There are rare moments in life when you receive an assignment that turns out to be as good as a Christmas present – that was precisely my case with the new Upcdownc album. My story with them is typical and proves that ‘last.fm’ as my religion choice on facebook is not an exaggeration. Every now and again I take whatever my last.fm homepage tells me to listen to for gospel and simply do it. That’s how I got addicted to Maybeshewill and that’s how I came across a new band with long and weird name with no spaces in it. I launched the artist’s radio every time I got stuck with no new sounds to nurture my ears and every single time when one of their songs came on I’d be thrilled. I remained an ignorant when it comes to their discography, probably due to the fact that last.fm scrobbles them as Upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start and this did not come up in any search engine I’ve tried. So when I saw ‘Calaveras’ in my Dropbox I got ridiculously overexcited. When I played the first track I got excited even more. And after a good few listens (last.fm will tell you exactly how many) I got stuck with what to *really* say about it – and then I discovered I’ve been listening to it in alphabetical song order and that answered the question of why it didn’t make too much sense!
There is a lot of sense behind it in fact. The clue comes from the title itself – Calaveras are associated with the Mexican Day Of The Dead, they are both the skulls and the poems about skeletons from Death’s Dance. The poems seem to be more crucial here as they mock the dead and tell funny stories about them as in Mexico the holiday is not sad at all, on the contrary – it celebrates life and the opportunity to get in touch with the lost ones. A typical meeting of life and death, joy and sadness, celebration and mourning. And that’s exactly how Upcdownc’s album seems to flow – opening ‘Sky Net’ brings uplifting electronic sounds but it soon merges into heavy riffs of ‘Sons of the Desert’ (wonder if was that inspired by the cult 1933 Laurel and Hardy movie?) bringing sounds rather dark and gloomy and showing off band’s grunge and classic hard rock inspirations.
It doesn’t get any less scary as ‘Wolves in the Walls’, an obvious tribute to Neil Gaiman and and Dave McKean’s book about little girl’s nightmares, brings some truly frightening growling to the repertoire. The nightmare gets soothed by the sounds of a Spanish guitar and soon ‘Roman Horses’ will take you to the place where you belong.
After that my favourite song from the album (even if just for the title) ‘Monumental Mood Shift’, introduces… well, a monumental mood shift. The mood in question becomes more post-rocky, with ascending riffs, Explosions In The Sky-esque crescendos and this feeling that I love when I listen to a good post rock track that lifts you right up in the air and makes you feel like you’re flying (please don’t judge me). It just doesn’t get any better.
The brief ‘Spectral Fires’ is this tiny little gem with soft cymbals clashed with a dirty electronic beat and sparks up the atmosphere. And so it continues, with long intros, built up guitar sections, mood swings, everything that I love in good album. Listening to the part after the monumental mood shift makes me forget about looking for reasons to like it and browsing Google like crazy to find legitimate clues. They just sound great and create this post rock ambiance that simply makes me lose myself and forget about the world outside – highly recommended with headphones, preferably not in the middle of a busy road!
The Day Of The Dead theme comes back before the end, just to remind that ‘Calaveras’ as an album title didn’t appear out of the blue, however the sounds make the theme of Death’s Dance self explanatory – there’s a noticeable nostalgia and gloom hidden behind the notes of ‘(The Plains) Skeletal’ and the track brings back the grunge influences with some indecipherable singing, but it reminds one of the circle of life.
‘Sky Net (Reprise)’ finishes the album on the same note it began with, completing the cycle and bringing happy electro beats to override the sadness and look forward to the future with a smily face. After all calaveras laugh at Death in her face.
To cut the long story short – ‘Calaveras’, even though it took me a while to figure out why, is a very accomplished album, showing off not only the spectrum of Upcdownc’s possibilities and influences, but also their dry sense of humour and simply – balls. Last.fm as my chosen religion did a good job yet again sending me those guys.
Fraser Stewart of Scottish noisemongers Fat Goth has kindly provided us with all you could possibly want to know about his excellent band, who released the brilliant 'Stud' earlier this year. Read on...
(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Fat Goth and what are your musical backgrounds?
Hello there. My name is Fraser Stewart and I play the guitar and provide vocal beef for Fat Goth, a rock band based in the Scottish city of Dundee. Joining me in this quest to create aural joy is Mark Keiller, who brings percussion to the creative fold while simultaneously managing all the band's affairs and Kevin Black, a bass player of the finest calibre and a keen enthusiast of having a good time all the time.
We all hail from the Tayside area and have been forging our own paths in the music game for over ten years now. Fat Goth is the first time the three of us have actually experienced any degree of notable critical acclaim and although all the praise and support we've been fortunate enough to receive over the course of the last year is undoubtedly welcome and fully appreciated; our jadedness and general non-plussed attitudes remain. I predict at some point the public will recognise us for the hacks we are and cast us back into the abyss of obscurity.
