Small Stone Showcase set to hit Philadelphia this September

Small Stone is pleased to announce that we will be doing two back to back Showcases at The Philadelphia Film & Music Festival in September. Events will be taking place at the Millcreek Tavern which is located at 4200 Chester Avenue, University City, Philadelphia (215-222-1255 ). And, now for the line up:





Friday September 24th:
Dixie Witch
The Brought Low
Throttlerod
Lo-Pan
Sun Gods In Exile
Backwoods Payback

Saturday September 25th:
Solace
Roadsaw
Sasquatch
House Of Broken Promises
Gozu
Red Giant

Fen - Trails Out Of Gloom

WOW!! Every now and then you roll across a CD that just affects your soul in a way that is both disturbing and pleasing. You find yourself listening to it over and over and with every repeat listening, a deep trance like feeling washes over you. Songs seem to flow, as you find yourself adrift in a collection of Progressive Rock filled aggressively dark, brooding and hauntingly majestic material that you will find difficult to put down. This is what Vancouver, B.C. band, Fen will do to you. The brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Doug Harrison and guitarist Sam Levin, Fen, have released their 4th album, Trails Out of Gloom (Ripple Music), a scrapbook of 9 eerily memorable lullabies, sagas and stirring ballads, which engages the audience onto a trip of almost mythical proportions. Filled with dark lyrics and delivered by painstaking personal vocals, Fen offers a CD that feels like a beautifully, anguish filled dream, with songs that stories with both voice and instrument. Haunting, deliberate and chilling.

Blending elements of Progressive Rock with the aggressiveness of Metal and the melodic sensibilities of modern Alternative Rock, Fen have created a complex artistic expression that from the first acoustic, lamenting notes of CD opener, "Trails Out of Gloom", simply captivates the imagination. With the ability of being able to grasp the listener and dive in and out of various musical forms, fans of Porcupine Tree, Tool, and the elegant side of Opeth, will easily call Fen their own. Doug Harrison delivers vocal performances that are stellar and soothing with beautiful and soaring melodies, all the while being quite quirky. Imagine if you can, a blend of the passionate vocals of a Brent Smith of Shinedown and the obscure, often falsetto'ed, idiosyncratic styling's of The Mars Volta's, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and you are on the right path. Harrison somehow makes this delicate combination work and leaves you wanting more.

Gloomy dynamics of early '90's Seattle-themed Hard Rock, filters through the excellent production on this opus and hi-jacks you through a myriad of moods of almost psychedelic proportions that showcase the overflowing talent of both Harrison and Levin. Heavier moments on Trails Out of Gloom are counterbalanced with acoustic guitar passages that just co-habitat so perfectly in a grandiose fashion, much in that brilliant Opeth/Porcupine Tree way. Enormous and intense are just two of the magnificent words that come to mind to describe the utter brilliance contained within. Standout track, "The World is Young", while heavy and herculean, this song intersects with a delicate cascading beauty with glorious vocals.

 Fen delivers a different type of "heavy" with Trails Out of Gloom, one that is dank and opaque, with plenty of texture and substance that requires complete digestion for your optimum pleasure. This is very much like a classic '70's Prog Rock record that contains immensely crafted songs with excellently well written lyrics that also allows for the musical interludes to not be self indulgent, but rather an integral piece of the pie. There are no 12 minute overkill pieces here, but rather 6 minute voyages into remarkableness. And remarkable this CD is. This CD will impact you immediately, but the true brilliance of Trails Out of Gloom comes from further absorption. This is a stellar release.

--Butch Jones via Sea of Tranquility

Buy here: Trails out of Gloom

QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS PEANUTS

From Watchmeme

Gozu - Locust Season

So it turns out Gozu are named after a Japanese movie and not the character on the Flintstones. That was The Great Gazoo, but either way they got my attention. But what really got my attention was that drummer Barry Spillberg was in the mighty Wargasm from Boston. Man, I loved that band! Their first album was called Why Play Around and came out in 1988. A dude I knew who worked for their label (Profile Records) gave me an advance tape of it and I played the shit out of it. That tape is long gone but Locust Season is making up for it big time.

