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Sick Pills in Motif Magazine
You can read the article here
Motif Interviews Less Than a Felony
As February rolls in, I don’t think it is possible to discuss rock ‘n’ roll without pausing to remember the victims of The Station fire, which happened 17 years ago. I remember the morning after, getting up to go to work with our LAN line ringing off the hook from my roommate’s mother calling to make sure he was alive. He was, but 100 music lovers were not. I went to work up in Mansfield, still not realizing the scope of the catastrophe, only to see my boss leave because two of his cousins were at the show. I can’t count over the years how many people have told me they were supposed to go or knew someone who went. It is chilling. In the end they found a patsy, a 26-year-old kid, doing what he was hired to do on every stop on the tour and never blowing up the room — till that night. The Derderians were taken care of because they were rich and well connected. Great White was banned forever from Rhode Island, but the real culprits of this mass manslaughter got off light. February 20 will always be a solemn day in here for our lost sons, daughters and everyone else harmed. We will never forget.
Less Than A Felony – 27 Years
After speaking of mass murder, it is refreshing to move on to a band called Less Than a Felony. 27 Years was birthed in a safe zone where Less Than a Felony conjure voodoo in a shed in Smithfield. I was struck by how many of the tunes start in a prayer, notably “Somewhere In Between” and the title track. The melody takes you through like a U2 wave. Yes, these guys are Irish, but I maintain a lot of that guitar style emanated from Keith Levene-era Public Image Limited. “Comes And Goes” is a more aggressive guitar-fueled raver that takes the energy of Hendrix and mixes it with the swagger of Bo Diddley. I give this a solid 5.9 because with EPs, there isn’t much to choose from and one really needs that one classic song to carry the weight. Less Than A Felony is one of my favorite live acts, so it was an honor that vocalist/guitarist Charlie Greene took the time to talk about the history of the band and run through the stories behind the tunes of 27 Years with me.
Marc Clarkin (Motif): How did Less Than a Felony come together?
Charlie Greene (Less Than A Felony): We met in Jamaica Plain 17 years ago — three Irish lads looking to write some original music. Dessie, our first bass player, moved to Australia, so Ruairi and I moved to Rhode Island and we were on the lookout for a bass player. That’s when Damon Blair crossed our path. Then we started writing our second recording. After bouncing around several recording studios, we hit upon the late Great Joe Moody and completed our previous recording. We did some video with local legendary videographer Brett Davey, who coincidentally helped with and produced our latest video.
MC: Can you take us behind the scenes and into the infamous shed for some of the backstories behind the tracks?
CG: I wrote “Somewhere in Between” for a good friend who went through some unexpected departures with two family members. I penned it late night, when I do my writing accompanied by the solitude of the night. “27 Years” was about I lived in London at 19 years old. It was quite chaotic and turbulent, so my escape was catching Bob Dylan shows and Stiff Little Fingers while hanging out in some Irish pubs and listening to Irish folk music. Some days I’d walk Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus looking to buy old second hand LPs in basement record stores. It all seems like a lifetime ago.
MC: How about “Comes and Goes?”
CG: “Comes and Goes” is a fictional song that came to me in my time of creativity. It’s about a catwalk model who lived a double life robbing banks and strutting her stuff while everybody was oblivious to it. I hope to do a cool video, maybe with Brett Davie! We loved the music we put to it; it is very rocky excellent bass and drums.
MC: What about “Don’t Care?”
CG: “Don’t Care” is a song of observation. One summer night I saw a couple having a disagreement on the street. I thought it was a worthless exhibition, but they seem to have it down and then it just took a life of its own from there. We recorded at a nice big studio in Lincoln with Chaimes Parker behind the desk overlooking the Blackstone River. At our last show, Paul Jalette joined us on stage. He brought some untapped energy with background vocals plus guitar, and he’ll join us again too! We’re currently working on new music, so we hope everyone enjoys this EP cause there’s more to follow…
Warwick Beacon reviews Foul Weather Friend’s new EP
By ROB DUGUAY
The setup for a rock band is a fairly standard one – the drums, guitars and bass that make for an amplified sound. The end result comes from the artistic direction the band goes in, and it can go in a variety of ways.