(((o))): How did the band come together?
In 2007 I had written a number of abrasive rock songs. However, I had no band at my disposal to enable these creations to reach their full potential. Mark and I had played together in previous bands so I enquired about his willingness to partake in this new project. He was playing with an excellent band called Pensioner around that time but agreed to participate whenever he could. I then turned to our old school pal, Allan Mitchell and asked him to take on the bass duties.
We rehearsed the material and gradually reached the point where our efforts were of a suitable standard to be documented in a studio environment. This resulted in Fat Goth's first album, 'Mindless Crap', which was recorded by Ross McGowan of Chime Studios in Glasgow and was released in 2010 via our Bandcamp page for free.
Fat Goth made its live debut a couple of weeks after the album's release and we continued to practice, record and play live as often as we could until Allan immigrated to Australia in the spring of 2011. Mark and I then asked Kevin to join the band. Kevin played in one of our favourite local bands, Laeto. We immediately started work on a follow up album to 'Mindless Crap', which resulted in the material featured on 'Stud' and we've been having a blast ever since.
(((o))): Please describe your sound in the form of either a haiku, a rhyming couplet or, if you are feeling massively ambitious, an acrostic...
"I fear this request is beyond my limited capabilities. How's this?
Three suave brutes hailing fae The 'dee,
Massive swinging cocks and balls aplenty,
Big, banging' beats and riffs that are ripping
Fat Goth's here to get all the lassies dripping"
(((o))): Has your local music scene had any impact on you as a band?
Certainly; we draw influence from a variety of different sources and the talent based here in Dundee is just one. Glasgow and Edinburgh tend to be at the forefront whenever the music media/industry casts its gaze over Scotland, which makes sense given their respective size and vibrancy. Dundee along with various other smaller scenes located north of the central belt tends to get over looked but it would be entirely inaccurate to state they have nothing to offer. The underdog status of places like Dundee inspires their creative communities to work harder in order to be heard, resulting in art that's just as relevant as you would find anywhere else - sometimes more so! That ideology is something I've always believed in and I feel I'm a better artist, musician and person as a result.
(((o))): ‘Stud’, your latest record came out recently. Tell us a little bit about it...
Hmm, well I suppose the title and cover are a pretty clear indication of what the album is about. You could argue Elvis shaking his hips in front of audiences of screaming girls was the first time the marriage between rock and roll and sex was fully established. It's a trend that's stayed throughout the centuries and many have profited from it. Most popular music nowadays glamourises sex to the point of it becoming this unobtainable, yet highly desirable, thing everyone craves. Personally, I've always found it impossible to relate to music of that nature. I'm not a handsome millionaire with swimming pools and yachts, nor is it common place for me to have beautiful, bikini-clad girls dancing around my general vicinity, much to my disappointment. However, I know a great deal about making a colossal arse out of myself trying to appeal to members of the opposite sex and all the negative and self-destructive traits that occur in the wake of such regrettable instances. A large part of Fat Goth's music represents that particular aspect of sex appeal and if I was to hazard a guess, I reckon the vast majority of people in the world could relate to that more than what Rihanna and folk like her are going on about. Therefore, our ticket and album sales should be through the roof, but they're not. I wonder why...
(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?
Maintaining the will to live? I have no idea. All we've ever done is simply focus on making the best music we can. I've always believed if you get that right, you'll eventually find an audience that appreciates and enjoys your efforts. Agreeably, it's taken me over 10 years to get to the point where I'm doing interviews about the music I'm involved with but you know, better late than never.
The internet has had an immeasurable effect on the music industry. One of the many upsides is your music can be potentially heard by millions all over the world, which is incredible when you think about it! However, we're still in a transitional period and there isn't any clear indication of where the artist can make significant money, if at all. Rest assured, the days of having a private jet for your band are well and truly gone but if reasons like that are the only motivations for you making music in the first place, you deserve to fail. Music is an art form and should be treated as such. Want cash? Try people trafficking.
(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Fat Goth to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?
Becoming completely irresistible to the global female population would be a start! I dunno, by the time Fat Goth came into existence we all had extensive experience in the pitfalls of 'playing the game' and had long since abandoned the teenage dream of becoming rock stars. Personally, I take great pleasure in whatever we manage to achieve together, no matter how small or insignificant: a good practise, a fun show, a productive studio session, etc. Making sure you're enjoying yourself is the only thing that matters!
(((o))): What makes fat goths better than obese supporters of any other cultural/musical subtypes?
Regardless of whether you appreciate gothic creativity or not, you have to give credit to those who follow that culture and wear it for the whole world to see. I have a pretty morbid personality and often consider myself as a bit of a goth; only I'm too much of a coward to don all the makeup, long leather jackets, chains, etc.