“Meth Cowboy” is a great album opener with a great title. Heavy but modern with a crushing 2 guitar assault from Marc Gaffney and Doug Sherman that doesn’t drown out the bass of Jay Cannava. Barry is still ripping it up on drums. Take a look at these guys. They’re not exactly youngsters but they are pounding the world like a battering ram. Marc also handles the vocals and has a powerful voice somewhere between Chris Cornell and Marc Bolan. If this was 1988 and Gozu came onstage blasting “Mr. Riddle” opening for Zoetrope or Nuclear Assault there would be an instant pit. It’s not really metal but it’s still hard as hell and headbanging inducing. And there’s profanity in the lyrics! Always a nice bonus.

“Rise Up” also includes some good use of four letter words with a heavy Clutch via Hendrix stomp. There’s a totally scorching axe solo that sounds like Eddie Van Halen tackling Jimi’s “Who Knows.” If modern rock radio still existed they would be all over “Reagle Beagle.” This one would sound great on the radio flying down the highway and have everyone singing along on the falsetto “whoah aaaa woah” parts before the no nonsense boogie kicks back in.

Over all, Locust Season is a very solid and satisfying listen. None of the 9 songs are weak and it’s about 41 minutes – perfect length for a good album. Lots of variety so it doesn’t get boring and will appeal to just about anyone who likes heavy rock. Gozu is part of a really good breed of current Boston bands like Cortez, Roadsaw, Cult 45, Black Thai and the incredible Scrooges that makes up for past transgressions like Til Tuesday, Think Tree and SSD.  

Gozu or go home!

--Woody

buy here: Locust Season

http://www.myspace.com/gozu666

Extended Play Tuesday (on wednesday!): Tigger Clarkson, The Sweet Kill, The Doggs

Tigger Clarkson – The Balance EP

Pulling this EP from the stack and reading the artist name immediately conjured up some joke about Winnie the Pooh, but all humor was thrown out the window as I listened to this guys soulful approach on this four song mini epic. The first thing to know is that Tigger Clarkson can’t be pigeonholed into any particular genre. He uses elements of soulful R&B in his particular brand of rock n’ roll, but slips in little flourishes of jazz and funk, some heavy swamp blues, some alt-rock . . . mixing everything together to create one of the more enjoyable, and surprising, releases of the year. Opening track “Get Back To Me” refuses to have the listener walk away without swaying the hips or tapping the toes. Reminding me of later era Duran Duran with the soulful exuberance of Hall n’ Oates and sung by Seal, this song has all of those aforementioned elements screaming to be heard. It has a bit of a techno/electric feel to the drums, but the guitars mixed in have a touch of alternative distortion, which helps to give the sound some edge. Then, with the vocal performance, Tigger adds a vibe of that classic Philly soul sound. This is an addictive song and one that simply can’t be listened to more than once.

On the other side of Tigger’s songwriting spectrum, we have “Lies and Confessions” that I swear is a missing track from the latest Black Bone Child album. Stripped down and filled with a sludge-y swamp blues sound, this song is a rip roarin’ jamboree in some backwoods juke joint. Listen closely and you’ll hear the rain pitter-pattering one a hot tin roof while all inside the club are glistening in a coat of sweat. The bass drum is like thunder cracking in rhythmic time, the stuttering guitar lines like the rain crashing against the structure, the voice . . . oh Crom, that voice, is pure sexuality. Hot . . . steamy . . . filled with sultry swagger. “Blind Eye” and “Autokinesis” incorporate more of the 90’s alternative rock sounds, but Tigger does an excellent job of mixing in that rhythm and blues, and stuns the listener to comatose obedience with his voice. Can’t wait to hear a full length offering from this guy!  -  Pope 

http://www.myspace.com/tiggerclarkson

The Sweet Kill – Suicide EP

Now, I’m not one to normally celebrate my depression, or someone else’s depression, for that matter. But, in the case of The Sweet Kill, I might just twirl a noise maker around a couple of times. This 6 song EP looks to be a one man project and the brain child of one Pete Mills, who tackles the majority of the vocal duties and all of the instruments, with the exception of the drums. The songs contained within can be categorized as electronic, I guess . . . though I have a hard time with that classification because this stuff has a lot more soul than your traditional techno-infused electric music. Listening to this EP, I hear stuff that full on reminds me of the late 80’s, new wave polished goth scene. A scene made up of a lot of people who feared the sun and had a passion for dark clothing . . . and then get their freak on at some underground dance club with several hundred other like minded goth-y folk.

