain patterns that emerged from those sessions were priceless – inverted crosses, pentagrams and even one time a stain that slightly resembled the face of John Ritter.

David (guitar/vox) was in a band called Sweet Polly that my old band The Groodies played with several times back in the day. I was immediately impressed by his song writing and vocal style (90’s grunge throwback, reminded me a lot of Nirvana and Local H). We respected each other’s writing styles and decided to get together and see if we could create something. I knew Haywood (drummer) through mutual friends and knew he was a beast on the skins, so we all got together and just started writing without a definite “sound” in mind, just with the intention of creating songs that were heavy and hooky, with male/female vocal harmonies. Haywood and I had both been in bands previously with Brett (bass) and knew he was the last piece of the puzzle. No other bass player could compare. All of the members are definitely irreplaceable that’s for sure. Everyone is a master of their craft.

I think even the world's most boring person would get a laugh out of the artwork for your album, and also some of the posters I've seen associated with VCOP shows. I know (guitarist/ singer) Meghan is an artist, does she do art for the band?

I do! A lot of my band related art is “last minute” so it ends up being real tongue and cheeky, usually drawing reference from favorite childhood movies. When there’s extra time though I try to hand draw the posters and color them in photoshop (punk rock, man).  I figure if people don’t want to come to the show, at least they can get a chuckle or feel nostalgic about a certain image.

 I have to say, after seeing you for the first time I was pretty excited to hear a band that (in my view, at least) fully embraces the riff. Is riff-creating an active part of songwriting for you? Are you working on new material?

Major RIFF-age man. We do enjoy a good riff with a groove. I don't think we ever intentionally set out to be super RIFF based, it just kind of worked out that way.  I think the culmination of everyone playing together just brought that out. We are always trying to write new material; When we do, usually the core RIFF  is brought to the table, then we tweak a few things, find a solid groove, and run with it. Riff doesn't even seem like a word anymore.

Velocicopter - Drag by RockPigRoastChi

CHECK OUT THE MIXTAPE HERE!

2012 Artist Profie - Treasurer

Who is Treasurer? I caught wind of Chicago's Treasurer through some friends and Pig Roast Alumni, and was immediately intrigued. Consisting of bass, drums and synth (dubbed "basement synth" in the below interview), Treasurer's sound is spacious, heavy, mysterious and experimental all at once. We're happy to have them share their first show with us at the pig roast!

Check out an interview with Maya Nash (synth/vocals) below, as she shares background on the band's history, style and goals. You can also check out their song, "The Country Is Behind Me!"

You guys are a new band, and the pig roast might be one of your first shows. How did you form? Have you played in other groups before? Where did the name come from?
Maya Nash: We have all known each other for over seven years. I’ve always wanted to start or contribute to some kind of music project but my background is in architecture and that field, especially while in school, is pretty all consuming. So after I graduated the guys were looking to start a new project for whatever reason and asked me to be part of it. In a way, I felt that I needed to reacclimate to the world outside studio and school. I thought the band would be a great way to apply myself creatively in a different format than what I was used to which is much more visual.

No [Editor: Maya hasn't played in other groups]. We kicked around a few ideas before settling on Treasurer. Did you know that every combination of noun, verb, and adjective is already a band name? I like it because I am obsessed with money. I would like to have some someday. I have not yet figured out how to make this happen except to name my band Treasurer. It’s an “if you build it” situation.

I know it may be a standard question, but since you're newer I wanted to ask also what your influences are. Your Bandcamp lists a genre as 'basement' and 'synth' - can you elaborate?
I play an analog synthesizer. We used to live in the basement of our building while I was in grad school. It was not that great, we were robbed and flooded. It will definitely influence my decision not to live in another basement in my life. I think maybe Henry was referring to a less polished, more immediate aesthetic to the music. I appreciate an atmosphere of obsessive tinkering, maybe that’s what the “basement” part refers to.

You've got two tracks on Bandcamp already. Can you tell me about them? Are you working on an album or an EP? If so, can you share any details?
 I can tell you a little about the process at this point. Hank and Robby work out a basic song structure and I concern myself with the overall idea of the song. I say things like, “this one is all about winning” or “its a party that is sad like a middle school dance” but I don’t know if that really helps anyone besides me.

We are in the process of recording a couple of demos on our own. I was really hoping you would ask me if I had ever been to a pig roast before. I would have told you that I used to work at a barbeque restaurant for over 6 years but I was a vegetarian the entire time. I’ve handled so much pulled pork, it’s ironic and disturbing.

Treasurer - The Country Is Behind Me by RockPigRoastChi

2012 Artist Feature - Michael Lux and the Bad Sons

So Lollapalooza is finished, but August is by no means over!

This year we're very excited to have Michael Lux and the Bad Sons join the Rock and Roll Pig Roast. I first got wind of this band last year when I saw this video of them rocking out at the Empty Bottle, and I thought to myself something like "Holy SHIT!"

Loud, guitars, solos, blaring drums.... everything I like. I was sold, and it didn't take long to realize these guys are going for it 100%. Not much else is needed to be said about this band except DON'T MISS them.

Check out the interview with Michael Lux below, and also listen to "Salt and Pepper!"

