Got Nostalgia? < Back Way Back When: January Picks Nicole Brice Jan 6, 2025 Share Got Nostalgia? Yeah, we made it to 2025, and I know most of us are dragging ass trying to get back in the swing of things, myself included. Need some music motivation? I’ve got you. 1. 1000 Homo DJs - Supernaut When Al Jourgensen was asked to contribute a song to the Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath album, he chose to cover ‘ Supernaut .’ The first version recorded featured Trent Reznor on vocals, but when Trent’s label caught wind of his contribution to the song, the vocals were changed out with Al doing them instead. I prefer the Trent version, but that’s just me. Great cover, though. 1990 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5NunXMltyk 2. Scarling - City Noise Are there any Jack Off Jill fans? Scarling is one of those hidden gems that, unless you know … then yeah … you just don’t know. Formed by vocalist Jessicka Addams and guitarist Christian Hejnal , Scarling is a noise pop / shoegaze band formed in Los Angeles in 2001. ‘ City Noise ’ is one of those tracks you can’t fully appreciate by listening to only once. No, you must repeat this song to enjoy it truly. Turn it up loud! 2005 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlVLs2zlGNc 3. Mammoth WVH - Think It Over I am obsessed with Wolfgang Van Halen . Obsessed. His talent is extraordinary. I love this song so much! 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9agMWII1_c 4. The Go Go's - Our Lips are Sealed Everything about this song is perfect. Great lyrics. Catchy hooks. …and…the backstory behind this song is cool. Do a Google search . You’ll be amazed. 1981 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3kQlzOi27M 5. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle One of the most beautiful tunes New Order has ever crafted. 1986 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkOr12AQpnU Hey, if you don't like these, cool. If you've never heard them, check them out! Love and light, Nicole www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

‘Despair’ is a song full of truth. < Back Reviews on the Real: ‘Despair’ by Hawthorne Oachs Nicole Brice Mar 20, 2025 Share ‘Despair’ is a song full of truth. Hawthorne Oachs released her latest musical offering, ‘ Despair ,’ on February 22, 2025, and this track stands out from her usual style. Featuring her soothing, angelic voice, ‘ Despair ’ begins with haunting synths and progresses to a more upbeat tempo than her previous songs. Beautiful guitar parts weave throughout the track, filled with dark imagery that conveys deep meaning. Oachs' lyrics resonate with my soul , making it feel like she is in my mind with this song. Not only is Hawthorne a talented lyricist, but her wisdom shines through in everything she writes. I often find myself lost in an imaginary world while immersing in her music. Released February 22, 2025 - click to listen Lyrically, ‘ Despair ’ addresses the current state of our world and conveys the message that we are doomed to fail unless we unite . In one part, the artist expresses, "We're all in this together, yet we find ways to hate one another. Division will be our downfall." These words could not be more valid. Hawthorne's vocals always make me feel like I’m floating on a cloud, and in ‘ Despair ,’ this feeling continues. With a catchy chorus of "We're trapped, trapped, trapped, and we can't get out," I became wholly consumed by the song due to its powerful lyrics . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Dh0y_XIdc Hawthorne has a way with words, and she speaks the truth , so do yourself a favor and get lost in ‘ Despair .’ It’s out now on all streaming platforms. To learn more about Hawthorne Oachs: Musical Artist | Hawthorne Oachs www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

‘Reach’ is a powerful exploration of longing and hope. < Back Reviews On the Real: Everfelt Soars with New Single ‘Reach’ Nicole Brice Aug 20, 2024 Share ‘Reach’ is a powerful exploration of longing and hope. In 2022, a Psychedelic Rock band called EverFelt came onto my radar. I could not discern any definitive influences or sounds after listening to their music for the first time. It was so different. It was unique. Fast-forward to 2024, and EverFelt is still making new music and driving forward. Every time I scroll my socials, I see at least one or two posts from EverFelt, either promoting a show or an upcoming release or just spreading the love for those in the industry who are taking notice. EverFelt is one of the hardest-working bands out there, and I feel this next EP, to be released in September, will finally get them the recognition they deserve. Credit: Facebook Vocalist Adam Steglich has said of EverFelt’s sound, “I feel we have evolved with the introduction of our new drummer. It’s given us the ability to have the timing to slow the songs down more and create that psychedelic vibe that we were going for in the beginning.” The band comprises well-seasoned musicians, and the current line-up has Adam Steglich on vocals, Corey Robinson on lead guitar, Jacob Crawford on rhythm guitar, Jason Hensgen on bass, and Ryan Smelcer as the drummer bringing it all together. EverFelt’s latest single, ‘ Reach ,’ was released on August 8, 2024. It hooks you from the first listen and does not let up for six minutes and twenty-three seconds. Having constructed an elaborate song full of groove and sludge, expect your head to nod as the song progresses slowly with a killer guitar part until Adam’s vocals start in, only to trap you at 2:30, where this insanely beautiful guitar solo begins. The best way to describe Adam Steglich’s vocals is that they are reminiscent of the iconic Peter Murphy from Bauhaus . He has excellent control over his voice, and I cannot recall anyone who sounds exactly like him. The Peter Murphy comparison is the best I can do. With lyrics exploring the themes of longing and hope, ‘ Reach ’ is a song that gets ingrained in your brain, and I genuinely enjoy this latest incarnation of EverFelt. Their sound wasn’t quite as polished when these guys started, but I’ve been fortunate to see them evolve. I think they have finally carved out a signature sound with all the new material set to release on September 7, 2024, so stay tuned. In the meantime, there is plenty to explore from EverFelt, but I feel the best is yet to come if they continue their current trajectory. The rest of 2024 is shaping up to be incredibly busy for the band, too, with numerous shows booked and a clear and concise vision of how they want to approach 2025 and beyond. Credit: Facebook “We hope people can relate to our music and love it like we do, but we don’t want you to only relate to the dark tone. No, we want to show you the door we’ve found, which is EverFelt”, says lead vocalist Adam Steglich. The production on ‘ Reach ’ is top-notch, and the mix sounds great. The song invites you to close your eyes and get lost in the sounds, offering a brief escape from reality. After reading this review, I invite you to do just that. ‘ Reach ’ is now streaming on all platforms. To learn more about EverFelt, just hit one of the links below. Spotify : EverFelt | Spotify Apple Music : ‎ ‎EverFelt - Apple Music Website : EverFelt Facebook : EverFelt | Facebook Instagram : EverFelt (@everfelt_music) • Instagram photos and videos www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

The love of music paired with the love of photography found a home within me. < Back Off The Charts: A Lifetime as a Music Lover Bud Gambrell Jul 31, 2026 Share The love of music paired with the love of photography found a home within me. They say that in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. I would add one thing to that saying: change. Change is inevitable. It is going to happen. I can and will testify to that! My life has changed so many times that I feel like I have lived multiple lives. At what point in your life did you realize you love music? Did it happen all at once, or did it evolve over time? Is there such a thing as love at first listen, or does it take time to foster that feeling of adoration? I am really unsure of the answer to any of these questions. I think, for me, it happened over time. It happened as I developed my own taste in what I enjoyed hearing. Maybe the following will explain a little more. Another thing in life that is certain is music. Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Before I began my lifelong quest to collect music, there was my mother’s collection. She had a small collection of LPs that included Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass and Al Hirt , among others. I can still hear “ A Taste of Honey ” in my head. Mom loved those old albums. One of Mom's favorite albums One album in that collection I listened to many times was by Justin Wilson . It wasn’t about music. It was about comedy. Justin was a stand-up comedian before he became the TV chef. I just loved hearing that Cajun drawl. Mom always told me it came naturally because we had some Cajun in our lineage. Maybe that also explains my love for gumbo and boudin . Another album Mom had was a Readers’ Digest five-album set of music from the 50s. There were a couple of sides in that set that I spun often on her console-style stereo. You remember those, don’t you? The large console stereos with the top that would slide open, revealing a turntable and a radio inside. On rainy days, I would slip into the living room and put on a record. I enjoyed hearing those old rock tunes by bands like Fats Domino and Bill Haley & His Comets . Radio played a part in my discovery of music. When I was in the car with Dad, he always had the radio on AM country. It was the 70s, so the songs were by the greats like Waylon Jennings , Johnny Cash , and Porter Wagoner , among so many more, and some I didn’t know. It was also in the 70s that our family got our first car with an FM radio. I would take my mom’s keys and just listen to the radio. The clarity of FM radio amazed me. As best I can guess, it was around the mid-to-late 70s when I was in my room listening to the radio. Huntsville has always had a radio station, WAHR . It seems like forever because I always remember it being on the air. That station has always had the best signal in town. I was dialing through the radio and found a live broadcast of The Pat Travers Band. I stopped and listened. What was this sound I was hearing? I was intrigued by that Rock ‘N Roll sound! I have been a Pat Travers fan to this day! The good old days - 8-track and vinyl As a young man with an interest in music, how do you begin to dig deeper and build a collection of your own? There’s only one way! Join the Columbia House Music Club and order thirteen 8-Track tapes for a dollar . How else? While you are fulfilling your obligation with Columbia House , why not join BMG and order another eight 8-Track tapes? Tell me you didn’t do it, too. And how many of you still owe them for that one last album you never ordered? I bought The Greatest Hits of The Eagles and Bachman Turner Overdrive . I also had one of The Bay City Rollers . You remember, S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT! I suppose it was obvious I hadn’t quite settled on a specific musical taste yet. That came in the form of live music. Original ticket stub from when I saw KISS It was sometime in late November 1976 that my sister asked me if I wanted to go to a concert. Being the easygoing kid, I said, “Sure, I’ll go. What’s a concert?” Off we went to the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville for my first concert. I had no idea who KISS was. I had never seen a picture of them. I had never heard a song. I was in for an eye-opening experience! The opener was Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show . At one point in their set, it looked like the lead singer might expose himself. That was wild, but not nearly as wild as it was about to get. As we walked through the mezzanine to our seats, I kept seeing people in costumes and makeup. That was odd; Halloween was over a month ago. Then the lights dimmed, and we heard the famous, "You wanted the best, you got it! The hottest band in the land... KISS!" The music started as the lights came on, with smoke and the flash pots setting off explosions and fire! That entire set blew my young mind! In that one evening, my musical taste narrowed to Rock ‘N Roll! After that, my musical journey began: listening to and watching as many albums and concerts as I could afford. Tickets to concerts in the 70s were cheap, at least by today’s standards. Ticket prices were generally $6 or $6.50, up to $7 or $7.50. I guess it wasn’t all that cheap for a high school student at the time, but my buddies and I always found a way to get that cash together and buy that ticket. Albums were also only around $10. I did switch from 8-Tracks to LPs . That stands for Long Play . Today, I think most people just refer to them as albums or vinyl. Classic and Southern Rock were the soundtrack to my high school years. When my group of friends gathered, we always listened to those genres. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd , The Allman Bros. , Bad Company , Pat Travers , Pink Floyd , Thin Lizzy , etc. That list could go on for a long time. My good friend David had an old pickup truck. I think it was a 50s model. The truck was solid as a tank, but it didn’t have a radio. For entertainment in David’s truck, we would sing Skynyrd songs. There was no music. There was no Ronnie Van Zandt . It was just us wailing through the songs, one after another. I am so glad we didn’t have video recording devices back then. We usually had a bottle of whiskey with us. We had to keep our singing voices clear. (laughs) The concert journey began to expand into other cities in the early 80s. Finding out about concerts was different back then. It was more difficult. There was no internet, so you just had to keep your ear to the ground. One way we found out about local concerts was through flyers for upcoming shows that were sometimes handed out at the Von Braun Civic Center. We would venture to Birmingham or Nashville to see concerts. A couple of times, we would see a concert in Huntsville and then go to Nashville or Birmingham to see the next show by the same band. Two shows were small business to some people. They followed a band to several cities. It was big for us, though. A few times, I left town for a concert without parental permission. The Joe Perry concert in Birmingham may have been one of those. It was held at Brothers Music Hall in Birmingham . It was technically a club, so you had to be of age to enter. Only one of us had an ID to get in. The rest of us either used that same ID or found a way to sneak in. It was worth it. Imagine rail-riding right in front of Joe Perry ! I have no recollection of how many times I have told the story about the concert three friends and I attended in Nashville . The date was January 28, 1986 . That date should be familiar to most people. That was the day the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after launch. I stopped by work to pick up my paycheck. There wasn’t direct deposit back then. I watched the disaster unfold on TV. Then we took off for Nashville . We were off to see BB King at The Grand Ole Opry House ! Opening the show was The Fabulous Thunderbirds . I had never heard them, but I was so surprised to find another band whose sound I loved. I had heard of the next band before. My former roommate bought a cassette tape of " Texas Flood " and played it for me. I was totally blown away by the sound! The next band was Stevie Ray Vaughan ! To make the evening even more mind-blowing, Billy Cox , the former bass player for Jimi Hendrix , came out and played a Hendrix medley with SRV . BB King was the headliner. He was still young enough and in good health. He stood behind that mic and swayed to the music throughout the entire performance. He would do that hand slap, slapping the back of one hand into the palm of the other. Man, what a show! But wait, there’s more! For the encore of BB's set , Jimmie Vaughan and Kim Wilson from the T-birds , with SRV and Billy Cox , all came out and did a jam with BB . We left feeling like we owed more money. That ticket cost us $15.00. The best entertainment dollars ever spent! Below is the first official concert photograph I ever took. There are so many more to come! We were lucky enough to return to The Opry House to see SRV again later that year. This time, it was with Gregg Allman supporting his I’m No Angel album. That was a special trip, too. We managed to get a backstage tour of The Nashville Network (TNN) , which was located near The Grand Ole Opry House . During the tour, we were surprised to see Roy Acuff walk up and introduce himself. This legend introduced himself to us! Words left my body! Credit: Bud Gambrell Huntsville in the 80s had a good music scene, in my opinion. We had three bars that featured rock bands. That time was very enjoyable. On any given night, you could go to The Vapors , The Plush Horse , or my favorite, Cactus Jacks , to see bands. I made Cactus Jacks my regular spot. I once saw Pat Travers rock so hard in that venue that he blew the breakers. The band had to take a 30-minute break until they could get the power restored. I also got to see PT at The Plush Horse . I blame that night on my current hearing damage. He played so hard and so loud it popped my ears. I couldn’t hear anything after the show. Sidenote to that night. After the set, I couldn’t find my friend David. He finally resurfaced. I asked where he had been. He said he had been outside on the tour bus with Pat Tavers , smoking a doobie. What! Without me! An original flyer from back in the day The concert trail continued into the late 80s. I kept attending as many concerts as I could afford. There has always been a limit to how many concerts I could afford to attend. I actually missed two very big opportunities. At the time, they didn’t seem big, but they turned out to be missed opportunities. Around 1979 , some friends were going out of town to see AC/DC . I didn’t go because I was low on money. Less than a year later, Bon Scott died. Doh! The next time, friends were going to a show out of town to see The Fire Meets The Fury Tour , which featured Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughan . I had seen SRV twice, so for financial reasons, I thought I could wait for the next tour. There was no next tour, as Stevie perished in the helicopter crash. Besides, I had a job, and there were a limited number of days off. I had begun a career in television production, so I worked nights. I didn’t have a job where I worked during the day and could attend a concert at night. Bummer, right? Then came my first marriage and children. I didn’t completely put music aside. I still managed to get out to a local bar to see a band from time to time, though that slowed as the children grew more active. One band I made a point to see was from Birmingham . The band Gravy would make a trip up to Huntsville regularly. I loved hearing them play! Gravy was a power trio that played their own brand of Blues Rock . Unfortunately, they released only one album before disbanding. The singer, Rob Thorworth , released two more solo albums. During those years, I saw bands in bars and caught some good acts. Tinsley Ellis made regular stops in Huntsville . Chris Duarte stopped by when his first album, Texas Sugar/Strat Magik , came out. It was during those shows that I suppose I developed my affection for music photography. All I had was a simple 35mm point-and-shoot . It was nothing fancy, but it let me capture a decent shot or two. I also managed to get shots of Kim Wilson with The Fabulous Thunderbirds , Bernard Allison , and Jonny Lang . What I didn’t know then was that I would grow to love music photography. There was one concert I made sure to attend every year. It was called Big Spring Jam . The city of Huntsville would close downtown streets and set up five stages for three days of music. What an event! That weekend had something for everybody. The hardest part was narrowing down whom to see. Because the stages were so far apart, it was impossible to see all the bands you wanted to. It was unimaginable to leave one and make it to the other on time with 100,000 people in attendance. I believe a poll in Huntsville would show that everyone misses it. I know I do! That weekend was not only about the music; it also became a social event. Over the course of the weekend, the organizers estimated 250,000 – 300,000 people would attend. It was a great time to run into old friends. Hopefully not when you were trying to make it to the next stage. Catch you later. I need to get over to that stage! 1994 Big Spring Jam Original schedule from Big Spring Jam 1994 Fast-forward a few years, and we get closer to modern times. My taste has refined just a bit. Once, I was all in for the arena shows. The more people, the better, and the louder, the better. Now, I am happy going to a smaller venue for a more intimate show. I think Side Tracks Music Hall really fostered that. That venue was big enough for a 500-person show. It was also home to more intimate acoustic shows with smaller crowds. It could feel like a listening room experience. I have really grown to love that. I transformed from a teenager who liked to stand in front of the speaker stacks so I could hear it as loud as possible to the adult who likes to hear the words of the song. Don’t you dare say I have gotten old! I already know that. Sidetracks Music Hall - Huntsville, AL Side Tracks also gave me the space to explore music photography. That hobby at the time gave me the best of both worlds. I got to listen to music and take pictures. I will admit that it does not suck! I went to a lot of shows at Side Tracks. I began taking pictures there in December of 2019 . The headlining band was one I had become friends with, Them Dirty Roses . By my own admission, those pictures were not great, but they were mine. I could see that I had a lot of work to do to improve. I shot my next show that year on New Year’s Eve. The Georgia Thunderbolts were the headliner that night. I had become friends with them as well, so access was not an issue. Credit: Bud Gambrell I continued into 2020 and shot as many shows as I could afford while at Side Tracks . I was going to the show; why not take my camera? I would shoot for a song or two, then retreat to the patio to review what I had done. I made adjustments and shot more pictures. Some of those early pictures were good, and some were horrible. Actually, you may be surprised at how many bad shots I still come home with. You will never see any of those frames. The love of music paired with the love of photography found a home within me. I found both worlds so enjoyable. I got to listen to music and take pictures, all while meeting so many people. There are so many I count as music family. That bond cannot be broken. That’s a different kind of family. This is an, if you know, you know, subject. If you know, then you understand. If you don’t know, I cannot explain it to you. Sometimes, I wish I could count how many bands I got to see in the few short years Side Tracks was open. That place had something special. I suppose most bars strive for that “something special.” Side Tracks had it. The music was always good. The people were always friendly. The staff was always kind and helpful. It had everything you needed for a great musical experience. I also wish I had a count of the pictures I took there. It would be in the thousands. I took pictures very liberally. I was trying to hone a skill. I found that the more I shot at concerts, the more I liked it. As I said before, it doesn’t suck. This lifelong love of live music had evolved into concert photography. After shooting mostly at Side Tracks , I felt I was ready to try a bigger stage. It so happened that Tab Benoit was coming to town. I have been a fan of his for many years. I believe that I came up with a number of around 29 years. I was finally going to get to see him play live. I asked if I could bring my camera. I was told yes. You would have thought that I won the lottery! I could not have been happier. That was my first show to photograph on a larger stage with a professional lighting setup. That concert and those pictures will never leave my memory. Credit: Bud Gambrell In 2022 , I came to a crossroads. I love going to concerts. I also love photographing them. My dilemma was: Is anyone seeing the pictures? Is any of it making a difference? I asked myself whether to continue. Well, like any Taurus-born American boy, I’m too stubborn to quit. I’m not going to quit going to shows. If I continue to photograph, how can I find a larger audience? How do I get myself more in front of a national crowd? That is when I began my venture into concert reviews with photographs for a magazine. The first challenge was finding a publication. That wasn’t too difficult. To date, I’ve worked for four magazines and now have my own column in Mixed Alternative Magazine called Off The Charts . If you’re reading this in MaM , you probably already know that. If not, go find it. Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite band. Original tour poster JJ Grey & Mofro My first review was of JJ Grey at Mars Music Hall in The Von Braun Center . I felt like I had made it. I was in the pit, taking pictures of a national band. I have to admit, it was very cool! I learned that shooting larger concerts had limitations I wasn’t used to. The main difference is that most bands only give you the first three songs to shoot. I was almost in a panic. How will I ever get done that quickly? Now, after doing the three-song minimum so many times, it is a breeze. If it’s a band I like, it gives me more time to watch. Credit: Bud Gambrell After that JJ Grey review , I received an email. It was from the PR person at the VBC . She had seen the pictures and asked if I would be interested in joining their photographer pool. Wait! What? I get to do what I love and get paid? Sign me up! Have you heard of Cloud Nine ? Well, that’s where I was. My next show was shooting one of my favorites. That was a pinch-me-to-make-sure-I’m-not-dreaming moment. I was scheduled to shoot Gov’t Mule . It was Warren Haynes ! I had seen him play several times before with Gov’t Mule , The Warren Haynes Band , and The Allman Brothers Band . It felt like a dream to be in the pit, right in front of Warren . Credit: Bud Gambrell This concert photography adventure keeps topping itself. I have never made a bucket list of bands I’d like to shoot. In reality, it keeps writing itself. The time I got to shoot Judas Priest was surreal . I saw them years ago and had been listening to their albums since around 1978 . I stood in the pit directly in front of the Metal God himself, Rob Halford . Will someone pinch me already? The holy grail of shows for me Those bucket-list shows just keep coming. The time I got to see Jamey Johnson and Charlie Starr sing George Jones ’ song " Yesterday’s Wine ." I got so caught up in the moment that I forgot I was supposed to be taking pictures. You may have seen the picture that circulated on the internet of Elwood Francis from ZZ Top playing a seventeen-string bass. Yeah, that was me. Simply pointing my camera in the direction of Billy Gibbons was mind-blowing in itself. In 2022 or 2023 , I shot bands in fourteen different venues. To some photographers, that is a very small number, while others may see it as a lot. I saw it as fun! Credit: Bud Gambrell I went into that much detail to show that two loves can grow into a passion. Or do two passions grow into something bigger, like an obsession? I only say obsession because if I attend a show now without my camera, I sit and imagine what shots I could be getting. I look at the lighting. I look at the players and how they are performing. I rarely go to a show anymore and wish I didn’t have my camera with me. I guess you can’t shoot them all. There is another part of music photography that I have come to love. I very much enjoy the promotional shoots . The one-on-one shoots are almost as much about fellowship as they are about work. The bands are always a lot of fun! You can get to know someone a lot in a couple of hours walking around taking pictures. I did mention work. In all actuality, this is not like work at all. How does that old saying go? "Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Google says that Mark Twain said that. How fitting. Credit: Bud Gambrell Don’t think for a minute that my love for music is limited to large arenas. I do enjoy seeing local musicians in small rooms or on outdoor stages. Huntsville is becoming a music hotspot. Music is played virtually every day of the week. I don’t get out as much as I used to, but when I do, it’s always enjoyable. I have made so many friendships through music. I’m often asked if I play. I’m around music so much that they assume I do. My answer is always, “I can barely play the radio.” That gets a laugh, most of the time. Music has a power that is unexplainable. Music can cheer you on in happy times. Music can lift you when you are down. A song can spark a memory from long ago. Music can bring people together, even if they speak different languages. Music is the universal language that everyone speaks. Get out and support local music. Find your favorite band. Go up and introduce yourself to someone in the crowd to see what happens. You may have just started your own music family. Until next time, Keep your diamond down in the groove! Where to find Bud: Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

The BIG Reveal are Off the Charts < Back Unveiling The BIG Reveal: Alabama’s Rising Alternative Rock Band Bud Gambrell Apr 7, 2025 Share The BIG Reveal are Off the Charts 395 ! Three hundred ninety-five miles. That amounts to a car ride lasting around six hours. You are likely asking yourself why this is relevant. Well, I will tell you. I was contacted on Tuesday of last week by my editor and publisher, Nicole , regarding a band she wanted me to research called The BIG Reveal . Just a quick sidenote: Nicole is the one who makes it possible for me to write these articles. She has been so very supportive of me since we first met. If you get the chance, stop by the contact page and show her some love. Let her know you appreciate what she does. Now, back to business. I reached out to the band she suggested, The BIG Reveal , and was able to interact with their manager, Chad Parker , to get things rolling. We had a nice conversation, and he provided me with some background information. It was enough information for me to dig in and learn what I could before I interviewed them. One thing to note about The BIG Reveal is that this is a young band , which I truly enjoy learning more about the up-and-coming talent out there. They are the future of music , so we need to delve deeply into the music they are creating. The music industry has become a shell of its former self, and with so many avenues to discover music, when you think about it, there really isn’t one good avenue. It’s all so cluttered, and amongst the clutter stands The BIG Reveal . Photo provided by band The number 395 I mentioned above represents the number of miles it would have taken me to get in my car and drive to Grand Bay, Alabama , where The BIG Reveal originates. Since that was not possible on short notice, I relied on the interwebs to assist me. We live in the glorious days of technology. We have YouTube , which hosts a plethora of videos. (Mark one off the bucket list. I got to use plethora in a sentence.) YouTube is great because you can see the video of a band, not just an audio recording . We also have social media pages at our disposal. Like many bands, The BIG Reveal has music available on their website , which is a feature that a good number of bands these days don’t even have. Can you believe that? When you can visit one spot to see it all, it makes things easier when researching a band. Once I did my homework, it was time to call the band and have a conversation. Dive in below to learn more about The BIG Reveal . OTC : Hello guys! Thanks for taking my call. Introduce me to the band. Gavin Parker : I'm Gavin . I play guitar and sing. Blake Hall : I'm Blake . I play drums. Luke Puckett : I'm Luke . I play bass and sing harmonies. OTC : How long have you guys been together? Gavin : We've been together for about a year, but Luke just came in a couple of months ago to play bass for us. OTC : How did you guys meet? Gavin : I started the band with a couple of friends from school, and we were having fun. We got pretty good, but then it started getting serious. So, they backed out because they had other commitments at school, such as sports. Then Blake , the drummer , ended up living like five minutes away from me. Someone gave me their number, and I contacted them. After we met, he started playing drums for me, and then we met Luke online a couple of months ago. Click to visit The Big Reveal's website OTC : Can you tell me about your musical background and how you got started? Gavin : My entire family plays music. I grew up around it and just listened to the ' 90s pop-rock stuff. It has been my favorite since I was a little kid. Blake : I started playing drums about two years ago. I have always liked music a lot and always loved the drums! Luke : No one in my family is musical whatsoever. I decided I really wanted to about four years ago. I've always been classically trained on the piano . That started when I was about six or seven years old. I took lessons, and then I self-taught myself the bass about four years ago. OTC : Did the bass clef from your piano lessons carry over to the bass guitar? Luke : Yes, sir, it did. It helped me learn bass guitar quickly. OTC : While I was talking to your manager, he mentioned the Arts Block Party at UAB . Tell me about that. Gavin : Yeah, that was back in September 2024 . We entered a competition they had. It was like 150 something submissions . People got to vote on four bands that they wanted to play at the Block Party . Our fans showed up to vote for us! So, we ended up playing there! Jemison Hall at UAB was really cool! Photo provided by band OTC : So, the competition with The Arts Block was going to be in Birmingham , and you guys are in South Alabama. Your fans must have really stepped up for that. Gavin : Yeah, so that's when our TikTok page was starting to get a lot of traction. We made a couple of videos, and they all went and voted for us. OTC : Tell me a little bit about your fan base. They seem to be loyal. Gavin : Our TikTok site started picking up around June 2024 . We currently have approximately 37,000 on there. The local fan base is pretty devoted! They come to a lot of our shows! Our fan base is pretty cool for voting for us in multiple competitions that we've won. OTC : You also won a radio competition for WCPR . Tell me about that competition. Gavin : That was a competition to play at the Biloxi Crawfish Festival . 97.9 , CPR Rocks was running an ad explaining where you could submit your band’s music, and then people could vote for you to play. So, again, the same people, the same thing. People voted for us to win. I guess they like us! We will be opening for Puddle of Mudd , Hinder , Cowboy Mouth , and Marcy Playground at the Crawfish Music Festival on April 26th . Click to go to 97.9 WCPR's website OTC : You have a new album coming out. I'm assuming it's your first time in the studio. Could you describe the process of recording the new album? Gavin : We tracked everything at our home studio. One of the bands that we met in Birmingham at the Arts Block Party connected us with their mixing engineer in Knoxville . So, we tracked everything at home, and then we sent it to him, and he makes it sound good. OTC : Can you share with me a memorable experience while recording the new album? Gavin : I'm trying to get everything right and not being too much of a perfectionist. Just getting it how we want it because it's going to be there forever. It’s our first album, so we’re trying to make it as good as possible. Upcoming shows for The BIG Reveal OTC : Did you learn anything about yourself through your music during that recording process? Gavin : The thing I learned is that I'm more of a perfectionist than I thought I was. It took a while for me to accept some stuff. Blake : I learned that recording is a lot harder than it seems. I prefer the live shows to the recordings. It's just a long process. OTC : How would you describe the music that you created for the new album? Gavin : I'll say that it's real close to ’ 90s alternative rock , pop rock , post-grunge stuff. One of my favorite bands is Sister Hazel . You can hear their influence on this album. The ’90s pop-rock stuff is really what this album is influenced by. OTC : Blake, what would you say your influences are? Blake : My influences are bands like Foo Fighters , Nirvana and Led Zeppelin . They have influenced the way I play. OTC : What about you, Luke? Luke : Nirvana for me as well, and The Beatles . And then there were a lot of the 90s bands, like Green Day . However, I also really enjoy alternative rock , such as Goo Goo Dolls and The Killers . OTC : What are your long-term goals for the band, and what are you most excited about for the future of your music? Gavin : I think the goal has always been to do it until we can't anymore. Just keep doing it, having fun, and getting a larger and larger fan base. Luke : I think for me, it's definitely that I want a tour. I would love to go on a tour. The BIG Reveal album release show coming on April 11, 2025 OTC : What role does your social media play in the way you're focusing your career? Gavin : Our social media got us some attention from a couple of major independent labels that we are keeping in contact with. It has really helped us out a lot. TikTok has been strong for us. We are able to record live videos of what we are doing. It’s a way to put yourself out there and let people know what you are doing. OTC : What's the most unusual fan interaction that you've had so far? Gavin : We had this guy at our very first show. He had a little too much to drink, and he ended up coming up and almost getting up on stage. He was pointing the finger at me and singing the wrong words. But he was having fun. Blake : They always want me to sign broken drumsticks. I hit hard during shows! OTC : You are a new band. Do you have a favorite venue that you’ve played at so far? Gavin : Bozos in Pascagoula. We're having our album release party there. People always show up there, and we always have a great time. We played at The Soul Kitchen in Mobile for 92.1 the ZEW 's Christmas show, which was pretty cool. OTC : I have one more question. I'm going to ask all three of you with this one to see what y'all come up with. If your band had a superpower, what would it be and why? Gavin : I would fly so that I could fly around. Fly around the shows and I could surf on my guitar—air surf, you know, with a wireless setup. OTC : Like the Silver Surfer ? Gavin : Yeah, that would be pretty cool. OTC : What about you, Luke? Luke : My mind is a little bit more practical. Just to be able to play everything and not mess up, and just be impervious to making mistakes. OTC : Blake, what do you got? If your band had a superpower, what would it be and why? Blake : Probably not to run out of energy. Three-hour shows can really take a toll on you! OTC : Any final thoughts for your fans, old and new? Gavin : Our debut album is set to release on April 11th on Spotify , TikTok , and across all our social media platforms. At an early stage in their musical journey, this group of young men already has a loyal following. The one thing missing from their fan base is you. Get on board! One thing I haven’t mentioned before is the band's age. I wanted this article to be based on their music, rather than having any preconceived notions about their youth. Gavin is only 16. Luke is 18 and Blake is 17. This is a promising young band, and they are only going to get better. Until next time, Keep your diamond down in the groove! Where to find Bud: Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell My new book Bud Gambrell Photography by Bud Gambrell | Blurb Books Where to find The Big Reveal: Website: The BIG Reveal Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557900071233 ‎ Apple Music: The BIG Reveal - Apple Music Spotify: The BIG Reveal | Spotify TikTok www.tiktok.com/@_thebigreveal *photos provided by the band www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Got something for Bud to check out? Reach him at the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Vesper < Back One of the Best Indie Sci-Fi Movies You Should Absolutely See Keeley Brooks Jan 11, 2023 Share Vesper From time to time, I like to write about movies I watch and spill about them to all of you. Recently, my Dummy (husband) and I sat down to watch the movie “Vesper,” one of the latest independent science fiction films to hit theaters, then Video On Demand. Starring Eddie Marsan ("Ray Donovan " ) and Richard Brake ("Peaky Blinders " ), along with a cast of mostly unheard-of British talent, this dystopian drama is fantastic on multiple levels. The acting, storytelling, computer-generated effects, score, and cinematography all work brilliantly together to pay homage to classic sci-fi films, and with its post-apocalyptic backdrop, it’s the perfect formula for a standout dystopian flick. Its plot centers around 13-year-old Vesper, played by extremely gifted child actor Raffiela Chapman, who is a young girl living alone with her bed-ridden father (Richard Brake) on the outskirts of the Citadel, which is, of course, the area built for the rich to live and thrive as the less fortunate are left to fend for themselves in a dying world of fear, violence, hunger, and no hope for a future. Vesper’s father is bed-ridden due to an injury he received fighting for the Citadel and as a result, is left on a ventilator, paralyzed, unable to do anything but move his eyes. Vesper, being the genius she is, built a drone and hooked it up to her father’s brain so he could communicate with her. Together they must learn to survive in desperate conditions—an undertaking made slightly easier by Vesper’s mad bio-hacking skills … and I do mean mad. She is solely responsible for keeping him alive and healing any wounds that might develop, and the more we watch, the more we discover how integral Vesper and her wits are to the story's developments. Additionally, we learn she also grows plants with some of the most breathtaking abilities you’ve ever seen on film. One day while out foraging in the woods, she comes across an injured woman and brings her home to heal her ... then we learn this woman is hiding a huge secret that may just save the entire world following the collapse of Earth’s ecosystem. I won’t reveal all the deets and spoil anything for you, but I will tell you if you’re looking for a great sci-fi film to get lost in, you’re gonna want to watch this one. The movie creates an astounding landscape with some crucially inventive special effects, and it doesn’t sidetrack itself by trying to explain every tiny little detail, thereby leaving some imagination up to the viewers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dajBhMSd00 " Vesper " is beautifully written story by French writer Bruno Samper and Kristina Buozyte of Lithuania, both known for 2012’s "Vanishing Waves." The screenplay was written by Brian Clark, who is best known for, you guessed it, "Vesper." It’s currently streaming on AMC+ and is available for rent on Video On Demand. If there’s a rainy day in your future, take advantage and get lost in another world for a while. Its ending will leave you full of hope and sweetness, having rooted for Vesper the whole way through. You won’t be disappointed. You're welcome. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