Every song on this disc has something to do with death. Suicide seems to be the ongoing theme, hence the title Suicide, but it’s not limited to self inflicted death. And throughout all the depressing subject matter, the music has a low end, danceable groove pushing it forward that one can’t help but feel the need to tap their toes or shake their ass to the thing. “Suicide Club” is an upbeat tune with a melody that immediately reminds me of New Order or Depeche Mode. That classic 80’s sounding electric drum and synth action makes me a little nostalgic and I find myself swaying in time with the rhythm. Mills’ voice has quite the range, powerful through the verses . . . in fact, a little gruff and aggressive, and then he shifts to a smoother quality in the choruses. He also does a great job of adding a little character to his performance by generating these little high pitched squeals in the midst of the more sultry lines, and I think this adds something fairly unique to the overall sound. “Night Terror Creeper” has a nice bass driven groove and the overall tone of this song has an ominous air. Mills does a great job of creating dark tension and still making it accessible.

“It’s A Good Day To Die” immediately makes me want to go clubbing in Europe. This song is full on up tempo and bouncy, and the overall mood of the song has a happier quality like all things are rosy. Then the chorus kicks in with its bubbly upbeat rhythm and rhyme, and we find out that today is a good day to die. If keeling over is this jolly, it’s no wonder why people commit suicide. They obviously know something that the rest of us have been missing. In all seriousness, I can’t help but love this song. The contrast of mood is cool with its darker lyrics and lighter musical style working in this odd yin-yang symmetry. This is a fun disc to be depressed to!  -  Pope JTE

http://www.myspace.com/thesweetkill

The Doggs – The Doggs EP

Imagine if Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf-man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon suddenly got Mohawks, pierced their cheeks, formed a band and threw all night, raving bon-fire beach parties.  That’s a bit of a hint at what awaits you on this freakishly cool four-song EP from Italy’s  The Doggs.

Blending a way-mutated sixties beach vibe with old horror film panache and both nostrils full of punky snot, The Doggs EP sounds like what’d happen if Johnny Rotten fronted the Cramps.  Big, swooping, uber-cool, post-sixties bass lines lay down the backbone for the barely controlled phlegm that follows.  Toss in some of the coolest, avante-punk saxophone work I’ve heard on an album in ages and those Johnny Rotten vocals and we’ve got ourselves a winner of alt-suave-garage-beach punk.

“Underground Drain,” is a bit of an inauspicious start.  It’s got one helluva cool, sixties-spy film, bass line, some damn fine, swirling retro-beach organ, and that amazing sax wailing away.  It’s also got the vocal that serves as the band’s mission statement. “We came from the underground drain/no hope to save our brain/we came from the underground drain.”  But over all the song serves really as an intro to the freaky mutant crew you’re about to meet.  The EP really takes off with the next track, “Kiss My Blood.”  There, the full spittle of the Sex Pistols vocals rage in full effect.  Some choppy punk guitar, sex sounds, and driving bass push this song over the edge.  Here we get the full beauty of the rotten Cramps, in kitschy, ghoulish effect.  “No Lights,” is a monstrously cool, post-swingin’ sixties retro-instrumental with that damn sax positively setting the tone over some wild wah’d out guitar. The hole shebang riding across a mountain of a steady bass line.  While “Animal” brings back the punky rave-up with some tasty guitar licks and a super-swingin’ melody.  Johnny Rotten’s back to amazing effect.  . .  and did I mention that sax?  Seriously, this song is about as stylishly cool as you could imagine.  A lava lamp party for the punky undead.  Don’t miss it. -- Racer


www.myspace.com/thedoggs69

Elvin Bishop - Red Dog Speaks

Famous guitarists frequently name their favorite guitars. Eric Clapton had "Blackie," his black Fender Stratocaster.  B.B. King had his "Lucille's" to remind him to never again run into a burning building. Dick Dale had "The Beast," a gold Fender Strat specially designed to take the abuse he applied to the guitar. Billy Gibbons created "Muddywood," from a porch board taken from Muddy Waters' birthplace. Elvin Bishop has "Red Dog," a cherry red 1959 Gibson stereo ES-345.  It is Red Dog that is the subject of his new album Red Dog Speaks.

Bishop's songwriting is, for many, an acquired taste.  His songs are mostly talking country blues in the style of country blues pioneer Jerry Reed.  The lyrics are usually corny.  Combined with Bishop's stunning resemblance to Harpo Marx you get the feeling Bishop will "go for the joke" and let you in on it when he can. The first track, "Red Dog Speaks," is a talking, walking blues about Bishop's ES-345. On "Fat & Sassy" Bishop recalls a great Thanksgiving Dinner and bemoans what his doctors now allow him to eat.  "Blues Cruise," is another talkin' blues, likely written for an actual Blues Cruise, that calls on Bishop's friends Ronnie Baker Brooks, Tommy Castro, Buckwheat Zydeco, John Nemeth and Roy Gaines to join in and play. "Clean Livin'" is a solo talkin' blues retrospective in which Bishop reflects on what has happened in his lifetime and about having grown old with an eye for the ladies.

