Corrosion of Conformity play the Roxy Aug. 27

Over three decades ago, Corrosion of Conformity (COC) was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. COC initially started as an underground band that was founded by three teenagers and now are on a full US tour with a stop in LA The Roxy on Aug. 27.

COC eventually transformed and influenced heavy music making it what it is today. The band is making a comeback with their latest album IX. The group has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe with bands from Cluth to Goatsnake. They’ve even made appearances at music festivals such as Roadburn and Deathfest.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to speak with Corrosion of Conformity’s very own Matt Dean about the band’s origin, career path, and their latest album.

OCCG: How did you come up with “Corrosion of Conformity?” What’s the story behind it?
MD: If you could journey back in time a quarter of a century you could ask 15-year-old Reed Mullin what he was thinking as he daydreamed in study hall about what would be a good name for a hardcore band. The reason it resonated with the rest of us is because we were a bunch of punks noticing how conformist the hardcore subculture was when we went to a place like the fabled Washington DC scene and for all it’s creativity and good stuff, to some degree it was superficial and a like a microcosm of the high school.

OCCG: What is your main purpose with your music? What do you want your families to gain out of it?
MD: The main purpose of our music is self-expression and musical exploration and to create something that conjures up the spirit of all of the intense heavy rock and really agile hard core and metal when we first heard it as kids.
If doing this can gain us some economic enrichment to provide for our families, so much the better.

OCCG: How did you get started with your career? Was there a pivotal moment or was it an ongoing process?
MD: It’s an ongoing process of pivotal moments and pivotal blunders, ha ha.
Pivotal moments include discovering the Black Sabbath song ” Electric Funeral” when I was seven years old and being obsessed with the wah-wah, Being fortunate enough to see the Bad Brains and Black Flag when I was a teenager and deciding: “hey that’s what I want to do” and meeting some other people crazy enough to thing the same ridiculous thought.

OCCG: What is the meaning behind your latest album IX?
MD: There is no direct literal, linear narrative or meaning behind it but there is a lot of meaning in experiencing music and I think this album turned out more profound than most because we didn’t force it. There are layers of existence in there and I think it will resonate with a lot of people.
As for the title it refers to this being our ninth studio LP.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to touring Australia and New Zealand?
MD: Australia is a special and discerning audience for rock music in general and it’s a place I fell in love with play with Vista Chino… and New Zealand is a place we hadn’t played for over 14 years. It’s very green and beautiful.

OCCG: How do you feel about your drummer Reed Mullin not being able to join you on your tour?
MD: Well, you heard it here first: while Reed was unable to make the Australia trip he will be joining us on the tour with Bl’ast and Brant Bjork.
He will be getting repairs to his shoulder in September and has decided to play through pain until then. Eric Hernandez did and awesome job filling in for Reed in NZ and Australia and he may be helping us out during October while Reed recovers from the rotator cuff surgery.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at The Roxy in LA on Aug. 27?
MD: I’m looking forward to all of our family in Southern California coming out and seeing this traveling circus we’ve assembled with all of the desert folks: Nick Oliveri and Brant Bjork and all of their people coming out and having a good time. Maybe a taco truck is in our future… that always gets Woody excited.

OCCG: What’s next on your agenda in terms of your career?
MD: Well, I think we just put one foot in front of the other. We are going to be announcing some east coast, Texas and mid western dates and be thinking about Europe again.

In the new year there IS talk about playing some shows as a four piece with Pepper and depending on Down’s timeframe, we are looking into making a record with that line up.

Right now, like I said we are in the moment with this awesome traveling circus of Brant Bjork and Low Desert Punk. They have the incomparable Bubba Dupree on guitar from Hater and my favorite DC hardcore band Void… and Bl’ast! are retooled with Nick Oliveri on bass and Joey Castillo on drums and Lord Dying are just so heavy it’s ridiculous so we are focused on bringing it every night because we are in epic company. And that’s a good moment to be in.

Dreaming Bull plays King King in LA July 30 and Federal Bar in Long Beach July 31

Dreaming Bull is a duo consisting of Gabe Rowland from East LA and Nic Capelle, who is originally from Western Australia. The duo will be performing in LA at The Mint on Aug. 22.