A little bit Riot Grrrl mixed with female sensitivity < Back Candace Schur: Rock’s Next Big Female Powerhouse Nicole Brice Aug 7, 2023 Share A little bit Riot Grrrl mixed with female sensitivity Growing up as a teen in the 90s, I idolized musicians such as Kay Hanley from Letters to Cleo , Gwen Stefani , Lisa Loeb , and Monique Powell from Save Ferris . Their vocals were powerful, their lyrics were poignant, and their style was unmatched. One could even say they encompassed the softer side of the Riot Grrrl aesthetic by showing vulnerability and femininity. In a nod to revisiting that period, new generations of female musicians are taking the reins and paving the way for this latest wave of 90s nostalgia currently hitting us, and one female lead has such a strong presence that I feel she will be the one to reignite the female powerhouse movement in rock music. Her name is Candace Schur . Credit: Jeff Crespi With beauty that rivals Debbie Harry from Blondie, Candace is a hair stylist by day and a kick-ass frontwoman by night. She is gorgeous, fierce, and strong. Her beauty is not just surface level, though. No, her beauty lies also in her lyrics and delivery of her songs. Her energy is so intense that you can feel it radiating as she sings. Her songs are ones I could envision myself as a teenager singing along to in my room when feeling despondent and alone. Credit: Jeff Crespi With intricately constructed tunes showcasing themes of angst and redemption, Schur is the lead singer of the indie grunge/alt band Candy Cavity out of New Jersey . I was fortunate to learn of her music recently from a friend and one listen was all it took; I was instantly hooked. With songs such as ' Not Over It ', which talks about not being able to move forward after a break-up just yet, Schur writes from a relatable perspective about love and loss. We’ve all been there … break-ups. They are terrible and they gut you, but from the teenage girl's perspective, they are traumatizing. ' Not Over It ' is truly the perfect song to be the soundtrack for a love lost in the wildly formative years of adolescence. Credit: Jeff Crespi On another favorite track of mine, ' What You’re Missin ’, the sexy and fierce lyrics make you want to say, “Ya know, I could kick your ass if I wanted to.” The song is upbeat and fuzzy and in-your-face rock. I wanted to learn more about the woman behind the music, so I reached out to Candace . She and I had the most enjoyable conversation and I instantly connected to her free spirit and vibe. Check out a little bit of our conversation below. MaM : Thank you so much for talking with me today. Your voice is incredible, and I love your look. It all just goes together so well. What year did the band form and how did it initially come together? CS : My first band I was in was called Girl , which I formed with a boyfriend at the time. When the band broke up, he took the drummer and I took the bass player, who was also a drummer, too. After that, I had to change the name of the band, but I was the core holding it together. I decided to call the band Candy Cavity . The name of the band had been stored in my memory from math class my sophomore year in high school when I’d be sitting in class just doodling pictures of me fronting an all-girl rock band. It just popped into my mind when I needed a new band name. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : So, what year did Candy Cavity actually form? CS : 2018 – I can’t remember if our first show was in 2019, though, but it was definitely 2018 when the band formed. MaM : As far as your vocal styling goes, I love your singing voice. It reminds me of Brody Dalle from The Distillers meets Debbie Harry meets Kay Hanley from Letters to Cleo, but who do you cite as your ultimate inspiration for what you do? CS : Growing up, my parents were not big on rock music. My dad listened to mellow 70’s rock—more so like Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young —but he also liked Tina Turner and Alanis Morissette . My mom was more into dance and pop music, but she was all over the place, too. I wasn’t into rock until my teens, just because I hadn’t really been introduced to it, so this was in the early 2000’s and punk and emo was big then … bands like Newfound Glory and The Starting Line and Taking Back Sunday . Green Day was huge. Pop punk was big for me and is what I got into first, but then I started playing acoustic music and I played it for a long time, but I wanted to switch to an electric sound. The songs that I started writing weren’t very good, but I started writing songs when I was 13 and I hid out with all of that, but I don’t think many knew I played guitar. I sang in chorus in high school and any opportunity I was given to sing extra, I took it. I joined this church choir, too, just so I could do more singing. I also took vocal lessons, but I knew I always wanted to take my singing to another level. I didn’t want to be seen as a folk artist, though. When I first started, the songs did end up taking on more of a folk vibe, but there was a point where Riot Grrrl bands were a huge influence for me—bands like Bikini Kill and Letters to Cleo . Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : I love, and I mean, LOVE Bikini Kill and Letters to Cleo. Kathleen Hanna is an icon. Kay Hanley is amazing. CS : Yeah, I actually saw them not too long ago. I went to the city to go see them. They’re great! Veruca Salt inspires me, too. Good Charlotte , too, believe it or not. I got into them when I was really young. I was always drawn to the band’s energy, and I wanted to put on a show with music that people could dance to and really get into. MaM : What do you say inspires your lyrical content? CS : Life experiences, but I have written some songs that are fabricated. It will start with one idea and then I just build on it. I have this one song called ' Happy New Year’s .' I wrote the song kidding around because I have this cousin who is in and out of jail, but I wrote the song from the perspective of his wife. A good amount of my songs draw from real experiences, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUd31_RQDOE MaM : If you could share the stage with anybody or any band, who would it be? CS : Number one would be Blondie . Number two would be Garbage . MaM : I love Shirley Manson with every fiber of my being. (laughs) Ever since 9th grade of high school, Garbage has been one of my favorite bands. CS : You know who else? L7 ! MaM : Yes! I love L7 so much! CS : I love angst bands so much. But then I also like ones with the glam aspect, too. You know what I mean? Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : Oh, definitely! We are so in sync! Where do you see yourself headed in the future with the band? CS : I want to play shows with bigger crowds, and I want my songs to be relatable and honest for other people and you do what you do, and you put it all out there and you go, that’s all good, and great, but how do I get to the next level? That’s kind of where I’m at right now. To experience the music of Candy Cavity for yourself, hit one of the links below! You’ll be locking yourself in your bedroom singing along at the top of your lungs while having teenage daydreams of hot guys. Facebook : www.facebook.com/CandyCavity Instagram : Candy Cavity (@candycavity) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify : Candy Cavity | Spotify Apple Music : ‎Candy Cavity on Apple Music *cover photo by Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nicole Brice wishes she could decorate her bedroom with female musician posters, but she’s pretty sure her husband would get mad. She is always on the lookout for the next great female musician to discover, so if you have something you think she should check out, e-mail her at the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Would you commit a crime if you knew you could get off scot-free? < Back Infinity Pool Unnervingly Taps into Fear of Humanity and Poses Serious Question Shaun Corley Apr 21, 2023 Share Would you commit a crime if you knew you could get off scot-free? Traveling abroad can be an exhilarating, mind-opening experience–but it can come with a dark side, and Canada’s Brandon Cronenberg mines this vein to brilliant effect in Infinity Pool, his third feature film. The follow-up to 2020’s excellent Possessor , Infinity Pool takes the viewer on a hellish journey into a world where justice is as seemingly cruel as those who commit the crimes. The film benefits from the presences of Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth, with the former, in particular, turning in a stellar performance. Brandon Cronenberg burst onto the scene with 2012’s Antiviral . The film, about people paying to infect themselves with infections culled from celebrities, was greeted with generally good reviews. Antiviral showed promise, but it would be another eight years before Cronenberg made good on it with Possessor . An unnerving film about a consciousness-transferring assassin, Possessor earned its director accolades from both fans and critics--and left them all wanting more. Now, nearly three years since Possessor debuted at Sundance, Cronenberg delivers the follow-up: Infinity Pool . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNd5VOZ4oME The movie opens with James Foster (Skarsgård) on vacation with his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) in the fictional country of Li Tolqa. Foster, a writer, is struggling not only to write his next book but also to save his marriage. He has a chance encounter with an actual fan named Gabi (Goth), who invites him and Em to spend a day at the beach with her and her husband Alban (Jalil Gaspert). Foster and Em take Gabi and her husband up on their offer. The two couples head to the beach the next day, where Gabi cheats on her husband with Foster. After a day of awkward revelry at the beach, the couples head back to their resort. On the way, a drunken Foster hits a pedestrian crossing the road, killing him. James wants to call the authorities, but Gabi insists that law enforcement in Li Tolqa is merciless and will not treat them well, as tourists are never to leave the resort. Sure enough, the next morning, James is arrested. Gabi was right: Li Tolqa’s criminal justice system is harsh and the court rules that James must be executed at the hands of his victim's firstborn son. It is here that Infinity Pool takes its turn into the truly unsettling. James learns that justice in Li Tolqa is not only harsh but also downright bizarre. For a hefty fee, a person condemned to death can be cloned, and the duplicate then becomes a stand-in for the accused. James agrees, and he and Em are forced to watch his clone killed right in front of them. credit: IMDb credit: IMDb From there, Infinity Pool descends into a nightmarish groove. Watching his duplicate die stirs something within James, and he decides to stay in Li Tolqa–much to the chagrin of his already distant wife. Gabi and Alban introduce James to a group of other Westerners who have all been accused of murdering people and, like James, found a thrill in watching their clones die. These Western tourists take James in, and he finds himself caught up in their (criminal) activities. Gabi, Alban, and the rest commit crimes knowingly, with the understanding that the only “punishment” is their clones being killed–and since they all get a sick thrill out of it, it is an ideal situation for them. Infinity Pool asks a question: If you could commit crimes for what amounts to a slap on the wrist, would you? For the wealthy Western tourists of Li Tolqa, the answer is a resounding yes. Gabi, Alban, and the rest murder local people as well as harass the resort staff; it is the stereotype of the “Ugly American” carried out to its brutal extreme, and it is this that gives Infinity Pool its narrative heft. credit: IMDb It is very much a critique of Western exceptionalism: James and his “friends” are, thanks to their wealth and privilege, able to take advantage of loopholes in Li Tolqa’s legal justice system and continue their indulgent lifestyles. Infinity Pool calls out a world where the justice system favors the rich and famous. And while it may be tempting to paint Li Tolqa’s courts as fascist and militaristic, the viewer must ask if it is in response to the very Westerners who regularly come to their country and harass the locals. No history for Li Tolqa is given (nor is their cloning process explained) but there are hints of colonialism throughout. In their attempt to modernize and bring equity to their country, Li Tolqa has merely perpetuated a cycle of their oppressors, one that disenfranchises the poor and the working class. It is not hard to see parallels with our own modern Western society in Li Tolqa. Every so often, the media will pick up a story about a Western tourist who runs afoul of local authorities and then finds themselves in serious legal trouble. Such a scenario taps into a deep fear of humanity, and Infinity Pool plugnes right into this, injecting it with a serious dose of relevant social commentary. Infinity Pool is currently available to rent on Video On Demand. Questions or comments? Send an email to the_keeleybrooks@mixedaltmag.com or the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com . Shaun Corley is an East Coast pop culture enthusiast who loves to write about everything entertainment. He’s a big, important Screen Rant writer with many leather-bound books (and comic books) and, yes, his apartment smells of rich mahogany. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

It was a night of unfiltered rock music to remember. < Back Weekend Rock: Smile Empty Soul at the Freetown Boom Boom Room in Lafayette, Louisiana Elise Hanks Feb 4, 2025 Share It was a night of unfiltered rock music to remember. Two weeks ago, I got the chance to see a band I have been dying to catch live, California-based Smile Empty Soul ! They made a stop at the Freetown Boom Boom Room on Sunday, January 19th, 2025, as part of their CONSUME and OBEY Tour , featuring Lines Øf Loyalty and Embers Rise , and let me tell you, this show did not disappoint. Credit: Elise Hanks The night kicked off with Embers Rise , hailing from Northern Illinois, and they brought their own brand of awesomeness to the mix. I first met Ethan Bartman (vocals/guitar) at the merch booth, and honestly, he felt like a local, super down-to-earth, like an old friend. The whole band had that southern gentleman charm, which makes sense considering they have their very own gentleman Rick Duncan , a.k.a. “ Mr. Mustache ”, in their lineup. A highlight of their set was hearing “ Victim ” live, a killer collab with Lines Øf Loyalty that had initially dropped in October of 2024 . Next up was Lines Øf Loyalty from Kenosha, Wisconsin, and wow, what a surprise! Their set hit me right in my soul. Their entire vibe is about staying true to who you are and screw all the rest. And frontman Nubz Morrison lives it through and through; he’s literally got the word Loyalty tattooed on his face . That’s dedication. Their performance was raw, emotional, and packed with the energy that makes you want to scream along. Last but certainly not least, we had our headliner, Smile Empty Soul. Leading up to the concert, I had ' Bottom of a Bottle ' stuck in my head all week . My anticipation was through the roof, and the live experience completely exceeded my expectations. Smile Empty Soul sounded just as raw and grungy as I remember when I first got into them in 2003 before I understood the songs' meanings. Jon Loree was seamless on the drums, and Sean Danielsen ’s voice sounded like it hadn’t aged one bit. Hearing them live and in person was everything I could have hoped for. This tour’s final stop was right here in Lafayette, and even though we were bracing for snow soon, the venue itself was filled with warmth and excitement. Every band brought something special to the stage, making it so worth braving the cold. (And yes, defrosting in my car afterward was absolutely necessary!) If you ever get the chance to see Smile Empty Soul , Lines Øf Loyalty , or Embers Rise live, do it. You will not regret it. To learn more about any of the bands mentioned above: Smile Empty Soul Embers Rise Lines Of Loyalty www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com *All photos courtesy of Elise Hanks Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Fresh indie albums and singles you'll want on repeat. < Back Reviews on the Real: Music Picks for July 2026 Nicole Brice Jun 30, 2026 Share Fresh indie albums and singles you'll want on repeat. A new month is just around the corner, which means it’s the perfect time to discover some fresh indie tunes and albums. We’re all about variety here, so this list is packed with different genres and sounds—there’s something for everyone. Vudu Sister – Adynata (album) – alternative folk – released March 20, 2026 Vudu Sister is a gothic folk band from Providence, Rhode Island , and their music really sticks with you—think haunting melodies, poetic lyrics, and a vibe that draws you in. Their latest album, Adynata , has twelve tracks, each one telling its own story with lyrics and rich, moody sounds. We previously covered the tracks, ‘ Magic Powers ’, and ‘ The Valley ’, which you can read about here . In order to fully appreciate the artistry that is Vudu Sister , throw on a pair of headphones, make a cup of tea, and shut out the world. Adynata is out now on all streaming platforms. Click photo to listen Aaron J. Burke – Day by Day (song) – alternative – released June 6, 2026 Aaron is an Irish musician whose stripped-back songs hit you right in the feels. His lyrics are honest and raw—they just get under your skin in the best way. ‘ Day by Day ’ is no different; it’s the kind of song that can bring tears to your eyes before you even realize it. If you’re into music that really tugs at your heartstrings, Aaron’s tracks are a must-listen. We’ve talked about his other songs before— ‘ Phoenix ,’ ‘ Run for Cover ,’ ‘ My Therapy ,’ and his EP, Rise Not Fall . Seriously, give all of Aaron’s music a listen, and don’t miss out on streaming ‘ Day by Day ’ right now. Click to listen Dakota Shreddly Amacker – The Abysmal Voyage (album) – rock/metal – released June 26, 2026 Dakota is a Mississippi musician (you might also know him from Shades of Wisteria ) who absolutely shreds on guitar. His latest solo album, The Abysmal Voyage , is packed with ten tracks of jaw-dropping instrumental guitar work—it’s seriously impressive. There’s a reason people call him “Shreddly.” If you’re into mind-blowing guitar, you’ve got to check out The Abysmal Voyage . Go stream it now! Click to listen pMad – NineFortyFive (song) – post-punk - released June 6, 2026 pMad is an Irish musician who’s keeping the spirit of post-punk alive with every track he drops. His music is haunting, moody, and packed with depth—seriously, it just hits different. His latest song, ‘ NineFortyFive ,’ is a punchy, upbeat track that sounds like what you’d get if Machines of Loving Grace and Joy Division teamed up. Go give ‘ NineFortyFive ’ a listen—you won’t regret it. Click to listen Glitter Litter – Final Summer Night (song) – out July 3, 2026 Our next pick doesn’t officially drop until July 3rd , but we got an early listen—and trust us, you’re going to want this on your summer playlist. ‘Final Summer Night’ is the latest from Sweden’s Glitter Litter , a project that’s pure glam-punk goodness. The songs are raw, bold, and totally immersive, each one painting a wild, colorful story you can’t help but get lost in. We’ve raved about their tracks like ‘ Main Attraction ,’ ‘ Johnny’s Got a Girlfriend ,’ and the EP Shocks to Sleeping Beauties , but this new one just might be our favorite yet. Who doesn’t want a little summer magic? Click to listen on July 3, 2026 Keyton – Trace of Red (song) – emo/punk - out July 3, 2026 Keyton is an emo-punk musician from Alabama who knows how to cut straight to the good stuff—no gimmicks, just honest, hard-hitting music. Our Alabama insider, Bud Gambrell , wrote a great piece on Keyton back in 2024 (definitely worth a read!). His latest single, ‘Trace of Red,’ is a total powerhouse from start to finish—nonstop energy, real emotion, and seriously catchy hooks. It officially drops July 3rd , and you won’t want to miss it. In the meantime, dive into Keyton’s other releases—you’ll be glad you did. Keyton’s previous track, ‘ Lucid Dream ,’ dropped in December 2025 —and it’s a must-listen. Give it a spin and get lost in his sound. Click to listen on July 3, 2026 Alfred Banks – Yestermonth (album) – hip hop/rap – released June 12, 2026 New Orleans-based Alfred Banks’ new album, Yestermonth , is an absolute gem . It’s all about pushing through, perfecting your craft, and beating the odds—stuff we can all relate to. Banks is honestly one of the most underrated voices in hip hop today, and his flow gives me serious A Tribe Called Quest vibes: thoughtful, meaningful, and packed with depth. These are the kind of songs that really make you reflect. Trust us—don’t just pick a song or two. Throw on some headphones, hit play, and let yourself get completely lost in Yestermonth from start to finish. It’s out now, so dive in! Click to listen Want a spot on next month’s list? Send us your music—we’re always excited to hear new tracks and feature fresh talent! Email: mixedalternativemag@gmail.com www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Mellow & Smooth < Back Easy, Breezy Sounds: The Music of Tommy Thibodaux Nicole Brice Apr 18, 2023 Share Mellow & Smooth We all love listening to live music, whether it be at a huge venue with a local band or at a restaurant while enjoying a few drinks and food, and this is where this next local musician fits in. A self-taught musician based out of Walker, La., Tommy Thibodaux has been playing guitar longer than I have been alive. He is a man who enjoys playing for those who appreciate it, and his takes on classic songs by George Benson, The Temptations, and Neil Diamond are refreshing. He adds his own unique twist when performing these tunes and others. With over 800+ songs in his knowledge base for performance, Tommy’s outgoing personality and wardrobe, paired with his even brighter guitars, make him stand out from the others. Thibodaux plays music five nights a week—sometimes even more, and he can sing for over three hours without his voice ever cracking. Mellow, cool, and calm is the best way to describe him. With his laid-back vibe, his music puts you in a calm space, and one could even say he might just be Jimmy Buffet’s long-lost twin. At the end of the day, though, Tommy is just a genuinely nice guy who loves what he does and who loves music. After you read this interview, be sure to check out his Facebook page for any upcoming dates of performances. credit: Gary Governale MaM : Thank you for taking time to speak with me today. I appreciate it. I’ve been checking out your videos on Facebook to get a better feel for your music and want to tell your story. Give us a brief background on your music career. What got you into playing music? TT : I started out in school playing drums and then I was exposed to guitar through a friend who had an electric guitar. When I saw him play it (laughs), from then on, I was hooked and I had to have one. MaM : Do you remember the type of guitar your friend had? TT : No, sure don’t. It was some type of cheap Japanese guitar. MaM : Who or what do you cite as your influences musically? TT : Eric Clapton, of course. Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Lukather, and Neal Schon. MaM : Great picks! I saw on your videos this bright orange guitar that you play. Is that a Strat? TT : No, that is actually a Charvel. MaM : Really? Wow. From the angles you had posted in the videos, it looks like a Strat. It’s a pretty guitar. TT : Well, the funny thing about it is that it is made by Fender, but Charvel acquired Fender many years ago. Fender has many guitars that look like others. credit: Gary Governale MaM : When you’re playing your sets, it’s just you, correct? Have you ever thought about putting together a band? TT : No, I do this for a living, and so I don’t want to form a band. If I had a band, I wouldn’t make as much money, so I like to just keep it solo since it’s a full-time gig for me. MaM : What influenced your decision to perform full time? Were you just like, “This is what I love to do and so I’m going to just go for it?” TT : Pretty much. You find out what you’re good at and you stick with it. Plain and simple. MaM : Do you try to emulate a specific sound with your guitar tone when playing? TT : Sort of. I’ve got a pedal board or guitar modeling processor that has a lot of amps and effects to it. I like to stick with the basics, though, with Fender amps and Marshall and Mesa Boogie. I like the Fender Amps for old school rock or blues … for my clean sound. I use the Mesa Boogie on songs by Carlos Santana or something that needs that heavy high-gain distortion, and then the Marshall is just for playing any kind of rock songs that require that chunky, British sound. MaM : As far as gigs, do you have a certain area you like to stick to or do you like branching out to as many areas as possible? TT : I like to stick to about a 90-minute drive. I live in Walker, so that can put me in Bay St. Louis, Miss., or Lafayette or Thibodeaux, La. I even play in McComb, Miss. I do play places in between, but I don’t want to go past 90 minutes. MaM : I can understand that. The older I get, the less I want to drive. TT : I used to sell cars and I just got tired of that environment. Happy to be making music and doing what I love. credit: Gary Governale MaM : So, do you only play covers when performing or do you have some originals you perform? TT : … [For] the songs I perform, I like to put my own little spin on them. I use virtual instruments on the computer for my tracks, and it takes me about 20 minutes or so for one song, but you really [have to] know what you’re doing with the software to be able to get it right and finish it up in a short span of time. MaM : What else would you like our readers to know about you? TT : I’ve been playing music for over 40 years. Before I started performing solo, I used to have an act with my daughter. Same kind of act but just with her singing. That was fun, but when I decided to go solo, the first thing in my mind was, ‘Can I sing a three- or four-hour gig by myself?’ It was almost like I needed someone with me as a crutch. When I finally embarked on the solo stuff, I realized I can sing for that long, and I can sing for possibly six or eight hours if I really want to. With that kind of confidence, people have asked whether I warm up when I sing or drink anything special. I tell them, ‘No, I drink ice water, soda, or an iced tea.’ The only thing that affects my voice is coffee. It messes with the muscles in my vocal cords because of the heat. MaM : See, hot coffee puts me to sleep. Cold coffee keeps me awake, though. So strange. TT : Right, but it’s been a long journey. When you look at it from different angles, it’s not really acoustic. I don’t know what to call it, really. It’s just an electric solo gig. I’ve had people ask me to swap my electric for an acoustic, which I don’t want to do. When I was coming up in the 80s, there weren’t really that many of us doing solo electric gigs. I did a solo gig with my first wife, which we had just come out of a band that had broken up, and then we just decided to perform as a duo. Now, it seems like more people are doing what I do, but it’s a lot of fun. credit: Gary Governale MaM : What are your favorite songs to perform live? TT : I like playing sing-along songs like ‘Country Roads’ or ‘Sweet Caroline’ or even ‘My Girl’ … songs [people] know the words to. I play over 800 songs, though, so it’s difficult for me to pick a favorite. When I start my set, I like to open it up with ‘Reason’ by George Benson, which is a jazzy instrumental. It lets me get a good feel for the room. I like to make sure I’m not too loud or too soft—just balanced. After that, I start going into my set. MaM : What are the three things about playing music you feel are important when reeling in the crowd? TT : Well, people must like the way you sing, the guitar playing, and the song choices. If you have that nailed down, then you pretty much have it. Those things matter whether the audience is going to applaud, dance, or tip you after. The thing about it is that when I’m on stage, I get a chance to capture the audience. I don’t want to be the guy in the background that no one is paying attention to. If that becomes the case, then I just need to hang it up. - To check out Tommy’s music or to book him for a gig, be sure to check out his Facebook page below. Tommy Thibodaux | Facebook www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

It was a set of perfectly balanced fresh material. < Back Pop Evil Delivers Old and New at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park on April 2 Jeff Crespi Apr 4, 2026 Share It was a set of perfectly balanced fresh material. Pop Evil stormed through The Stone Pony on Thursday, April 2, 2026, and absolutely did not disappoint. With their new album, What Remains , out, the band hit the stage in full force, delivering a set that perfectly balanced fresh material with the old-school favorites longtime fans came to hear. Credit: Jeff Crespi The energy in the room was electric from start to finish—I even spotted someone in the ADA section up and jumping along, which says everything about the atmosphere that night. Having photographed and followed these guys for years, I can honestly say they continue to raise the bar every time . Their consistency, professionalism, and connection with the crowd make them one of the most reliable live acts out there. Opening the night was Kamenar , a two-piece independent hard rock band made up of twin brothers Sean and John . Hailing from Tampa, Florida , they brought an explosive level of energy that instantly grabbed the crowd’s attention. Their musicianship is tight, their stage presence is animated, and their sound hits just as hard as bands twice their size. Credit: Jeff Crespi I had the chance to catch them previously at the Wonder Bar , so I knew what they were capable of—but they still managed to exceed expectations . What really stands out, though, is their appreciation for their fans . After their set, they made time to connect with the crowd, which never goes unnoticed. Bands like Kamenar are exactly why it pays to show up early and catch every opener. You never know when you’ll discover your next favorite act along the way. In the meantime, check out the latest from Pop Evil called What Remains . Every song is a hit, and hearing the songs live made me appreciate them even more. The album was released in 2025, but they recently dropped a Midnight Edition of the record on March 27, 2026 . Be sure to stream it now! *All photos by Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Teen Idle’s music is a rich tapestry with heart and soul. < Back Woven with Feeling: The Artistry of Teen Idle Nicole Brice Oct 9, 2025 Share Teen Idle’s music is a rich tapestry with heart and soul. Sara Abdelbarry is an exceptionally gifted musician hailing from the vibrant shores of Asbury Park, New Jersey , who goes by the name of Teen Idle when she’s creating music. I had the pleasure of meeting her through my good friend Jeff Crespi recently, and her passion for music immediately struck me. Since her debut release in 2020 , she has taken the local music scene by storm, unveiling an array of captivating singles and EPs that showcase her extraordinary talent. Sara is a true force to be reckoned with because she not only makes music, but she also does all the production herself, too. Credit: Jeff Crespi With an angelic voice that resonates with profound depth and emotion , Sara has a remarkable ability to draw you in with every note she sings. I find myself completely entranced by her music; it’s beautiful, haunting, creative, and simply amazing. One of my personal favorites is ‘ Burning ,’ released in 2022. The guitar sound at the start is incredible. I love this song so much! It feels like a mix of Juliana Hatfield and Tanya Donelly , with a hint of PJ Harvey —a true alternative dream. In 2022, Abdelbarry was asked to contribute to a Jersey Shore compilation , where she put her own enchanting spin on The Beach Boys’ classic ‘ Don't Worry Baby .’ Additionally, she has taken iconic tracks such as ‘ Be My Baby ’ by The Ronettes and ‘ Bad Romance ’ by Lady Gaga and infused them with her distinctive style, breathing new life into these beloved songs. Sara’s music is a rich tapestry woven with heart and soul , and every time I listen, I experience a chill coursing through me. Her sound embodies a genre I like to call Alternative Americana Rock Pop —if that doesn’t yet exist, I’m more than happy to claim it as our own! Credit: Jeff Crespi In addition to being profoundly gifted, Sara Abdelbarry is a radiant spirit , overflowing with creativity and passion that shines through in her music. We warmly invite you to dive into her entire catalog and experience the artistry she offers. Discover more about the inspiring Sara Abdelbarry and her captivating project, Teen Idle , below. MaM : I was reading how you play numerous instruments, so with Teen Idle, are you a one-woman show? Is that all you? SA : Essentially, the band really started as basically my solo project in college. I started around 2018 . It was just my outlet for writing music, and I didn’t want to put it all under my own name because there’s a specific connotation that comes with using your own name, and it can cause assumptions about where you’re from culturally, just based upon a name. The general assumption usually is that this person isn’t a singer-songwriter, and so that was the last thing I wanted for this project. I’m making everything from acoustic rock songs to really big ballads. The moniker Teen Idle was something I had had in my back pocket since high school. I had seen the name somewhere, and I told myself that when I have a band, this would be the name. I do all the writing and production, and it is basically a solo project in that sense. However, in a live setting, I have a full five-piece band. I play rhythm guitar , and then we have a synth player , drums , bass , and then a lead guitarist . It’s cool because all of these songs I write in my bedroom, and I make these productions. Credit: Jeff Crespi My first EP was recorded in a local studio. Still, the first stuff I was recording, and really the point of making the name Teen Idle of the project, was just for me to get things out there, so I ended up posting a bunch of music to Bandcamp , and it was more like a solo project. Still, I had always intended to have a full band when playing shows. I was living in New York at the time, attending college in New York City , and when I moved back home after college, I realized that all my friends from high school were living in different places. So, I told myself that I wanted to be part of the music scene in Asbury Park . I had been a part of it growing up because I had taken music lessons in Asbury , so it was sort of my introduction to the scene because I was taught by people who fronted bands in Asbury , and it always inspired me. I told myself, ‘That’s what I need to do when I am older,’ and I guess after I had moved back home after graduating college, it was sort of like a daunting feat to find a way to become part of this music scene. I ended up investing all of my energy into it, but due to COVID, I didn’t play my first show as Teen Idle until 2021 . Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : I want to say your voice is extraordinary, and as I was prepping for this interview, I was listening to your Beach Boys cover, and I absolutely love The Beach Boys. When did you discover you had a natural gift for singing, and how old were you when you really started to get into music? SA : You know, it’s interesting, because I’ve just been obsessed with music in every way, shape, and form since I was about six years old. I remember in second grade, when I was living in New York , I would go over to my neighbor’s house after school. We would sit down and watch MTV music videos, and his mom would make us frozen mac and cheese. It’s just such a core memory. I would watch these people, such as Gwen Stefani , Jennifer Lopez , and Avril Lavigne , and I started to develop an obsession with pop stars and their music. I think I bought my first CD shortly after, in second grade , and I would listen to music every day on the bus. I was always singing, yeah. I think I was nine when I picked up a guitar, and I was into the Jonas Brothers , and they were a big enough inspiration to me to pick up a guitar. I was always singing along to their music, accompanying everything I saw on the Disney Channel , and I've just realized I have a passion for singing. Credit: Jeff Crespi Vocals have been a real journey for me, though, honestly, and sometimes I think people think it’s easy for me. I’ll watch old videos of myself performing at The Stone Pony with the music school I was a part of. In high school and middle school, I was a shy child, but I was clearly passionate about singing and performing. Listening to how different my vocals sounded at that age compared to now, it’s almost as if I’ve developed this lower register, and I guess life happens, but it wears your voice down. It’s interesting to hear how much higher my voice was, but from when I started playing shows with Teen Idle to now, I have become more aware of how I am using my voice by watching older videos. It’s been a journey of learning how to use it correctly. MaM : On your song, ‘ Burning ’, you have this incredible guitar tone at the beginning of the song, and I wanted to see if you used any special pedals or anything to get that sound? It hooked me. SA : Oh wow, I’m trying to think, honestly. I haven’t listened to the recorded version in a while. MaM : It really caught my attention, and I tend to zone in on stuff like that. I’m a massive sucker for a heavy bassline, too. SA : I produced and recorded the song by myself and was experimenting with different sound effects and pedals. I honestly think it emerged from some weird audio mishap, and I just kept it. MaM : We call those "happy accidents". So, you also covered ‘ Be My Baby ’ by The Ronettes! Let’s talk about that. That’s always been one of my favorite songs. What an incredible rendition of a classic song. I love that you’re bringing these older songs into a newer generation, but with a different spin. You’ve got The Beach Boys cover and this one. What made you want to cover those songs, and do you have plans to cover any other classic songs? SA : There’s a local record label called Shore Points Records , and seasonally, they’ll put out different compilation albums, so the Beach Boys cover was actually part of this compilation called Local Summer . Just a bunch of Asbury artists covering songs that reminded them of summer, and I agonized over which song to pick. After I looked through my music library, I felt that I really knew this song well, and it’s such a vibe, and I’m constantly bobbing my head to it. I got into the studio with my drummer, James , at this place called Lakehouse , which is, coincidentally, where my drummer and I met when we were kids. Still, James is a talented producer and engineer, too, so just the two of us in the studio made that cover. He did the drums , and I played everything else on it basically. Additionally, he’s a heavy-hitting drummer , which inspired me to create a more rock-oriented version. I then decided to write a guitar riff over it that differs from the original. I think that song is so brilliant, and the chorus is fantastic. Now, ‘ Be My Baby ’, that was for a different compilation. I put together a compilation of all female artists and asked them to contribute a song. The funds went to a charity that fights against the trafficking of women. I just wanted to cover a really powerful female artist. MaM : Which leads me to ‘ Bad Romance ’ by Lady Gaga. How did that one come about? SA : That was another one that we did for a Shore Points compilation, and this one was all women-focused, highlighting different artists in the area. I got to do that one with Cory Blair ; she is just a phenomenal musician and one of my favorite songwriters. The concept was to pick a song from a powerful female artist you like, similar to the other one, but we toyed around with different stuff. We eventually landed on doing a Lady Gaga song, and we had to figure out which song was a doable song to do to make it our own and different. I’ve been obsessed with ‘ Bad Romance ’ since literally the day it came out. We wanted to honor her music and completely reimagine it. We took apart the entire song – rewrote the chords, redid everything. We wanted to slow it down, too, but when we did, it was eight minutes long, so we had to take out huge chunks. We then had the idea to do a sort of country version, because I haven’t seen that done yet for a Lady Gaga song. I had this clear vision in my mind, and then we just set it up. It was a grueling process, but we learned a lot. We basically wrote a new song using the lyrics and structure. MaM : What is your favorite genre to listen to, and do you have a specific top band? SA : I love so many different things. I think it would be impossible for me to say. I listen to a variety of genres, including classical, jazz , Middle Eastern funk , 90s grunge , and indie rock , but it depends on my mood—different bands suit different situations and moods. If I want a hype playlist, I’ll listen to those early 2000s pop songs. I’m open to everything. As far as bands, the reason I started writing music, I would have to say, is because of Fleetwood Mac . I remember discovering them as a teenager, and shortly after, I wrote my first song. I love Nine Inch Nails and St. Vincent . Her guitar playing and how she conducts herself in her career are amazing. I have so many. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : How do you approach writing a new song? Do you come up with a lyric or melody first? SA : I have definitely written stuff that is more on the intentional side, so I have to sit down and do it actively, but usually the way I work is I’ll make a demo , and if it’s not for an intentional compilation, then a song will usually start with a feeling . Maybe I was inspired by something that happened in my life. Perhaps I’m feeling really happy and uplifting . I’ll either be noodling around with the acoustic guitar or playing the piano, but sometimes, through noodling, I’ll discover a riff. I record everything I think is a good idea in my voice memos, so I have a million voice memos of stuff with me noodling with stuff that could become a song later. If I’m sitting down to write something, though, if I’m feeling a certain way, it’s usually me noodling around on the acoustic or humming a melody with words that don’t make sense to sort of get the syllables of what I want the song to sound like. When I’m actually writing lyrics, I’ll try to write something that follows those syllables and the rhyming scheme, but that actually makes sense. I’ll then make a full demo of everything, even if I’m going to be recording with someone else. Production and songwriting are really linked for me. Credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : What’s been the most challenging part of navigating today’s independent music scene? SA : Good question. It’s much different now than it was in 2015 , and I think the toughest thing is trying to figure out how to get people to listen to the music —trying to figure out how to do things organically and DIY with no budget, too. So, yeah, doing things on a budget and t rying to fight against the social media algorithms for exposure , and the trends, too. Trying to figure out how to break out of that mold and do something that’s really individual and goes against the grain. Walking that line, knowing what is going to get you exposure. As Teen Idle continues to establish a distinctive place in the indie music scene, fans won't have to wait long for the next release. A new single titled 'Vampires' will be available on October 24 , followed by a full-length album scheduled for release in spring 2026 . Teen Idle is only just beginning, so be sure to stay tuned for more updates. *Cover photos by Cory Blair and edited by Sara Abdelbarry To learn more about Teen Idle: www.teenidle.net Teen Idle Home page of Teen Idle, an indie group from Asbury Park, NJ. Teen Idle is the musical moniker of New Jersey songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Sara Abdelbarry. All live photos by the man with the plan, Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