There are also a few odd song choices on the album. Bishop performs an instrumental "Doo-Wop Medley" that covers the old standards "In The Still Of The Night" and "Maybe." He also does a cover of the traditional melody "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." In both cases the songs are rather old and dated but saved by Bishop's amazing guitar virtuosity. He also offers his own instrumental, "Barbeque Boogie," a guitar, piano, bass and drums blues jam that I suspect was actually recorded at an Elvin Bishop hosted backyard barbeque.

The best vocal tracks on the album are covers. Bishop does an amazing job on Crazy Cajun Huey P. Meaux's "Neighbor Neighbor;" he wails on Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers To Cross;"  belts out Otis Spann's "Get Your Hand Out Of My Pocket;" and slow burns his rendition of blues legend Leroy Carr's "Midnight Hour Blues."

On an album named after what Bishop's guitar can do the vocals hardly matter.  This effort is all about Red Dog.  Bishop can blow the listener away with his guitar playing and this album proves it.  It doesn't matter if you like or don't like Bishop's lyrics or his jokes.  It doesn't make one bit of difference whether the lyrics are talkin' blues or the music is improvised. The lyrics are of secondary importance. This is the blues. Just listen to Bishop make Red Dog howl, cry, scream and talk.

Elvin Bishop is a legend not because of "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" and "Travelin' Shoes" (although those hits probably put a large chunk of change in his pocket.)  He is a legend because, ever since 1963 when he first played with Paul Butterfield, he has been one of the finest guitarists - especially slide guitarists - alive.  Bishop makes Red Dog speak. Good boy Red Dog.

- Old School

Buy here:  Red Dog Speaks

Let your Fingers Do The Talking – Progressive Instrumental Masterpieces - featuring Charles the Osprey and Canvas Solaris

In recent weeks, I’ve been holed up in the Ripple Offices concentrating on getting this label up, running, re-charged so that it could run some more, etc. Y’know, business as usual. And, like any record label/music PR firm/music review blog/music commentary radio show office will, there’s music going on. I haven’t really wanted to listen to too much new stuff because when I’m entrenched in detail oriented work or acts of mundanity (yes, I made up my own word,) I like to have material that I’m familiar with., stuff that I can unconsciously sing or hum to. But, that kinda’ changed when I discovered a couple of instrumental albums. I found that while the music was unfamiliar and went all over the place, it didn’t inhibit my flow of energy. I like that. Then I began to take note of the musical intricacies nestled within the flurry of notes, and I that I wasn’t singing with my voice, but rather with my hands. Just as the musicians within these submissions were doing.

Take a gander with your eyes and ears to these two releases, and hopefully you’ll find that little something that will inject you with some additional energy.

Charles The Osprey – Consider

This outfit is a duo, and frankly, I’ve never heard a two-piece create so much intricate sound. The duo of Rafael Ohli on guitars and Derek Lancioni on drums seem to speak in waves of sound as the weave their musical performances between each other like two birds in flight, like two dancers across a ballroom floor. The music is kind of post-punk-y, post-rock-y, post-harcore-y, and at first glance, may appear to be senseless showmanship, but that’s where folks would have the completely wrong idea of what these guys are doing. These songs have structure, albeit, a loose one. The tightness of the musicians’ performances are enthralling and, often times, breathtaking. Ohli’s fingers pull off impossible chord changes, scale runs, and technical feats  . . . all of it leaving my finger joints a little more sore than when I woke up. Lancioni’s drum work is as expressive as the guitar work . . . filling the songs with huge tom patterns, incorporating subtle cymbal crashes, and propelling the songs into some of the oddest time signatures imaginable. The two musicians then meet somewhere in the middle for these hopped up musical conversations and magic is created.