Rowland’s band opened for Capelle’s in Chicago and the two bonded over a mutual love of, according to their website, dusty, old vintage gospel and lost blues. Their infused music of rock and roll meets jazz and blues with a hint of soul has already been featured on a variety of popular TV shows from USA’s Suits to FX’s Sons of Anarchy.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to catch up with Dreaming Bull regarding their origin, self-titled album and upcoming shows.

OCCG: How did you come up with “Dreaming Bull?” What’s the story behind it?
Nic: Well, Gabe and I met in Chicago whilst my band was touring the States. Our respective bands at the time ended up on the same bill together. Gabe’s from East LA and I’m actually from Western Australia. We ended up hitting it off and Gabe took up drumming duties on one of our tours the following year. We ended up bonded over a mutual love of dusty, old vintage gospel and lost blues. We started sharing music and ideas mostly via email attachment, and eventually decided we had something pretty special.

Gabe: On an ice-cold walk down Irving Park in Chicago, we decided on the style we were going for: heavy gospel influence, a little garage-psychedelic…We always acknowledge those parameters, but the music takes on a life of its own. Once it gets dragged through all the early Van Halen records that are in your gut, it’s going to come out modern.

OCCG: What would you like your fans to gain out of your music?
Gabe: Feel good music that promotes joy and healthy cells.

OCCG: How did you get started with your career? Was there a pivotal moment or was it an ongoing process?
Gabe: Process, process, process, with lots of mild successes, collectively songs on major TV shows like Sons of Anarchy, CSI, USA Networks Suits and Volkswagen and Carl’s Jr. “X-Men: Days of Future Past” commercials and of course…years of touring and tutorials in the lab.

Nic: For me it was always something I loved doing. My mother is a pretty extraordinary painter. She’s always pushed me forward with creative outlets. I too love to draw, make films and create things. But music was the one thing no one else in the family was doing and I just loved it. It was mine. From an early age, when I’d get bored at home I’d go and listen to all my grandfathers old LPs. Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, John Lee Hooker, BB King, Harry Bellefonte. My pivotal moment was when I was 21. I’d dropped out of technical school and was attempting a fine arts degree through university. I’d entered my band into a competition put together by Nestle called Nescafe Big Break. We ended up winning $20,000 and we became the spokes people for their national campaign on television and the first band to ever win it. That was the moment I thought I might actually be able to do this for a career!

OCCG: Why did you decide to self-title your album?
Nic: Pure laziness. hehe. No, I think we felt like it was an ode to one of the first tracks we wrote. Gabe had titled it Dreaming Bull. I loved the name. He’s a dreamer and I’m a Taurus. So it made perfect sense. We ended up calling the track ‘Bull Be Coming’. It’s on the album.

OCCG: If you could choose anyone to perform with, who would it be and why?
Nic: For me it’d be Jimi Hendrix or Queens of The Stone Age. QOTSA have that evolution as a band. Josh Homme is pure brilliance and ever evolving. I like their drive to push the boundaries. Jimi is a no brainer. Need I explain? Oh, and James Brown. But Gabe’s already done that!

Gabe: An All-star band: Jimmy Page, Ziggaboo (Drummer from the Meters), Bernie Worrell (Moog /keys for Funkedelic) and Al Green. They would encourage an amazing show from DB.

OCCG: What’s the meaning behind your latest song, “No Use?”
Nic: No Use was one of the first tunes we locked down for the album. We’d originally had four slightly different choruses for it, but managed to distill it into two. Lyrically it’s sort of like our mini biography. The story never dropping your Dream, with the emotional, psychological and geographic need to do something real and fresh, to collaborate and yet remain true to who we are as individuals. Full of all that dirt and old fashioned grime you hear in the opening minute of the track. We followed suit with the album. We’re lovers of all things gospel, bluesy, old and crusty. There are these pockets of vintage goodness pin pointed across the album.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at The Mint in LA on August 22?
Gabe: Taking people on a wonderful ride, bringing people into the Now, and the now are a beautiful kick in the pants.

Nic: The women of course!! And then second to that, plenty of sweat and booty clapping.