A young Southern rock band on songs, touring, Huntsville, and the faith to keep going. < Back The Alabama Heathens Load the Merch and Drive Anyway Zach Taylor Jun 29, 2026 Share A young Southern rock band on songs, touring, Huntsville, and the faith to keep going. A few weeks ago, Bud Gambrell asked if I wanted to tag along for a promo shoot with Mike Roberts of 5ive O’clock Charlie at the Orion Amphitheater . Afterward, Bud wanted to interview me for this magazine. Wait. Let’s back up even more. On January 13, 2026 , I published my first novel, Rockstar: Echoes . One thing that came from publishing my first book was the desire to make the second one better. More realistic. More lived-in. I am not part of the music industry, but I am a massive fan, and it became important to me to immerse myself in the world I was writing about. I just didn’t know how. I just kept loading the merch and driving anyway. Enter Bud. We met at Rocket City Reading Festival, exchanged books, and stayed in touch. That eventually led to the Orion shoot, which led to the three of us hanging around afterward, talking about life, kids, and music. That was when Bud and Mike started talking about Mike’s son, Jude Roberts , and his up-and-coming band, The Alabama Heathens . More specifically, they were talking about Jude’s technique. His slide guitar playing. His feel. His ability to play with a kind of touch and confidence that seems unusual for someone his age. Okay. Now I was listening. Literally. Credit: Bud Gambrell On the way home, I cued them up. “ Here for the Whiskey .” “ On the Run .” Then “ 99 Miles ” jumped out at me. There is something about Southern grit and a slide guitar that gives me goosebumps. Fast forward a few weeks. Bud asked if I wanted to interview The Alabama Heathens at Moonpie John’s . Of course I did. Not only is it less than a mile from my house, but it is also an incredible store that serves excellent food. Oh, and my uncle Jeff and aunt Cori own it. So, there I was on Father’s Day, sitting at my dad’s pool, jotting down questions for my first music interview. Important note: this was my first interview ever. It was also my first article for this magazine. I am a published writer. I have been a blogger. I have covered bass fishing and Auburn sports. But never music. So, I decided to ask different questions. Credit: Bud Gambrell Part of that came from my own experience with Rockstar: Echoes . When you do interviews or podcasts, you learn pretty quickly what it feels like to be asked the same questions over and over. I assumed a band would appreciate something a little different. What I did not consider was whether the Alabama Heathens had actually been interviewed a lot. Whoops. But that ended up being the best part. Because instead of getting polished answers from a band that had already learned how to talk about itself, I got something better. I got musicians who were still close enough to the beginning of the story to be honest, funny, slightly unsure what to expect, and completely themselves, and that matters. Credit: Bud Gambrell The Alabama Heathens are not a band built out of marketing language. They are not trying to sound like a press release. They are young, Southern, talented , and still figuring out exactly what they are becoming. Even when they question why they put up with all those hard miles and small checks, if they get checks at all. But when they talk about music, the seriousness comes through fast. Before we started rolling, I asked if there were any questions they wanted me to ask. Jude shot back immediately: “ Guitars. Equipment. Stuff like that .” Well, we didn’t get to much of that in our first session because I spent the first conversation chasing the story instead of the gear, but we’ll get there. Oh, and I should mention that this interview happened before I had seen them play live. Watching them perform at Huntsville’s Mars Music Hall on June 26, 2026, quickly made me realize that an interview is one thing. A performance is another, and it deserves its own story. From hanging out backstage with the band, to celebrating the event with their friends and family, to the awe I felt watching them perform, there is more to come, so stay tuned. Credit: Bud Gambrell *The following conversation has been edited lightly for clarity. MaM : When you put songs into the world, you open yourself up to appreciation, but also criticism. What has that experience been like for you? Dylan Johnson : I’ve pretty much only written about stuff I’ve experienced. One of the biggest things is that some people have negative stuff to say about the recordings sometimes. MaM : There is a difference between a recording and a live performance, though. A recording is permanent. A live show can change from night to night. How do you think about that difference? Jude Roberts : Sometimes we do play things differently live. We are a rock band, so we want to keep jamming. If we want to play the solo completely differently tonight, then that is what we will do. That feels honest. If the audience does not like something, we can take that and think, “Maybe I should not do that,” or “Maybe I should keep doing this.” That kind of adds to it. MaM : With lyrics, it feels even more personal. You are putting part of yourself into the songs. Do you think about the way people respond to the words? Dylan : When people sing the songs back to you, it is a pretty wild experience. I remember writing a song in my bedroom, and then a couple of years later, it's out, and you're playing to a crowd, and those people are singing it back to you. I wrote this new song called ‘ Thick as Thieves ,’ and I have been getting hard compliments on that one. Somebody came up to me and said it reminded them of one of their best friends they lost. That is why people listen to music. It makes us feel. It makes us remember. So being able to do that, coming from where we come from, it means something. I just try to write about my experiences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A1ojGTDVVw Thick as Thieves by The Alabama Heathens Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : Some of your lyrics feel like they are always moving. There is this sense of being on the road, running, pushing forward, trying to get somewhere. Is that part of the band’s mindset? Dylan : Maybe. I want to figure it out a lot faster than we probably will. But I hope so. One time, I drove all the way from St. Augustine, Florida, to Nashville. I am not proud of this, but I had barely slept for two days, and I drove seven and a half hours to make a show that was basically a cover show. But I loved the idea of it. If I can do that, then I can do this. I can play sixteen hours away if I need to. I love the idea of that. I feel like we have what it takes in that aspect. A lot of people are not down for that. MaM : That sounds like more than just wanting to play music. What are the Alabama Heathens seeking? What puts you on the run like that? Dylan : Leaving a legacy, I believe. Sometimes I think that if some of my old choices had sent me somewhere, then I could at least look back and say I did it. I have hobbies, but I am a musician. This band is a brand, and I do not want to look back and think, “I wish I had done more.” I do not want to feel like I stayed stagnant. MaM : So, part of it is not wanting to stand still? Alabama Heathens : Yeah. Exactly. MaM : That makes sense, especially because you guys are young. You have the energy. You are seeking your fortune out there. Jude : But nobody does this because it is easy. Why go to Raleigh, North Carolina, and play for nobody? Why play for no money? Why load the merch just to have it stolen? Why drive the miles and do it anyway? We do not know why, but we do it anyway. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : Since we are talking about getting on the road, doing the shows, and playing wherever you have to play, let’s go to the rider question. What is on The Alabama Heathens’ rider? Jude : A 24-pack of water and a 24-pack of Miller Lite. And if you throw in three cheese pizzas and a vegan cheese pizza? Then we will play for free. Probably. MaM : That is a great answer because it is honest. What does a 24-pack of water and a 24-pack of Miller Lite say about the Heathens? Dylan : That we are alcoholics. No. (laughter) Jude : So, here’s the thing. In Alabama, you drink beer, water, sweet tea, SunDrop, or RC Cola. We aren’t that fancy, so our rider isn’t that fancy. The Alabama Heathens by Bud Gambrell MaM : Not to get off into an economics case study, but Muscle Shoals became what it became partly because of industry and geography. I have had this epiphany from fishing the Tennessee River, the Coosa, and the Alabama River. Huntsville has not always embraced the Tennessee River the way some other places have. Every city on the Tennessee River seems to have this relationship with it, and now Huntsville is finally building more of that venue and river culture. Do you think something similar is true with music? Muscle Shoals is so important musically, and Huntsville has grown so much, but sometimes it feels like the infrastructure for live music has lagged behind the talent. Jude : I do not think the music is behind. There are a lot of great musicians here. Some of the best musicians in the world, I think. But when you start looking at the structure around musicians, you go to Muscle Shoals , you go to Nashville , you go to places where there are managers and people who can guide musicians. The raw talent has always been here. I do not think it is a lack of talent. I think it is a lack of infrastructure. As you said, it is interesting how Huntsville has kind of lagged behind in that sense. Huntsville is a different city than it was in the past. We have NASA . We have a lot of stuff. I cannot tell you why it is like that, but I know it is not for lack of talent. I have to admit, some of these questions came from the perspective of the old man in the room, which was not lost on me. Three of the four members of The Alabama Heathens are in their early twenties, and while I was asking about rivers, regional music infrastructure, and legacy, Tim Humlicek —who introduced himself as “the old guy in the band”—is far more than that. For a band still early in its own story, The Alabama Heathens already seem to understand that talent is only part of the equation. A scene needs places to play. It needs people willing to listen. It needs elders, weirdos, lifers, historians, and Tuesday-night legends. It needs infrastructure. Most of all, though, it needs bands young enough, hungry enough, and maybe crazy enough to keep showing up anyway. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : Your band has been described as high-energy, gritty, and raw. We have talked about how a recording is one thing, but a live show can be something else. You may decide to jam. You may decide to play the solo differently. So, what does live performance mean to you? Why does it matter? William O’Rear : You want to be up there on that stage making people feel the way artists have made you feel. It is energy. It is adrenaline. Being able to play and perform, whether you are playing originals or covers, it does not really matter. It is the fact that you are up there doing it. There are different flavors of a lot of music. You could hear a Bob Dylan song one way, then hear someone else play it, and it has a different energy. You can see a metal band, or another band, and it hits differently. At the end of the day, it makes you feel. MaM : With AI, virtual reality, and the way technology is moving, there is a science-fiction part of me that wonders what live performance will look like twenty years from now. Maybe somebody can put on a headset and be fully immersed in some AI-generated show. But there is no human element in that. Tim Humlicek : That’s the thing. It’s got to have the human capability about it. I had a great quote from a guy I talked to a long time ago. He said, “Any art. Any great art I dig is always uncomfortable.” I think that's a lot of it. There has always been a possibility that something could go severely wrong. But if you can walk that rope and get through it in a way where you connect with people, there is no way a machine is capable of duplicating that. That is why it is honest. That is why it happens the way it happens. You can make anything sound polished at home now, thanks to technology. But that is not the same as being there and doing it. You can never capture that the same way as a live band. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : Has a crowd’s response ever changed your perception of one of your own songs? Dylan : Sometimes it changes my perspective when people respond to something. It takes a crowd that is loud and into it. MaM : That actually brings me to “ 99 Miles .” I like that song. It jumped out at me when I first started listening to you guys. But you seem to have a different relationship with it. Jude : He hates it. MaM : Why does he hate it? Jude : Why doesn’t Kurt Cobain like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” ? We had to write another song just to transition into that song. Dylan : I do not think it is really that good. I wrote it in about ten minutes. I do not know. It just gives me PTSD. I wrote it in the thoughts of David Allan Coe. I am trying to get there before the demons take me back. MaM : So, ten years from now, where do you see the greatest area of growth for The Alabama Heathens? And what does success look like? Jude : Success is still doing what we are doing, but on a larger scale, and hopefully being able to eat and pay the bills. Dylan : Being able to tour full-time. Not just playing music, but touring. Being on the road every weekend. Leaving on Thursday, coming home on Sunday on a bus. Being able to take care of all that and play shows where we can sell tickets, where people are there who love us and what we do. From a songwriter’s standpoint, I’d like to have a couple of studio albums out and be in a place where we can sell merch. Credit: Bud Gambrell MaM : What about growth? Where do you think the band has the most room to grow? Tim Humlicek : Being the old guy in the band, these guys have incredible musical maturity and taste. When I first played with them, they were playing songs like “ Up on Cripple Creek .” All this great stuff. And they are fearless when we play live. It’s like jumping off a cliff and hoping to God you land in the water. If we do grow, I do not want to lose that fearless capability. If we can keep growing there, if we can keep learning how to take a song and make it what it needs to be, that is where we can grow. That was the version of The Alabama Heathens I met in conversation. Young, funny, restless, honest—still figuring out how to explain themselves, yet already serious about the road, the songs, the scene, and the strange faith it takes to keep showing up when nobody has promised you anything. At that point, I had heard the recordings. I had heard the answers. I had heard the ambition. But I had not yet heard the band. That changed a few days later at Mars Music Hall , and that is where this story becomes something else. More to come. *All photos by Bud Gambrell Photography Where to find Zach Taylor: Zach Taylor, Author TikTok @zachtaylorbooks Facebook Facebook Where to find The Alabama Heathens: HOME | Thealabamaheathens The Alabama Heathens (@thealabamaheathens) • Instagram photos and videos Facebook The Alabama Heathens - Topic - YouTube Where to find Bud: Email: the_budgambrell@mixedaltmag.com Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com mixedalternativemag@gmail.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

The Harmonic Stew showcase is a vibrant celebration of emerging talent. < Back On the Scene: Harmonic Stew at Chelsea's Live June 6th, 2024 Rian Nickels Aug 8, 2024 Share The Harmonic Stew showcase is a vibrant celebration of emerging talent. I've been wanting to write on The Harmonic Stew Showcase for quite a while, and on June 6th, 2024, I finally had the opportunity to visit Chelsea's Live , a venue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana , to experience the showcase myself. The Harmonic Stew is a local music showcase designed to shine light on up-and-coming talents in and around Baton Rouge. Though I missed the last acts of the night, Soul Jettison and Carter Patrick & The Telegram Salesmen , I got to catch South Louisiana local bands: The Dale Harris Band , Goodbye Academy , and Hey Thanks ! Credit: Rian Nickels The Dale Harris Band To kick off the night was Dale Harris , a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He sometimes performs as a solo act, sometimes as a duo with his brother Glenn Harris on lead guitar, but tonight, we got to experience the full Dale Harris Band with Dale and Glen alongside Adam on the bass and Mikey on the drums. They took the stage, and Chelsea's Live was filled with jazzy tunes and electric strums of songs like "The River" and " South Bound Train " that gave anyone from Louisiana a sense of home. With Dale's soulful voice and the rest of the band's rhythmic energy, it was easy for the atmosphere to wake up and come to life. This made The Dale Harris Band the perfect warm-up for the other acts in the local showcase. Goodbye Academy Next on the lineup was one of my favorite Louisiana alternative bands, Goodbye Academy . The trio (bassist and vocalist Jake, guitarist and vocalist Kris, and drummer Chase) exudes a well-practiced chemistry that shines through in their performances. They played mellow songs like " Intermission " and " Shaver, What A Last Name " to a smaller and more intimate crowd, but their audience got a little bigger with each song. By the time they got to more riotous and upbeat songs like "Thanks for the Toy" and "Best Ways, Worst Days," day-one fans sang along, and first-time listeners moved their bodies to the drum beat. Chase's endless versatility on the drums, Jake's ability to communicate with the audience, Kris's unique voice, and their entire harmony show that they belong on a big stage with all their works. Goodbye Academy did a spectacular job of drawing in the audience and keeping them interested and engaged with odes to past lovers and verses about growing up. With their deeply nostalgic lyrics and melodic guitar strums, I think Goodbye Academy makes the perfect "blueprint" for what I would call "Southeastern Emo." Hey Thanks! The last band I was able to catch was Hey Thanks! from New Orleans, Louisiana. They are a four-piece band with Travis as the frontman, vocalist, and bassist. Backed by bandmates Trevor on the drums and Micah and Jason on the guitars, this was their first live performance in six months, and their fans were ready for another chance to see them play. The very moment they arrived on the stage, the crowd became fuller and more excited, and it was easy to see that Hey Thanks was locally loved and supported. Their energy immediately got people onto their feet, ready to emerge themselves into the band's pop-punk-pop-synth-alternative type beats. With older songs like " I'm Sure It's on the Way " from their first record, " Start/Living ," and unreleased and untitled tracks, they had a perfect set list that shows you where they were and where they're going. Hey Thanks! brings a lot of musical variety, with bandmates playing multiple instruments, vocal range, and songs covering a spectrum of genre types and emotions. One of the things that stands out to me the most about them is their ability to bring a crowd of people with different music tastes together to enjoy just existing and listening to music. Harmonic Stew at Chelsea's Live was a testament to the vibrant and diverse music we have in Baton Rouge and beyond. From the soulful, jazzy rhythms of The Dale Harris Band to the nostalgic, emo-infused melodies of Goodbye Academy and the high-energy, genre-blending sounds of Hey Thanks!, the night celebrated talent and community. Each band brought their unique flavor to the stage, creating a night of music that felt both intimate and electric. Even though I missed the final acts, the performances I did see were enough to leave a lasting impression, reminding me of the power of live music and its ability to connect us. This showcase helped to show some of the best of what South Louisiana has to offer, making it a night to remember, and I cannot wait to experience more showcases in the future. Credit: Rian Nickels To learn more about the bands: Dale Harris Band: (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/daleishous (Website) www.daleharrisband.com (Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/artist/6SyHhI6ofWwqIvcZeJ09J0 (Apple Music) https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dale-harris/1570984678 Goodbye Academy: (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092575554398 (Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/artist/7q4JZHQjgEEkZ8q8dAhw2N (Apple Music) https://music.apple.com/us/artist/goodbye-academy/1750154912 Hey Thanks! (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/heythanksla (Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/artist/6kVxSrnHJh6Lzq0qJuBEwS (Apple Music) https://music.apple.com/us/artist/hey-thanks/1051345321 *All photos courtesy of Rian Nickels rianmusicjpeg.myportfolio.com Rian Haynsworth www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Got a show you'd like Rian to cover? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

A conversation about East Tennessee and more. < Back Natty’s Common Roots: A Music Collective Making Waves Zach Taylor Sep 9, 2026 Share A conversation about East Tennessee and more. I don’t know what is more fun: going to see a band you already love or stumbling across a band you had never heard of and realizing, almost immediately, that you really like them. That’s exactly what happened when I experienced Natty’s Common Roots at Dirty Birds in historic Cocoa, Florida . With a band you love, there’s the anticipation. The buildup . The excitement of finally hearing those songs live. But there’s something different about the surprise of liking a band as soon as you hear them. Credit: Zach Taylor I was down at Cape Canaveral for a week supporting engine installation work for the Artemis III mission. For those who don’t know, I work for NASA . I flew into Melbourne and, after a storm chased me off the beach, found myself sitting in my hotel wondering what I was going to do with the rest of the afternoon. Naturally, I looked for live music. Scrolling through social media, I found that Natty’s Common Roots was performing nearby. I looked them up, listened for a few minutes, and the vibe seemed perfect for the afternoon. Reggae. Rock. Beach vibes. More importantly, they had original music. I decided to make the short drive. Natty’s Common Roots was scheduled to play a four-hour set. Yes. Four hours. That alone sold me on them. Any band that can play for four hours has to have a catalog. They have to be able to play. And there was a pretty good chance they were going to play something I knew. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2HNCH0hwNQ Be Heard - Natty's Common Roots As luck would have it, they closed part of their set with Sublime’s “ Badfish ,” a song very close to my heart. Not only is “ Badfish ” one of my go-to karaoke songs, but it also represents an important connection between me and some of my favorite artists, particularly Bradley Nowell . That connection, and the complicated relationship between creativity, addiction, and self-destruction surrounding artists like him, became part of the impetus for my series of books. I decided I wasn’t going to walk straight up to the stage and introduce myself. That would have been weird. Instead, during a break, Natty walked to the bar to order a drink and, unfortunately for him, found himself standing next to me. Much more natural. I introduced myself, told him what I was doing with Mixed Alternative , and we started talking. A few minutes later, Natty happily agreed to sit down with me during the band’s next break for an interview. And that’s how an afternoon spent hiding from a Florida storm turned into a conversation about East Tennessee, reggae, addiction, Tom Petty, four-hour sets, the changing Space Coast, and, somehow, coconut shrimp. Read on to learn more. Photo provided by artist *Conversation has been edited lightly for clarity MaM : There’s an East Tennessee history here, but now this music feels completely at home on the Space Coast. Walk me through that journey. How did you get from East Tennessee to Cocoa Beach, and what did each place teach you about your sound? NATTY : We like to describe Natty’s Common Roots as beach vibes with its roots in the mountains. I’ve been all over the country, but I came here from East Tennessee . We had a band out of Knoxville, Tennessee , and a couple of the members were active military, so they couldn’t be touring. Out of respect for them, I took the songs I had written and took a different band on the road. After a full year of playing in Florida and realizing how conducive the beach vibes are to reggae music, I decided to make the move over here full-time and expand. MaM : Are there things about Appalachia, the storytelling, acoustic music, the way people play together, that stayed with you even as you picked up reggae and these other influences? NATTY : Absolutely. You can hear it, especially in some of the stuff we’re releasing on this upcoming album. It has bluegrass roots throughout it. I’ve got bluegrass side projects, too, so that’s still strong in me. I feel like it’s a good mashup of all the different styles that make my music. Photo provided by artist MaM : We talked about this earlier, and I told you I heard 311. I also hear some Dirty Heads and Slightly Stoopid. NATTY : Absolutely. Dirty Heads , Slightly Stoopid , and Pepper are huge influences. Sublime , of course. Bob Marley . But one of my biggest influences is David Lindley . He played with reggae bands and across different genres worldwide. He was heavily into international genres and brought all those different styles together. MaM : Let’s talk about “Badfish.” From the outside, it sounds like this great beach song. People hear it and want to sing along. But when you actually listen to it, it’s about addiction. What does that song mean to you? NATTY : Playing where we do, everybody is going to be screaming it at you all night. But I wanted to make sure it had more resonance than just another tune. Personally, I’ve had friends who have died from addiction, and it’s something that affects everybody. If somebody isn’t personally affected, they know somebody who is, whether it’s a family member or a friend. Everybody is suffering in this world. There are more and more people suffering every day. So being able to express something like that through an art form and reach people who might feel the same way, or know somebody who does, means something. MaM : There’s also this complicated relationship between addiction and artists. Bradley Nowell is obviously part of that story. There’s artistic expression, but there’s also addiction and self-destruction. How do you look at that relationship? NATTY : I feel like it’s one of the finest lines on Earth. Before addiction even plays a part, most artists are fighting an internal battle. In order to bring the art out, or sometimes just to bring their true selves out, they find themselves embracing certain substances because it makes it easier for them to reach inside. They don’t have to, but some find themselves doing that. They feel like they almost have to have it to break that wall down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE2U6oGl52c Coot from TN by Natty's Common Roots MaM : You’re playing a four-hour set on a Sunday afternoon. That’s completely different from playing a 45-minute set. How do you build four hours of music and keep yourself engaged, but more importantly, keep the crowd engaged? People are literally coming in off the beach. NATTY : It’s a balance. We do this for a living, and it’s not all about playing original shows. As you said, it’s not always a 45-minute , full-original set. Sometimes you’ve got a four-hour show. I like to tell the crowd right off the bat, “We’re here to play original reggae rock and some of our favorite cover tunes.” Those are songs we like and that we want to put our own spin on. They’re songs people will recognize, and hopefully they’ll hear what we do with them and then go home and search us out. But in order to go four hours, you’ve got to bring a little bit more to the table. MaM : This next one is a little more personal. I’m not a great guitar player. I’ve written about rock and roll a lot more than I’ve actually played it. But last night my wife asked me to play Tom Petty for her, so I picked up the guitar and figured one out. Then I hear you guys play “ Breakdown ” tonight, except you’ve turned it into reggae. What made you hear that song and think; there’s reggae in there? NATTY : It’s funny you mentioned that one. As I said, one of my biggest influences is David Lindley . The song we mash “ Breakdown ” into is a David Lindley song, and they’re in the same key. It just worked perfectly. I had been listening to that song for years. When we were looking for something to cover, I thought, this one has a great feel. There’s a pocket right here. Obviously, you heard it. It was nowhere near the way Tom Petty wrote it, but it didn’t lose any of the feeling. That was important. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDDnyyd6PTQ Gypsy Cargo - Natty's Common Roots MaM : You also played “ Be Heard .” Talk to me about that song. NATTY : That one was written right before we basically, officially morphed into Natty’s Common Roots . I wrote it with the little person in mind. The person whose point of view doesn't get heard. The person who isn’t necessarily loud enough. The person who spends too much time focusing instead of speaking up. It’s about making yourself heard. If you’ve got something to say, if you’ve got the knowledge, if you have the voice, use it rather than letting yourself be shouted over, put down, or covered with dust. It’s about rising back up and finding your voice. MaM : I’ve been coming to Cocoa Beach for about twenty years, and I’m sitting here looking at a town that feels completely different from the one I remember. It used to be quiet. Now I’m watching families come off the beach. Young people are coming off the beach and coming into these places. There’s an energy here that did not exist twenty years ago. What happened to Cocoa Beach? NATTY : The secret got out. Small towns and small surf towns in Florida are becoming fewer and fewer. Cocoa Beach was such a low-key secret that it couldn’t be contained for very long. People come out here, maybe because they have a contract or something that brings them here, and then they realize how great this place is. Next thing you know, they’ve either moved here, or they have a second home here. MaM : Do you think that growth has changed the culture? NATTY : I think so. If you go out to the small dive bars in the area, you can still find plenty of that local, small-town feeling. But the culture is changing. It’s great for businesses. At the same time, I miss that sleepy town. MaM : All right. To close this up, the most important question of the interview. Coconut shrimp. It’s a thing down here. Who has the best? NATTY : See, I am forced to answer only one way. My wife and I had our first date at Ryan’s Pizza and Pub in Cocoa Village , and we shared an appetizer of coconut shrimp. I can’t even remember tasting coconut shrimp anywhere else, because that would get me in trouble with my wife. So, on the record, that’s where it’s at. MaM : Finally, tell me what the future looks like for Natty’s Common Roots. And what does success look like to you? NATTY : Success? I met my wife right across the street from here when I was still living in Tennessee and playing shows down here on the weekends. I built a life here. I bought our house and our car from playing music around Florida and the Southeast . So, in terms of success, I feel like I succeeded. I love where I’m at. In terms of the future of the band, we’re about to finally release an album that has been in the works for almost a decade. Life got away from us for a little bit, but we’re just a couple of months away from releasing it. I want to follow that with another national tour next year, because it’s been almost a decade since our last national tour, and then do a couple more regional tours through the summer. Then I want to start the next album. I’ve already got songs stacked up and ready to start working on. Credit: Adam Hudson And that's a great way to end this. I went to Dirty Birds because a storm chased me off the beach and I wanted to hear some live music. I expected reggae, a cold drink, and maybe a familiar song or two during a four-hour set. Instead, I found myself talking with an artist about East Tennessee and Cocoa Beach . About Sublime and David Lindley . About addiction, creativity, Tom Petty , finding your voice, and what it actually means to be successful as a musician. And maybe that answers the question I started with. There is something special about seeing a band you already love. You know the songs. You know what you are waiting for. The anticipation is part of the experience. But discovering a new band is different. You just walk through the door and give the music a chance. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you walk back out a fan. Natty’s Common Roots made that pretty easy. Go check out their music today. To learn more about Natty's Common Roots: Facebook: Facebook Instagram: Natty's Common Roots (@nattyscommonroots) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify: Natty's Common Roots | Spotify YouTube: Natty's Common Roots - YouTube Apple Music: ‎Natty's Common Roots - Apple Music Where to find Zach Taylor: Website: https://sites.google.com/view/zach-taylor-author/home TikTok: zach taylor, author (@zachtaylorbooks) | TikTok Facebook: Zach Taylor Books Facebook www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Jason Momoa as a Blind Warrior? I'm in! < Back See: The Final Chapter Keeley Brooks Oct 13, 2022 Share Jason Momoa as a Blind Warrior? I'm in! I’m a fan of most genres, and I’ll just about watch anything, unless it’s a sappy love story. One of my favorite genres, though, is science fiction. Start with that and sprinkle in treats like Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, and plenty of badass fight scenes (not to mention Alfre Woodard), and you’ve got my attention in its entirety. Streaming series See did just that and is in its final season, with the finale right around the corner. If you’ve yet to check it out, here’s why you should. See is a science fiction drama series currently airing on AppleTV, starring Jason Momoa, Alfre Woodard, and, in season two, Dave Bautista. It also stars one of my favorite actors, Christian Camargo. Not sure who that is? Maybe this’ll help: If you were a fan of Dexter , you might remember him as The Ice Truck Killer from season one. Yeah? The series takes place in a very distant, brutal, primitive future, hundreds of years after a deadly virus pretty much destroyed humankind. Anyone who managed to survive emerged blind and thus gave birth to future blind generations, mostly. See follows Jason Momoa’s character, badass warrior tribe leader Baba Voss, as he goes to theend of every length to protect his family—namely his children, because they have the mythic ability of sight. Though Baba Voss has raised the twins from birth like they were his own, they are not his biological children; they are his wife’s, Maghra Kane, who was impregnated by a sighted man. Maghra is a princess of the House of Kane in the Payan Kingdom. Baba Voss found her lost, alone, and pregnant in a storm, so he brought her back to his tribe for shelter. She gave birth, they fell in love, they got married, yada yada yada. Maghra’s sister is Sibeth Kane. She is Divine Ruler and absolute monarch of the Payan Kingdom. She’s also the ruthless spiritual, military, and political leader of the last remaining society with electrical power. She murders any heretic speaking about the sense of sight and classifies them as witches. SHE is a treat to watch. I don’t know that anyone other than Sylvia Hoeks (pronounced Hooks) could’ve played this role so well … captured Queen Kane’s nuances so perfectly. She has a very interesting way of speaking and doing that brings some levity to her character while at the same time adding dimension. It’s one of the things I love about her. Plus, she gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “I wish to pray.” You’ll see. Queen Kane’s Royal Tax Collector and Witchfinder General is Tamacti Jun (Christian Camargo). A brilliant and violent witchfinder general, he leads an army to find and kill anyone with sight. In particular, Sibeth has him on the hunt for a man named Jerlamarel (Jer-La-More-El) and all of his sighted children. As a man of sight, Jerlamarel goes around impregnating women (not forcefully or anything) to build a sighted race. Two of his children are Baba Voss and Maghra’s twins, Haniwa and Kofun (Ko-foon); hence Baba’s need to protect his family. Alfre Woodard also stars as an elder, advisor, and midwife to the Alkenny people, Baba Voss’s tribe. She and Baba are very close, almost like mother and son. She mentors him, and her extremely powerful innate wisdom guides him through all things, especially times of crisis. Not everyone trusts her in the Alkenny tribe, though, and dissenters view her as a witch. So, she is also under Baba Voss’s protection from Sibeth and Tamacti Jun. Dave Bautista joins the cast in season two as Edo (EE-doe) Voss, Baba’s estranged brother, and his arrival is nothing short of exciting. I’ll save their story for you to unfold but I will say I’m not sure there’s ever been such a highly anticipated fight scene between two brothers as this one was, and it did not disappoint. At all. Then comes a huge twist that made me jump up and do a happy dance, but I won’t spoil the fun. You’ll have to watch it and find out for yourselves! As a whole, I have to say everyone did a great job on making their blindness believable. It’s interesting to see (ha, no pun intended) how these blind tribes function together and work as a unit hunting, building, traveling, fighting—murdering … you name it. And kudos to the fight choreographer(s) working this series. Standing ovation. They came up with some sweet, clever battle moves that’ll definitely make you want to rewind and repeat. More than once. See is currently in its final season with new episodes dropping on AppleTV on Fridays. (Most of the time, they drop the night before at 8 p.m. if you’re like me and can’t wait ‘til then!) Seasons one and two are also available. Go see with your own eyeballs and enjoy! You can thank me later. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