Rhode Island rock act Foul Weather Friend blends of power-pop and Americana on its new EP “Hang Out/Hang On,” which came out Jan. 20 via the Warren label 75orLess Records, to create an accessible style of alternative rock. The recording’s production, courtesy of lead guitarist Martin Walsh at Subterranean Studios in Waterbury, Connecticut, is clear, with all the instruments coming through pristinely.
Foul Weather Friend has local ties to the area due to bassist Bruce Humphrey being a Warwick resident, with drummer Dana Lemoine being a native to the city and vocalist and guitarist Steve Nagy calling Cranston home. Walsh is from North Kingstown and is currently living in Providence. This quartet’s new release has a no-nonsense approach with stellar solos and straightforward melodies.
“The six songs chosen to go on the record were worked out over the last year while we were practicing,” Nagy said of the making of the EP. “A lot of the songs are influenced by suburban American life in the early 21st century. When it came time to go into the studio we wanted the songs to cover a lot of musical ground, from power pop to blues-rock to a country-folk sound. Along with handling the production, Martin [Walsh] also did the guitar and keyboard work. We took six months to record, which allowed us time and space to craft the songs. We’re happy with the end product and are hopeful that others also enjoy it.”
“Good Day” starts off with a cool drumbeat from Lemoine, while Walsh and Nagy’s guitars exhibit glossy tones. Leaning towards the country-folk route is “A Million Cuts,” a song about heartbreak that never seems to end. A deep, bluesy sound encompasses “Mercy In Retrograde,” while the track can be considered a borderline rockabilly number with a twangy vibe.
“Misfits” has a slight surf aesthetic, and “I Got Nothing” captures the rough ‘n’ tumble times life can sometimes bring with sheer distortion coming from the six strings. Closing out the record is “Moment In Time,” a blue-eyed soul ballad that flows with emotion.
Nagy, Walsh, Lemoine and Humphrey have two gigs coming up, one at Askew in Providence on Feb. 22 and another at the News Cafe in Pawtucket on Feb. 28. For the Providence show, they’ll be celebrating the EP’s release with Providence rockers Deadlands, Psychedelic Clown Car and Plug. In Pawtucket, the band will be sharing a bill with Providence punks Stubborn Hearts, Providence garage-rock trio Sugar Cones and The Underwires from Newport.
Whether you’re only going to one show or both, grab a copy of Foul Weather Friend’s new record. It’s a wide-ranging release that’ll please an abundance of tastes.
To learn more about Foul Weather Friend, follow the band on Facebook or visit foulweatherfriend.bandcamp.com
Interview in Providence Monthly
Providence Monthly has an interview with 75orLess in their latest issue
The Callouts in Deli Magazine
The Callouts need no labels, play Dusk 06.12
The Callouts are a band you can’t help but cheer for, and get the feeling they are cheering for you. The connection comes from the group’s upbeat style, ideally suited for both that summertime house show where you finally kiss your high school crush, or the Tuesday night bar stumble-in that exceeds your expectations. The band creates a unique mold for itself in its latest record Give Up: high-energy electric guitars and speedy drum patterns are balanced with sensitive pop hooks for a style that narrowly escapes the pop-punk label. Yes, the energy and breakdowns that characterized pop-punk bands of the early 2000s are there, but the group feels distinctly modernized and less commercial. The band is playing Dusk in their hometown of Providence, RI on June 12th. When you listen to The Callouts, you can visualize a group having fun in a garage, no labels needed. “Hot Tuesday” is streaming below. – Rene Cobar
Whats Up RI reviews The Same Thing Project and The Callouts
Walks of Life – The Same Thing Project, 3.5 out of 5
The Same Thing Project is a unique collaborative comprised of people from all walks of life, including many with intellectual challenges. The project has recorded its first album and the result is both moving and inspiring, a heartening exercise in humanity. And it rocks! It release features superb musicianship, with more than a few killer guitar solos certain to kick out anyone’s jams. Behind the inspired leadership of RI singer-songwriter Mark Cutler, it drives like an early 70’s Stones album, warts and all.
Every song is special… The opener “Common Ground” offers a compelling message of hope and opportunity. “Mama’s Blueberry Pie” turns into a slightly drunken sing-along whereas the jingle jangle hook-laden “Better Days” drives along down a happy road. “Better days are coming, amen to that/Skies will still be blue and we’re never turning back.”