OCCG: What’s next on your agenda in terms of your career?
Gabe: Song placements, larger shows, Jimmy Fallon, and a few award shows.
Nic: Yes! I concur! We just want to bring the crack to the party so to speak. The edge. In a not so U2 kinda way, more in a Funkadelic, James Brown kinda way. Leave people feeling like they went to a sermon but they didn’t know it! Or like that iconic scene in Blues Brothers, James Brown comes out with the Old Landmark and everyone starts dancing like maniacs.

Kiev plays in Santa Barbara at Velvet Jones Aug. 15
Photo by: Murphy Karges

Kiev is an indie band that was founded in Orange, CA and consists of Alex Wright, Andrew Stavas, Brandon Corn, Derek Poulsen and Robert Brinkerhoff. This Southern California band will be playing at Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara on Aug. 15.

In 2010, their first self-released EP, “Ain’t No Scary Folks in On Around Here” was described as, “having your ear work on a good puzzle.” In 2011, Kiev was named as the “Best Indie Band” at the 2011 Orange County Music Awards.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to chat with Kiev about their musical inspirations, accomplishments and upcoming tour with the Bad Suns.

OCCG: Why did you guys decide to call yourselves Kiev? Where did that name originate from and where did you guys meet?
Kiev: We found a short poem about traveling in winter written by a family member… There was a footnote about the Ukraine on the bottom. We like it. It wasn’t as topical of a city at the time.

OCCG: What has been your biggest accomplishment thus far and what has been your biggest challenge?
Kiev: We’re pretty damn grateful to have released a proper full-length album this past year. Having a super nice vinyl copy of a concept record you made with your amigos is a great thing. Biggest challenge has been writing a song under 4 min.

OCCG: Where does the inspiration for your music root from?
Kiev: “The 3 C’s” – The Cosmos, Camping, and Cuckoo nuts that made art before us.

OCCG: What do you want your listeners to gain out of your latest LP debut, Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth?
Kiev: We put a lot of love into make a cohesive album that can be appreciated as whole. Hope people can reconnect with the gratification of taking a minute to get deep into something.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to on your West Coast Tour with Bad Suns?
Kiev: Like we always say “New towns no frowns.” Bad Suns are killing it right now – so we’re happy to be riding the wave together.

OCCG: How do you interpret being reviewed as, “Like having your ear work on a good puzzle?”
Kiev: We tend to make layered intricate tunes. A lot of folks say you can hear something different every listen.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at Velvet Jones on Aug. 15?
Kiev: It’s the last night of the tour so it’ll naturally be a super fun rowdy show. We’re playing with our new amigos Hunny who are also hombres with Bad Suns… It’s gonna be a great last hurrah.

OCCG: What’s next on your agenda in terms of your career?
Kiev: Do the dew – keep making tunes and spreading around as far as possible.

Cut Copy play the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas Aug. 8
Photo by: Michael Muller

You’ve heard of copy and paste, but have you heard of Cut Copy? Well, they’re an internationally well-known DJ group most recognized for their cacophonous live shows. They will be at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas, NV on Aug. 8, which is the closest they will come to Southern California during their 2014 summer tour.

Cut Copy has blown away their fans from El Paso to Berlin with their ecstatic beats. Cut Copy will be traveling around the states at their Free Your Mind Tour, which include but are not limited to California, Tennessee and even two sold out shows at New York’s Terminal 5 plus many more.

Up and coming Canadian artist Jessy Lanza will be supporting Cut Copy on their North American tour. Jessy Lanza’s debut album Pull My Hair Back is a favorite of Dan Whitford, AKA the Cut Copy founder.

Whitford has described Lanza’s album as one of his favorite records of 2013. Cut Copy recently released their fourth studio album via Loma Vista/Modular, Free Your Mind which has been highly anticipated.

Cut Copy’s latest video for their song, “We Are Explorers” recently premiered on FastCompany and was composed by avant-garde creators Aramique, Masa Kawamura and Qanta Shimizu.

The music video displays 3D-printed characters aimlessly roaming LA streets. In fact, every frame had been created with special stop-motion photography. The creators wanted to tell an enthralling story and stated, “We wanted it to be tactile, to feel like a real adventure and felt we could accomplish this by creating a tangible character that we would shoot outside on location in every place.”

Free Your Mind can now be listened to and purchased on iTunes amongst other popular digital and physical retailers.