“Your Heart is an Empty Street” is a soul-stirring narrative unveiling a poignant expedition through pain on a journey of transformation and resilience. < Back Dark Miles Releases Debut Single, "Your Heart is an Empty Street" Erica Machen Jan 26, 2024 Share “Your Heart is an Empty Street” is a soul-stirring narrative unveiling a poignant expedition through pain on a journey of transformation and resilience. Music at its core is meant to transcend the boundaries of emotion and storytelling, and that’s exactly what the debut single from Portugal-based Dark Miles accomplishes. “Your Heart is an Empty Street” is a soul-stirring narrative set against a backdrop of sonic exploration unveiling a poignant expedition through pain on a journey of transformation and resilience. Accompanied by a gripping music video, “Your Heart is an Empty Street” gives the listener a glimpse of what’s to come in Miles’ upcoming debut album, "10 Miles into the Dark", which is slated for release in the coming months. Dark Miles is the solo project of Pete Miles, formerly Pedro Lima of MOSH. With “10 Miles into the Dark”, he has found an artistic shift. Influenced by the heavier spectrum of rock, Miles pays homage to iconic synth pop/rock sounds of the 80s and 90s, like Depeche Mode, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop, and echoes with references to grunge, goth rock, dark wave, and obscure avant-garde death metal. Miles skillfully employs these elements to complement the emotions found in his lyrics, and his deep and powerful vocals create an immersive auditory landscape mirroring the narrative. Credit: Photo provided by artist "Your Heart is an Empty Street" is full of lyrics expressing a harrowing journey towards self-liberation. Miles sings, "And there I go / to that empty street / with my open heart / as the others sleep," and paints a picture of solitude and vulnerability with a cold, damp floor. As the lyrics unfold, there's a sense of empowerment in facing turmoil head-on. The reoccurrence of not being alone and hearing a voice through the darkness signifies resilience in the face of adversity, and the fear and bleakness evoke feelings of strength that resonate with listeners on a profound level. The music video for "Your Heart is an Empty Street" is equally as impactful. As it unfolds into a cinematic thriller, it weaves a narrative that captures the essence of personal liberation after a tumultuous journey through physical and psychological abuse. As the video begins, the main character, portrayed with unruly dark hair and visible injuries, embarks on a road trip, where we see flashes of pills on a car seat that suggest a turbulent past. The anguished look she wears on her face hints at the scars left behind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI-hZGHrhes Set against a sea of red and black, the visuals work to intensify the emotional depth fueling Dark Miles' sound. Combined with an auditory experience, “Your Heart is an Empty Street” likens to the moment when stitches are removed, and the relief of pain intertwines with the echoes of agony. The connection surpasses surface level and illuminates the darkest corners of the soul. As the video concludes, the driver appears exasperated as though she’s just experienced a metaphorical death. Credit: Photo provided by artist "Your Heart is an Empty Street" successfully establishes itself in the vein of alternative/synth pop rock, and its fusion of poignant lyrics, haunting visuals, and retro sounds surely set the stage for an album that promises to be a cathartic journey through the soul. As the anticipation builds for "10 Miles into the Dark," Dark Miles emerges as a force to be reckoned with, as he continues crafting narratives that transcends the boundaries of time and genre. “Your Heart is an Empty Street” is currently available on all streaming platforms. And stay tuned for the release of “10 Miles into the Dark”! For more information on Dark Miles, visit him online at any of the below-listed links: Facebook @DarkMilesBand Instagram @DarkMilesBand YouTube @DarkMilesBand Bandcamp @MusicDarkMiles *cover photo provided by artist Erica Machen is a beast when it comes to consuming, writing about, and reviewing music. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

How Steve Mignano found his way to music, New Orleans, and soundscape success with musical projects Drab and Garguts. < Back Steve Mignano: A Man with a Lust for Movement and Change David Trahan Jan 18, 2024 Share How Steve Mignano found his way to music, New Orleans, and soundscape success with musical projects Drab and Garguts. Drab has rich soundscapes. There seems to be a thirst lately for bands with driving basslines whose guitars saturate the aural soundscape with lavish, soulful melodies. That may sound elementary, but the truth is that too many bands these days are trying to find the next direction with compositions that have shed elements of the tried and true. For me, Drab’s sound hearkens back to an era when grunge rock was mighty. And music like I’m hearing from these guys was the tasteful counter to that movement that somehow found a way to compliment it simultaneously. It was anything but pop, super original, and slightly unpolished in its own right. A band like Drab is tipping its hat to this notion that there exists a space between extremes that does not lend itself to popularized conformity. In other words, you don’t have to commit yourself to either death metal or typified pop extremes to express a deviation from the norm. There’s a vein of rock that maintains an edge slightly left of center that is still respected by those who would normally find their comfort zone right in the middle. For his whole life, Steve Mignano has been able to move freely throughout these spectrums due to his lust for movement and change, and his ability to achieve accuracy amongst chaos affords listeners a guide through these waters. You can’t understand the plot if the acting sucks, and you can’t get a feel for a sound if it’s not in tune or on time. Now Garguts, Steve’s second project, pushes the division between what works and what doesn’t. They take the above notion of “unpolished” and kick it in the teeth. But again, Mr. Mignano embraces change here while feeling his way through at the top of his lungs. Because for this project, Steve isn’t holding a guitar. He’s strictly singing. Dylan Hemard (Green Gasoline) checks the axe for him, allowing him the freedom to roam. This band delivers the reassurance that can be sometimes felt in extremity. Because oddly enough, you can hear a bit of Zeppelin in the beginning of their song “Miller High Death”, but then the kicking starts, giving listeners a bit of “Oh yeah, I remember that!” followed by “Oh sh*t!”. We will get into the line-up of this band later. But trust me, we’re all in for a wild ride with this one. To read the full article on Steve Mignano, Drab, and Garguts, visit www.NewOrleansMusicians.com . Podcast : https://Neworleansmusicians.Podbean.com YouTube : https://youtube.com/@neworleansmusicians Blog : https://Neworleansmusicians.com/blog www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Vows to Boscobel is a masterclass in atmosphere, emotion, and intent. < Back Reviews on the Real: Cinder’s Vows to Boscobel EP Nicole Brice Oct 14, 2025 Share Vows to Boscobel is a masterclass in atmosphere, emotion, and intent. With each new release, UK-based band Cinder continues to raise the bar, and Vows to Boscobel is no exception. Released on October 9, 2025 , this EP is a stunning offering that showcases the band’s ability to explore new territory without losing the raw emotional weight and identity it has begun to carve out for itself. Released October 9, 2025 From the first note to the last, Vows to Boscobel is nothing short of extraordinary – an immersive, beautifully crafted experience that shows how Cinder never fails to deliver. This EP solidifies Cinder’s place in the emerging music world and needs to be put on your list of new music to check out now. Let’s dive into these tracks, shall we? Impermanence Read about this song more here . Breathing Read more about this killer track here . Sines This song starts with a mellow guitar vibe and gentle vocals that gradually build into a crescendo of shoegaze-like wailing guitars and ethereal sounds. The entire song creates a captivating atmosphere. At the 1:55 mark, the sound erupts into a wonderful fuzz of noise. Vows Another solid track, filled with layers and depth. One thing is sure about every song Cinder releases: no two sounds are alike, and each one evokes emotions in a meaningful way. The combination of spoken word segments and vocals is expertly done. Everything about this song feels just right. The heavy breakdown at the end will make you want to turn up the volume even more. Boscobel This track starts with a catchy groove, which is nice. This track is more upbeat than the previous two, featuring a vibe similar to Echo & The Bunnymen mixed with a touch of My Bloody Valentine . The remainder of the song is so distorted that when it ends, you'll crave more. This EP deserves a 10 out of 10, in my opinion, and is a masterclass in atmosphere, emotion, and intent. There isn't a single song that isn't good. Every track is killer. Cinder doesn’t just meet expectations – they exceed them, and Vows to Boscobel is proof of that in every haunting, beautiful moment. Stream it now. To learn more about Cinder: www.cindernoise.com cindernoise The official website of the band Cinder. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

There is always time to catch a classic movie. < Back Top 5 Movies That Rock Jeff Holmes Jul 22, 2024 Share There is always time to catch a classic movie. A catchy score in a film can elevate it from good to great. The movies in this list take that idea a step further. These picks are all about the music. Whether it's blues , classical , heavy metal , jazz , or just plain old rock n' roll , they show us why music is so valuable in our lives. 1. Amadeus Amadeus is the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and what shaped his music. Mentorship is challenging, especially when your protege` has more talent. For Salieri, Mozart proves to be a challenge and much, much more. This Best Picture winner (1984) shows us talent alone does not a musician make. Two sides of the same coin, Salieri and Mozart both demonstrate what a tormented creative genius looks like. Bravo Amadeus ! 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R4fbdzzXok 2. The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers follows Jake and Elwood as they hurry to raise money. Their childhood orphanage is being shut down and they're the last hope. The only way to accomplish their goal is by getting the band back together. Reconnecting with each member of the band proves challenging. Along the way, the band proves to be true musical outlaws, as they stay one step ahead of the law. Don't worry, there are plenty of jams along the way. Ride along with the one, the only, the Blues Brothers. 1980 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HCR4c1zPyk 3. Pirate Radio Pirate Radio is the story of how rock n' roll fought to survive in 70s era Britain. Rock music was officially banned by the British government during this time. A workaround to this was moored offshore boats that played nothing but rock. The government opposed these so called 'pirate' radio stations by doing everything they could to shut them down. This hilarious movie, complete with a perfectly executed soundtrack, illustrates that deep down we're all rockers in one way or another. Rock n' roll will never die! 2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRh1-cyWfGQ 4. Soul An animated film from the masters at Pixar, Soul doesn't include any immediately recognizable characters, however, the film is certainly a one of kind experience. Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher, is taken on both a musical and spiritual journey to find his place in life. He is consumed with waiting for his chance to perform professionally. Will his dream come true or does the universe have other plans? 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs--6c7Hn_A 5. This is Spinal Tap This is Spinal Tap stands out as both a comedy film and rock and roll masterpiece. An originator of the mockumentary style, the film took its time growing an audience. Today it is undoubtedly a classic, equally known for its rocking soundtrack as well as its myriad of jokes. If you're a fan of more modern musical comedy acts such as Tenacious D , Weird Al , Flight of the Concords , etc, and somehow haven't yet seen it - get on it! You won't want to miss This is Spinal Tap! 1984 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6F0VyKp4Ik Be sure to check these films out if you haven't yet because they are some of my favorite films that rock! -Jeff- www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Ventruss creates a sound that defies categorization < Back Ventruss: An Orchestration of Dedication, Creativity, and Passion Chris Pryor Aug 18, 2023 Share Ventruss creates a sound that defies categorization In the heart of Louisiana’s music scene, an orchestration of dedication, creativity, and unwavering passion resounds through the ranks of the alternative metal band known as Ventruss. Behind the electrifying riffs and soul-stirring vocals lies a band that has honed is musical prowess and perfected the art of collaboration and resilience. Formed in 2012, Ventruss has seen numerous line-up changes over the years, but that doesn’t stop them from releasing new music and touring. A recent phone interview with BJ Davidson, Ventruss’ drummer and driving force, provided an insightful glimpse into the band’s journey, challenges, and aspirations. Ventruss is taking the stage on August 19, 2023 to perform at Rad Fest 2023 at Parc International in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, and is the sixth band in our installment of interviews with all acts on the bill. Credit: Facebook Navigating the intricate tapestry of metal music, these veteran musicians have crafted a distinctive sound that defies easy categorization. The band has gracefully melded these elements with alternative metal, creating a sonic landscape that captivates and enthralls listeners. The band’s dedication to musical excellence remains unwavering and BJ Davidson shared insights into their evolution over the past decade. From their early days in Louisiana’s local scene to their emergence as a regional force to be reckoned with, Ventruss continues to forge ahead with no signs of slowing down. Credit: Facebook One of Ventruss’ defining attributes is their ability to seamlessly navigate the challenges that often plague many bands: finding and maintaining the right line-up. BJ candidly discussed the uphill battle of locating committed, like-minded musicians and how their continuous pursuit of synergy has shaped the group’s identity. With a keen emphasis on respecting one another’s artistic input and maintaining strong interpersonal bonds, Ventruss exemplifies the delicate balance between artistic collaboration and personal relationships. Read on to learn more! MaM : So, let's have a conversation about the group to give fans and maybe some of those who don't know Ventruss some background info. BJ : The band was formed in 2012. I'm the drummer in the band and on lead vocals, we have Ben Jewell, who's one of the founders of the band. Shawn Saizan is our lead guitar player. Jake "Big Chug" Chenevert-he's our bass player, and we've got Jesse Newman on rhythm guitar and backup vocals. MaM : I know you said you weren't in the band for the first three years, but in the past seven years, tell me how it has evolved, and has y'all's vision for this group changed in any way? BJ : Oh yeah, definitely. I'll say you can hear the band's prgression if you listen from our first album to our second album and then to our newest album that we put out a few years ago. We're also about to go record a new song next month. So, you can steadily hear our progression as a band and a lot of that stems from, I think, the different people we've had in and out of the band over the years. Just us growing up, getting better at our instruments and as individuals, and everybody in the band, I think, has different influences. So, I feel like we're a band that you really can't put in just one block or one category or genre of metal because there are all kinds of different types of metal. One thing about us that I've always loved is the fact that some of our earlier work wasn't quite heavy metal. It was more on the alternative rock/metal side of music. But then as we've progressed over the years, we've gotten a lot more technical and heavier. We've started tuning our guitars lower and trying different things like that. So, it's like we always evolve in different ways-and the sounds and influence also. Every member's input is always welcome. Our approach to songwriting might be a little different, which is also another reason why I think it takes us longer to write material. In 10 years, we put out three albums and we only have about 17 original songs in our entire catalog, but all of our songs are of excellent quality from start to finish. We really focus on the music and the parts; we really try to build the parts up to get as much out of them as we can. So, our approach to writing is a little different than the other bands in that way, I think. I joined the band seven years ago; the band hadn't had a steady drummer for a while. So as soon as I joined the band we [rehearsed], we started playing shows...left and right. Then we were really, really getting noticed, and any time a big national touring metal band or act came through the big music venues, like the House of Blues in New Orleans or the Varsity Theater in Baton Rouge , Southport Hall in New Orleans , they were calling us. So that really helped us out a lot with our notoriety and getting discovered. We've since stopped playing locally so much and started focusing on traveling and touring after we released our second album. Credit: Facebook MaM : Well, it sounds like you guys got it going on. What are some of the biggest obstacles you've had to overcome as a group? BJ : The biggest obstacle I would say we've had to face, and I'm sure that many bands if not all bands, have had to face this: finding the right people to join your band and stay dedicated. That's one of the hardest things to do. MaM : I totally agree with that righ there. You know, to me that is the biggest thing. It's finding not only incredible musicians but also ones who are willing to put in the work. BJ : Exactly. It's a financial thing. It's a mentality. It's a commitment. It's musical equipment. It's all these things that go into this to make this work and you really got to have that special blend of people that, when they perform together, have that good chemistry. I'll never forget this: One time, Sevendust ... said in an interview ... that picking your bandmates is a very crucial part because you're going to be, if you get to that level, traveling and touring, spending all this time with these guys in very close quarters. So, you know, if you've got an asshole type of personality in your band, it's only going to amplify and get worse when you're traveling and touring around, so you got to keep that in mind. It doesn't matter how good you are or who you are if you're not personable and polite and you don't respect people's time. Credit: band's website MaM : So, we've been through the good, we've been through some of the trials and tribulations of trying to find musicians, keep musicians, and get the right caliber of guys in your group. Now you're looking at your big picture, which is what for this group? What's your endgame? Where do you see this thing in the five years or so? BJ : I feel like now our plan is to just keep writing good music that we love and just keep continuously on the grind. We've been on the grind for 10 years now. It's a big cycle that comes in waves. You've got the creative waves where you're creating your albums. In the next five years, we plan to grow, but like I said, every member's voice is always heard in this band. We all run the show and we all have different areas that we specialize in. We all kind of have different roles and responsibilities that help us keep everything moving along. MaM : Well, let me ask you this: I know with three albums and 17 songs, it's probably tough to pick a favorite, but if you had to, which would you say is Ventruss' best song - your signature song? BJ : If I had to pick one song from our whole catalog, I would probably say our song "Talladega" is it. That's also our best-performing song on Spotify and Apple Music. It's been out a couple of years and if somebody wants to hear what we are as a band of interest, I always point to that song because it showcases the best of all of us and what we can do. It's aggressive and fast and in your face, but there there are some parts that are not so in your face. And then vocally, you've got good vocal melodies, clean singing and those nasty gut-wrenching screams. So, there's a good contrast there from start to finish. MaM : So, I watched the video for "Talladega" and that's a cool video. I mean, you've got the fast cars on the track. I like that; I'm a NASCAR fan. Is that the kind of direction you all were trying to go with this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yta_7tc9mPE BJ : Yes and no. I'll say that the music video shoot was fun. That was the first time our bands got to do a high-budget type of film. We've done music videos prior to that one, but it wasn't quite on the budget and the production if was at that level. [For "Talladega"], we had a whole film crew. We filmed it at the New Orleans Speedway. Our old bass player, Steven, was a huge NASCAR fan and we were just trying to think of a name to call this song and he said, 'Let's just call it 'Talladega' because Talladega was coming up in NASCAR and he was looking forward to watching the race. It was a fast, aggressive song, so it kind of was fitting in that way. And then we wanted to do this fun racing video to go with it. MaM : Is there anything upcoming you guys want to share? Big show announcements, song releases? Just some tidbits you can throw to the fans? BJ : Yeah, we've been writing new material. We hopefully will have one to two new songs, maybe, released by the end of the year, and if not released, then we're definitely trying to have two to three recorded by the end of the year. So, people can be on the lookout for some new music from us in the upcoming months. You might hear us trying some new stuff that might change our sound up, too. MaM : There you go, man. Well then, the last question I've got for you is what can we expect from you at Rad Fest 2023? BJ : We've been around, and our live shows have alwasy been something that has made us stand out. So, you know, any time you see us perform, we're gonna be high energy, in-your-face aggressive. Ben is a hell of a frontman. He's one of the best crowd controllers I've ever seen, especially in the local scene. He's just got something about him when he's up there; he can really draw your attention. And then you've got all of us in the band behind him. Every time I play, and I sit behind my drums, I put on a show myself just on my drum set. You know, I want people at any time in the show when they look at me, if they happen to look at me playing, I want them to feel what I'm playing and be entertained. If you see us at Rad Fest 2023, you will be entertained. Credit: Icon Photography As Ventruss stands on the brink of new horizons, the band's future promises continued growth and musical exploration. Guided by a meticulous work ethic and a profound respect for their craft, they are gearing up to release fresh material that embodies their ever-evolving sound. In the face of adversity and industry challenges, Ventruss remains an embodiment of dedication and a testament to the unbreakable sprirt of music. Be sure to catch them at Rad Fest 2023 or check them out via one of their links below. Website : www.ventrussmusic.com Facebook : www.facebook.com/Ventruss Instagram : Ventruss (@ventruss_official) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter : Profile / X (twitter.com) YouTube : youtube.com/channel/UCXIH1_IqS_TKSgVwbnFg2mw Spotify : Ventruss | Spotify *Cover photo - www.ventrussmusic.com Christopher Pryor is a multi-talented Renaissance man who currently fronts the Louisiana-based band Chris Pryor & The Main Event. He loves to listen to new music and give his opinions. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Leif Meche is no stranger to the stage. < Back The Many Musical Chapters of Leif Meche Elise Marie Mar 1, 2026 Share Leif Meche is no stranger to the stage. Leif Meche Band , which consists of Leif Meche (vocals and guitar), David Guidry (drums), Jordan Bearb (bass), Neil Melancon (lead guitar), and Abbey Melancon (backing vocals and tambourine), is based out of the Lafayette, Louisiana area. Primarily a rock band, they also dabble in blues and soul . All it takes is one listen, and you’ll know exactly what I mean. The band is no stranger to the stage; they have played at numerous festivals across Louisiana . Their setlist spans a wide range of ’90s and early 2000s rock and alternative , classic rock , blues , a touch of country , and, of course, original music. Credit: Elise Marie At the beginning of this year, I had the chance to sit down with Leif to talk about the band’s journey, share a few stories about music, how life’s been, and discuss what’s on the horizon for the band. Read on to learn more. MaM : This interview was a long time coming, so what have you all been up to? New drummer now, how has that been? Leif : It has been great, man! Kind of a cool story about our new drummer, David Guidry . It’s like a childhood dream for all of us in my band to play with him. When we were younger, we used to play heavier rock and follow the local rock scene. One of my favorite bands to listen to and play back in the day was Meriwether from Baton Rouge. MaM : I love Meriwether! Leif : Oh yeah! Our drummer was their touring sound engineer. MaM : See, I wish I had known that during our photo shoot. I could have talked to him about that. I love Meriwether and miss them so much. Leif : Yes. He could have told you everything about them. And not just that, he played with other local bands, like Evil Empire , a Rage Against the Machine cover band. MaM : Guess I’m going to have to get familiar with them because Meriwether was one of my favorite Baton Rouge local bands, and to this day, I still talk about them. They played a show at the Varsity Theatre around 2017, and I was sad I couldn’t make it because it was one of the last times I could have seen them. Leif : They put on a small festival in Rayne called the ‘Independence Music Festival,’ and Meriwether played. We played with them a few times back in the day, too, and we got to open for them, and we knew some of the guys in that band for a long time. Credit: Elise Marie MaM : I know, just like many local musicians, we all started somewhere. Who would you say inspired you the most? Leif : My very first band was in 1998 , and we got the name from an old Def Leppard album. The band was called Hysteria , and it was very dark. At the time, we were listening to some pretty heavy stuff. I was listening to Acid Bath , and I was a big Metallica fan too. MaM : Oh, I’ve seen Metallica twice! Leif : We just went to see them within the past year. I brought my kids to see them. I also have a son named Lars . The songs we covered were heavier in that band. Then, as we got older and more serious, we evolved into a band called Karver , which included Jordan Beard and Blake Meche , one of my best friends and our former drummer. He lived on Carver Street , so that’s where we got the name. We changed the spelling from a C to a K to make it look cooler and more rock/metal. We played more rock-sounding music. We listened to a lot of Chevelle and Deftones and covered that kind of music. We also had originals and wrote our own songs. Credit: Elise Marie MaM : One of the songs I really like is ‘ The Cowboy and the Lady ’. Who is the cowboy, and who is the lady? Leif : The cowboy is my grandfather. Someone nicknamed him ‘Cowboy,’ and I didn’t discover that until I was older. When I was a police officer, people who knew him would say, ‘Oh, Cowboy! We know Cowboy!’ When I was six years old, my dad passed away. My birth mother went down a different path. My grandparents took us in, and they’re who I refer to in the song. I don’t talk about my dad much in the song because I was young when he died. He was 32 when he passed. It wasn’t suicide or drugs; it was a disease. The song is about being at peace. My grandparents saved my life. Even though they’re deceased now, I feel like I had the best parents anyone could ask for. So that’s what the song is about, the ‘Cowboy’ and the ‘Lady’ and God putting those people in my life. MaM : What kind of music can we look forward to hearing this year? More rock or more blues. I personally feel like you guys bridge that gap. Leif : I think what we’re going to make this year more rock influenced. More up-tempo. We’re just going to jam. It’ll have a groove, something you’ll want to move to. Of course, there will also be a few songs that hit you in your feelings, but it’ll lean more toward the rock side. I want more of a traditional rock ’n’ roll style. Even our cover songs are geared more towards that. Think The Black Crowes , Lenny Kravitz , just some good old rock ’n’ roll. That’s what I want. The lyrics will still mean something to me. Honestly, I’ve never written a useless song that didn’t have meaning, and I don’t think I could. Credit: Elise Marie MaM : I know a group that once wrote a song specifically for commercial radio play. Leif : I don’t think I’m capable of writing lyrics that mean nothing. This might sound weird for 2026 , because the world feels like it’s in a strange place, but I’ve never been happier in my life . I know it’s only going to get better, but I’m in a really good spot. I’m blessed. Now I want to try writing about other people. Dig into real-life struggles like people-pleasing, mental health, and faith. I already do that in some of my love songs, but people interpret them their own way. ‘ Black ’ by Pearl Jam came out around the time my dad died, and it’s always been such a powerful song for me. I watched a live version where Eddie Vedder dedicated it to Chris Cornell , and when he sang the ending, saying, ‘We belong together… come back…’ He was crying. I thought, ‘That’s MY song.’ And it always has been. MaM : The summer of 2024, you opened for Kenny Wayne Shepherd at the Raising Cane’s River Center. How was that experience? Leif : It was a very cool experience, humbling. It could go either way when you open for someone that big. We’ve opened for national acts before, but this was different. They were down-to-earth people. I was excited because he’s one of the best guitar players in that genre. I’m a big fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan . Jimmie Vaughan was supposed to play that night, but plans changed. Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s drummer that night was Chris Layton from Double Trouble , Stevie Ray Vaughan’s drummer, and that was legit to me. They treated us well. He’s actually been sober for over 20 years now, and backstage, we were told it was a sober tour. I admired that and how strong he is on that journey. We gained many opportunities from that show. Even though momentum slowed a bit afterward, we got better as a band because of it. Credit: Elise Marie MaM : And you got bigger; you added two more members. Leif : Yeah, we don’t have anything new to release yet, so we haven’t been pushing hard. But by the end of this year, I hope to have something out and maybe aim for places like House of Blues or Jazz Fest in New Orleans. MaM : Any festivals on the horizon? Leif : I’ll know more in a couple of weeks. I’d love to play the International Rice Festival again. They’ve taken good care of us. We’ve been able to open for Chris Cagle , Little Texas , Frank Foster , and Aaron Tippin . That main stage is one of my favorite places we’ve ever played. We’ve also got the Rayne Frog Festival and the Boudin Festival coming up. Credit: Elise Marie MaM : As creatives, we express our deepest feelings in our work. What feeling do you want to convey most in yours? Leif : In the music, I want to inspire people. I don’t know if I’d call myself talented, but I want to encourage others to get out there and do it. Start a band, chase something. Play music like it’s your first time ever being in a band. Music has been such a beautiful gift to me. It’s been a lifesaver. If someone can’t walk into a church and feel saved, maybe music can be the next best thing. I like showing emotion. I don’t care what I look like on stage, I just want it to be real. MaM : That matters. Especially now. Leif : Yes, and one of my favorite things to do whenever I cover a song is to know the meaning behind it, what it’s all about. They can be cheesy, heartfelt songs, like ‘ 3 am ’ by Matchbox Twenty , where Rob Thomas talks about his experience with his mom’s cancer. It’s a great song, and not everybody knows that. I like to cover it as a nod to that experience and that meaning. Catch Leif Meche live across Louisiana this year, performing both acoustic sets and full-band shows. For the latest tour dates and details, visit the band's official website. For more info: www.leifmecheband.com Leif Meche Band Home page of Leif Meche Band, a rock group from Lafayette. Rock/Blues/Soul Band from South Louisiana, Leif Meche, David Guidry, Jordan Bearb and Neil Melancon *All photos by Elise Marie www.photosbyelisemarie.com Photography by Elise Marie www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? mixedalternativemag@gmail.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

‘Faded Love’ is a hypnotic and soulful song full of strength. < Back Reviews on the Real: Mi’Kael Chalyce’s ‘Faded Love’ is an anthem for anyone who has experienced heartbreak Nicole Brice Dec 14, 2024 Share ‘Faded Love’ is a hypnotic and soulful song full of strength. Every once and a while, an artist will release a song that is so potent and so powerful it knocks me on my butt. Enter the latest from Nashville musician Mi’Kael Chalyce . Released December 14, 2024 ‘ Faded Love ’ begins with a captivating melody, the soulful vocals setting the stage for a powerful narrative. As the lead vocals take over, you find yourself immersed in a deeply emotional journey, a journey of love lost and the path to healing. Mi’Kael's songwriting skillfully captures the raw emotions of a breakup and the struggle to move on. If you've ever felt the sting of heartbreak, this song will resonate with you. ‘ Faded Love ’ is a beautiful exploration of the complexities of heartbreak and lost love. "When I found out I was pregnant with my youngest daughter it was in the midst of attempting to end an emotionally abusive relationship that had recently become physical. I found the strength to leave her biological father before she entered this world, but I’ve never looked back. Now two years later I am trying to decide how to pick up the pieces of my life when I’ve essentially blocked all the pain out of my mind trying to focus on my present happiness. All that is left now are echoes of a faded love hence the song’s name, Faded Love." You start feeling every note sung as Chalyce’s vocals become more potent. It’s true that as Mi’Kael sings, “ How can I pick up the pieces when I’ve blocked it out of my mind? ” you start to reflect on and feel the pain in her words. Credit: Photo provided by artist The song's production is minimalist yet impactful, with subtle instrumentation that allows the emotional weight of the lyrics to shine through. ' Faded Love ' was recorded at Grinding ENT Studios in Ellenwood, GA a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and was a collaboration between Mi'Kael Chalyce, Dorrell Smith , and Beats by Dre . The layered harmonies and gentle melodies create a dreamy ambiance, which contrasts nicely with the bittersweet nature of the song’s theme. Mi’Kael Chalyce is one of the many underground treasures in the music industry currently, and her songwriting speaks volumes. In March 2024 , we sat down with Mi’Kael for an in-depth interview , during which she shared her inspirations, her creative process, and more, and we have been a fan ever since. Overall, ‘ Faded Love ’ is a deeply emotional and compelling piece showcasing Mi’Kael Chalyce’s vocalist and songwriter talent. "This will be my first and only release this year and it wasn’t easy deciding on one that was special enough to share. This song feels ideal because ending the relationship the song discusses was a catalyst for The Reinvention — album coming in 2025." I cannot wait to hear more from this talented songstress in the future—Stream ‘Faded Love’ now on your favorite streaming platform. For more information on Mi'Kael Chalyce: www.mikaelchalyce.com Mi'Kael Chalyce Home page of Mi'Kael Chalyce, a R&B/Soul artist from Atlanta, GA. Mi’Kael Chalyce’s songwriting conveys trauma, mental health, and emotional evolution. Her goal is to create music that targets real-life relationship constructs, and those unspoken paradoxe www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Old favorites mixed with the new. < Back Nick's Corner: Playlist Picks for August 23rd Nick Cline Aug 23, 2024 Share Old favorites mixed with the new. Oh, it's that time again! It's time for another entry into ‘ Nick's Corner ’. This time, I will be throwing some sounds around in your playlist suggestions that wouldn't normally go together. Each song will be drastically different from the last, but they will all bring some great noise to your eardrums. 1 End Zone by Brewster Durbin Deets about the track : First up on the chopping block is Brewster Durbin's ‘ End Zone .’ End Zone creates an extensive indie rock atmosphere washed in synths, pop-driven drums, slightly distorted guitars, and bass riffs that keep you tight into a groove and provides any indie music fan with an atmospheric and enjoyable addition to your playlist. This song is also a nice “middle-ground” introduction to Brewster Durbin's discography, which is based heavily on pop ideology with modern twists ranging from funk, rock, alternative, and indie. 2 Fume Disease LIVE by The Black Smokes Deets about the track : Next, we have The Black Smokes and their killer track, ‘ Fume Disease - Live .’ This track will hit every nerve in your ears, especially if you enjoy crunchy tones and high-energy rock-n-roll. It has reminiscent energy of Led Zeppelin , Aerosmith , AC/DC , but it imbues the classic energy and sounds with the soul of deep south blues. 3 4th of July by Soundgarden Deets about the track : The next entry in your monthly recommendations is full of chugging, dark, and haunting melodic tones. ‘ 4th of July ’ by Soundgarden can be a welcoming addition to anybody's playlist. It is full of screaming vocals, dark and sludge-filled riffs, and lyrics grounding you in the demons of one's mind. This track is one of the deeper cuts on the monumentally classic album Superunknown , but it is one of its biggest heavy hitters. If this track excites your ears and soul, then check out the full album and the entire Soundgarden discography. 4 316 by Van Halen Deets about the track : Van Halen's ' 316 ' is a beautiful and melodic instrumental track from the band's 1991 album, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge . It is dedicated to Eddie Van Halen 's son, Wolfgang . The track was made to celebrate his birth, eventually leading to a great album addition. It also makes a welcoming addition to your chill playlists. 5 Wanting You by Gypsy La Blue Deets about the track : The last entry in this month's edition of Nick's Corner is the slow blues jam track, ‘ Wanting You ’ by Gypsy La Blue . This band is a local powerhouse in the blues, soul, and rock scenes, and this track is a standing example of their combined showcase of talent. The vocals are soulful and passionate, reminiscent of exceptional vocalists like Ann Wilson of Heart and Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac . The music tackles the same vibe, which adds to the acquired depth of the track. ‘ Wanting You ’ is an excellent addition to your playlist if you are looking for that hit of soul with some rock and blues from the local scenes. This is Nick's Corner's August entry. I'm out! I hope you have enjoyed my recommendations. Until next time! Nick Cline is the powerhouse behind the Louisiana-based band, Phantum Sun , and loves checking out new music. Got something you think he'd like? Email us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