The supporting cast – including many performers with special needs – displays soul and courage. This isn’t just a rock star inviting someone up on stage to join in a song, it’s a grand collaborative endeavor. As cliché as it may sound, it shows that anything is possible. Wanna have some fun?
Give Up – The Call Outs – 4 out of 5
Give Up, a recent release from The Call Outs, offers a full dose of PVD power punk that hangs right up there with the ranks of Gwen Stephani, Liz Phair and Blink 182. These instantly likable songs from the power trio ride straight down a stretch of I95 at 100 MPH – guitar driven, anthem like, with purpose. “Sorry I was careful, sorry you were angry, kinda like it was on tour … When I wake up, California’s in my rear-view,” sings lead vocalist Missa Hill, on “California,” an album highlight. Listen to this release – and don’t except to remain seated!
Motif Magazine reviews Sick Pills ‘Nothing Is Funny Anymore’
Sick Pills — Nothing’s Funny Anymore (75orLess Records) — Take 2 Because They Are Good for You
As a hockey junky it is really amazing that I get anything done this time of year. I’ve referenced the debut album of The Blood Moons as one of my favorite local albums many times. Before that, there was Chris Evil & The Taints who they turned me onto Roky Erickson with their cover of “Night of the Vampire” many blood moons ago. So now in the virtual podcast format of Keep On Moving, I was stoked to chat with Chris “Evil” Guaraldi, or as I like to call him, Dr. Evil. Dr. Evil and I met in 2002, drinking homemade red wine at the New Wave Cafe in New Bedford when The Taints were playing with the Midnight Creeps, whom I was mis-managing at the time. I could go on, but this column is five days late and exceeded its word count (Ed: I can’t even…). So Dr. Evil’s Band, Sick Pills, have a great new album called Nothing’s Funny Anymore that I love. Let’s cut to straight to the Doctor cause it took 17 years to make this interview happen.
Marc Clarkin (Motif): Is there any backstory that inspired the tunes on Nothing’s Funny Anymore?
Chris Guaraldi: When it comes to themes, I do usually like to have some sort of “theme,” mostly because it’s easier writing lyrics if I know what I’m trying to say. Nothing’s Funny Anymore has a few different themes going on. The year 2018 was a little bit of a bummer. It started off with my dog Rocky [the adorable cover dog for Sick Pills Under My Skin album] dying suddenly, and that pretty much set the tone for 2018. Our drummer, Bob, was also going through a fairly rough personal event so that kind of worked its way into some songs. I write a lot of love songs/break-up songs, but they’re all pretty much friends’ experiences where I try to put myself in their situation and talk about how I would feel. The current political climate crept in there too (“American Virus”). It’s a little overwhelming seeing how openly racist, sexist and homophobic people have become because they feel emboldened by the current state of the country. As a fairly progressive person, I don’t think it’s all on one side either. “Watching the World” is definitely about that. I wrote more political songs than were on the album, but I really loathe the idea of writing too much political stuff because, really, who am I tell you what to think or believe.
MC: Musically, songs seem to have another dimension to some of the previous Sick Pills releases. From the winding paralysis ’60s Kinks-esque rock of “Watching the World” to the stripped-to-the-bones feel of “No Good,” what were some of the different things you worked in compared to past Sick Pills albums?
CG: I don’t know if it’s that much different from the past few albums. The first Sick Pills album (Sickening) was kind of an “I don’t know what I want to do but I want it to not be what I’ve done with Taints and Blood Moons.” I really wanted to make an ’80s-college-rock sounding thing, but after that first album I just started writing songs the way I normally would and a little more toward the rock ‘n’ roll side of things. Under My Skin is our “rock” album I guess; Mettle is kind of back to punk rock. I pretty much just plug my guitar into the computer and play along with some drum beats and hope to be inspired, or I program some bass lines and then work from there. We did add some keyboards/organs from our friend Ethan Weiss [he plays in space-y prog metal band Lazertuth]. He played keys on all the Blood Moons stuff and I asked him if he would like to play on some of the new Sick Pills songs. You can hear him on “Remind Me You’re Gone,” “No Good,” “Fix Me” and the re-recording of “Be My Girl.” Overall, it’s our fourth album and we wanted to try and be a little more dynamic.