Miniature Tigers play the Echo Aug. 1 and Soda Bar Aug. 2

Although the sound of music is important, nothing beats the feeling of the sound and that’s what the Miniature Tigers are all about. Their unique sound can be heard at the Echo in LA on Aug. 1 and at the Soda Bar in San Diego Aug. 2.

They are an indie-rock band based in Brooklyn, NY that started their first national tour in 2008 and have been booming ever since. Inspired by Weezer’s Blue Album, vocalist/guitarist Charlie Band wanted something that his listeners could connect with and create a bond. The band formed via good ‘ole MySpace due to their love for the same music and bands.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to speak with Miniature Tigers about their name origin, inspirations and background.

OCCG: How and when did you guys realize you wanted to pursue music?
MT: I think I realized when I was 17 or 18 that school wasn’t for me.

OCCG: The band emerged because of MySpace. How did you know it was going to work out?
MT: I’m still wondering if it will.

OCCG: How would you describe your genre? Is this your favorite genre of music to listen to yourselves?
MT: I honestly have no idea how to describe us. I usually don’t really care for the bands we’re lumped in with. I like Top 40 hip-hop.

OCCG: What is the meaning behind “Cruel Runnings?”
MT: We liked the look and sound to it. Started off as kind of a goof but really fit the vibe of some of the lyrics. It also reminds me of Jamaica where we recorded it.

OCCG: Charlie Brand claimed that he wanted to make something like Weezer’s Blue Album. What do you like about that album in particular?
MT: That album is a classic from my childhood. I didn’t really want to capture that sound but more capture the way it made me feel when I heard it as a kid.

OCCG: Who would you potentially want to collaborate with if you could pick anyone?
MT: Kanye

OCCG: What do you guys struggle with most as artists and as a whole group?
MT: I think like many artists the struggle is how do you make this a living?

OCCG: What do you guys enjoy doing on your spare time?
MT: I like to relax, see movies take my dogs on walks

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your shows in LA and San Diego?
MT: Southern California is burrito territory so I’m gonna hunt one of those down.

Some Ember showcase new songs at The Complex July 18

Some Ember is the synth-pop California duo out of Oakland made up of Dylan Travis and Nina Chase. The duo will be performing songs off their latest recording at The Complex in LA on July 18.

Their self-produced, self-titled EP was recorded over a period of last two years and is set for a summer 2014 release. The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to talk to Some Ember about their origin, upcoming summer tour and latest LP.

OCCG: How did you come up with “Some Ember?” What’s the story behind your name and how did you two meet?
SE: The name Some Ember is from one of the first demos Dylan wrote for this project–it was a lyric. This was before we had met or had even started playing live shows. We were introduced through our friend Josh, who was our drummer before we were a 2-piece.

OCCG: How would you explain your genre in your own words and what is your purpose as musicians?
SE: We’ve always referred to ourselves as pop. Emotional, industrial, dark, experimental, whatever other adjectives you want to append to that. But we’re essentially a pop project. In recent times we’ve done stuff that has broken from pop structures and intent–we generally use this as a way to explore new sounds and ranges of emotion. But the essence of Some Ember is in the communicative, linear format of pop music, and in the ways we subvert that form.

OCCG: Could you see yourselves performing at a festival like Coachella in the near future?
SE: We’ll play wherever. Coachella would be a pretty bizarre experience.
OCCG: What do you want your fans to gain of your self-titled LP?
SE: Our music has always been about confronting life’s little horrors head-on, transforming them into beauty. They already are beauty. That’s the most important message on the record. The songs are all examining different aspects of that transformation.

OCCG: How’s your summer tour going so far? Where would you like to head to that have not yet that you would eventually like to travel to?
SE: We haven’t started yet, but we’re super excited to travel. We’d love to play in Europe and Japan eventually! Or in that massive cave in Thailand.

OCCG: NPR has named “Thrashing Whip” as one of the best dance tracks in June. How do you feel about that?
SE: It was the Avalon Emerson remix and we’re ecstatic! Nina is old friends with Avalon and she is one of the best dance producers we know. We’re hoping to move to Berlin at the end of this year, and we’ll get to hang out more.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at The Complex (Maldoror) in LA on July 18?
SE: Playing with Body of Light. They are amazing. And just being in L.A. in general- lots to see and do, we have a lot of friends that live down there, so hanging with them will be refreshing.