A Life That Still Shines Bright < Back A Birthday Tribute to Joey Fox: Forever in Our Hearts Elise Hanks Jul 31, 2025 Share A Life That Still Shines Bright Everything I do, I do in memory of you: All the shows and concerts I attend, All the photos I take, Everything. My Dad I do these things because they remind me of you. Not many people know this, but my dad collected antique cameras and occasionally used them to take photos. When I was little, I’d get in trouble for tinkering with them. My dad and I also shared a love for music. When I was younger and in my early twenties, we went to local shows and concerts together: With Leigh Kakaty of Pop Evil at NiteTown, Lafayette, LA, 2011 With Leigh Kakaty of Pop Evil at NiteTown, Lafayette, LA, 2011 All That Remains at The Station in Broussard, LA, 2013 Voodoo Fest (The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience) in New Orleans, LA, 2012 Linkin Park at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX, 2011 HolleeStar at New Orleans Original Daiquiris, Lafayette, LA, 2012 In just the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of assisting and recording my first music video , as well as photographing events and shows across the state, both for this magazine and independently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7UAlsUoTz4 'Kingdom' by Kris Russ CRYRS at Rock ‘n’ Bowl de Lafayette for the In Light of Heavy Hearts Album Release Party CRYRS at Rock ‘n’ Bowl de Lafayette for the In Light of Heavy Hearts Album Release Party CRYRS at Rock ‘n’ Bowl de Lafayette for the In Light of Heavy Hearts Album Release Party Karla Marie, Instructor/Performer/Event Producer/Owner of Studio Shakti in New Orleans, at Bayou Belly Festival So much of who I am and what I do is because of you . It is the highest honor to immortalize you through my work, Dad, and to live this life because of you, for you, and to continue your legacy. You gave me the passion. You gave me the drive. Now, I have the opportunity to share that with the world. Thank you. Happy birthday, Joey Dean Fox. May your spirit live on through me forever, and may I pass that legacy on to my daughter, your granddaughter. I believe I’ve already begun, and that’s the greatest gift I believe I’ll ever have given you. My daughter’s first local show: Dr. C and the Gris Gris at the Cajun Heartland State Fair, 2023 Rock Around Downtown (RAD) Fest 2024, watching a local favorite, Sick At Heart, with a photo op afterward with Tanner, Elise, and Tyler Rock Around Downtown (RAD) Fest 2024 First pair of drumsticks, thanks to Jean Claude Seagal at Eclipse Fest 2025 My daughter and me at Eclipse Fest 2025, photo by Rian Nickles www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Stream this NOW! < Back Halloween with a Horror Master: Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Keeley Brooks Oct 4, 2022 Share Stream this NOW! There are many masters of horror out there and topping the list for nearly two decades has been Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. With top nods under his hat like Blade II , Hellboy & Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Pacific Rim , he’s perhaps best known for upending the horror movie scene with 2006’s dark fantasy feature Pan’s Labyrinth . The master is fresh off the heels of last year’s Nightmare Alley , which is currently streaming on Hulu if you haven’t seen it, and he’s back this month on Netflix with his latest collective work of art, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities . Curiosities is an eight-episode anthology series created, produced, and hosted by Del Toro. It will feature a slew of material he wanted to bring to audiences in a smaller format than the typical feature-length film. And, apparently, according to our sources, we can expect to see and hear many of the tales and anecdotes the filmmaker writes about in his memoir Guillermo del Toro Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions. Netflix calls the series a curated “collection of unprecedented and genre-defining stories meant to challenge our traditional notions of horror” by carefully selecting a variety of writers and directors to bring the tales to life. There’s a tale directed by The Babadook ’s Jennifer Kent, another led by Firestarter ’s Keith Thomas, and even originals written by H.P. Lovecraft with screenplays penned by Mandy co-writers Panos Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn (you should totally see that movie if you haven’t yet, by the way; it’s some bloody, ass-whooping fun that includes one very badass Kevin James), and The Dark Knight wordsmith himself, David S. Goyer. With such a variety of talent in the mix, on top of having del Toro at the helm, there’s absolutely no way these terrifying tales won’t stick with you like. Kind of like that moment in Nope when we had the big reveal: everyone lost their shit. Me included. I will never look at clouds the same way again. Ever. The collection also features a slew of your favorite actors, from Tim Blake Nelson ( O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? ), Andrew Lincoln ( The Walking Dead ), and F. Murray Abraham ( Mythic Quest ) to Rupert Grint ( Servant ), Ismael Cruz Cordova ( Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power ), AND, one my actor-comedian faves, DJ Qualls ( Supernatural , Road Trip ), among other well-knowns. Sounds pretty righteous, right? It is! Mostly. Here’s the rub: rather than all eight episodes dropping at the same time, which is pretty standard for Netflix, Cabinet of Curiosities will drop two at a time over three days as part of a special Netflix & Chill’s Halloween Event. Even still, that’s not so bad. The first two episodes of the series will be available at midnight on Tuesday, October 25, with subsequent episodes premiering two at a time over the next three days. All eight episodes will be available to watch globally on Friday, October 28, just in time for Halloween weekend. If you haven’t seen the official trailer, which, I have to say, offers up quite a cozy Gothic feel with some horrifically beautiful but frightening monsters, you can watch it here . You’re welcome. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