MC: The album gets its title from a line in “Life’s a Joke,” which, despite the title and lyrics, is one of the most infectious pieces you have written. Between the breakdown and post-breakdown “Free Bird” surge, the band has a lot of different dynamics clicking. What is the backstory on that song coming together?
CG: “Life’s a Joke” started with the main melody line/guitar lead thing, which I thought was kind of catchy, and the chords just kind of wrote themselves. The whole song was pretty standard structure-wise, but I wanted to do something a little different for the middle. I thought going “heavy” for the break would be a cool change for such a poppy song, and it fit with the downer lyrics. When I started writing the lyrics, I came up with the chorus first and came up with the verses/pre-choruses from there. The verse and chorus music was so poppy I thought it would be nice to write some bummed-out lyrics.
MC: “Fix Me” kind of reminds me of Zuma-era Neil Young meets Stax Records on a dive bar jukebox. Any influence there?
CG: With “Fix Me,” I had to look up that era of Neil Young. I definitely know Cortez the Killer, but I don’t know anything else off that album. It was definitely not an influence for that song — at least not by me. I can hear it, though. I’m sure there’s a Stax influence there, too, especially with the ’60s sounding organ! When I started writing it, I was trying to make the slowest, most depressing song I could possibly write. I believe this is the longest song I have ever written. The original demo was about seven minutes long, so we definitely sped it up and trimmed some fat.
MC: What are some of the places people should check out for music in New Bedford?
CG: In regard to New Bedford, I still host a weekly open mic at Pour Farm going on nine years now, I believe. I’ve been doing shows/running open mic night at Pour Farm for a long time, and it’s a great place. They gave me a chance to do stuff there when there weren’t a lot of options, and that means a lot to me. No Problemo has a decent amount of shows, too — usually on the heavier side (punk/metal/hardcore/etc). It’s an awesome restaurant and good place to see bands. There are a few more places, but a lot of it is mostly cover band/bar band music. Next to No Problemo is a newer place, Greasy Luck, which seems to cater mostly to ’80s hair metal bands (not my thing). Greg Ginn’s Black Flag is playing there, though, so maybe they’ll start booking more stuff like that. Also in the area is Purchase Street Records. It’s a pretty decent record store with lots of old and new stuff — lots of metal/punk/hardcore records. New Bedford isn’t perfect, but there’s a lot of great stuff going on.
Sick Pills will celebrate the release of Nothing’s is Funny Anymore with shows at The Pour Farm in New Bedford with Baluchitherium and Jake Perrone on May 10th and at O’Brien’s in Boston on May 14th with The Cretins.
WBOB reviews the Same Thing Project
The word gospel means “good news.” It is God’s news they say.
Well, Mark Cutler has been doing “the lord’s work” for awhile now with his ingenious songwriting group called The Same Thing Project.
This community meets every Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM in charming Rolfe Square in Cranston. It is a diverse group consisting of members of the music scene, actors, plumbers and even some folks who are considered disabled (although I believe that’s all relative).
Cutler is no stranger to songwriting collaboration. He has always given back through his music and taken something that he has so much talent for and shared it. He enjoys his craft, and when someone who loves what their doing does it in front of others, it becomes infectious.
I myself was part of a songwriter group with him which manifested into two CD’s under the moniker ‘The Dino Club,’ so I recognize the techniques and how fertile an environment Mr. Cutler can encourage.
It doesn’t surprise me that he’s standing in front of a white board and leading his group in accomplishing what (if you think about it) is pretty damn ambitious; writing a song in one session.
My friend got caught up in some pretty grave stuff these past months; beating a health scare and losing a beloved member of his family. Except for maybe one or two days due to treatment, he never let down his people, and wrote a song a week.
Which brings us to “Walks of Life Collaborations,” a brand new CD available through 75 or Less records. It contains ten songs from the cooperatives’ works and I am in love with the humanity that emanates from this recording.
The voices who appear on this piece, some of them known (MC himself), and others who became regular contributors are so wonderfully real that this sap actually wells up when I hear them.
Please don’t make me explain this record in prose. It must be heard. Buy it, don’t scrutinize damn it, please just purchase this record, and then you’ll understand.
Thank you Mark and company for spreading the good news.
- Bob Giusti