OCCG: What’s next for you guys?
SE: We’re always making music. So our next goal is to get out of the middle of nowhere.

Wray play the Roxy July 22
Photo by: 2ThreeFive

Wray is a super cool new band straight out of Birmingham, AL whose music is on a completely different level. Check out this band’s unique style when they perform in LA on July 22 at The Roxy.

Their music is mellow with upbeat melodies. Their self-titled debut album is set for release July 15 on Communicating Vessels along with the release of their music video for the first single “Apacheria.”

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to speak to Wray about their origin, first single and album.

OCCG: Why did you decide to title yourselves as Wray? How did you come up with it and how did you guys meet?
Wray: Each of our takes –
David Brown: Ray Peterson: [chanting] I’m not going to listen to this; I’m not going to hear this now.
Art: Ray! Ray! You’re chanting!
[points to book]
Art: Ray, unconscious chanting! You’re chanting!
Ray Peterson: [continues chanting with fingers in ears]
Art: [chants] I want to kill everyone. Satan is good. Satan is our pal.
Art: Hey, once they get in here…
[points to Ray’s head]
Art: it’s over, pal.

David Swatzell: Ray was taken so we added a “W.”

Blake Wimberly: Comes from one of my favorite radio stations here in Birmingham, 106.7 WRAY “All the Hits, None of the Time.”

David Swatzell: As far as us meeting– David Brown and I have been playing in and out of bands together, in Birmingham, for the last ten years. Blake and I have been roommates for about 4 years and frequently went to see each other’s bands play and one day the stars aligned and we decided to jam and Wray just happened.

OCCG: What is your first single “Apacheria” all about?
David Brown: I really couldn’t sum it up with words. Ritualism, stagnation and a lack of contentment are some themes that come to mind.

OCCG: What is your biggest fear as musicians?
David Brown: To lose interest in conceptual music and/or the cathartic process of writing. But that would never happen.

David Swatzell: That I’ll be 60 and still having to work a day job. I don’t care about fame or being a millionaire. I just want to be able to do what we were born to do and be able to consistently pay basic bills like rent and be respected by our peers.

OCCG: What do you hope to accomplish a year from today?
David Swatzell: Have our sophomore album out and be back here in Los Angeles playing for you guys.

OCCG: What are you most excited about regarding your brand new tour across the United States with the surf rock group Man or Astro-man?
David Swatzell: Mainly excited to be on the road doing what we love to do. We’ve known the Man or Astro-Man? Guys for a while and they’ve been so great and helpful along the way. It’s a blast getting to see them play every night.

David Brown: Space dust in the van.

Blake Wimberly: Birdstuff’s food challenges.

OCCG: If you could go on tour with any artist or band, who would it be and why?
David Brown: Brian Eno and then we will get him to produce our next record.

David Swatzell: That’s a tough one. As far as bands that are still playing– Slowdive just started playing again; that’d be nice or maybe the Stones just cause it’s the freakin Stones. As far as bands that are dead/broken up maybe Can or Roxy Music in their prime.

OCCG: Your self-titled debut album is set to be released July 15 on Communicating Vessels. What do you want your listeners to learn and gain from it?
David Brown: I am not sure I want them to learn anything, just listen…maybe while they run or drive or fall asleep.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to at your show at The Roxy?
David Brown: Playing for people who have no idea who we are.

David Swatzell: Hopefully it will prompt people that enjoy it to check out other music coming out of our hometown of Birmingham, Al. There is so much insane talent coming out of our city right now. Tons of great bands that are about to start making headlines everywhere.

Cool Ghouls brings back the Funk at the Wayfarer July 19

The Cool Ghouls is a San Francisco-based quartet that introduces funkadelic and rock in a whole different way. They will be performing songs off their new release at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa on July 19.

The group just released their latest self-titled debut out now on Empty Cellar Records. According to FILTER, “[Cool Ghouls’] psychedelic and upbeat into their rhythms and vocals to produce a sound that’s wholly unique.”

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to talk to them about their origin, musical inspirations and self-titled debut.