You Never Know < Back The Nine Lives of Paul Sanchez C.G. Smith Nov 30, 2022 Share You Never Know “Ram Das and Alan Watts would tell the story of the Chinese farmer ,who one day his horse runs away, and his neighbor says, ‘That’s too bad.’ And he goes, ‘Well, you never know.’ The next day the horse comes back leading five wild stallions and his neighbor says, 'That’s wonderful!’ and the guy replies, ‘Well, you never know.’ The next day his son’s trying to break one of the stallions and he falls off and he breaks his leg. His neighbor says, ‘Oh, that’s terrible!’ And he goes, ‘Well, you never know.’ The next day the army comes through conscripting young men for the service, and they take all but his son because he’s got a broken leg. His neighbor says, ‘That’s wonderful!’ And he says, ‘Well, you never know.’ That’s life. What looks like a wrong turn sometimes is the greatest thing that could have happened.” – As told by Paul Sanchez. _____________________________________________________________ It has been said that the best art comes from suffering. Others claim it comes from the joy and happiness that make art what it is. New Orleans songwriter, actor, and producer Paul Sanchez, formerly of the hit band Cowboy Mouth , is well acquainted with both. From his early experiences living as one of 11 siblings in a poor, working-class family in the rough Irish Channel neighborhood of New Orleans in the 60s to playing in front of tens of thousands of people on stage, Paul embodies a life lived. He grew up in New Orleans , then lived in New York in the late 80’s and has since traveled all over the world. But he still loves coming home to the Crescent City . “One of the things that makes New Orleans special to me in my travels is that it's an entrée to anywhere in the world. When you say you are a musician from New Orleans you get a respect before you even play a note that most musicians have to earn,” says Paul. There are many glimpses into this incredible life throughout the extensive catalog of music he has written, produced, or simply been a part of over the years. His lyrics can be beautiful and dark, sometimes silly, and other times dead serious, but they always tell a story. Sanchez has 11 albums out with his former group Cowboy Mouth and another dozen or so on his own and with other musicians. This includes the musical project Nine Lives , based off Dan Baum’s New York Times best-selling novel by the same name that may soon become a television series. To be this prolific you really need to have something important to convey in your music. “I don’t really think about what I’m going to write … before I start writing,” he says when asked about his process. “Often, I am writing so fast that I don’t realize what it is I have written until it is finished. Sometimes not until years later. When my ex-wife left me, I looked back at the songs that I had written while we were married and realized most of them were about being lonely and [feeling] unloved. The songs have always known me better than I have known myself. It feels like they are written by someone else who has whispered them to me as if in a dream, a gift from the universe. I hear a melody and words and I follow them to, what seems to me, their natural conclusion.” Credit: Marc Millman Paul’s first gig was filling in for a friend at a French Quarter venue at the tender age of 16, and since then he has performed all over the world from intimate gigs in private homes to multiple Jazz Fests to stadiums with tens of thousands of people. He started singing after his father passed away when he was only five years old. “My father was sort of the heart of the family, and when he died, [for the first six months] my mom [would spend] all day at the graveyard. I had five brothers and five sisters and most of them were still at home when he died. A little boy singing was prettier than a house full of people crying, so everybody encouraged me to sing. [Early] on I knew my singing made other people feel better. I didn’t know if it made me feel better, but it made other people feel better and that’s been sort of the inner quest [for] the rest of my life.” Paul wrote his first song before ever playing the guitar, and at a young age formed an imaginary band with a friend and called themselves The Possibilities . He wrote their theme song at age 6 after hearing The Monkees and Herman’s Hermits . “We’re the Possibilities,” (very 60s, he interjects), “Yes, we’re The Possibilities. We may have no style but we’re gonna try to get up high, ‘cause we’re The Possibilities, and that’s what we have: a possibility.” In his teens, Paul started learning guitar, and at 16 he played his first gig. He was then was in a band called The Backbeats , whom he formed with Ellen DeGeneres’ brother Vance . In 80s he moved to New York’s East Village to join the anti-folk scene there and learned a lot about songwriting and performing from the people he met there. credit: Billy Nova, a.k.a. William Moeller “I’d gone up to New York to be the next Bruce Dylan or Bob Springsteen . I read this tiny ad in the Village Voice that said, ‘If you want the real thing, come to The Fort at Sophie’s.’ So, I walked across the island, not knowing how far of a walk that was going to be, and in 1986 how dangerous it was. I walked into this little bar where they’d moved the pool table, and the singers were just standing under this light. There’s a guy with a clipboard, Latch – who’s still a friend, so I walked up to him and said, ‘Hey man, I’m from New Orleans, can I play?’ He pulls his glasses down and he goes, ‘Are you good?’ I went, ‘I’m pretty good.’ He went, ‘I didn’t ask if you if you were pretty good, I asked you if you were good.’ One of my friends was standing with me and he goes, ‘Hey man, this guy’s f*ckin’ great.’ Latch looks over at my buddy, doesn’t say a word, looks back at me and goes, ‘So are you good?’ I went, ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ He went, ‘Okay, you can play.’ I loved that. It was his first lesson: if you can’t own it, you can’t be it.” When asked if he wrote many songs while in New York, Sanchez says he, "worked a movie up there-- A Kiss Before Dying with Matt Dillon and Sean Young (she was crazy as a road lizard) --was staying at a friend’s place on 14th St. My friends were kind of, big people, and they were fuckin’ and I was sleeping on the couch against their bed, and it was obvious, so I was getting divorced and was depressed so I split, and I thought I’m just gonna do a shot at every bar between here and Houston St. and think about where I went wrong. I didn’t know how many bars they had in New York – it rivals New Orleans. So doing shots of Wild Turkey and on the return trip home, sometime around two in the morning I decided to call my ex and explain my side of things one more time. After she hung up on me, I went back and grabbed my guitar, drunk as shit and went on the roof of the building and wrote Light It On Fire .” Many of us remember Paul from the New Orleans rock group Cowboy Mouth , which he co-founded, toured the world with, and released many albums with over 16 years. In 1992, he met a woman who gave him her card. Paul replied to her with some demos for “Jet Black and Jealous” he had made in New York in 1987 on a Tascam four-track cassette recorder. “So, I sent them to her, and she goes, ‘I love this, I want to put it out. What I’m hearing on this record is this guy’s singing songs like he believes nobody’s ever gonna hear them.’” And that’s how Sanchez began doing solo records and in 2006, when the flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina washed away everything he owned, he decided to quit Cowboy Mouth and focus on his own material. Since then, he has released nearly 20 records either solo or with other musicians. credit: Joanna DeGeneres Paul suffered years where he couldn’t sing because of dystonia , which is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract involuntarily. With singers, it’s a chronic voice disorder characterized by spasms of the muscles in the larynx, which control the voice. “The four years I couldn’t sing were very humbling, but I took it as a grace. I took it that the universe was trying to teach me something I needed to know. I’m only at the beginning of the trail of realizing what that is and then incorporating it into the music. I’m singing different[ly] than I did before. It’s like a stroke victim learning to walk again, you know? [With t]his neurological condition, the neurons in your brain are … misfiring. From the throat surgeries, the breakup, the traveling 400 miles a week, etc., they thought I was in trauma, and they said, ‘Let’s shut this guy down.’ The way his dystonia therapist put it to him was that he had a traumatic event in childhood that began a loop of “I’m not worthy” talk, and then a second trauma in adulthood altered “I’m not worthy” into “I don’t even want to be me.” When his therapist asked why he thought this was happening, Paul said, “I think I have a profound desire not to be Paul Sanchez anymore. My brain doesn’t want to be that guy anymore. I’m now teaching my brain that it wasn’t the music; it was life.” Thankfully, a voice coach helped get Paul singing again and back on stage for our entertainment pleasure, and we are so glad he is feeling better and singing/talking again. As for influences, Sanchez credits The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen early on, connecting to the mythos of their escaping poverty through music. “[They were] all were very open about their own influences and as a fan, I listened to the people they talked about, and my musical education is a result of doing so, from Woody Guthrie to Frank Turner .” “One of the most revealing interviews I ever read was Bruce Springsteen . Back in the ‘90s he took four years away from music to go into therapy ‘cause he had wanted to commit suicide. So, after four years off course he went back to music, he made a record, he’s going on tour, and Rolling Stone sends a respected writer … to interview him. At one point he says, ‘So Bruce, are you still going to do four-hour concerts, because you know everybody loves those?’ He said Bruce grinned said, ‘Well I love ‘em too, but I found out through therapy that I also stay up there that long because it’s the only place I don’t feel worthless.’ What struck me was, he didn’t say, ‘It’s the only place I feel worthwhile.’ He said ‘It’s the only place I don’t feel worthless.’ That to me was more honest. For me, I grew up in poverty, and an abusive situation, and music was my place not to feel worthless. It’s healing. That’s why you go back to it.” Today, while many of his influences circle back to his originals, Paul says he gets inspired by songs he hears. “ Alex McMurray, Davis Rogan, Jim McCormick, John Rankin, John Thomas Griffith —great songwriters inspired me to try to write great songs.” And besides the music Sanchez creates, he’s also an actor. “Acting, for me, is completely different than making music. Making music is an expression of who I am, my essence in words and melody. When I am acting, I memorize the lines and then I say them as the director would like them to be said. More often than not, a director will come up to you right before a scene and ask, ‘Can you say it like this?’ Being a musician, I try to mimic the tone and inflection, the rising and falling of his or her voice. More often than not the director is thrilled because what I’m doing is saying it like it has been in his or her head for months. I’m not trying to put my stamp on it; I’m trying to put their stamp on it because it’s their show, not mine.” He even spent some time filming the hit HBO series Tremé , which Sanchez says was a joy. “ David Simon and Eric Overmyer are true music fans, and they treated the musicians like gold … [and gave] great advice.” Paul says the show was so real, it felt like the writers were eavesdropping on the lives of him and his friends, adding that the writers love NOLA, and it showed in the series’ writing and direction. He says they created a historical document of the culture and music of New Orleans that’ll be invaluable in years to come. And he has many interesting stories from his time filming. “We were filming a [funeral] scene in a church Uptown. [It] was packed with musicians, mostly hired extras, and I sat next to John Boutté . On a break, David Simon sat and talked to me and John . I mentioned that it was amazing to see so many musicians gathered [in one place] and how they were committed to realism no matter the cost. David Simon responded with, “It isn’t the money; it’s the emotional equity.” I was so struck by the phrase that I turned it into a song with Alex McMurray called ' Emotional Equity ,' which appeared on my release, Paul Sanchez and The Rolling Road Show - Reclamation of The Pie-Eyed Piper .” Paul notes that the NOLA music scene is far more diverse now than it was in his youth. There wasn’t much of a scene for singer/songwriters when he was young, and he credits Tréme with bringing a new perspective to the music scene. He adds that NOLA provides a unique place for artists of all ages, noting that you may not get rich, but you’ll always be playing music. He’s been around the world and performed in some amazing places, with some amazing talent, so I asked him to share some of his most memorable experiences. “When I was in Cowboy Mouth , we played a music festival in Atlanta , Music Midtown Festival , opening for Cheap Trick . The audience in front of us was 50,000 people , [and] the crowd literally disappeared down the street as it sloped down from the stage. Ellen DeGeneres had Cowboy Mouth on her show after [Hurricane] Katrina, and it was pretty special. I knew her when she was starting up: she opened for a band I had with her brother Vance DeGeneres , [which is] pretty funny looking back ‘cuz we were the hot new-wave band in New Orleans at the time, and she was just looking for a gig. It was wonderful to be on her show. It’s always wonderful to see someone you know live a dream. Credit: Facebook I feel the same way about Darius Rucker . He has always been so generous to me. In 2016 , he brought me on tour to write songs. The songs were never used, but he also brought me on stage to perform during the tour and most notably for me, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville . There’s no way a Channel Rat like me gets on that stage without somebody like him putting me there." When asked if there an album, performance, or project he is most proud of being involved with, Paul speaks of his project Nine Lives: A Musical Adaptation Live , which is an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Dan Baum . It follows the lives on nine people in New Orleans from 1965 , when Hurricane Betsy ravaged the city to 2005 when Hurricane Katrina destroyed it. Speaking of Nine Lives , it may have a new life of its own, possibly becoming a television series soon. After a disappointing experience with trying to get it on Broadway, there’s a new team of people involved with doing it right this time. “ Nine Lives has been a very interesting journey. It started in 2007. My friend Colman deKay goes, ‘Hey man, I read this book called Nine Lives , a bestseller, and I think you and I should turn it into a musical.’ I thought he was insane. I can’t write a musical. He went to bed, and I started flipping through the book. I found the scene where John Guidos goes to his first drag party with his clothes in a Schwegmann’s bag and I fell right in, and I wrote 'Feels Like a Lady.' I took it downstairs to him and I said, ‘What do you think?’ He goes, ‘Oh boy! Let’s finish it now!’ And we did. Then he wrote to Dan Baum and said, ‘My friend and I have written some songs out of your book, and we’d like to turn it into a musical.’ (After some initial skepticism), he loved it. I wish I could’ve brought it to fruition in his lifetime.” The Nine Lives record was actually made from a grass-roots organization called Threadhead Records , where people could donate money as little as $5 to help New Orleans musicians get back on their feet after Katrina . This was well before Kickstarter or Go Fund Me . Paul and his friend John Boutté did a fundraiser one night and a chance meeting helped get the funding for the record. “This guy from California walks up and says, ‘Hey man, you guys are great together; you should do a record.’ I look at him and go, ‘I just lost everything I own. I can’t afford rent, let alone a record.’ He went, ‘Well, how much do you need?’ I told him and he said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’ Being in the music business I thought, ‘Yeah right.’ Two weeks later he calls up and says, ‘Okay I have a check, where do I send it?’ I didn’t know what to say. He didn’t say, ‘I need you to sign a contract’; he didn’t say, ‘I need to hear the music’; and he didn’t say, ‘I need to own the music.’ He said, ‘Where do I send the check and promise me on your word as a gentleman that when the CD comes out, you’ll pay us back from CD sales.’ They started this thing called Threadhead Records and in four to five years’ time, they put out records by sixty artists who didn’t have the money to do it. In my opinion, it both saved and changed the face of the New Orleans Music scene for generations to come, because they gave so many artists the chance to record.” And the story for how the funding for Lives came about is quite interesting, and it involves the infamous Pepsi Challenge . “ Pepsi had this challenge where they were going to give away $50,000. We were the ninth-place contestant and we got $50,000, and then Threadheads raised another $150,000.” Paul’s industry friend, Michael Cerveris , brought the idea and the songs to his people in the theater scene, and they ended up with a playwright named Lisa D'Amour . D’Amour had gone to Dominican High School in New Orleans . She was not a true New Orleanian, although she claimed to be. She worked on Nine Lives for a year and a half and ended up trying to cut twenty of the original 39 songs, writing ten of her own. She wanted to start it all off with a slow, mournful dirge called ' I Feel Like I Wanna Die Today ' instead of Paul’s original upbeat song. “I’m like, ‘You don’t get New Orleans at all baby. We dance in the face of death,’” Paul laughs. After he parted ways with D’Amour over creative differences, she took all the same characters and turned it into a show called Airline Highway and it ran in Chicago from December 2014 until February 2015 , then on Broadway from April 2015 until June 2015 before it closed for good. “So, mid-pandemic the rights have lapsed, they don’t own my music anymore, and I get an e-mail saying ‘Hey, we found this great director who wants to do it and we’d like to pick up our option to the music again.’” After more communications and some further attempts to change Paul’s vision, Nine Lives was shelved once again. “These are my songs, and I don’t want some stranger changing them and writing lyrics for them. I told them the same thing I told my ex-wife: you can’t have my songs. You can have the clothes off my back, you can have my last dollar, but you can’t have my songs.” Once the producers let the rights to the book lapse, and Chris Joseph , who started Threadhead Records , got wind of it, he bought the rights from Dan’s widow and put Paul on as a partner. Bohemia Production Company loved it and wanted to produce it as a dramatic series that leans heavily on music. “I didn’t have a problem with that, because music is used so interestingly in television shows now. So, I said, ‘Great, run with it.’ [T]hree days later, the creative director was having drinks with an old friend who is a writer, and he says, ‘Hey, I think we’ve got our next project. It’s about a book that’s about New Orleans after Katrina .’ He said his friend put down his drink and went, ‘Please tell me it’s Nine Lives , because it’s my dream to write [it].’ Extremely serendipitous.” “For me it’s really great that it has a possible life as a tv show, because so many people are invested in it emotionally. It also captures a period of time in New Orleans that I was born and grew up in which made writing the songs possible. I didn’t have to write a Katrina Record post-flood. I wrote this thing called Nine Lives , where I was speaking through nine different people’s voices – actually like twelve to twenty different people’s voices. I was speaking about my feelings about the flood, but I didn’t have the soul crushing experience of it being [in] first-person. I didn’t realize that until later.” Credit: Facebook Nine Lives as a television series is still very much in its infancy, but its future looks very, very bright. “The vibe I’m getting is that they see it and hear it the same way we do. The fact that the writer, Frank Everleigh , lived here, the fact that he’d been through that experience of having been ostracized by his community, and the fact that I’m very passionate when I speak about it, well, they were really taken with that. They really want to have my voice in on the script. So, I’m excited to have some input on the script because the Broadway writers weren’t like that.” I smile and tell Paul that that is why the first option isn’t always the best one ... because you never know. *cover photo from artist's website To dive into Paul's discography: Apple Music: ‎Paul Sánchez - Apple Music Spotify: Paul Sanchez | Spotify Website: www.paulsanchez.com Paul Sanchez | Official Paul Sanchez transforms audiences with his unique blend of music and storytelling – at once powerful, sad, humorous, entertaining, and hopeful. Fans may know native New Orleanian Paul Sanchez as a founding member of the rock band Cowboy Mouth, with whom he has 11 albums; for his role in the HBO series TREME where he played himself; or as the creative force behind the musical NINE LIVES, a musical adaptation of the best-selling novel by Dan Baum. NINE LIVES follows the lives of nine people in New Orleans from 1965 (the year Hurricane Betsy ravaged the city) through 2005 (the year of Hurricane Katrina) and beyond. Facebook: Facebook Instagram: Paul Sanchez (@paulsanchezmusic) • Instagram photos and videos www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Send an email to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Just Look Up and Let Go < Back Awake and Alive: How Mod Sun Shifted My Outlook Rian Nickels Jul 11, 2025 Share Just Look Up and Let Go “Every good story needs an intro, so where does this one start? No veils, no curtains, no doors, no walls between what pours out of my hand on to the page, a dream, of course, an American tale of finding magic in the everyday, and acting totally instinctively, a suitcase and a train track on a search for identity, and a quality that entices attention, we’re young and incredibly ambitious, our possibilities are endless, just look up” - Mod Sun In the summer of 2014 , I walked into my skate buddy’s apartment and saw a man on TV that I can only describe as hippy Jesus. He was in a room of lava lamps and beaming with joy. His energy demanded my attention, and his happy-go-lucky vibe was infectious. He was moving like life never hurt him. The music video was ' My Hippy ' by Mod Sun . What started as any other summer afternoon ended up changing the way I viewed life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeZ3dl8DgZg Music video for 'My Hippy' by Mod Sun Growing up, I listened to a lot of emo and post-hardcore ; bands like Silverstein and Hawthorne Heights shaped the way I looked at things. As a teenager, I romanticized sadness. Music about self-harm, self-hate, and toxic love didn’t just soundtrack my life; it started to define it. Those lyrics told me it was normal to feel broken, to treat myself poorly, and to accept the kind of love that left scars. I became fluent in hopelessness and comforted by the idea that it would never get better. But one musician changed everything. So, who is Mod Sun? Well, to the government, his name is Derek Ryan Smith (he changed it to Dylan). However, to his friends and fans, he goes by the nickname Mod . MODSUN is an acronym that he created that stands for “Movement On Dreams Stand Under None” . This means pushing towards your biggest dreams, not letting anyone stand in your way, and never letting anyone overshadow you. I fell headfirst into Mod Sun’s world. His lyrics weren’t about heartbreak or giving up; they were about being glad to be alive. (That on its own was so foreign to me.) His music introduced me to positive thinking, setting intention, and the idea that your thoughts shape your reality. In 2015 , Mod released his first studio album, Look Up , and suddenly the spaces in my head that once echoed lyrics like “cut my wrists and black my eyes” were being replaced with “if you woke up, you got a reason to celebrate.” But I wasn’t abandoning my sad girl roots; I just wasn’t stuck in it anymore. The new music didn’t erase my sadness, but it helped me realize I didn’t have to be defined by it. This new outlook didn’t stay confined to my headphones. It seeped into my day-to-day; how I spoke, how I carried myself, and how I connected to others. When summer of 2015 came around, it only made sense that the next chapter to this transformation would happen in the same place it started. A place where the new and old could collide: Warped Tour . Just me at Warped Tour 2015 There’s something poetic about going back to the scene of your former self. It’s the same music festival, the same heat, and the same eyeliner, but with a new perspective. Warped Tour wasn’t just a concert, but a nod to the person I was becoming. I spent the day reliving my emo roots, but I was really there to see Mod in the flesh. The crowd wasn’t the largest, but you wouldn’t have known it by his energy. When he performed ' Howlin’ at the Moon ', a song about having gratitude, the entirety of the crowd knew every word. This brought him to tears; he could see that what he was doing mattered to people. They liked this new sound, but they enjoyed seeing someone savor every drop of life even more. On my way out of Warped , I gave Mod a bracelet that read “Sup My Hippy,” and he signed the book I bought from his merch table. The bracelet I made https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_3e490852569347239a525c42f238e9e8/360p/mp4/file.mp4 A video I took at Warped Tour 2015 His book , Did I Ever Wake Up? looks like a memoir, but it turns out to be a handbook for self-perseverance—something between a diary and a mental toolkit. The book covers his upbringing and music career, but it also shares overlapping messages with his music. The idea is that you must know what you want and be sure that you can obtain it. This made me realize that I didn’t really know what I wanted from life. But what I did know was that I didn’t want to be the person who brought the rainclouds to every room. I wanted to be a light for the ones who were lost in the same kind of darkness that I had once claimed as my identity. Released December 15, 2012 The best book ever! After setting that intention, things already began to shift; even small things that I didn’t realize held so much weight. I started wearing things that just made me feel happy instead of trying to be a particular aesthetic. Just Me! Me again! I picked up art again. I got his signature tattooed to remind me to keep going. I stopped seeing pain as something I owed myself. I realized that my body wasn’t a canvas for punishment or a notebook for all the things I couldn’t say. I didn’t stop being sad overnight, but I no longer built my entire life around it. My tattoo! Signed by the man himself! The one and only Mod Sun! I stopped looking down at all the ways things could end and started to look up at the possibilities. I shared these ideas with anyone who would listen, and I lent out Mod’s book to whoever would read it. I talked about gratitude, intention, and the law of attraction. It started to catch on; my friends began to show more compassion, let go of bitterness, and embrace possibility. What started as a personal awakening began to ripple through my community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwe2dPR5ums A video I made Friends! In the spring of 2016 , Mod Sun had a tour stop near me in New Orleans . Some friends and I took the drive to see him perform. When Mod got to the venue, he didn’t hide away like most well-known musicians. He stood out front and talked with each person who wanted to. Just me talking to Mod Sun in New Orleans When it was showtime, he didn’t take a special door through the back but instead walked through the front like everyone else. They always say not to meet your heroes, but after meeting him, I was stunned at how normal it felt. There was no barrier, no ego, or celebrity attitude. He was human. He treated us like old friends, laughed with us, danced with us during the opener, and radiated the same energy on and off the stage. Credit: Rian Nickels The best day ever! Life has a way of putting what you’ve learned to the test, though. The months after that show brought some of the darkest points of my life. I lost some friends to addiction and depression. Somewhere within the mess, I’d lost myself too. I left all the tools I learned behind when I needed them the most. I was dealing with the weight of things I never had to carry before, and Mod’s relentless positivity became a language I was no longer fluent in. That was until Spring of 2017 when he released his second album, Movie . After months of being distant from him, this project dragged me back in. Movie wasn’t just party anthems and affirmations; it was about heartbreak, self-blame, fake friends, and the messy parts of healing. This album met me right where I was. It showed me that Mod wasn't some out-of-touch optimist that was blind to the bad; he walked through it, too. It showed me that his life wasn’t perfect, that he, like anyone else, had dealt with insecurity, loss, and adversity. This album gave me a song for everything I was going through. Even when things got heavy, Mod Sun was there to remind me to keep pushing. Regardless of the trauma, mistakes, or loss, you still have to get back up and make something of yourself. I was reminded that growth doesn't mean avoiding pain. There is no light without darkness. By the end of 2017 , Mod Sun released his third album , BB , and it came with a renewed sense of joy. It echoed that same optimism from Look Up , but now it came from someone who was more grounded. It came from someone who had seen the dark and chose the light anyway. BB reminded me that life comes with highs and lows, and that after each low, there will always be a high, even if it takes a while to come. Just me! So excited! In the years after Mod Sun dabbled in other creative outlets like painting, making clothes, and writing more books. But in 2019 , he did something lifesaving; he decided to get sober . He came clean about his battle with addiction and how it had affected his life and the people around him. He was transparent, and he apologized. Before this, I had never seen anyone successfully get sober, and more importantly, I had never really seen anyone own their mistakes, take accountability for them, and follow that up with action. I had watched so many people lose themselves in addiction, and this was the push I needed to take my own steps in that direction. So, I tattooed the words “Look Up” on my foot; it serves as a permanent reminder, and I haven’t touched those substances since. My tattoo Around the pandemic , Mod Sun’s sound started to shift from his signature Hippy Hop to a more angst-driven Alternative Rock vibe with albums like Internet Killed The Rockstar and God Save The Teen . Nowadays, Mod has blended the sounds of Hip-Hop and Pop-Punk, bouncing around all the avenues he’s taken and still exploring new ones. My playlists bounce between genres and moods these days, but Mod’s impact on me never faded. I like to think that Mod and I both found a way to appreciate the balance of life. To hold space for the dark and the light. To carry both joy and grief. To dance with the highs and sit with the lows. To know that you can wear tie-dye one day and all black the next. That sadness and happiness don’t cancel each other out but instead coexist. That growth isn’t about being brand-new. It’s about fully accepting yourself in every season of life. That healing doesn’t mean erasing the past; it means making something out of it. Because of Mod Sun, I’ve done things I never thought I’d be capable of. I’ve finished things I used to abandon. I’ve started projects that scared me, I’ve chased dreams that felt too big and believed that I was allowed to yearn for more. He helped me believe that I was allowed to have big dreams and that, more importantly, I could reach them. His lyrics planted the seed that I wasn’t just meant to survive, I was meant to build a life worth showing up for. He didn’t just help me get better; he showed me that I could save myself. Not everyone vibes with his music or his message. Some people think he’s cringeworthy, or they can’t look past his mistakes. No matter how he’s perceived, it doesn’t undo the impact he’s made. Mod Sun is living proof of the power of believing in yourself. He showed a bunch of broken people that they didn’t have to stay broken. He showed us the path less traveled, and reminded us to keep traveling it. If you take anything from this, let it be this: What you say to yourself holds power. Show yourself some love because you’re still here, waking up every single day. Still building who you’re meant to be. Permit yourself to dream bigger. Remember that your impact on the world matters. Do something that inspires people. Find something to celebrate in each day. Make your life a movie. Don’t forget to look up. “No matter the amount of negativity you’re presented with, five minutes from now could be your best moment.” - Mod Sun To learn more about Mod Sun: www.modsunmusic.com Mod Sun Merch Shop the Official Mod Sun Merch Store for exclusive merch including tees, hoodies, accessories, & more! Find details of the Mod Sun tour, Mod Sun tickets, & Mod Sun music. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Her Riot! proved that when you give women the stage, they tear down walls. < Back Her Riot Ignites Mid City: A Fierce Celebration of Women in Music Rian Nickels Jun 17, 2025 Share Her Riot! proved that when you give women the stage, they tear down walls. If you’ve ever been to concerts or gigs, both underground and mainstream, there’s one thing that’s always been evident: the punk and alternative music scene is heavily saturated with men. After a year of photographing Louisiana’s underground, I noticed that I had only shot a few women. Don’t get me wrong, these men are insanely talented, but as a woman working in the music industry, I craved the feminine energy that I felt was missing from the stage. I thought to myself, “ How could I change this? ” So, as co-founder of Feel Alive Media + Events , I knew the answer was to organize a music showcase that was femme-focused, and that’s how “Her Riot!” came to life. Her Riot! is a Louisiana music showcase run by femmes and for femmes (and anyone down to support them). The ultimate goal of the showcase is to bring attention to women in music, to give them center stage, and create a space in alternative music that’s curated for feminine talent to thrive. On April 18th, 2025, Feel Alive Media + Events had their first installment of Her Riot! at Mid-City Ballroom in Baton Rouge, LA . For the lineup, we selected bands from around South Louisiana , featuring femme vocalists, some of which we had previously worked with, and others I had only been admiring from afar. The genre mixed bill consisted of: MADmoiselle , Abby and The Arsonists , Sick At Heart , and Gutzombie . The official flyer for Her Riot! Kickin’ off the night was MADmoiselle (also known as “MAD”), a four-piece band from Baton Rouge . Even though they are a relatively new and an underground band, they packed the venue from the start of the show. Many came to support them and were actively engaged to boost the crowd's participation. MAD performed their original music, featuring songs like ' Uneasy ,' and also sprinkled in well-loved covers, such as ' Daylily ' by Movements . These tracks were the perfect mix to show the insane, Hayley Williams -like vocal range that front-woman Maddi Delacroix is capable of bringing to the stage. Maddi and her bandmates brought just the right kind of feminine energy needed to set the vibe for the rest of the night. Credit: Rian Nickels After a brief intermission of concert-goer mingling, it was Abby and The Arsonists , from New Orleans , turn to bless our ears with underground tunes. The Arsonists are comprised of brother-sister duo Abby and Andrew Lewis , Kelsey Kroening , and drummer Luke Joia . I was excited for this set because Feel Alive hadn’t previously worked with them, and I had been following them on Instagram since the day I started my music photography profile. In a bayou of predominantly heavy metal Abby and The Arsonists are a breath of fresh air. They bring a shoegaze-emo-pop-folky-indie sound that admirably can’t be put into boxes. They played a complete lineup of originals with tracks from their newest album, Caterpillars in the Walls . Between songs, Abby spilled some gossip about the origins of their track ' Lala '. This made the set feel like a music and comedy performance all in one, while also breaking down the barriers between the performers and the audience, making us feel like we were all in on a secret. Credit: Rian Nickels After some whimsical, mellow vibes, it was time to kick it up a bit with Sick At Heart . Sick At Heart is a metalcore band from Lafayette fronted by Elise LeBlanc . Their sound brings me back to the nostalgic feel of bands like Evanescence and Flyleaf ; there’s no pitch that Elise can’t reach, and her bandmates help to bring back a sound in music that has felt forgotten recently. They shook the walls of Mid-City with Sick At Heart originals like ' Losing Control ' and ' The Game ' but really locked in the audience with covers like ' Decode ' by Paramore , and ' Face Down ' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus . To wrap up their performance, they played ' Zombie ' by The Cranberries . I think performing this song was a beautiful way to pay homage to the women in music who came before us, who had to pave the way to create a space for us in the industry. Credit: Rian Nickels Closing out and headlining Her Riot was Punk/Post-Hardcore band Gutzombie from Baton Rouge , fronted by Ashen Bonaventure . The energy Ashen brings is unmatched, and it’s evident that she pours her heart and soul into her passion. Starting strong with the femme power vibes, they played ' Just a Girl ' by No Doubt ; hearing women scream “ I’M JUST A GIIIIIRL ” in punk spaces was just what I needed to feel like my goal to have women heard was met. They went on to perform their tracks, such as ' Absolutely ' and ' Much Ado '. Aside from her voice, one of the most impressive things about Ashen is her stage presence. From jumping and thrashing around to crowd control, she brings just as much energy and dedication as large mainstream artists. A notable moment was when they played ' That’s What You Get ' by Paramore and let people from the front of the crowd sing the chorus into the mic. I love it when an artist breaks down the hypothetical walls between the stage and the floor. For their last song, they surprised everyone by bringing Maddi from MADMoiselle back to the stage to help cover Pierce The Veil 's hit song ' Bulls In The Bronx '. This was really sick for two reasons. This cover showcases the band's overall talent, featuring brutal guitar riffs, fast-paced drumming, vocal screaming, and the range of the vocals themselves. It’s also just neat to see two women come together to help their voices be heard; it felt like an actual sleepover with your friends rocking your favorite emo tunes. Gutzombie rocked the house so hard that I got to witness an encore call at an underground gig for the first time. Credit: Rian Nickels Her Riot! It wasn’t just a gig, it was a revolt. It was the scream from the back of the room that finally made it to the mic. It was the eyeliner-smudged, glitter-smeared reminder that women aren’t just guests in alternative music. It was black boots stomping floors that weren’t built for us. We weren’t there to be anyone’s opener or somebody’s girlfriend, but instead to be the main act . We weren’t there to ask for space, but to take it. Every band, every lyric, every scream pulled a piece of this scene into a new shape, one where femme voices aren’t background noise. For too long, alternative music has been a boys' club where women are expected to be quiet, to play nice, and be cheerleaders. But that night at Mid-City Ballroom , we flipped the script. We weren’t there to prove ourselves but to be loud, to be seen, and unignorable. There’s room for softness and strength, lipstick and leather, breakdowns and breakthroughs. Her Riot! proved that when you give women the stage, they tear down walls. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_217e412a630349999d9fe77213ce5a80/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 A little recap for ya! If you missed the first Her Riot! that’s okay because we’re not done yet. April 2025 was only the first installment, and there are more voices to be heard. I’m planning for Her Riot to become a quarterly event with the hopes of having the first Her Riot! Fest in 2026. If you are a femme-fronted band or a vendor curated towards women, get in touch with us at Feel Alive Media + Events to be a part of a femme movement. *All photos by Rian Nickels Photography Rian.musicjpeg To learn more about the bands featured in this showcase, just hit one of the links below: MADmoiselle | Spotify ‎ MADmoiselle - Apple Music Abby and the Arsonists | Spotify ‎Abby and the Arsonists - Apple Music Sick At Heart | Spotify ‎Sick At Heart - Apple Music GUTZOMBIE | Spotify ‎Gutzombie - Apple Music www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Lower Decks is arguably the best show of Star Trek’s modern era and is a love letter to the franchise that reminds fans not to take it too seriously. < Back Star Trek Lower Decks: Bingeworthy Shaun Corley Oct 10, 2023 Share Lower Decks is arguably the best show of Star Trek’s modern era and is a love letter to the franchise that reminds fans not to take it too seriously. Star Trek returned to television in 2017 with the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery . Despite a shaky beginning, Discovery became a hit, inspiring an entirely new line of Trek shows, including Picard, Strange New Worlds, and the late lamented Prodigy . Each of these programs has their own distinct vibe: Picard is a character-study, Prodigy was made for children, and Strange New Worlds is a modern riff on the classic Star Trek formula. These three shows have helped bring Star Trek into the modern era and introduce a new generation of fans to the final frontier. And then there is Star Trek: Lower Decks . Lower Decks is unlike any other Star Trek show yet. True, it is not Trek’s first foray into animation—seven years after the original show premiered, Star Trek: The Animated Series debuted. Airing on Saturday mornings, the show continued the adventures of Captain James Kirk, Mister Spock, and the crew of the Enterprise. The show, more sophisticated than other cartoons of the era, introduced a number of cool concepts and characters to the mythos. Unfortunately, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry later declared the show out of canon, although this has not stopped later writers from “backdooring” certain aspects of the show back into continuity. While The Animated Series’ canonicity is debatable, Star Trek: Lower Decks is not. It is firmly a part of the Star Trek mythos and is a love letter to Star Trek as well. Created by Mike McMahan, whose other credits include Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites , Lower Decks rewards long-time fans for their deep knowledge of the franchise. Any given episode is loaded with references to other Star Trek shows and movies. Some of them are quite subtle, other are “blink and you miss it.” The animation style is similar to the other shows McMahan has worked on. This initially led to skepticism among fans: How exactly do you reconcile the Star Trek universe with what are decidedly raunchy cartoons? The answer is: It works beautifully. Beginning a few years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis , Lower Decks follows the adventures of four (later five) lowly ensigns aboard the USS Cerritos , a California-class starship specializing in “second contacts.” The Cerritos is not a glamorous Galaxy-class ship like the Enterprise, nor is it a warship like the Defiant. Instead, it is just another ship in the fleet. While this may not sound like it would make for compelling viewing, Star Trek: Lower Decks is arguably the best show of Trek’s modern era. credit: Paramount+ Lower Decks’ five main characters—the humans Boimler, Mariner, and Rutherford, the Orion Tendi, and the Vulcan T’Lynn—navigate the ups and downs of starship life in the late 24th century. Boimler (voiced by Jack Quaid, of The Boys ) is an eager beaver, a student of Starfleet history who desires a command of his own one day. His best friend on the Cerritos is Beckett Mariner (voiced by Tawny Newsome, of Space Force ), the daughter of the ship’s captain with a long history of insubordination. Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, of Loki ), stationed in Engineering, adores his job, as does his best friend Tendi (Noël Wells, of The Incredible Jessica James ), who works in the sickbay. They were joined in season four by T’Lynn (Gabrielle Ruiz, of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ), who first appeared in the show’s second season. Lower Decks also shines a light on the Cerritos’ senior officers as well; among them are Chief of Engineering Billups, voiced by comedian Paul Scheer, and the arrogant but ultimately competent Commander Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell ( The Donor Party ). Chief Billups and Commander Ransom (credit: Paramount+) Despite its toilet-bowl humor, and its TV-MA rating, Lower Decks is surprisingly wholesome. The constant barrage of in-jokes and references are never meant in a mean-spirited way; instead, they pay homage to Star Trek’s rich 57-year legacy. Lower Decks has given shout-outs to every corner of the Star Trek franchise, with some cuts so deep they can go over viewers’ heads. Lower Decks also subverts franchise tropes, and no character better exemplifies this than Tendi. Hailing from the planet Orion, Tendi is an eager, cheerful medical officer—a stark contrast to what fans had seen of Orion before. Prior to Lower Decks , the Orions were best known for the green slave girls, supposedly so desirable that no man could resist them. Star Trek: Enterprise tried to rectify this by revealing that Orion women secrete pheromones that control men. However, the execution of this left something to be desired. On the other hand, Lower Decks has flipped the script on every bit of this: Tendi is not a sensual slave girl nor are other Orion women. The “pheromones controlling the men” have been retooled as well, making Orion a matrilineal society. credit: Paramount+ That’s just one example of the genius of Star Trek: Lower Decks . Despite initial misgivings, fans by and far have embraced the series. The characters are exceptionally well-written, with superb performances by the voice cast. Lower Decks has also made significant strides in representation: the aforementioned Billlups is coded for asexuality and the show has featured crew members wearing the hijab and the Sikh dastar. Lower Decks is a love letter to the Star Trek franchise that reminds fans not to take it too seriously. Lower Decks is currently streaming on (with a subscription) Paramount+ and Prime Video, or you can rent Seasons 1-4 on Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3RkBKedKWw Shaun Corley is an East Coast pop culture enthusiast who loves to write about everything entertainment. A big, important Screen Rant writer, Shaun has many leather-bound books, but they’re far outnumbered by comic books and the smell of rich mahogany in the air. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Ryan S. Leavitt is an accomplished author overflowing with creativity. < Back The Creative Life of Ryan S Leavitt Nicole Brice Aug 4, 2025 Share Ryan S. Leavitt is an accomplished author overflowing with creativity. Ryan S. Leavitt is an accomplished author known for his work in fiction , thrillers , and science fiction . He is also a musician who has appeared on a reality sitcom . His bands, Allision and The Every Year , remain active and continue to produce new music. So, how did we come to know about him? We receive numerous submissions daily, but occasionally, a multi-talented individual crosses our path with a remarkable story that deserves more than just a simple review of their work. Ryan S. Leavitt is a perfect example of this. At just 34 years old , Ryan has achieved so much and continues to thrive. While thrillers and science fiction are the primary subjects of his books, he presents them with a distinctive flair. Originally from Massachusetts , Ryan's creativity and curiosity led him to New Orleans , where he has resided for the past ten years . His humor and wit are charming, and his true character shines through in all he does. He is brilliant, philosophical, and overflowing with creativity. Read on to learn more about him. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : It says in your bio on your website that you appeared on the reality sitcom, Quiet Desperation . What was that about? Tell us more. Ryan : That goes way back. That was in a time when YouTube was in a semi-embryonic state. I grew up in Massachusetts, and I used to listen to the local rock radio. One day, I just heard something I had never heard before, when this shock jock came on and was like, ‘I’m gonna spin my song today’, and he played this bizarre satirical song called ‘ I Put a Baby in You ’. (laughter) Ryan : I started following him from that point on, and he was doing a bunch of weird YouTube videos, just making weird outsider music, and he started making what was kind of like The Office , except it was with Boston creative types. MaM : That’s awesome! Ryan : So, it was a bunch of stand-up comedians and musicians in the area, and they coalesced with the storylines and stuff like that. I just ended up getting in touch with them after I had turned 18 and was able to be on for an episode. I did this Fight Club parody. Instead of soap and lye, it was like Gatorade and fruit punch or something, and the suffering was being creative and never making any money. (laughter) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsC5rDQnSOU Quiet Desperation via YouTube MaM : Dude, that’s the struggle for all of us. Ryan : Yeah. It was cool. We did a bunch of stuff, and he got it on local access TV for a while, too, so this little thing that started on YouTube ended up being on television briefly. MaM : You mentioned The Office, and there’s this other show, if you haven’t seen it, and it’s based loosely on The Office, but it’s called PBC . It’s about accountants, though. It’s an office show about accountants, and you can only watch it on YouTube. It is so freakin hilarious. If you haven’t seen it yet, go check it out. Ok, back to the interview. (laughter) MaM : You mentioned you grew up in Massachusetts, so how did you end up here in Louisiana? Ryan : I had this creativity in me flourishing because of the music scene in Boston . I used to go up to Boston often, but there was usually so much traffic. It was such a big scene—a big city. There was an advantage to all of that, though, because the music there was always good. One thing I didn’t like was how massive and inaccessible everything was, but another thing I didn’t like was how cold it was up there. I’m not a big person, and the cold would always get me. I was looking for different places where the cold would not be a factor, and I happened to have visited New Orleans . I perceived it as this mecca for creative types, but not just now in the time we’re living, but just over the decades … the 1920s, 1930s, and so on … it was sort of the edge of the world, and there they were honing and working on their arts, so that appealed to me. I’ve lived here for the past ten years, and it’s worked out well for me. The first couple of years here felt like a crash course, but after that, everything I wanted to do started to fall into place. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : You’re in two bands – Allision and The Every Year . Tell us a little more about that. Ryan : Allision is just original alt rock , sort of just a bunch of different influences that I liked growing up, like 90s alt rock and the whole MySpace era and things of the 90s . We try to make each song sound different every time. Just a pastiche of different eras, or as an homage to a particular band we liked a whole lot. The Every Year is a little more loosey-goosey, and it encompasses, like, well, when I do Allision , I want it to be very kick you in the teeth, a lot of frenetic high-energy for gigs, but then I have more acoustic singer-songwriter stuff. It’s kind of what doesn’t go into one bucket goes into the other—that kind of thing. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : How many books have you published total, and what made you want to become an author? Tell us a little more about Swiftopia , too. That’s your newest book, correct? Ryan : I’ve got about ten or so books published between the Kindle E-book format and paperback. Swiftopia is the first audiobook , and it’s kind of old. I first published it in 2016 , but the audiobook is new. The reading of it was done this year, and what had happened with that one was that I had these ten books, and then I wrote that one as sort of a big joke, and then it was the one that ended up selling the most. Because of that, I could justify getting an audiobook produced because I had sold so many copies. That one is about Taylor Swift creating an album so hypnotic that the entire world turns into zombies. It’s a book about how pop music today is sort of like a zombie apocalypse. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Dude, it is!!! Ryan : You can’t escape it, and then if you get exposed to a song too many times, it’s like, ‘I don’t like this song, but now I can’t get it out of my head.’ You walk around like that – like a zombie. MaM : Do you have a favorite book you’ve written, and if so, which one? Ryan : I would say my sci-fi series is my biggest project and has taken up the most time. I’ve been working on a third project, which explores what would happen if all the wealthy, elite, and billionaire types got their way and left the planet. However, the story doesn’t follow them. It follows their children, who don’t have any context on how megalomaniacal these billionaire people are, so they go through the courses and learn how divorced they are from actual humanity. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What role do you take in your bands, and are you currently working on anything new? Ryan : I’m the line leader in everything. MaM : Are you the one-man band? (laughter) Ryan : Yeah, I have my bassist and drummer, and then I have a friend who helps me out. She does lovely lady vocals singing, and stuff like that, but for Allision , we have a split EP that we’re doing with this other band, Collections , which we found a savory and intriguing prospect because we don’t see a lot of people, at least in the New Orleans music scene that are collaborating on that level. It’s going to be that we have two songs on it, and then they have two songs on it, and then we kind of each have contributed parts to each of the songs. His guitarist came and played guitar for one of our songs, and vice versa. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : With you being a New Orleans musician, what are some of your favorite venues down there to play? Ryan : I think Siberia is wonderful. Siberia is located on this St. Claude stretch where a lot of people walk by – tourists and stuff. The Fred Hampton Free Store is particularly intriguing because it’s a desecrated former Family Dollar store with no electricity, yet they host various events there. We’ve played there a couple of times. There’s no air conditioning, but it’s so DIY and lively. I remember the last time we played there; it was a diverse crowd in a good way. MaM : I saw you have some books written under a pen name, and I wanted to know why you chose to do that. Ryan : I started as Ryan Starbloak for a couple of the E-books I published. I was coming at it from an angle of satire, and after I had done four or five books that were humor-heavy, I felt limited. I wanted to be a genuine storyteller, so I wrote a darker psychological thriller. Then, I moved on to science fiction. When I went to record Swiftopia for the audiobook, I wrapped everything up. There are a couple of things from the satire days that I’ve been just trying to unfold into one name. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : What inspires you to create either in music or writing? Ryan : You know, at first, when I got the idea to do all of this stuff, and when I was a teenager, I didn’t have quite the same skill level I do now, but I wanted to produce and things like that. It was a concept from Friedrich Nietzsche , where he said art is the conversion of suffering into beauty . I probably labored under this illusion for what seemed like eight years, and I knew I had to do this because it makes me feel better after something bad has happened. I turn this depressive muck into something that I can utilize. That kind of oppressive atmosphere didn’t work and created emotional isolation, so now I’m just motivated by the premise of being myself for a living. Being able to transmit and communicate ideas. Make people snicker, smile, or think. The depression stuff has gone away, but it was interesting to think it all worked under that model for a long time, and then one day it didn’t, and I was just a lot happier. (laughter) Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Back to the music - What band or musician would you say has most influenced you with your music? Ryan : I’d have to go back to that guy with whom I did the YouTube show . His music career – I wouldn’t call it illustrious, but it was very productive. He did a lot of comedy albums in the beginning. He did thirteen comedy albums , and then the fourteenth one, it was more sincere and vulnerable, and he did an Americana sort of Johnny Cash thing. His name is Rob Potylo , and he remains active in the comedy scene. He’s been in a couple of TV shows, and I love how, at first, he was this very satirical Boston man, and then he shed that off and did something different. When that was over, he did a Bob Dylan thing, and everything since then has been closer and closer to his authentic self. He's been my biggest inspiration. When we did that Fight Club parody, it felt like an initiation into a creative life. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : If you could share the stage with anyone in the future musically, who would it be and why? Ryan : This one feels implausible on a couple of different levels, but this band from Spain called Dover , which had been active in the late 90s . They came out right after Kurt Cobain had passed, and they were the biggest thing in Spain during that time. They disbanded in like 2015 , I believe. I would want to play with them more than anyone else. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Professionally, where would you like to see yourself in the next five years? Ryan : I’m hoping to do the full-time author thing, and I’m working on this sci-fi series, and book three will be the closing of this trilogy cycle, which will open up a lot of marketing opportunities for me. I don’t aspire to much more beyond that, other than being able to be myself for a living. To learn more about Ryan S. Leavitt: Website: Home | Ryan S. Leavitt *All photos by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Still kicking ass and taking names < Back Sick of It All: Pioneers of the Hardcore Punk Scene Nicole Brice May 15, 2023 Share Still kicking ass and taking names For our first band to be featured in our G.O.A.T. section (greatest of all time), I don’t even know where to begin. This band has influenced me so much, I don’t even know what to say. Pioneers of the hardcore punk scene, the men of Sick of It All paved the way for many bands that came after them, and through the years when I’ve needed some inspiration to be tough and get myself into a certain headspace, their music has been my soundtrack. I was in the Louisiana Army National Guard from 2001-2009, and each summer we would travel to various locations around my state and beyond for our annual training—AT, as we called it. I still remember being on a bus or in the back of an LMTV with all my fellow troops as we embarked on the journey to our summer destinations—my earphones firmly in place and my turquoise iPod mini blaring the sweet tunage of Sick of It All . Their music has always inspired me with potent lyrics, thundering bass, crunching guitar, and crisp vocals. If there is one thing I can say about this band, it’s that even though they started out with a likeness reminiscent of other hardcore bands of the day, they have managed to evolve and refine their sound, making it one all their own. Anytime I hear a song by them, I instantly know it is them because of the distinct bass and the remarkable vocal stylings of the man himself, Mr. Lou Koller . Throw in an iconic logo of a dragon that was even used by another well-known music group and you have the unparalleled styling that can only be known as Sick of It All . Credit: B.J. Papas - The band in the early years For those not familiar with the band, allow me. Sick of It All was formed in 1986 with brothers Lou and Pete Koller . The Koller brothers grew up in Queens , N.Y., in a middle-class family where they would often hop on subway trains to the various indie record shops nearby and indulge themselves in all the iconic metal, punk, and hardcore albums they could devour. Their love of music turned into forming the band, with the Koller brothers being the solidifying force to bring it all together. After a couple of line-up changes through the years, the band has remained true to its roots and is currently comprised of Lou Koller on vocals, Pete Koller on guitar, Craig Setari on bass, and Armand Majidi on the kit. credit: Jeff Crespi - Armand Majidi Known for their high-energy shows, the band has never allowed themselves to be pigeonholed into one specific genre and has often played shows and toured with bands outside of the hardcore scene. When one thinks of a hardcore punk band, they think of the tough guys … the guys you don’t want to mess with— the real OGs . While the guys in Sick of it All are no strangers to kicking someone’s ass, they truly are just a nice bunch of guys who enjoy making music they love. credit: Jeff Crespi - Pete Koller With 11 albums to their credit and a book released in 2020 called “ The Blood and the Sweat: The Story of Sick of It All’s Koller Brothers ”, these guys show no sign of slowing down and are currently all over with Lou and Pete even recently being tour guides at the newly opened Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas . With such an iconic sound, the music of Sick of it All proves that time is no test for such an influential band, and they continue to bring their music to new crowds of fans all over the world. Publisher: Post Hill Press (August 4, 2020) Currently taking a break from their highly successful 2023 tour with Life of Agony, which is set to resume in the U.S. in August, I was able to speak with the vox of this incomparable band, Lou Koller , to discuss everything from what the future holds to what they think of the crowds at their shows in the current day. MaM : Thank you so much for talking with me today. You have no idea what this means to me. I was so nervous about calling you that I told my friend I was about to throw up. (laughs) LK : No problem. No problem at all. MaM : Love your music and I feel like I’ve been listening to you forever. My favorite albums are Death to Tyrants , Call to Arms , and Yours Truly , but I have so many favorite songs of yours that if I were to list them, we would be here forever. (laughs) So, your last album was released in 2018 and I know you guys have been playing shows like crazy, but are there any plans for new music coming out? LK : Well, during the pandemic, we were writing mostly—well, my brother, Pete , he ended up writing over 27 songs , but we’ve been trying to convince the other members of the band we should get together and work on them and record, but we just never could get it together. It all happened when unemployment ran out and we all got jobs and that was a factor that delayed it. Also, too, our drummer Armand seems to be on vacation every other week. (laughs) Once the pandemic ended, we all felt it was time to get back on the road, but we still have these songs, so it’s on the way. After we get back from Europe and the other leg of the Life of Agony tour , we will have the fall to get together and we plan to meet two weeks every month to write, so we’ll see how that goes. We’re working on it. It’s on its way. credit: Jeff Crespi - Lou Koller MaM : So, as far as the writing and recording process, do you feel technology has changed how you approach that? LK : It does because of necessity. Again, with the pandemic, we didn’t really get together to write. … Pete would write, but he lives in Florida , so he wrote down there. Armand lives in upstate New York, Craig bounces from Queens to upstate New York , and I live in New Jersey now. It used to be we had our own rehearsal studio in Brooklyn , and we would all just meet there three times a week and jam and have fun, but you know when Pete moved to Florida, it all became corresponding through emails and stuff like that. I think the technology helps in a way, but it’s also kind of a pain in the ass for me. I like getting together at the studio, not just for the writing but for the camaraderie. MaM : Right, the vibe. LK : Yeah, exactly. It works, but there’s some aspects of it that we need to learn just to keep up with the times, and some of it makes it convenient or easier in some ways, but I think because of the way we all grew up, you feel like something is missing. I still have a hard time discovering new music through a digital platform. Some of the suggestions through Spotify I don’t get. I could sit there and listen to old metal and hardcore and punk, and suddenly, they’ll say, ‘Suggested for you is the new Justin Bieber album.’ Why? Why would you suggest that for me? I have nothing to do with that. Nothing I listen to is remotely close to that. (laughs) credit: Jeff Crespi - Lou Koller MaM : I agree. I use digital platforms, too, but I miss the old ways of discovering new music. I used to just go to the music store and wander around looking for any cover art that spoke to me. Often, I would purchase albums based solely on cover art, and then I would go home to listen to see whether I dug the music or not. So, who would you say has influenced you the most when it comes to your vocal styling? LK : It’s a combination. When I first started, I really didn’t know how to do anything, but I wanted to sound as hard and as rough as the singer, John Brandon , from Negative Approach and also Chris , the singer of Crumbsuckers because he also sounded like John Brandon . But now, for the last 10 years or so, I still try to emulate that, but I try to have a bit more range. One of my favorites is Lemmy from Motorhead because he had such a rough voice, but he had this melody, too. He could hit the notes but was just a great vocalist. I know a lot of people think that’s crazy, but I just love that he had such a rough sound. Chuck from Hot Water Music , too, has such a rough voice, but it’s also so melodic. He just does it great. He’s another one I would like to sing like. credit: Jeff Crespi - Lou Koller MaM : But your voice is so amazing! How do you keep it in shape for singing the type of music you guys play? LK : I’ve been to some professional coaches; Melissa Cross is probably the most famous one. When I went to her, she told me, ‘Sing how you sing,’ but [then she said], ‘I could give you a couple of pointers, but you do what you do very well.’ The way I sing, it’s more using the muscles around my vocal cords and all that, so like any muscle, when we’re not on tour, I really should be going to the studio twice a week to keep it in shape, but it’s not fun going to the studio by yourself screaming to your phone going through the PA. So, I got lazy, and usually before a tour, I’m like, ‘Ah man, I’ve gotta go in,’ and my voice usually sounds like garbage for a week and then it kicks in. credit: Jeff Crespi - Lou and Pete Koller MaM : So, let me ask, you guys are definitely the voice of a generation and I credit you with being very instrumental in launching that second wave of punk rock and hardcore. I consider the first wave to be late 70s/early 80s and then we had a reemergence of it in the late 90s/early 2000s, so with the crowds, especially since you just came off tour, have you noticed any differences or changes in the scene or just any differences in how people treat each other at shows in general? LK : It’s weird … Our tours in the 90s, we would take the upcoming hardcore bands like Strife and Snapcase and we would take the upcoming West Coast bands (what they called hardcore but we would call punk, like AFI and Good Riddance ) and … combine those bands into tours and we loved it. Now, it’s so separated; you can’t take a more melodic punk band out with a newer heavier hardcore band because a Terror crowd would not appreciate a Good Riddance and a Good Riddance crowd might not appreciate when a band like Incendiary plays. They would be like, ‘That’s way too heavy,’ but I think 1999 was the peak for that. We did a tour, and it’s one of our favorite tours we ever did, but it was us, AFI , Hot Water Music , and Indecision , and it was so good that almost every night every band had such a great reaction, and I think one of the proudest moments for us was on that tour in L.A. seeing kids with Blink 182 shirts going absolutely wild to Indecision , who were the forerunners of what bands like Knocked Loose are doing now, and to see kids going absolutely crazy to something that’s totally opposite to what they usually listen to and then do the same thing for Hot Water Music and AFI and then with us, that was great. Nowadays, like I said, when you try to mix it up, it doesn’t work as well. credit: Jeff Crespi MaM : I grew up in the late 90s/early 2000s and so I remember when there was no separation. It was all together. If you liked hardcore, you liked punk. If you liked punk, you liked pop-punk and so on. I feel like back then there was more cohesiveness and now, like you said, it’s more divided. LK : I think on a smaller scale, it might be coming back. Luckily, I have a friend who used to work for us. He’s about 10 years younger than me, and he’s always sending me texts with, ‘Hey, check this band out,’ and he’ll send me music like Drain or Incendiary . … Not really new, but to me they’re new … like super heavy, and then he’ll be like, ‘Check out this band from England , The Chisel .’ And they became one of my new favorites. They’re a good combination of old skool, just English hardcore punk … leading towards Oi music , but I would love to see them with any hardcore band because it’s such a good mix. On the smaller scale with smaller tours, you can still see that good mix. MaM : Did you notice any regional differences on this latest tour with how the crowds received your music? LK : The Life of Agony tour was good for us because they took us to parts where we have never played. They took us to Michigan and usually we only play in Detroit when we go there, but this time they took us to Flint, Mich. , and we played in front of, which seemed to us, like a totally new crowd. There were guys there that were 50 years old going, ‘I’ve never heard of you guys. I’ve never seen you.’ That’s insane! … But they loved it, and they bought merch and records, so it was great. It surprised the hell out of us. (laughs) It’s also that Life of Agony has that bigger metal following and they were embraced by the whole world for decades, and those people don’t see a mixed tour very often. Life of Agony could have taken a younger, more prominent act as their opener, but they wanted to thank us for influencing them when they were younger. And when they went to Europe , they took Prong and Madball with them, which I think is a great thing. They wanted to repay bands like us and to mix the bill, which I thought was good. credit: Jeff Crespi - Lou Koller MaM : So, as far as the current crowds, do you feel the younger generations are embracing your music more or do you find that it’s the older crowd, like me, who are loving your shows these days? LK : It’s weird for us because being around so long, we used to get a good mix … we had our fans from the beginning, and we had younger kids coming. Now, it’s like the 16-to-25-year-olds who have their own stuff. We’ve had experiences where we’ve taken a younger band out that was heavily influenced by us and they’re the hot hardcore band. And they’ll be on stage, and they’ll say, ‘You know, we wouldn’t be a band if it wasn’t for Sick of it All ,’ and when they finish their set, their fans will just leave. They don’t care. They don’t stick around. It’s strange. Now, what I’ve seen, like in Europe , … it has been constant … where you have the older fans and generations still coming. But in the U.S., if we play an all-ages show, it’s usually our older fans who bring their kids and make them watch us, so sometimes it works. (laughs) credit: Jeff Crespi - Pete Koller MaM : Let me ask you as far as continuing to make music, how long do you plan on continuing? Do you just want to do it until you can’t anymore? LK : Yeah, that’s why I’m itching to make a new record. I’m very nervous when we do it, and I love the songs in demo mode, but I’m always worried no one is going to like it and then once the finished product comes out, I go, ‘Oh, I was scared for no reason.’ We always say we’re going to do it until it’s not fun anymore, but we’re always having fun, which is good. What’s good for us is that we all love playing live. It’s just a fact that we’ve always presented a very high-energy live show. If I ever physically can’t do it, I don’t want to just be standing around. (laughs) Zack from Rage Against the Machine tore his Achilles tendon and he had to do the tour sitting down. You could see in his face that he hated it. Same thing with Barney from Napalm Death . We did a run with Municipal Waste and Napalm Death and Barney had hurt his ankle. We all said he should go to a doctor, and he didn’t want to go. It turned out his ankle was broken. He didn’t know it and kept standing on it and destroyed [it]. He’s still having problems to this day. He had to finish that tour with us in a chair. Then, last year, he was doing a U.S. run and, sure enough, same ankle, completely destroyed. He had to finish the tour sitting in a chair and now, who knows if he’s gonna ever be able to stand on that damn ankle again. I don’t know if I could just sit there in a chair for the fans. It’s not Sick of it All if I’m sitting in a freakin chair, you know. credit: Jeff Crespi - Craig Setari MaM : Yeah, no kidding. It ruins the whole live experience. So, do you have any crazy stories from over the years with being on the road that you could share? LK : I mean, there’s so many. You know with the book they did about me and my brother, ‘ The Blood and the Sweat: The Story of Sick of it All’s Koller Brothers ,’ there’s a story in there that everyone asks us if it’s true. The story about when we were playing in Pennsylvania at a club called The Sonic Temple and after the show, we were packing up the van when these kids came up to us and said, ‘Yo, there’s a guy over there and he’s got a gun and he says he has a head in a bag,’ and, sure enough, he had something stuck in his waist, and we could see it wasn’t a gun, and he comes over and he’s talking all crazy saying he's going to kill everybody and we’re all, ‘Yeah yeah yeah,’ and he opens up the bag and there was a head. … It could have been a mannequin head, I don’t know, and we all hop in the van and as we’re driving away from the parking lot, all of a sudden there’s, like, 15 cop cars and we’re just like, ‘What just happened?’ MaM : (laughs) Wow. I wonder if he decapitated someone. (laughs) LK : Well, we don’t know. (laughs) We’ve always tried to look it up online and we can’t find anything, but it was awesome. MaM : So, one question that I am dying to know the answer to involves your logo. It is iconic and is immediately associated with you guys, but how did the Sick of it All dragon come about? LK : The very first idea for it was when we saw it on a flash sheet by the famous tattoo artist Greg Irons . He had a similar version of it. It was when one of our friends was joining the Marines , and he was, like, 17 or 18, and we all decided to get a tattoo together because we had this crew who always hung out together. I think it was Pete who redesigned the dragon for us, and it just happened to be in the photo of our first seven inch. It was a photo of my tattoo of it and then it just got associated with us from then on, then it became very iconic. The iconic Sick of It All dragon It’s funny, too, because decades later, we had a good friend who worked in the record industry and she was working in the hip-hop world and she’s walking through the office one day and she sees a co-worker with a big poster behind his desk and it had a picture of the earth burning with the Sick of it All dragon and she goes, ‘Is that a new Sick of it All record?’ And he goes, ‘Sick of it All? No, this is the new Mobb Deep album cover,’ and she goes, ‘You better check where that logo is from.’ It was very funny. MaM : Wow. LK : They said they got it from a tattoo parlor, which maybe they could have because they’re from Queens and we’re from Queens, but most likely… they would go hang out with this Queens group called The Beatnuts , who were hip-hop DJ guys … and on their apartment door was a bunch of stickers and one of the stickers right in the center was a Sick of it All sticker with the dragon. So, you know they saw that dragon with our name on it and used it. We made a deal with them, though: They were not allowed to use it on their album covers because it was associated with Sick of it All. We actually have a fan who owns two or three pizza places in Berlin, Germany , and on his pizza boxes, he has the Sick of it All dragon, but he asked us if it was ok to do it and we said sure. Now, though, on his pizza box, he still has the dragon, but he puts our Instagram handle with it, too. MaM : Approaching a tour these days vs approaching a tour then—is there anything you do differently when preparing for a tour? LK : For me, personally, I must get my voice in shape. It’s not like it used to be where we would jump in the van and hang out and yell and scream all day, then get on stage and play. I have to rest my voice and I have to work into it. As far as the whole band, it’s kind of gone back to the beginning where, especially in the U.S., where touring in vans again, Armand will plot the tour out with our booking agent and the rest of us will do other aspects for the tour, like I do all the social media for the tour, and then we all have to deal with the merchandise again. MaM : So, you guys have your hands in everything when preparing for a tour. LK : Well, we have to. Personally, I am the lazy one in the band. I liked it in the mid-90s to the late-2000s when we had people doing everything for us. It was great. Back then, we could call up our manager and be like, ‘I have this idea,’ and he would be like, ‘Alright, give me two days,’ and then he would either get it done or he would say it can’t be done. MaM : As a veteran musician, what is one piece of advice you could give the up-and-coming musicians who want to be seen and heard so they can establish a legacy like you? LK : The best advice I could give is play what you love. I mean, it’s fine to emulate your heroes, but eventually you’re gonna find your own sound, but make sure you love it. Also, too, and I know this is going to sound weird, but what stops a lot of other bands is a lot of infighting about money and we, Sick of It All from day one, have always divided everything equally. Everybody inputs as much as you can, but for the first two albums, it was 90% me and Pete writing everything and Armand contributed, too, but at the time Armand was in two other bands, but by ‘ Scratch the Surface ,’ when Craig had joined the band, it was all four of us working together and Armand writing and he and I splitting the lyrical writing; then, the music was split between Armand, Pete, and Craig. Now, it’s good, because I think that everybody contributes to everything. Especially like with the last album, Pete would come in with songs and have 90% of the lyrics written for each song. Craig and I would then sit down and change some of the lines or redo them or Armand would re-write with me or Craig , and it’s so much more of a unit. Love what you do and, I know it sucks, but I didn’t join a band to fill out paperwork. Learn the business so you don’t get f**ked over. MaM : Last question: What’s on the agenda for Sick of it All for the remainder of 2023? LK : We’re trying to keep busy. We’re writing and we have the Life of Agony tour coming back up in August again. We’re going back to Europe in June and July , and I’m going to be a tour guide at The Punk Rock Museum , which Pete just did it, too, but we have quite a bit coming up. Stay tuned. Be sure to catch Sick of it All live before their tour wraps up on August 27, 2023, in their hometown of Queens, N.Y. To learn more about Sick of It All: Sick Of It All – NYHC Sick Of It All | Facebook Sick Of It All (@SOIANYC) / Twitter Sick Of It All - YouTube SICK OF IT ALL (@sickofitallnyc) on Instagram Sick Of It All | Spotify Sick of It All Tickets, 2023 Concert Tour Dates | Ticketmaster *Cover photo courtesy of Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com JEFFCRESPIROCKS See through a different lens! www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nicole Brice is a lifelong lover of punk and hardcore. She may look like a wuss, but we assure you she has military training, is a badass with an M-16A2 rifle, and her music collection is stocked with all the heavy hitters you can handle. Reach her at the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