Listen to a song like “Hornets Don’t Have To Feint” and marvel at how these guys can be so damned technically proficient and still craft a compelling song. The song is filled with amazing guitar acrobatics . . . scales played at stunning speed, but executed with clarity. In the background, loosely holidng things together, Lancioni fires of rolls with accented snare crashes to compliment the work that Ohli is doing, and then things get crazy and off time. These guys say more with their hands than a gymnasium filled with debate teams do with their mouths. The composition of this song is immaculate. One part loose and feeling like they just sat down and jammed this out in one sitting, the other part of it feels like they must have stood in front of chalk board, plotting out the parts for eons. Heavily structured music with a loose under current.

And while songs like “Conversations With The Deacon, Vol. I” are mind-boggling feats of musicianship, the song that absolutely floored me was “The Frontal Lobe A-Go-Go.” What a fucking master work! The clean guitar tones sound like they’re being pinched within their own groove and the way that Lancioni drops in, the whole tone of the song becomes this jazzy little epic. While Ohli is still holding down the rhythm, Lancioni is able to go ape shit, lobbing huge bursts of expression with the aid of his kit. In time, a dubbed in heavier distorted guitar creeps into the mix, adding an ominous wave of tension and intrigue. As the song cruises along its path, the duo holds back the barrage of notes and lets the song breath by adding longer pauses between the notes. But when they do get back to their chaotic nature, they don’t overdo it . . . they add just enough nuance and cacophony to create a dynamic shift in mood.

If you like progressive music and don’t’ mind a thrill ride when it comes to individual musical performances, then Charles The Osprey is not going to let you down on the first listen . . . or a one thousandth listen.

Buy here: Consider

http://www.frictionrecords.net/

Canvas Solaris – Irradiance    

     

Much like East of the Wall did a few years back with their stellar album Farmer’s Almanac, Canvas Solaris approach their post-metallic sounds with a complete disregard for the vocal element. Irradiate is filled with many an epic moment, constantly shifting the focus between the individual performance and the song composition, ultimately creating a piece of nine song masterpiece. The music, like most progressive music, utilizes odd time signatures, and what I’m finding most intriguing about Canvas Solaris is that they have an uncanny ability to create huge moments of mood. When these guys are all playing in seemingly different directions, it’s like walking through a dense forest, the senses are working overtime to process all that surrounds us, at times feelings claustrophobic and disoriented . . . and then when the band drops down to a more standard tempo and allow more space between the notes, it’s like walking out of that forest, into a wide open plain where the world is open for us to delight in its vastness.

“Conveyance of Flux” is a beautiful epic of a tune. Crafted in what sounds like a linear fashion, the song feels like it’s telling a story. I love how the track opens with some distorted synth-bass tones and then the rest of the band joins in with their avant jazzy attack, scale runs at a million miles an hour and drums snapping, smashing, and crashing like a wall full of china exploding on a hardwood floor. Then, to create nuance and extra dynamics, the band drop down and open up, sustaining notes and tones . . . creating space for the listener to breathe in the delights of the various sounds. This song has a lot of metal elements and, at times, reminds me of some of the more progressive moments of Iron Maiden and the gutter grit of Metallica. Note the exceptional bass work around the 3:34 mark. It doesn’t start off all that fancy, but after the first couple of measures, the bassist works some magical extra notes into the run and makes that portion of the song pop. Then, of course, there’s the understated guitar work with its volume swells and moody tones. I love that Canvas Solaris took us somewhere a little different on this song and didn’t simply dazzle us for the sake of dazzling.

“The Horizons Feast On Stars” is another fabulous journey into the mentally challenging areas of progressive music. Again, the band brings more mood and elements of emotional expression than most prog-music, and we as listeners don’t have to over think what the band is doing. This is partially due to them breaking up the din of multi-note flurries with ambient moments and subtle melodies. The three minute mark of this track is another high mark to listen for as this group of musicians executes highly proficient runs of music. “Glacier” follows it up with a high speed thrill ride that kind of paints images of riding on a snowmobile across an icy terrain, weaving in and out of frosty canyons, daring death to sweep us away. Then, there’s “Soliton,” a song that has huge jazzy elements, a quasi-Latin polyrhythm vibe, and some sexy bass tones. Amazing execution and an album that simply gets better and better with every listen! --Pope JTE

Buy here: Irradiance

http://www.myspace.com/canvassolaris

Guitar Talk with Legendary Underground Guitarist Terry Swope of JPT Scare Band

With his guitar heroics on full display on the latest JPT Scare Band album, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden, we thought that is would be a good idea to catch up with legendary guitarist/vocalist Terry Swope. Throughout the album, Swope's plays the guitar like normal people use their voices in conversation. One minute, subdued and docile, laced with melancholy, then that voice becomes more impassioned, a little louder, as if Swope is becoming more animated and excited about the topic of discussion. One thing is for certain, Terry Swope is a six string talent that has been lurking in the shadows for far too long. Jamming with JPT Scare Band since the early '70's, Terry has been hailed as one of the most unheralded guitarists in the world, Swope is often compared to Hendrix, Page, and Clapton in terms of his fret fireworks.