OCCG: How did you come up with “Cool Ghouls?” What’s the story behind it?
CG: It’s from a Funkadelic concert film. George Clinton descends from the spaceship and says “How y’all cool ghouls doin’ tonight?” And we were like, “He’s talking to us!”

OCCG: How did you know that you wanted to pursue music as career and who was your musical inspiration?
CG: The ghost of John Coltrane appeared to me in a cosmic vision and handed me the keys to a Chevy conversion van, which is how we got our touring vehicle and how I knew we were cosmically obligated to pursue music. Our musical inspirations include Little Richard, Sonny Smith, Lil’ B, Fela Kuti, The Stooges and Grace Slick.

OCCG: What is your biggest accomplishment thus far and what would you like to achieve a year from now?
CG: Our record! What an achievement! A year from now, we’re gonna be #1!

OCCG: What do you want your fans to gain of your self-titled debut?
CG: 10 sweet tunes that are fun to drink beers to.

OCCG: If you could choose anywhere in the world to perform, where would it be and why?
CG: It’d be sick to play in a meadow on the coast of Oregon on August 21, 2017 while the only full solar eclipse that will pass over North America in our lifetimes passes overhead. I wanna try to do that actually.

OCCG: What advice would you give to other aspiring musicians out there?
CG: Be patient, make friends, and privately believe that you’re making the best shit out there. Always read the fine print in any written agreement. Also, if somebody contacts you to use a song of yours for something that obviously isn’t a small operation or DIY operation and they tell you “there’s no budget for music, but the exposure will be great for your band” they are exploiting you.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa on July 19?
CG: Homies! It’s always rad playing with Froth and Santoros. Good friends of ours. Excited to see The Pesos too!

OCCG: What’s next on your agenda?
CG: Releasing our second album later this year. It’s gonna be tiiiiiight.

Downset play the Whiskey A Go Go Aug. 16

Downset is a rap metal group of five members formed in the late 1980s that was formerly known as Social Justice from LA, CA. They brought the best of hip-hop, hardcore and punk rock, and blended it all together. Now they’re back better than ever before with a performance at Whiskey A Go Go on Aug. 16.

Downset has performed with a plethora of talents from Snoop Dogg to Slipknot to Linkin Park. They recently finished up an east coast tour where they even played at The Hardcore Festival in Philadelphia.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to talk to Downset about their comeback, origin, upcoming shows and their latest album One Blood!

OCCG: How did you come up with your name DOWNSET? How did all of you meet?
Downset: Rey came up with the name after we were called Social Justice. It meant coming from the bottom of a social, political, and economic strata. We met through the LA hardcore/punk/skateboarding/graffiti art scenes. Personally I was a huge fan of Social Justice before I joined in 1991. We were just local hardcore kids that shared a love of the freedom that underground art and culture provided us. It was a great time to be D.I.Y. We got to know the Xerox machines very well.

OCCG: It’s over 8 years since your last record. What have you been doing during that time?
Downset: I ran an Independent record store in Burbank called Backside, went back to school and got my degree in Broadcasting. I continued to play bass in several projects including a hip hop project called Very Special People that included some of LA’s premier underground MC’s. I became an Engineer for a major TV news network here in the San Fernando Valley. I started a punk band, NonCon that I love. It’s a nod to 80’s backyard hardcore.

OCCG: What happened that made you realized you wanted to make a comeback?
Downset: I got a call from Ares who said that he and Rey had been in contact with Chris Hamilton who played on our 3rd album. Turns out that they had a bunch of demos sitting around from years ago and that they’d like to have me onboard to complete the songs, put out a record and do a few shows. I saw it as an opportunity to plug back into the big machine that is DOWNSET. I thought it would be fun to reconstruct the friendships and play with the guys that were there for so much of my formative moments. It’s not everyday that you get a chance to revisit a living piece of art that you helped create. Heavy music has become such a large part of popular culture, and to experience your place in it with the benefit of hindsight was very appealing. I figured as long as we were still fit enough to do it legitimately and not just rehash glory days, and then it was a worthwhile endeavor.