Your band name leads with your full name. How did you form? Is this more of a fleshed out solo project, or do you write as a bull band? 

I originally started this project on downtime from another band. I had all the tools and instruments to record but no material to put down, so I took a stopwatch and timed out 30 minutes.  When the timer was up, that was the song and I'd record it just after.  I did this for a few days until I had the 5 songs that are on the Neat Repeater EP.  It was mostly for myself, until I my girlfriend staged an intervention with Marc and Gen from Company of Thieves who convinced me to put it out.  So for the first few months, it was essentially a solo project, as I'd grab my friends from other groups to back me up live.  After awhile, we found Otto (our keyboard player) and Paul (our drummer) and it's become more of a unit, us writing things together and building stuff around a rough template. 

I heard you were the Clash for Halloween or part of a Clash band. How was the Halloween/cover experience for you and the band? 

I was in a Clash tribute at Double Door for Halloween.  I was sitting in with AM Taxi for a few months, which was really fun.  Playing 77' Mick Jones was a dream fulfilled for me actually! I don't really get all crazy about tribute stuff, but I borrowed a white les paul and we completely geeked out on the wardrobe and I have to admit I was really into it!  Plus, I got to sing "Train in Vain," which I was wanting to try live in The Bad Sons anyway.  The crowd was mental with singing and moving and all Halloweened out, my English friends got into a healthy scrap with some dickheads and I think for all of us on stage, just as friends jamming our quintessential Clash set in front of a sold out crowd, it was an incredible experience... I'd do it again tomorrow.

You just released a two song single, "Salt and Pepper" just a few weeks ago. Is this part of a full length, or was it simply a single? Where did you record it? Is it true you built your own studio? Any other plans for 2012?

We just released a two song free single, for "Salt and Pepper," which was a music video (Check the video here!) we had made a few months back.  This is a different mix than the video though, and much better sounding!  We have been acquiring gear at Otto's studio, Ottopilot, and building it up for the better part of a year.  Colin and I produced The Young Distractions EP in there and it was a great experience.  Since then we've been working out our own full length record, and it will all be ready in due time.

Until then, apart from building that record and playing the show here and there, we'll all be busy running round;  Joe's writing a musical and my psychic told me it's going to Broadway, Colin's always in the studio working with artists, I have a project in the works with a few members of the opposite gender.  All stuff to look out for. 


Michael Lux and the Bad Sons - Salt and Pepper by RockPigRoastChi

2012 Artist Feature - Box Jellyfish

I first heard about Chicago's Box Jellyfish when I was talking to Bob Howe (vocals/guitar) at Lincoln Hall, and he invited me to one of their shows at the Empty Bottle. When I got home I checked out the No Sound EP and was immediately intrigued by the mellow, brooding, atmospheric music I was hearing; no pretension or gimmicks, just honest style, breezy hooks and dynamic guitars that build to support the group's well thought-out arrangements.

What I like most about Box Jellyfish is that they've managed to develop a unique sound and feeling that creeps up on you... in a good way. We're happy to have them join us! You can learn more about the band's thoughts on musical style, vocal harmonies and more in the interview below.

Tell me about Box Jellyfish's origins? How long have you been playing? Why is "Shoegaze" listed as a category on bandcamp? 

We got started as a writing project between the two founding members in early 2010. The material that was produced eventually became our first EP, No Sound. We’re currently a 3-piece outfit working with guitar, keyboard, drums, and the incorporation of baritone guitar in lieu of a bass. Our goal is to create a rich sound within the dynamics of our instrumentation -- the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

And, clinically speaking, we aren’t really a “Shoegaze” band, though we do admire the sense of atmosphere created by bands like Slowdive, Ride, and My Bloody Valentine. And yeah, we use a ton of reverb on everything. Bob's vocals are breathy and dreamy. But we all have quite different and overlapping musical backgrounds: from folk, jazz, punk, pop, and metal, to indie rock and electronic music. We figured that since we have to categorize ourselves by choosing three words from a list of 20, “Shoegaze” was more fitting than "indie-folk" or "black metal".



I noticed that all three of you sing on your tracks. Was it your intention to put together a band with so much vocal emphasis, or did the vocal capabilities of the group come as happenstance?

This is an element that sort of evolved over time and is still evolving, actually. Adding vocal harmonies allows us to create a more dense and dynamic sound than we would be able to with only our instruments. We feel that the sound of the human voice is the most engaging of all sounds to the human ear. Two or three people singing in perfect harmony is more powerful and soul-stirring than any other instrument. We try to incorporate that power into our music as much as possible.



You just recorded a live EP at the Empty Bottle, a follow up from "No Sound EP" with new songs. Is this a taste of things to come, and if so, what exactly?

The tracks from The Bottle (Click here to listen to the live EP!) are pretty much a bootleg recording that turned out pretty nice. That being said, it does provide a benchmark for our current sound. We have been working for the past year honing our sense of dynamics, paying more attention to the arrangements, and tightening everything down. The track "Two Rooms" is the most recent example of this progression. It has the dynamic tension, texture, and range of emotion we’re going for.

Box Jellyfish -Two Rooms (live) by RockPigRoastChi