New Blood-Soaked Holiday Releases < Back Merry Christmas: The Shitter's Full Keeley Brooks Nov 29, 2022 Share New Blood-Soaked Holiday Releases If you’re like me, you’ve already started watching your favorite holiday movies. In fact, as I’m writing this article, I’m giggling at Chevy Chase while watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation . It’s been a top favorite of mine ever since I first laid my eyeballs upon it in all of its hilarious glory. But this article isn’t about that movie. It’s about some other new holiday movies releasing this month … holiday horror flicks. And in terms of movies, and to quote Cousin Eddie, "the shitter's [indeed] full" ... of blood, with all the new horror titles releasing in December. First up is Curse of Jack Frost , which dropped on VOD Nov. 1. Frost is a bit of a demon in this British holiday cinematic offering, and he will stop at nothing this Christmas to exact his vengeance on those left in the bloodline. He terrorizes a family and must learn their family’s dark secrets that link to why they’re cursed. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njsIRexup-E Next is Violent Night , which hits theaters this Friday, Dec. 2. I’d love to be able to tell all you streamers out there, who now prefer to stay home for movies (like me), that this one is also streaming somewhere on the same day, but no such luck. At least not yet. It will, of course, be available to rent at some point, but that date hasn't been announced. My advice is if you wanna see it now, it’s back to packed theaters full of smacking, slurping, coughing, snotting, sneezing people. The film has been anxiously awaited by many since its trailer dropped about a month or so ago and is from Director Tommy Wirkola ( Dead Snow movies, Hansel & Gretel ). Starring David Harbour ( Stranger Things ), John Leguizamo ( John Wick) , Edi Patterson ( The Righteous Gemstones ), and Beverly D’Angelo (by the way, my decision to watch Christmas Vacation as I wrote about Violent Night because Beverly D’Angelo is in both was completely unplanned and I’d forgotten she was even in Violent Night until this very moment. I love when that happens.), It’s a horror-action dark comedy that’s a twisted take on the milk-and-cookies-and-presents Santa Claus we all know. When an elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, they get way more than they expected after taking everyone inside hostage. Also, Santa is there to do his thing … and he straight whips everybody mercenaries' ass in what looks like some pretty badass fight scenes. This Santa is no saint, and he’s about to expose why. Take a peek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a53e4HHnx_s I gotta say, this movie looks like one hell of a good time, no matter where you watch it. I’m all in! Then there’s Christmas Bloody Christmas ! This little independent number features a Christmas Eve where fiery record store owner Tori Tooms just wants to get drunk and party, until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated. Santa embarks on a rampant killing spree through the neon-drenched snowscape, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood-splattered battle for survival. The film is set to release on Shudder on Dec. 9. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiMc-RRqjaM And lastly, The Mean One --and I gotta say it looks pretty awesome. I love fx makeups, and this one is incredible. A slasher comedy directed by Steven LaMorte ( Bury Me Twice ), this Grinch teases a dark side. A very dark side. Unlike the other adaptations of the Doctor Seuss classic, this one is an unauthorized parody of the story, mean they didn’t acquire the rights. Due to the lack of permissions, the creators had to be extra cautious to avoid using any language or names taken directly from the book. It’s clear that this Grinch will be a very far cry from any previous versions … it’s a spoof. The setting is a sleepy mountain town, where a girl named Cindy has her parents murdered and her Christmas stolen by a blood-thirsty green figure in a red Santa suit—The Mean One. When this ravenous, Christmas-hating creature begins to terrorize the town and threatens to ruin the holiday, Cindy finds purpose in trapping and killing the monster. The Mean One drops next Friday, Dec. 9 AND, streaming friends, you’re in luck with this one. As a gift to all horror fans this holiday season, this flick drops everywhere on Dec. 15. Watch the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n9LmPRRmEw *BONUS WATCH: I happened to stumble across this one by chance, and no way I’d miss telling you guys about it. Another independent horror-comedy slasher, this one puts a psychological spin on the classic story of Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and, of course, the reindeer. Here are the deets on Christmas Slasher : as the holiday season rolls in, a murderous zombie reindeer wreaks havoc on the small town of Vixen, Minnesota. Local townsfolk are viciously attacked and killed, and even the hunters become the hunted. Then the film shifts forward ten years after the murders and centers around Alita Claus, when she and a group of her best friends from college decide to spend Christmas break in a cabin deep in the woods (and we all know what happens in cabins “deep in the woods”). The zombie reindeer is still on the loose, along with now-psychotic-monsters murderous couple Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Here’s the trailer, but an actual release date is yet to be announced and is projected for some time in December. Keep an eye on your favorite platforms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nc1NGaWOrs There are, of course, many other holiday horror titles streaming this month, so visit your favorite places and see what’s in store. And always check your VOD titles, especially if you're an AppleTV user. They have some great categories and recent discoveries with little gems everywhere. Be sure to stock up on candy and popcorn before you get to watchin’! And if horror isn’t your thing, be sure to check out my list of non-holiday comedy recommendations , definitely guaranteed to have your face hurting from laughing so much. Enjoy, my friends. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Live on Long Island is electrifying from start to finish, immersing you in Bad Mary’s vibrant live sound. < Back Music Reviews by Nick: Live on Long Island by Bad Mary Nick Cline Jul 17, 2025 Share Live on Long Island is electrifying from start to finish, immersing you in Bad Mary’s vibrant live sound. Bad Mary is a glam-punk quartet based in New York , known for their electrifying and raw sound. The power emanating from their amps and vocals is both impressive and unforgettable. With a mission to infuse high energy into their live performances, which they consider the core of their sound and presence, they were inspired to create a live album. This decision led to their latest release, Live on Long Island . Released July 15, 2025 Live on Long Island is electrifying from start to finish, immersing you in their vibrant live sound. You can feel the energy, emotion, and raw power of their music and personality with each passing second. The beautiful chaos that punk bands bring to their sonic landscapes, both live and in the studio, is captured excellently in this album. Credit: Kyoko Obayashi Creating a truly captivating experience, from live recording to streaming, can be daunting—a challenge many bands, regardless of popularity, struggle with. However, the fascinating aspect of Bad Mary is that this live album flows seamlessly, resembling a true live performance. There’s no unnecessary banter or forced energy; instead, it features a continuous energy that feels authentic. My favorite aspect of this album is its seamless flow within each track, which is particularly significant to me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu6v8Vde2Q8 'Marz Attaqx' from Live in Long Island by Bad Mary I could go on about the raw energy the album exudes, but I think it’s better to elaborate on my thoughts. The album opens with ' Soapbox .' The first sound you hear is the feedback from the guitars, a perfect method for building suspense without uttering a single word. This technique, often used in punk, hard rock, and other high-energy genres, creates dissonance and anticipation in a live setting. The feedback transitions into the band crashing into the song, delivering an immediate burst of raw power and energy. The faint whispers of the crowd are woven into the recording, becoming part of the song’s identity, felt but somewhat lost amidst the wailing guitars, pounding rhythms, and screeching vocals. This blend is both beautiful and chaotic. As the album progresses, each track twists and turns, with the energy building and breathing like a living entity. This dynamic is the highlight for me when listening to the album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goA03aqYSa0 'The Itch' from Live in Long Island by Bad Mary The live mixing is superb , featuring numerous intense moments that enhance the overall sound without detracting from it. The clarity of the music, vocals, and banter is impressive; the album knows precisely what it wants to be. Credit: Eric Sandstrom Photography What I admire most about the band and the album is the flow and presence that captures the punk energy and vibe of New York. Bad Mary is reminiscent of iconic bands of the past, and their ability to control the landscapes of their live shows translates exceptionally well to recording and streaming. I highly recommend this album to anyone looking to add high-energy glam-punk to their playlist. The album is a cohesive entity—a living, breathing force. Go stream it now. To learn more about Bad Mary: Website: Bad Mary | The Official site of Bad Mary Facebook: Facebook Instagram: Bad Mary - NY Glam Punk (@badmaryband) • Instagram photos and videos YouTube: Bad Mary - YouTube Spotify: Bad Mary | Spotify Apple Music: ‎Bad Mary - Apple Music www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nick Cline is the powerhouse behind the Louisiana-based band, Phantum Sun , and loves checking out new music. Got something you think he'd like? Email us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Knifetwister Records is more than just music. < Back Punk Is Not Dead: How Knifetwister Records Is Keeping New York Loud Nicole Brice Sep 3, 2026 Share Knifetwister Records is more than just music. What makes a great record label? These days, to me, it’s one that still believes in the artistry of music itself. One that still believes music has a pulse. With a focus on authenticity and dedication to the craft, Knifetwister Records is a refreshing punk/metal/and ska record label out of New York , but they aren’t just a label; they are a magazine and more. In the music world, amongst a sea of generics all focused on stats and not on actual talent, Knifetwister stands proud. So, how did I hear about them? Oh, you know, just another one of those universal synchronicities, as I like to call them. I guess you could say I’ve always been punk rock at my core, even before I knew what punk music was, because I have never identified with mainstream ideals or beliefs. Do I listen to all music? You betcha, but punk has always resonated with me the most since I first heard it, and later, hardcore came along. As a kid, I questioned everything, had very few friends, and often got lost in my head. When I discovered punk rock , though, this lightbulb went off inside of me, and I no longer felt alone in how I thought. It almost felt like it was okay to be smart and question things. Punk rock is defiance, but it is also free thought. Not wanting to conform and being who you are. Not letting society tell you who you need to be, and Knifetwister Records embraces that. Founder Raph Copeland is an absolutely amazing human, and his love for music is unparalleled. Born in the Bronx and raised in Westchester, NY, Copeland is cool as hell and easy to talk to. But not only that, he’s a huge supporter of all people, and to me, that’s what really shines for him. Founder Raph Copeland with Brendan Stiles, Mike Caldarella, and Aaron "White Owl" Collins In 2011 , Copeland was honored with a formal citation for heroism after rescuing a woman and her infant from a serious car accident in Lakewood, New Jersey . The citation was presented during a Joint Legislative session of the State Senate and General Assembly in Trenton, sponsored by State Senator Robert S. Singer and Assemblymen Joseph R. Malone and Ronald S. Dancer. In addition to just generally being a great human, Raph loves to play pool and spends his time working his day job in cybersecurity, running his label and magazine, managing the New York City thrash metal band CHAKA , and doing charity work when he can. He is a published author, having contributed technical writing to numerous medical journals, and his work has been translated into four languages. He has also worked for several charitable organizations in New York and New Jersey . Queens hardcore band iLL RAiSED headlining the Knifetwister Records Birthday Bash With a passion for the punk ethos , Raph Copeland has created something truly remarkable, and with Maya Bishop and Dan Dellechiaie at his side, he stands poised to make a difference in the broader music world with his slam-dunk team. Read on to learn more about Knifetwister Records . MaM : I saw that you were honored with a formal citation at a legislative session for an act of heroism. Tell me more about that. Raph : So, I was working for the Lakewood MUA in New Jersey ; that’s the Municipal Utilities Authority , which is a fancy way of saying water company. I was the IT Coordinator . Not to paint with too broad a brush, but the town is not all that strict about ensuring you have a driver’s license. MaM : Sounds like Louisiana. Raph : You can be out on the street, and it’s almost like a bunch of pinballs going down the road smashing into each other. I was on my lunch break, and there was a serious accident. A woman hit an 18-wheeler, flipped over, and there was a baby in the car. I pulled the baby out. I pulled her out. She was completely dazed, the woman, and she started walking into oncoming traffic. I got her over to safety. I got the baby to safety. I waited for the ambulance, and then I got out of there because I didn’t particularly want my name in the papers, a, and b, the northeast is a little more litigious that other parts of the country, so you know there’s going to be a personal injury lawsuit, and I don’t want to spend the next two years in court, so I got out of there. Unfortunately, someone spotted me wearing my water company jacket and made a few phone calls. Now, on the board of the MUA was a state senator, the head of the state senate, and I guess he saw it as an opportunity for good publicity, so he pushed some things through. To be honest, the whole thing was a little embarrassing. I don’t need a citation in the Senate. Raph Copeland, founder of Knifetwister Records MaM : Let’s talk about the current state of the music industry now. I want your perspective. You’ve been doing this for quite a while, and how do you feel the music industry is right now? Do you feel like it’s strong, or that it’s weakening, or do we have a chance? Raph : Well, as a punk publication, I have to really address this from a punk perspective. I’m a pretty serious pool player, as you can see from my shirt. The type of music I hear at my pool hall is that generic, A.I.- or possibly A.I.-adjacent music, and it’s less music than it is wallpaper. (laughter) Raph : It’s sort of just background stuff that people listen to when they’re drinking, and shooting poorly, and I can’t speak to that type of music because I just don’t know all that much about it. Is it profitable? It’s certainly more profitable because you can crank out a song every six hours. That’s how sophisticated it is. From a punk perspective, the state of the music industry is difficult. Like your magazine, and like mine, it’s a passion project. There is no financial remuneration whatsoever, and if you really break it down, your average punk band is going out of pocket for gas to get to shows. They’re out of pocket with instruments, tolls … the venues don’t pay anything. They maybe go into a studio; they’re paying for studio time. Possibly paying for a producer. So, they have a finished product, and say they put it on Spotify, and say your average punk band is going to get 800-1,000 streams, and they’re going to get a check for approximately half a penny. That’s a small slice of the punk scene and where it is today. There are certainly other aspects to it. Take, for instance, the fact that it’s such a big tent, and you could have political music, you can have people writing songs because of personal pain and catharsis, or you can have bands that are writing lyrics about drinking, smoking, and punching people in the nuts. Raph Copeland of Knifetwister Records MaM : Right? (laughter) Raph : It is really a big tent in terms of more or less everybody getting along. I know I spoke about the financial aspects, but there are really ten different sub-aspects that could be addressed. MaM : Do you feel music has lost its soul over the years? Raph : Yes, absolutely. One of the issues, and certainly not the main one, is that Spotify has sort of turned music into a commodity . Not unlike computer chips or tampons. MaM : Right? Raph : So far as I understand, the founders of Spotify are not particular music fans. This is essentially one of those slimy things with private equity involved, and so forth, and so the state of the music industry is that it is not the way it was back when bands were grinding it out on the circuit. Hands bleeding from stapling up flyers. It has turned much more into commodification, and it’s really sort of almost built on a social media algorithm type of format in that the songs have to grab you within the first five seconds, or someone is going to hit skip, because it’s so easy to hit skip on streaming services, as opposed to when I was young and bought an album. I have a personal bone to pick with Spotify , but the concept applies to all streaming services, since it concerns financial aspects. To sum it all up, as an analogy or quick example, you take Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti ; they were trying to put out the best music that they could. Their albums made a lot of money, and I’m sure they were more than happy to cash the checks, but that wasn’t the defining purpose. They were trying to make music with longevity. Music that would last. It doesn’t seem to be that way today. As an example, Spotify allows a lot of A.I. music onto their platform. It’s not a matter of technology, because they could stop this. Immediately. Soundcloud has an A.I. detector when you upload an A.I. song to Soundcloud . It rejects it automatically. So, there is tacit approval from Spotify for A.I. songs. A.I. music is not about creativity. It’s inherently about streams, and inherently about money, and when the music industry's main focus is making money, that is a pretty good summary of where the music industry is today. Dan Dellechiaie serving cake at the Knifetwister Records Birthday Bash - Brooklyn 07.26.2026 MaM : I saw that you do charity work, and I love that because we do charity work, too. We started our own organization here a few months ago, where we host charity shows and donate the money to different causes. Tell me a little bit more about all of that. Raph : I personally do a lot of charity work. I volunteer teaching tech to seniors at a local LGBTQ Center. But in terms of the label, we put out a benefit compilation CD back in December, and it was 21 punk bands , 20 of them from New York , and it was called “ Not in Our City ” and all proceeds went to benefit The Bowery Mission , which is down on the lower east side of Manhattan and coincidentally the epicenter of 70s/80s punk, and in April we did “ Not in Our City II ”, which the focus was a benefit for an organization called Make the Road New York , which is for immigrant rights. Between the two compilations, I would say we raised over $1,600 for the two charities. It was kind of interesting because the first compilation was thematically about New York bands, since New York cares about New York , right? And my thought was: all right, if this goes well and we do it again, a great part two would be to show that the rest of the world cares about New York . So, the second compilation featured no New York bands from eight countries on five continents – 22 bands - and, of course, there are logistical problems. We had one band fall off. They sent us their audio file for the compilation, and then completely disappeared. Artwork by Chris Yee at Rocktoonz MaM : Like they disbanded? Raph : Nope, they just stopped responding. Once you send an audio file for a compilation, the work isn’t over. We have to coordinate with PunkNews ; we have to get them quotes for the write-up; we have to get them photos. Couldn’t do it, so we had to leave them out of the write-up. We also had a band in Indonesia , and I heard them and was like, "this band is sick," and then I started going back and forth with them via email to try and coordinate things, and the language barrier nearly made things impossible. Artwork by Chris Yee at Rocktoonz MaM : What is the number one mission you’d like to accomplish with the label and magazine? Raph : That’s an interesting question, and it’s one I get asked, and I don’t like to give the same answer to everything, but the honest truth is that part of the fun in what we’re doing is not knowing what comes next. And, as an example, we started essentially as a traditional record label. Very early on, we added the magazine. Then, sorta out of nowhere, the idea for a compilation release came up, which wasn't planned at the beginning. We were approached by a really big band, actually, to release their next album, which was something that came out of nowhere. It’s sort of like being in a rowboat, and we do have paddles, so we can steer a little bit, but at the end of the day, if a large wave comes along, it’s going to push us in one direction or another. Raph Copeland is punk rock all the way to his core, and through his passion for the genre and the local scene, he is leaving a legacy. Be sure to check out the website for Knifetwister Records as well as their most recent compilations and more. There is something for everyone. To learn more about Knifetwister Records: www.knifetwisterrecords.com knifetwister records | New York-based punk record label and digital magazine Hi - we're knifetwister records, a New York-based punk, metal and ska record label and digital interview magazine. Say hi, we don't bite Instagram: knifetwister records new york (@knifetwisterrecords) • Instagram photos and videos www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