We called our band Fat Goth because we wanted a totally ridiculous and stupid moniker, something that would suit the absurdity of the music. We never thought anyone outside of our circle of friends would ever listen to us so it didn't really matter what we were called. Ironically, the name has been extremely beneficially in capturing other's attention so perhaps there's a lot to be said for a stupid name. It's certainly not a slight against actual obese goths, which is something I feel I need to state more often nowadays. We're a liberal bunch and everyone is welcome to come and join our party, except for white extremist organisations and the like. They can all go and get fucked.
(((o))): We have another column called Echoes of the Past in which we get people to write about albums that have particularly influenced them. What would you guys choose to write about in that column?
I can only speak for myself but I think Mark and Kevin would agree something like 'Nevermind' was a pivotal moment in our lives, which is probably the case for countless other noisy, guitar-orientated bands around the globe. Apologies for being so generic!
Hearing Nirvana and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' for the first time was an experience I'll never forget. It was just so profound and it completely captivated me. I never expected music to have any influence on my life but 'Nevermind' and Nirvana undoubtedly changed everything: I instantly knew I wanted to become a musician and that pursuit has remained a constant in my life ever since. I can't really say anything about 'Nevermind' that hasn't be already discussed to death over the course of the past 22 years, so I won't bother. Anyone who has heard it and shared the same passion will know exactly where I'm coming from anyway. Without it, I seriously doubt I would be where I am today. Whether or not that's a good thing is something else entirely!
(((o))): This is ostensibly a column for introducing new bands. Any suggestions as to who we ought to include in the near future?
There is a new band in Dundee called The Sparrowhawk Orkestral who we like a lot. We're massive fans of Edinburgh's Vasquez; instrumental rock music can often be a bit of a chore, especially if it's veering towards the well-worn paths of Mogwai and the like but Vasquez bring something new and exciting to the plate. Finally, there’s Thumpermonkey from London, who sound like Peter Gabriel fronting a more aggressive and visceral version of Genesis while also incorporating elements of Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake in places; superb!
(((o))): What are Fat Goth’s plans for the near future?
We're currently gearing up for appearing at a number of the summer festivals. Folk can expect to see us at Go North, Belladrum, The Wickerman and Arctangent in the coming months, all of which should be fun. Aside from that we're hard at work on the follow up to 'Stud' and if all goes to plan we'll be recording again before the year is out.
Having never been to Glasgow's Audio before I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleased to find a modest sized dungeon teaming with leather and denim clad punters. And this was early on, second band of the night Sunsmasher were setting the tone. The tone being mostly fucking loud and riff heavy. The Glasgow natives were more impressive live than the few tracks I had heard previously online. Definitely a band to see again and keep track off.
I was impressed and pleased by the decent turn out for this gig. Especially on a rainy Monday night close to the end of the month. And a healthy welcome was given to main support Bossk. I've been a big fan of them since their first couple of EPs. In fact I recently interviewed Tom Begley on all things past, present and future for Ech(((o)))es and Dust. Despite that, this was my first time seeing them live. A ripple of excitement permeated through the crowd as they took to the stage. Clearly others were in the same position as me, long time fans, as 'Define' struck up there was a big roar of acknowledgment. With minimal lighting Bossk set about business in effective style. Gathering together on stage at times in almost a huddle they locked in together and were super tight. Seeing the likes of 'Define' and 'Truth' live was special. Tracks I've played countless times and are classics in my book. Bossk live were worth the wait, going through new tracks as well like 'Pick Up Artist' proving there's much more to come. Performing as if in their own zone with impressive tightness they at times exploded forth, as the music shifted in dynamics. Bossk provided a certain amount of refinement to the evening of otherwise dense riffery. Although what followed was the total opposite.
Dragged Into Sunlight aren't like other bands. Two antelope skulls are dimley lit red at either side of the stage. A candelabra is placed at the forefront, three thick candles burning. Then when they emerge they are cloaked in shadows and smoke. Facing away from the crowd also, they launched into a set drawn mainly from debut album Hatred For Mankind. There is a brutality and edge about how they perform that was captivating. And then the strobe lights kick in just in case you were starting to feel comfortable. From where I was standing I could see side on through the shadows frontman " T" rather than his back. I have to say he looked totally immersed in his own zone. Barefoot, he looked like someone with "issues" rather than someone turning their back as some kind of gimmick. The constant strobe flashes and shadows provided a fitting setting for the hate filed cacophony being produced. The crowd at times seemed either confused as tracks merged into one another or simply stunned by what we were witnessing. When "T" turned to the crowd as the final song began it was like a vampire seething at the sun. He looked genuinely uncomfortable summed up as he dramatically blew out the candelabra, and (I think) unintentionally sending it crashing over. There was a few jeers of course, but was a brief light moment in an otherwise intense performance. Dragged Into Sunlight are a band even if you haven't listened to before you should see live. I say "see" but really you'll be lucky if you catch a glimpse through the fog and seizure inducing lights. Well worth it though for a totally different live experience.