Take a look at what he has to say.

What made you decide to pursue playing guitar?

Feelings of pleasure and belonging. Music in general and the guitar in particular felt good to me. It felt good to hold the instrument, to feel connected to something. It felt good to slowly gain knowledge and get some positive attention for the effort. Socially it was satisfying to literally have a group of peers to share and learn with.


How quickly did you pick up playing the guitar? Did guitar playing come naturally, or was there a struggle involved?

I picked up the basic chords and strumming techniques fairly quickly. I loved to play and it was not uncommon to spend five to six hours every day practicing. Some days I'd play seven to nine hours. Playing came naturally to me. I found I could pick out parts to songs and learn them. It was also a struggle. I would become frustrated by my inability to get my hands to reproduce what I heard in my head. That struggle continues to this day.

What was the first guitar you owned?

It was an F-hole acoustic guitar that I bought in the record department of the Katz drugstore for $12. I don't remember the brand. Moments after this photo was taken I smashed the guitar against a telephone pole in the backyard.

Who are your primary influences? Guitarists, musicians?

There's a lot stars in the skies aren't there? Let me just name a few of my faves. Larry Carlton, Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth, Albert King, Joe Pass, Jimi Hendrix, Scotty Anderson, the Beatles, Bela Bartok, Charles Ives and XTC. Locally there's Walt Chambers, Andy DeWitt, Janet Jameson, James Albright, Ken Lovern, Danny Embry and Joe Clyne.



What kind of gear do you use? Guitar? Amp? Effects?

Guitars: Taylor T-5, Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Grosh Custom Carve, Eastman T185MX, J. Blackaster . . . Amps: Fender Deluxe, Vox AC50CPH, Bogner Alchemist, Bogner Metropolis, Carvin XV212, Egnater Rebel 20 . . . Effects: Boss GT8, Xotic AC Plus, TC Electronics Nova Modulator
                              
Do you play in standard tuning or do you use an alternate tuning? If so, why?

I'm in standard tuning 99.9% of the time. I experimented early on with a variety of tunings but never stuck with them.

What piece of gear can't you live without? What''s your "secret" weapon?

If I could only have one effect it would be delay. An Echoplex would be the favored type. You can create
spaces, rhythms, layers and even harmonies. Truly the most versatile effect. If I told you what my secret weapon was it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Seriously I don't like to think of weapons when
I think of music. But I will say this - a great compressor gives every guitar a chance to get lucky.

When performing solos, are you aware of where you're going or are you playing purely by mood and feel?

That depends on many different factors. If I'm working on somebody's project I'm going to be looking to please them. If I'm out gigging and covering other people's tunes I want to be in the same ballpark stylistically.

Left to my own devices anything is bound to happen. Music, and specifically the guitar, lends itself to all forms of mood and their communication. Or as Dr Karl Paulnack puts it, "Music allows us to move around those big invisible pieces of ourselves and rearrange our insides so that we can express what we feel even when we can't talk about it."



How has working with Paul (bass) and Jeff (drums) helped your playing? What effect has their abilities as musicians helped your development as a guitarist?


Probably the best thing about the Scareband is its lack of expectation. Throughout my career I've been involved in bands that were focused outward, on making money and being something customers wanted to hear. JPT is pretty much the opposite of that. It's all about what we want. Working with 
Paul & Jeff is really not work. We're just great friends into banging out whatever pops into our heads. The vibe is pretty informal and open-ended when the tape starts rolling. In other words I'm free to play anything I want. Jeff & Paul are very supportive, generous musicians who just happen to love playing in the same cosmic sludge pit as me.


What words of wisdom do you have for young (and old) guitar players who are just getting started?

Number one - enjoy yourself. If you can do that then you're a success. Beyond that learn as much as you can and create as much as you can. As far as the instrument goes get something you can play. It does not matter early on what your guitar might look like or might sound like. All that really matters is that you can put your hands on it and it feels good.

You can hear the magic of Terry's guitar playing on the latest JPT Scare Band album, "Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden."

Buy here: JPT Scare Band - Acid Blues