OCCG: What is the meaning behind your latest album One Blood?
Downset: For me it is heralding the facets of our roots. Hardcore and Hip Hop. It means that culture strives to create, and now more than ever, art that has something to say can effect positive change. Whether it be rap or punk is not the important thing, but those are our melding elements. I think that One Blood is a rallying cry for inclusion rather than exclusion or seclusion in ALL forms of expression. Find your allies, create vehicles to be seen and heard. Unite and build bridges.

OCCG: What do you want your fans to gain out of the video for “One Blood?”
Downset: I want them to see a band that is having a good time being elder statesmen of Los Angeles Underground Culture. I would like a visceral experience to occur. I think the video shows us relative to what we stand on the shoulders of, and that is some of the giants of the Hardcore and Hip Hop culture. The band is very much having a good time in the video. I think it was finally time to see us in that respect as well. It’s ok to have a blast doing this. I also think that the video does a good job representing the intensity of this band live as well as underscoring the message of One Blood, which is: Unity

OCCG: What do you want to do now that you couldn’t have back when you guys were more active with music?
Downset: Have a more updated approach on social media. To cater to the vast arena of information and presence that that can be conveyed and provided if you have something to say or show. I think now is the time for quality to come to the forefront of what you have to offer. You can do a really great job making your point in an extremely concise manner. YOU can brand yourself now, and not worry about a label doing it for you. It can be re-enforced daily, hourly etc. It is a great time to be creative. I would also like to see us bring our past forward into the light. To create a historical document as far as DOWNSET’S relativity to the scene we were a part of. It is most certainly a documentary culture we live in now.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at Whiskey A Go Go in LA on August 16?
Downset: I am looking forward to seeing 20 plus years of our effect on the fans. IT is going to be SO much fun taking a victory lap at our home field. I love our hometown crowd, and to feel that kind of love again is going to be singular and euphoric. I missed that energy in the interim and I am going to be a very proud man on that stage. I am looking forward to opening the show with my hardcore band NonCon.

OCCG: Now that you guys are back on the radar, what’s next on your agenda?
Downset: To take it one step at a time. We are all older and have careers and families. I think the agenda has shifted to put the focus on enjoying the thing we created, rather than stress over it trying to support us. I love just being on a communicative basis with the guys again and like I said, it’s great to have hindsight be 20/20 yet still be able to do the same song in a new and still vital construct. It’s going to be fun to still matter to music, to bring the new album, One Blood to a new generation of listener’s ears. It’s kind of like the caveman being thawed out and unleashed on the scene! Turns out throwback are a GOOD thing.

Ex Walkmen Peter Bauer plays the Satellite July 8

Peter Bauer is a former member of indie rock bands The Walkmen and The Recoys who recently decided to go solo. His solo album “Liberation!” debuts on June 24 and is now streaming on Pitchfork Advance. Bauer will be playing songs off his new solo recording on July 8 at The Satellite in Los Angeles.

He is a triple threat with his songwriting, singing and multi-instrumental skills. He had recorded seven studio albums with The Walkmen.

The OC Concert Guide had the opportunity to talk to Peter about taking the solo path, his experience with The Walkmen and his upcoming shows.

OCCG: How did you know you wanted to pursue music?
Peter: I started a band with some friends at 14 and have always done it since.

OCCG: How was your experience with The Walkmen?
Peter: Fine? I guess? It was the last 15 years of my life so that’s kind of a big question.

OCCG: How was it going solo? Do you miss being in a group?
Peter: It’s great. You miss your friends but then you make more friends, it’s sort of like moving to a different city.

OCCG: You and lead vocalist Hamilton Leithauser were both members of the indie rock band The Recoys. How was different from being in The Walkmen?
Peter: We were dead broke and ignorant, that was the main difference.

OCCG: What do you want your fans to gain of your solo album Liberation!?
Peter: It comes with a free peanut butter and jelly sandwich stuffed in the vinyl.

OCCG: Does the title at all pertain to the fact that you decided to go solo?
Peter: No. But I realized that most people would probably see it that way.

OCCG: Who is your musical inspiration and where do you get inspiration for your lyrics?
Peter: From books mostly. I like Roberto Bolano and Borges a lot. They were the inspiration for a song.

OCCG: What are you most looking forward to your show at The Satellite in LA on July 8?
Peter: It’s my first show in years in LA. I love LA. I can’t wait to come back.