What Have I Won harnesses a raw energy that only a punk band can achieve when they are unapologetically themselves. < Back Music Reviews by Nick: What Have I Won by Spiller Nick Cline Jul 28, 2025 Share What Have I Won harnesses a raw energy that only a punk band can achieve when they are unapologetically themselves. Spiller , Massachusetts' very own dad-punk band, is back to energize listeners with their latest release, What Have I Won . This three-song EP features the tracks ‘ What Have I Won ,’ ‘ December ,’ and ‘ Game of Pricks/Hocus Pocus .’ Released July 28, 2025 From start to finish, these songs harness a raw energy that only a punk band can achieve when they are unapologetically themselves. Each track has its own unique identity while still retaining the common sound that makes Spiller distinctly theirs. Punk music thrives on individuality, and Spiller has excelled in this regard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_6LBlpZfUo What Have I Won by Spiller This EP carries an intriguing essence that is hard to define yet reminiscent of something familiar. It embodies a uniqueness that is particularly prominent in the New England punk scene. The undeniable passion that runs through this community is palpable in every note across the EP—it's more than just sound. My personal favorite track is ‘ December .’ It's my top pick because it captures the powerful energy that Spiller aims for in their music. The passion is evident right from the first strum. As soon as the song begins, the intensity is felt, laying a strong foundation that carries throughout, and continues on with a captivating hook that keeps you engaged for the entire duration. With its melodies, powerful chords, 4/4 beats, and driving bass, the song draws you in, combining pop sensibilities with punk energy and the strength of early 2000s rock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffqVyTeqM3s Video for Game of Pricks / Hocus Pocus by Spiller I believe this EP would be a fantastic addition to anyone’s playlist. If you enjoy bands like Rancid , Dropkick Murphys , 2000s Green Day , and power-pop , then you’re sure to love Spiller . They serve as an electric reminder of how music can evolve while preserving its original power and evocative energy. Spiller captures a sound that is truly unique to them—it’s a personal "lightning in a bottle" moment that adds to their vibrant character. So, do yourself a favor and check out What Have I Won . You won’t regret it! To learn more about Spiller: Spotify: Spiller | Spotify Apple Music: ‎Spiller - Apple Music Bandcamp: spillerdadpunk.bandcamp.com Spiller Dadpunk from Boston. Former members of Gang Green, Underball, Jerry's Kids, Northern Skulls and Green Magnet School. Jack Clark, Greg Fiore, Glen Stilphen and Chris Pearson www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Nick Cline is the powerhouse behind the Louisiana-based band, Phantum Sun , and loves checking out new music. Got something you think he'd like? Email us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Stella Vir are progressive-infused sounds full of spatial concepts < Back Stella Vir: A Modern Ambient Rock Abyss Je'an-Paul Keller Aug 8, 2023 Share Stella Vir are progressive-infused sounds full of spatial concepts Coming up August 19, 2023, Louisiana’s own Stella Vir is set to perform at Rad Fest 2023 at PARC International in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana. With tunes full of howling guitars and crisp clean vocals, this band hails from Hessmer, LA and they are the third band in our installment of interviews with all acts on the bill. The band was formed in 2019 by Josh Ferguson (vocals), Justin Theriot (lead guitar), Waylon Wilkinson (bass), and Shane Landry (drums). Gaining a following on the local scene due to their energetic performances and catchy, melodic songs, Stella Vir’s debut EP “Meridian”, released in 2020, is so good that you’ll want to turn the dial all the way up to eleven to engross yourself in the soothing sounds. And if you have an iPod handy, pop in those headphones and disappear into the abyss. Credit: Ahnvee Photography In 2022, the guys released their follow-up EP “City Lights”, continuing the band’s evolution with a more mature sound and showcasing more complex songwriting. With songs such as “Getaway” and “Full Speed” that provide ferocious guitar licks, Stella Vir is quickly solidifying itself as one of the most promising of all the up-and-coming rock bands coming out of Louisiana. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHJVthKtAVA Each member feeds off their own unique styles and the band has managed to find a cohesive sound that is distinct and one all their own. The band has the talent, the drive, and the sound to make it big and with their continued touring, Stella Vir is sure to become one of the most popular rock bands in the country. You must see them live to experience their sound in all its depth, truly. With a love for all things sci-fi, I was able to chat recently with Josh Ferguson, the lead vox, about everything from the band’s name to how their unique sound is achieved and his love of everything sci-fi related. Geek out with us and get lost in space by learning a bit more about what makes up the band known as Stella Vir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiK3Zq57YTU MaM : I dig your music. Who or what inspired your current sound? JF : So, I've been I've been playing music for about 20 years, and in the late 90s/ early 2000s. There is just something about the grunge era and when emo came out. Post-hardcore bands as well, such as Finch and Thursday … I really got into all of those styles of music. My writing style has always been somewhat of an emo-derived kind of sound. It's just a blend of all kinds of music that makes us what we are. MaM : With so much going on in the world, what influences you to make music? JF : It's kind of like a sickness. I had quit playing music about five times now, but I wake up some mornings with just ideas in my head. I feel like I can't do anything without writing these ideas down, and the next thing I know … I'm writing music in a band again. It's just been in me, and my guitarist. We've been writing music together for 20 years, and it's just something we can never shake off. MaM : Can you tell our readers how your band initially came about? JF : I went on tour with a band, and then when that tour finished up … I decided to be a husband, and a dad, and not really play music anymore. My guitarist from over 20 years ago … [He] and I started talking again. We decided to do something different. So rather than trying to write music that we thought people would like or would get people to go to shows, we decided to start writing stuff that we would wanna listen to, and that's where we ended up. The first song we wrote together is on our ‘Meridian’ EP! It is called ‘With Fire Comes Truth’. It's one of the most fun songs that we have to play. It's just about not caring what anybody else says [with the message to] just burn the world down if you must … TO BE HAPPY! Credit: Ahnvee Photography MaM : Love the name of the band. How did it come about? JF : So, Stella Vir! At first, we had decided on the name Meridian for the band. In the process of uploading our music to social media … We realized that there [were] 63 bands named Meridian at that time. Obviously, we can't go this route if we want anybody to find us. We spent a couple of days trying to think of something that would be original, and my buddy Justin, [who] plays guitar, mentioned Stella Vir, which in Latin is roughly translated to Man of the Stars. We are all just really into space-related themes. We were all in love with it as soon as he said it, and we never looked back. It's just the idea of extra-terrestrial beings in space looking down on us, and the planet Earth. That's the kind of vibe that we make all our artwork around and our merch. I absolutely love the space theme. I can't get enough of it. MaM : So, growing up? What sci-fi movies or series played a huge role in developing the concept for the band? JF : I'm a huge fan of Guardians of the Galaxy . I'm a huge fan of Star Wars . We are all fanboys of Star Wars . I also listen to a lot of podcasts that are sci-fi based, fiction, and non-fiction. Whatever I can find, I eat it up. I remember going to the NASA space center when I was a kid, and I really got into the whole idea of space. So, anything I come across, I'm just a huge fan. MaM : Are there any specific things that you like to use to achieve your sound? JF : Honestly, the main goal that we've had as a band from the beginning is we just wanna be natural. We want to write stuff that we can perform live, and we don't need a huge production to do it. If you hear us on the radio, when you see us live, or when you hear us on Spotify, it's nothing different than what you heard on our albums. Our main goal has always been to just be real, and natural. We don't spend a whole lot of time on post-production. It's just whatever we can play. We just put it on a track like that to make sure everything stays as real as possible. MaM : Do you have any specific brands of guitars or bass guitars that you like to use? JF : I have a Gibson Explorer, and I have an SG that I use. The other guitarist, he likes Fender. He also has a Gibson Les Paul, and that's his main guitar. We both really got into AXE-FX within the last two years. It's really simplified our consistency as far as our guitar tone goes. Every time we plug in, we know we're gonna sound the same regardless of the venue. That's really the main thing. We try to have a strong guitar front. The AXE-FX and Gibson guitars … That's our go-to. Credit: Ahnvee Photography MaM : What types of amps are you currently using? JF : We both started digging into the AXE-FX. For the last few years, I was using a Marshall DSL 100, and [the other guitarist] was using a Friedman BE-100. We try to stay in that Marshall, Friedman, Mesa/Boogie kind of sound on the fractal, but before you know it, you're dialing into six different cabs and five different amps. It's just kind of all over the place. Whatever sounds good for that particular song. We may switch it up for different songs, so it's kind of hard to nail that down. I can't say enough about the AXE-FX. You can do anything with it. MaM : Do you consider “City Lights” a concept album? JF : I wanna say the first song on that album was ‘City Lights’. We actually had that one written before we created the first album. I wanted to do a concept album, but I have two kids and three jobs. To write a concept album is a lot more time-consuming. The songs are kind of pieced together about different things. It's just about different things that have happened to us in our lives. That's what that album is all about. I wish I could say that it was a concept album, but I haven't had the time to really go down that rabbit hole. Hopefully, for this next album … That is the direction that I wanna go, and we'll see what happens. MaM : Any future plans or aspirations for the band? JF : I think RAD Fest is gonna open a lot of doors for us. You would think that social media would make it easy for people to get their music out. I think it makes it more difficult because there is just so much stuff thrown at you in a day. I think that a lot of stuff gets overlooked. RAD Fest is gonna be huge for us. Huge for all of the other bands too. I think it's gonna open the door for us to get shows with bands that we might not have been able to play with before. People will be able to see us that have not ever heard of us before. So, I'm looking forward to that. This is gonna be our biggest show, and I'm really looking forward to that. I can't wait to see what happens with it. MaM : Can I get any information about the new songs you are writing? JF : There's a new song that we play that is called ‘Anything at All’ and it is, by far, one of my favorite songs. We have a live version of it on our YouTube page from our last show if you wanted to check that out, but it's just a high-energy type of song. We try to keep our shows full of high energy, and that's probably the most pulled-up song that we have. MaM : Are there any memorable shows you have played so far? JF : We played at the Cajun Heartland State Fair last year. We're hoping to get on again this year, but I think we missed the deadline to apply. That's a cool thing that the Cajundome allows local bands like us to do. I can't say enough about the local scene in Lafayette. You have all these bands wanting to put on big shows and include us. The Cajun Heartland State Fair is probably the most notable thing that we've done so far, and I think RAD Fest is gonna be right there with it. Credit: Band's Facebook MaM : Do you have any other plans in the future after RAD Fest? JF : We do. We've been tracking some new songs, and hopefully, before the end of the summer, we'll have a release date for ‘Anything at All’. Then, we're gonna start working our way up to a full album release. That's the most exciting thing we have going on right now. I love writing music, and we all love recording it. That's definitely on the horizon. Facebook: @Stella Vir Instagram: @stellavirmusic YouTube: @stellavir8290 *cover photo by Ahnvee Photography https://www.ahnveephotography.com/ Je’an Paul Keller is a member of the 501st Legion and a huge sci-fi nerd. He’s also a HUGE music lover and is very passionate about drawing, sketching, painting, and making cosplays and movie-accurate costumes. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Stephen King Movies Releasing in 2023 < Back More Adaptations from THE Horror Master Keeley Brooks Mar 3, 2023 Share Stephen King Movies Releasing in 2023 Even if you’re not a horror fan, you still love Stephen King. You know you do. The past few decades have seen numerous books and short stories from the famous author, and film and television adaptations are a-plenty. This year (and likely next year) is no exception with a handful of adaptations coming your way. Here’s what’s dropping in 2023 and what’s up next on the Stephen King entertainment agenda. Children of the Corn – I’ll never forget the first time I first saw the original Children of the Corn movie and was scarred for life. It was 1985, and I was eight years old. We kids definitely shouldn’t have been watching it, but we did the second our parents left the room. See, we were visiting relatives, who just so happened to live and work at the Angola State Prison. So, on those grounds late at night in the bedroom of a work trailer is where the creepy kids from the corn made their appearance in my life. The 1984 version sees a young couple trapped in a remote town with no adults because a gang of creepy-ass kids has killed them all. The remake hits theaters Friday, March 3, 2023 , and it will have an 18-day theatrical window before releasing on Shudder March 21 . The story reportedly does take some liberties. Here, we get to see a town fall as “He Who Walks” uses a little girl named Eden to satisfy the evil entity’s bloodlust and turn the town’s youngest residents into murderous little nightmares. No doubt it’ll be just as terrifying as the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWCGoGdkM7I The Boogeyman - The first adaptation of King’s 1978 short story from the Night Shift collection is about a teenage girl and her little sister, who find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house after their mother dies. They must get their grieving father to pay attention before it’s too late. In the original story, we follow a man grieving the deaths (murders) of his three kids. While their deaths were all different, they all took place in the children’s respective bedrooms, each having shouted, “The Boogeyman,” before they met their fates. The film hits theaters June 2, 2023 , then is supposed to hit Hulu soon after. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsudEHsuvIg Salem’s Lot - This gem has also been adapted to a movie and is expected to hit theaters April 21, 2023 , but it’s already been pushed back from Sept. 2022, so don’t hold all your breath just yet. Nonetheless, it’ll be anticipated when it does arrive, especially with director James Wan ( Saw franchise). It is rumored to remain faithful to the book, which if you’re unfamiliar is about a writer who returns to the town of Jerusalem’s Lot in Maine only to discover that the residents are all being turned into vampires. Stars Lewis Pullman ( Outer Range ), Spencer Treat Clark ( Glass, Unbreakble ), and Alfre Woodard ( See ). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX_wCxCGZhs Pet Semetary – Though the 2019 version of Pet Sematary wasn’t well received with critics, a prequel movie was greenlit in 2021. It’s intended to continue digging into the mythology of the small town of Ludlow, the strange rituals, the Wendigo, the cemetery, and character Jud’s life. We’ve been seeing the dead re-animate for over a decade now with all the zombie and undead adaptations, but none of those are as scary as seeing Gage come back to life just to kill his mother and run around with a creepy giggle and his father's scalpel terrifying everybody to death. And the cat, Church—we can’t forget about him. After all, he is the reason Jud learns of the power of the pet cemetery. It’s planned to be released later this year to stream as a Paramount+ original movie. From A Buick 8 – Based on King’s novel published in 2002, this is the second story to feature a supernatural car, the first one being the unforgettable "Christine." The adaptation has been in development for years. Back in 2005, George A. Romero was announced as the director, then two years later he was replaced with Tobe Hopper ( Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise). By 2009, the project came to halt, then in 2019 was announced to be in development again. No details have been revealed since, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon – Published in 1999, the story follows a nine-year-old girl as she finds herself lost in the woods on what she thought would be another normal day hiking with her mom and brother. She fantasizes about her favorite baseball player, Tom Gordon, rescuing her. Originally, a film adaptation of "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon " was to be directed by George A. Romero, but plans fell through in 2005. The project was revived in 2019, and in late 2020, Lynne Ramsay ( You Were Never Really Here ) was announced as director. Let’s hope we get some updates soon! ALSO (you didn’t really think that was it, did you?), Deadline recently revealed in an exclusive that Warner Bros. has acquired King’s 2021 crime thriller bestseller “Billy Summers” to adapt into a feature film produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. Bad Robot have also adapted other King works like Lisey’s Story (Apple TV Plus), Castle Rock (Hulu), and 11.22.63 , also on Hulu. It was originally intended to be a limited series, but the big screen won out instead. Writing the screenplay are Ed Zwick ( Blood Diamond ) and Marshall Herskovitz, who co-wrote The Last Samurai with Zwick, and it is rumored that Leo will play the title character, but that is yet to be confirmed. The plot synopsis reads: Billy Summers is a hitman who is looking to retire and takes on last highly lucrative job to feather his nest. The job requires him to embed himself in a quiet town, where he pretends to be an aspiring writer (he actually pours himself into the prose). He sets up in an office with a direct view of where hitman Joel Allen will be delivered to face trial for shooting two men during a poker game. Allen also has committed enough murders for some high-level mobsters to be scared the gunman will incriminate his former employers to lessen his sentence. Summers, a meticulous craftsman, become more and more cynical about the mobsters who’ve hired him, and his skepticism is well warranted as things go awry following the job’s completion. *On a side note, if you haven’t watched Castle Rock , I urge you to roll on over to Hulu and check it out. While the two-season series isn’t based on any specific one of King’s works, it does share themes, characters, and most notably its name with one of the central locations found throughout the legendary author’s career. Season 1 tells the story of Henry Deaver, a death row attorney who returns home to Maine for the first time in years when a mysterious inmate at the local prison, Shawshank, specifically requests Henry as his lawyer. Several narratives unravel from there, including a troubled individual with apparent telepathic abilities, the shocking death of one of Castle Rock’s most prominent characters, and some pretty disturbing developments for Henry as he uncovers more and more about his past—like the time he vanished as a child. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBdsv4piFVA Season 2 is a chilling must-see! Instead of continuing on with the same characters and original cast, the series pivots and centers its story on Annie Wilkes, the infamously psychotic, murderous nurse from King’s 1987 psychological thriller novel “Misery” and 1990 film adaptation of the same name. In Castle Rock , we are introduced to Annie Wilkes pre-Paul Sheldon days, so it’s sort of a modern-day prequel. Lizzie Caplan ( Masters of Sex ) delivers a sharp, tense, and breathless performance as Wilkes navigates her life and career, and so much is revealed along that way that when it ends, it’ll leave you wanting more and most likely compel you to turn around and watch Misery again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGr1Mnsua5E And , just in case you missed its release back in September, don't forget to check out the Stephen King documentary King on Screen, which examines cinematic adaptations of the iconic author's works. With King's stamp of approval, it gives audiences an intimate sit-down with different directors who've all adapted the writer's works for the screen, looking at the movies and shows that have brought his stories to life, both the hits and the flops. Among those sitting down for interviews are Mike Garris (ABC's The Stand ), Mike Flanagan ( Gerald's Game , Doctor Sleep ), Frank Darabont ( The Shawshank Redemption , The Green Mile ), and director and special effects makeup titan Greg Nicotero ( Creepshow , Misery ), to name a few. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qDNW5RLQiM Alright, kiddos, that's all for now, but stay tuned for more adaptations from THE original horror master ... and no doubt his son, Joe Hill. You know we'll be keeping you updated. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Big in the 90s < Back For a Good Time, Call Keeley Brooks Oct 25, 2022 Share Big in the 90s The 90s are remembered (and missed!) for so many reasons—one of the main ones being that the decade was important in music history. When grunge, hip-hop, alternative rock, and industrial rock emerged, so too did hordes of fans. These genres gave us so much good music that produced a slew of hits still making crowds go wild. One band having fun with that is New Orleans-based ultimate 90s cover band Big in the 90s. With a repertoire of pop music, grunge, R&B, and alternative, their set list includes everything from Britney to Brit-pop (Hello PULP! Anybody? No?), Gin Blossoms to Ginuwine, and everything else in between. Big in the 90s is Jonathan Pretus on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Stephen Turner on lead guitar and backing vocals, Joe Bourgeois on bass and backing vocals, and Kyle Melancon on drums and backing vocals. Occasionally you’ll hear Melancon and Turner on lead vocals as well. Singer Jonathan Pretus and drummer Kyle Melancon both spent time in New Orleans-based bands that actually WERE big in the 90s. Pretus was guitarist for Cowboy Mouth, and Melancon was drummer for Dash Rip Rock and Imagination Movers. Bassist Joe Bourgeois was in MyNameIsJohnMichael, Stephen Turner was guitarist in EPIC, and for years, Turner, Bourgeois, and Pretus were part of the acclaimed rock band The Breton Sound. During that time, the guys kept hearing the same thing from record labels, management, and radio programmers, “You guys are great. You’d have been big in the 90s.” So, after 8 years in The Breton Sound, around 2019, the guys “put the brakes on” the band but didn’t want to stop playing music. Recognizing that all their musical roads intersected somewhere in the 90s, it seemed like a natural progression to start a band playing the eclectic 90s songs they loved and grew up with. “We could just play music for fun and not worry about the business aspects that being in an aspiring band brought,” said Pretus. “The name came about because with The Breton Sound, we were told multiple times by a variety of labels, radio programmers, and industry-type folks that they loved what we were doing but [that we’d have been big in the 90s]. So, [the band name] came from that, and we all agreed it was going to be the name almost as quickly as we agreed to start the band.” The guys also say that each show is like filling a six-disc changer with all your old mix CDs and hitting shuffle. Every song in their set is a classic that’ll provoke you at some point to squeal, “This is my JAM!” to your girlfriends and boyfriends, I guarantee it. Hell, even the band themselves have songs that make them squeal. They aren’t shy about it. Here’s what the guys had to say when asked about favorites of their own: JP : My favorites are usually “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger or anything by Oasis. KM : My favorite 90s song is probably “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals. It’s just a perfectly crafted song. I hope to put that in our set one day. As far as songs we currently play, my favorite has to be “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind. [It’s definitely] one of the most fun songs to play on drums, ever. ST : My favorites are “Larger Than Life” by Backstreet Boys, “Sweater Song” by Weezer, and “No Scrubs” by TLC. MAM: So, then, I have to know if there are any songs that take it a step further and make everyone lose their shit? JP : Our set’s pretty banger-heavy, [so] there’s a lot of shit-losing throughout the night! “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind always crushes. KM : I never would’ve thought that it would’ve had this kind of staying power when it came out but “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit sends people into an absolute frenzy. It’s bananas. I don’t quite understand it, but I absolutely love it. ST : For me, “Pony” by Ginuwine. It’s hilarious. Especially when Jonathan uses his prop pony on a stick. MAM: Shut up! Are you serious? You’re right: That is hilarious. Is there a video of this somewhere out there? ST : There absolutely is. Readers, click PLAY below, and enjoy the giggles . https://video.wixstatic.com/video/999a0f_81162f99493342eb88044f23b0f222e4/240p/mp4/file.mp4 Big in the 90s bring these and many other songs to life, faithfully and with the energy of a top-notch live show from seasoned performers who’ve played stages of all sizes, to crowds of all sizes, all over the country. While Big in the 90s is based in New Orleans, they aren’t limited to playing in the city. The guys are branching out beyond the NOLA area and often play in Baton Rouge, but they have spent the past year kind of “cautiously cementing” themselves in their home market. “COVID is so unpredictable, and we never know what’ll happen with cancellation due to it,” said the band. They hope to branch out through the Gulf South region in the New Year. While there are no albums for Big in the 90s, their collective work as The Breton Sound and Kyle’s work with Dash Rip Rock and Imagination Movers are readily available. There are, however, plenty of opportunities to catch them live for the rest of this year. Be sure to check their website frequently for additions and updates, too. Nov. 12 St. Rita Fall Fest, Harahan, LA Nov. 18 English Turn Country Club, New Orleans, LA Nov. 25 The Broadside, New Orleans, LA *featuring strings quarter Electric Yat Quartet Dec. 17 Zony Mash Beer Project, New Orleans, LA To squeal about a song to the guys, or for booking and further information, visit them online at www.Biginthe90sBand.com . Facebook /biginthe90s Instagram @biginthe90sband Twitter @biginthe90sband *photos courtesy of Big in the 90s www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Eclipse Fest is a celebration of community and music, inspired by hope and bold optimism. < Back Eclipse Fest 3 Returns to Lafayette: A May 2026 Gathering at Feed N Seed Nick Cline Jan 16, 2026 Share Eclipse Fest is a celebration of community and music, inspired by hope and bold optimism. Eclipse Fest is heading into its third year, growing each time into a celebration of community and evolution. It began with no connections, no experience, and no clear plan—just a passion to give the underdog a chance back in 2024 . That spirit has always driven the festival, serving as a platform for talent that might otherwise go unnoticed and offering the scene fresh sounds it deserves. What started as a small dream has now drawn participation from across Louisiana and interest from bands nationwide. The line-up for Eclipse Fest 3 In 2026 , a new vision is shaping Eclipse Fest , with alternative music and its unique aesthetic at the core. This year’s lineup features 14 bands over two days, plus a special guest from New York . Pre-sale tickets are $10 each / $15 at the door / or for a 2-day bundle, it's $25. More info can be found here . Day 1 welcomes back Double Knockout , HolleeStar , and Grey Areas , alongside Playing The Hero , Sick At Heart , Silvercapbaby , and Kismet —covering metal, emo/pop-punk, and indie/alternative for an eclectic day of music. Eclipse Fest Day 1 - May 15, 2026 Day 2 expands the sound, with returning acts Phantum Sun , Jean Claude Seagal , and Goodbye Academy joined by Carnelian , Elle H. , Belle Grove , and New York’s The Amatory Murder —bringing together grunge, alternative, emo, funk, and industrial influences for a dynamic close to the festival. Eclipse Fest Day 2 - May 16, 2026 The festival kicks off May 15th and 16th at Feed N Seed in Lafayette . Stay tuned to Eclipse Fest’s Facebook , follow-up articles, interviews, and band socials for all the details. Follow along as the story unfolds—a celebration of community and music, inspired by hope and bold optimism. For more info visit: https://www.facebook.com/share/17mopWCTRA/ www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

With so much technology, never forget where music began. < Back Off The Charts: A Lifetime as a Music Lover Part Two Bud Gambrell Aug 4, 2026 Share With so much technology, never forget where music began. In the last article, I wrote about how change is unavoidable. After I finished that section and the rest of the article, it got me thinking about the physical change in music. I don’t mean the chord progression or the layers in mastering. None of that technical jargon; I really don’t know anything about it. I mean the change in how the public consumes music. Simply put, how you buy or listen to music. Music for public consumption has changed in so many ways just in my lifetime. Here we go again. Don’t tell me I’m old. I already have that information. (Kind of a laugh) I won’t go into the history of recorded media. I will just cover some of the things that have changed in my lifetime. Let’s go back to the 1970s . Yes, that is me in the 1970s. Let’s begin in your car. At one time, cars only had AM radios , if that. AM radio was good for listening, if you didn’t mind the lack of quality and a little static. It never sounded very clear. One good thing about it was that at night you could pick up radio stations from far away. I remember picking up a station from Chicago . I could occasionally pick up Spanish-speaking stations. Of course, I had no idea what they were saying, but I suppose it was the novelty of hearing a radio broadcast from that far away. Credit: Wix Then, in the 1970s , cars started coming with AM/FM radios . That made a huge difference in the quality of what you were listening to. The music became more vibrant . The one drawback was that it didn’t carry well over long distances. Hence, the names of the two account for the differences. AM stands for amplitude modulation, or power. AM radio stations used megawatts to boost the signal strength. They could push that signal further with higher power. FM stands for frequency modulation. Simply put, FM broadcasts focused on frequency instead of power. The drawback was that a mountain or a row of buildings could block or weaken the signal. Ok, enough of the classroom jargon. If you were around in the 1970s, can you remember the first time you saw a car with an 8-Track player and an AM/FM radio? That gave the driver control over what they would listen to. The 8-Track format wasn’t great by today’s standards, but it was portable music. What a wonderful concept! In the blink of an eye, cars began to have AM/FM cassette players. It seemed like that person had won the lottery to have such a luxury. The cassette player added so much. They eventually came with auto-reverse , which meant it would play to the end and change sides. It was a technological marvel! Credit: Wix Move forward a couple of years, and CD players became the luxury to have in your car. Eventually, they became the norm. I remember taking out stock AM/FM radios and installing a CD player . Now, we are in total control. We can skip directly to the next song. If you had some type of mental disorder, you could make it play one song on repeat. I never used that function. I’m not saying I do or do not have a mental disorder. Credit: Wix Cars today have gone way beyond all of that. My car has more music options than I could ever want. Sidenote: I didn’t buy that car for the music options. I bought it for the gas mileage. Although when I first heard about a car with a hard drive, I wanted one. My car has an AM/FM radio with XM and a separate CD player. It also has an SD card slot that plays MP3 files. I have a 128GB card loaded with hundreds of full-length albums. I also have a USB port that charges and plays MP3 files. My 18-year-old self would have had a meltdown if I knew all of that would one day be possible. Mind-Splosion! Credit: Wix Now that we have covered the portable music options, let’s go into your house and explore. I will skip the talk about 78 rpm vinyl . I didn’t live in that era. I did, however, live in the 33 rpm era . Most people already know that 33 rpm is an album , LP , or vinyl . The Long Play was big back in the 1960s and 1970s . It ultimately lost the battle to the compact disc in the 1980s and 1990s . In the last few years, vinyl has made a resurgence. Anyone who calls themselves an audiophile demands vinyl . I once had a large collection of albums. I kept them in those peach crates that were so popular. Those crates worked great. You could stack them, and you could also pick one up and move it. That was about as portable as vinyl got. Credit: Wix I believe I was in high school when I was introduced to the 8-track . We spoke about that earlier, but it had uses outside your car. Home entertainment centers had a player. I had a portable player . I had to feed it eight D-size batteries . It went through those D cells like it was hungry! I really thought I was the cool kid! That player had a top handle. This was pre-boombox . The player would split into two separate speakers linked by a cord, of course. It was something else. I could take it anywhere, as long as I had D batteries. I would occasionally take it to school and stand over it like I was King Author standing over the Holy Grail. I exaggerate just a little, but you get the idea. Not the exact player, but similar Portability in music grew from there. With the development of the cassette came smaller players. Those smaller players grew larger as the boombox craze took hold. Music was on the move. Can you remember the first time you saw a friend with a Walkman cassette player and headphones? Your parents must be rich? That was only the beginning of that evolution. Credit: Wix That cassette Walkman evolved into the Discman , a CD pocket player with headphones. But don’t jump around too much. Those early models would skip. It was still very cool to have. Then, of course, that evolved into the MP3 player . Those iPods were and still are expensive. How much did you spend on one before it was finally possible to play anything you wanted on your phone? That’s a long journey in a relatively short period of time. Portable music went from the 8-Track tape to your phone streaming a service in 30-40 years. I liked so much about the old ways, but I have to admit that I absolutely love that SD card slot in my car. Credit: Nicole Brice There are so many things I miss about buying albums . One of the biggest is the sense of connection with friends . It was the moment when a friend placed a vinyl record on the turntable platter, dropped the needle, and you listened to the new release together. That leads me to the record store. The joy of getting paid on Friday and going to the record store to flip through LPs is lost on anyone who didn’t get to experience it. You can still do that today, but it just doesn’t feel the same to me. I will not mention any names or store names, but there was a local record store in Huntsville that was, let’s say, awesome! I would cash my paycheck on Friday . There was no direct deposit. I would deposit enough to write checks to pay bills. I would keep a little spending money. I would stop by this specific record store. I could go in, browse the new releases, and pick out an LP or two. I could also buy a bag of weed. You can’t beat one-stop shopping. I was good to go for the rest of the night. Credit: Bud Gambrell That leads to the bonding part. If you grew up back then, how many times did you sit with a friend, drop a needle, and listen to an album? Okay, how many times have you done that recently? I bet that number is much lower today. The LP gave so much more than a CD and even more than a stream , particularly a stream . I have never been able to look at the artwork of an album or single from a stream . Do you remember ripping the shrink wrap off that album and sliding the slip cover out? Look at those pictures, those credits or liner notes, the lyrics, or maybe you got one with the plain white slipcover. I hated that. I remember seeing the album at a friend's, seeing the artwork, only to buy it and get home to plain white. Bummer! With that friend, or friends, you would drop that needle and settle in. We would pass around the cover and the slipcover. You can almost get that from a CD, but it’s just so dang small. Credit: Bud Gambrell This also leads us to the subject of your in-home stereo . Once you had the large console stereo, which was both large and, I suppose, decorative. It contained everything. On the front were the speakers, and you could slide the top open to reveal the turntable and radio dial. From there, the home stereo evolved into the component setup. Man, I loved those. You had to have the receiver and speakers at a minimum. A cassette player could be added, or, if you were really fancy, you could add a dual cassette deck . Of course, before the cassette player , there was the 8-track player. To round it all out, you had to have a good turntable . In my opinion, that was a must-have! I also went so far as to add an equalizer . I liked to mold the sound just a little more than the stock tone knob on the receiver. Credit: Bud Gambrell Home listening has changed so much. To make things simple, you can add an Amazon Echo or a Google Nest . You can walk in and tell it what to play. It’s almost like witchcraft! You can also buy turntables that connect via Bluetooth . You no longer need a receiver . You can simply connect to a speaker and play your vinyl. Credit: Wix These days, you don’t need to go to the record store to pick up the newest and hottest release. You have digital radio in your home . XM radio can be in your home, too. You can also have your streaming service on demand. “Alexa, play…? Alexa, skip that song.” Or the other, I think, is, “Hey Google, play…” It’s so easy. It just feels less personal to me. Where are the liner notes? Where’s the kinship? “Alexa, let’s pretend I’m bonding with a friend.” (chuckles) There are even music channels on your cable or satellite subscription. There are so many ways to get the music, which, a few short years ago, was a bit more limited. While we have mentioned television, let’s take a look at it. Everything in media starts somewhere; TV is no exception. Just look how far it has come in one lifetime. From small black-and-white sets in one family room to large LED TVs in every room in the house. I’m not sure, but I think the first TV our family owned was around 13” and was black and white . Can you imagine trying to watch TV on a 13” black-and-white? Your computer monitor is likely larger than that. For comparison, the TV in my den is 65”. And we have a total of three. That may not be considered many compared to some. Just as a guess, I think my brother has seven TVs throughout his house. He just installed four 55” TVs in his shop to work in a mesh together. That is a total of 8’ wide and 5’ high. I wish I had that old 13” to place beside that for comparison. Credit: Wix Now, let’s look at the many changes in how you can access music on that TV. When I grew up, there were only four channels. The four major networks, CBS, ABC, and NBC, along with PBS, the public station. Then came cable, which expanded the lineup to thirteen channels. How will we ever find anything to watch with so many channels? Music was not easy to come by. You might catch a musical act on Ed Sullivan , Laugh-In , or Hee Haw . But the drawback was that there was no recording device. You got to see it only once. There was also Lawrence Welk, but that show was for mom. Johnny Carson would also have musical guests if you were lucky enough to stay up that late. The point is that the choices were limited on any given day. Credit: Wix As the early to mid-seventies arrived, The Midnight Special and Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert debuted. Both shows aired late at night as well. I believe they ran on Friday or Saturday nights. Those shows were so cool. They featured concert clips from the day's popular bands. I think we would have worn out any VHS tape we could get our hands on for those shows if a VCR had been invented yet. The only way to see a performance a second time was if you were lucky enough to catch a replay six months later. I have even bought a collection of The Midnight Special on DVD to relive some of those nights. It was so long ago that I don’t remember specifics, but I remember staying over at a friend's and sneaking downstairs for a peek. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy4opYZW1cQ The Midnight Special with KISS The doors to TV music entertainment opened in the 1980s when a cable channel called MTV first aired. It was the talk of the town. Everyone wanted to watch MTV and see the newest, and sometimes weird, music videos . I say weird because music videos were new, and in an attempt to be creative, they sometimes came out strange. VH1 was formed to compete for MTV viewers. VH1 always seemed a little less radical than MTV . Who stayed up late at night to watch Headbangers Ball on MTV ? Not long after MTV and VH1 came CMT . You could now watch country music videos as well. The evolution of music and TV was well underway. Another advancement in music on TV is the cable channel AXS . This is a channel that actually plays music. MTV needs to change its name. AXS has concerts or music-related programming all the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJtiPRDIqtI The first two hours of MTV ever played back in 1981. With the introduction of the VCR , or video cassette recorder , came another new world. There was also Beta-Max , but for whatever reason, VHS became the champion of the video cassette format. It was now possible to record MTV if you had that cable channel. I remember not having it on cable in Huntsville , so when we went on vacation in Florida , it was on cable there. The TV was turned on, and you found the MTV channel. Also, with the VHS format came recorded concerts. Do you mean I can watch an entire concert of my favorite band at home? Yes, you could. You might even find a concert video for rent at the local video rental store . VHS wasn’t a high-quality format, but it took us to a place we hadn’t been yet. Another advancement in music on TV is the cable channel AXS . This is a channel that actually plays music. Credit: Nicole Brice Another format launched, but for whatever reason, it didn’t stick. The laser disc was introduced before the DVD . I never owned one, but I have seen one, and its resolution blew away VHS . Those are two big mysteries in the home entertainment world. Why did Beta-Max and laser disc fail? Both had superior quality to the competition, VHS , but never took a foothold. Credit: Wix The DVD and eventually the Blu-Ray took home music to a new level. You could now watch that live concert of your favorite band in your home with clear visuals and sound . The DVD concerts were wonderful! I have a collection of them in my TV cabinet. The Blu-Ray even improved that quality even more. But I would bet the average person cannot tell the difference side by side. They are both very good. Most cable companies also offered the DVR option with their boxes. You could now record programming without a VCR . They began with a small amount of storage, but eventually grew to large storage capabilities. The next advancement in that type of technology was YouTube . With YouTube , you no longer need that DVD player. All you have to do is log in and search for whatever you want to see. YouTube seems to have most anything music-related. If you want to watch the new video, just search for it. You will then get sidetracked by all the video suggestions that appear along the side. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4QK8RxCAwo Boston's "More Than a Feeling" from YouTube- imagine that. Of course, the latest advancement is streaming . If you have a subscription , you can stream anything. I’m sure I’m not the only one who, during the COVID lockdown, streamed a live band performance. Bands were itching to play but had nowhere to play, so they turned to live streams. That was good, but not great. It didn’t have the same live energy. With streaming, you can also buy entire albums that are never pressed as hard copies. Those recordings are online only. You can pre-buy new recordings. There are so many ways that streaming and the internet have advanced the music industry. Are all of the advancements better? In terms of availability, I would say yes . In other ways, I would say no . When I purchased an album and went to play it, I had to look at the songs on each side and decide which side to play. On a digital album or CD, you simply press play. I feel something was lost in all of the technical advances. I could tell you what album a song was on and which side it was on. It’s different now. I think the names of the songs get lost when you don't inspect which side to play. When you simply press play, you may not even know the names of the songs, unless you are a true fan. You can’t get anything past a true fan of a band. Credit: Wix Of all the digital downloads you have bought this year, do you remember specifics about them? Do you remember the cover art? There is no walking into the record store and seeing it on the “New Release” shelf. Times have changed, but I think a few things have gotten lost in translation. I can still remember the first time I heard RUSH 2112 . I can still remember hearing someone play Thin Lizzy at a party and checking out the album cover. I can remember seeing the first Molly Hatchet album in the record store. That dark rider on the back of the war horse. What is this? I can remember walking into JCPenney with my little brother and buying KISS Dressed to Kill . I can still remember going to the record store the day AC/DC Back In Black was released. My dad was so pissed when I brought that one home. I remember the first time my friend played AC/DC ' If You Want Blood, You Got It '. Listening to that band and looking at that cover was jaw-dropping . Nowadays, no friend is walking into the room with an album under his arm saying, ‘Check this out!” In my opinion, you don’t retain memories like that when buying a download. I hope that, if you're old enough, I got you to pause and reflect. Our music was harder to get to, and at times it was so much simpler , but doesn’t it feel a little more organic in the way we went about it? Don’t you want to call that old best friend and invite them over? Maybe spark a doobie and put on side one of Dark Side of the Moon ? I think we need to be open to moving into the future with all the advances and luxuries, but don’t forget where it all started. It all started on vinyl and seems to have come full circle back to vinyl. Maybe the past wasn’t so bad. Until next time, Keep your diamond down in the groove! Where to find Bud: Website: https://bgambrellphotography.com Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CLA9Tz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bud.gambrell www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

It's all green to me! < Back Way Back When: March Playlist Picks 2025 Nicole Brice Mar 3, 2025 Share It's all green to me! March automatically makes me think of the color green—green for St. Patrick’s Day, green for positivity in the spring, just green. Let’s see if I can keep a clever theme for these song suggestions. 1. Green Day - 2000 Light Years Away Green Day certainly has come a long way from their earlier music, but to me, their earlier music is the best because it’s less polished and more authentic. This is one of those tunes that always transports me back to the early '90s. 1991 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhea380bYp0 2. Hum - Green to Me Hum is one of those hidden 90s gems when it comes to bands. They toured with prominent bands back in the day, which is how I discovered them. To say this band and song are underrated would be an understatement. 1998 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4VY15Q2_NU 3. Gorillaz - O Green World Gorillaz burst onto the music scene in 1998 via Damon Albarn of Blur fame and Jamie Hewlett . A virtual band, Gorillaz is best known for its cartoon videos with characters. ‘ O Green World ’ is one of those album tracks that is a little more obscure but so fantastic because of its intricate sounds. Check it out! 2005 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f01sIr-y6PY 4. Incubus - A Certain Shade of Green Incubus ’ first album, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. , sounds nothing like their albums that came after. ‘ A Certain Shade of Green ’ is one of those high-energy Incubus songs that just reels you in. 1997 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCml8Th66mM 5. Master P - Pass Me Da Green Just a fun song. “Pass me da green, I need some weed with my Hennessy.” 1997 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_yBoAuKTcU Hey, if you don't like these, cool. If you've never heard them, check them out! Love and light, Nicole www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Shape builds in intensity, with many layers that mesh so well. < Back Reviews on the Real: Shape by Cinder Nicole Brice May 19, 2026 Share Shape builds in intensity, with many layers that mesh so well. Released today, May 19, 2026 , is the latest from the alternative and shoegaze band Cinder , called ‘ Shape ’. Shape begins with just the right amount of fuzz, leading to haunting synths that build in intensity until the song evens out and the vocals come in. A steady groove takes over until the chorus hits. It’s loud, explosive, and perfect. The breakdown at the end really ties it all together, too. Not to mention, Lewis' vocals are so perfect . This is a banger of a tune. It’s got so many layers that mesh so well. Is it shoegaze, grunge, or industrial? You decide. Released May 19, 2026 The band is comprised of Lewis Dean on vocals, Daniel McAuliffe on guitar, Callum Moores on guitar, and Zach Ockmore on drums. Credit: Facebook Originating from Manchester, UK , Cinder is gradually establishing its presence in the underground music scene with a mix of experimental sounds and carefully crafted compositions. Their music offers a unique depth and intensity that can't be ignored — passive listening isn’t possible. Don’t even try. Each Cinder track requires your full focus , immersing you in layered sounds. Being a fan of shoegaze, industrial, and grunge music my entire life, Cinder’s music just hits all the right notes for me, and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do. Shoegaze meets industrial – that’s Cinder. A healthy dose of both genres creates a well-rounded listening experience with a little grunge thrown in. If you are not familiar with the band, we reviewed their previous tracks, ‘ Impermanence ’ and ‘ Breathing ’, as well as their Vows to Boscobel EP . If you haven’t checked those out, go now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_UD8kWjRtQ Shape by Cinder ‘ Shape ’ is out now on all streaming platforms, so go give it a spin! It’s just really good. To learn more about Cinder: www.cindernoise.com cindernoise The official website of the band Cinder. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com mixedalternativemag@gmail.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

If you're on the fence about it, check out these top 5 reasons to see "Napoleon". < Back Reasons to See Napoleon: Feast Upon This Keeley Brooks Nov 13, 2023 Share If you're on the fence about it, check out these top 5 reasons to see "Napoleon". It’s no secret I’m a big fan of historical adaptations. What I love most is the opportunity to experience a certain time period through different perspectives. Some of those perspectives are as historically accurate as possible while others are merely loosely based on a certain era. With Ridley Scott’s heavily anticipated Napoleon adaptation releasing soon, it’s safe to say we can gear up for a picture that’s as historically accurate as possible and just as rich in atmosphere. The film—guaranteed to be an epic masterpiece —stars Joaquin Phoenix ( Joker ) as Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby ( The Crown ) as the Empress Joséphine and is based on Napoleon’s astonishing life, offering an intimate portrait of one of history’s greatest military leaders. If you’re unsure about it, here are my top five reasons why you should see Napoleon . #5 : Deep Dive into Napoleonic History Given that Ridley Scott has expressed clear interest in Napoleon as a historical figure and this is his second go-around with the Napoleonic era, we can expect as accurate a depiction as possible. With 2023's Napoleon , not only are we getting a deep dive into the events surrounding one of the most mythological military commanders ever, but we’re also diving into the effects of his tumultuous private life , giving us as close to a personal look at the emperor’s private life as possible. During the French Revolution, Napoleon rose rapidly through the military ranks and, as a general, seized power in a coup d’état in 1799. He then crowned himself leader. Next, he set out waging war against European nations and expanding his powerful empire, all while embroiled in an intense romantic battle with Joséphine, which ultimately served as the force driving him to conquer the world. Over the course of a single decade, Napoleon led a revolutionary French army against the other great powers of Europe and succeeded, even bringing down the Holy Roman Empire. After tearing across Europe for a time, his career finally came to an end in 1821 on the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died at the age of 51. Scott reportedly will make Napoleon’s romance with Joséphine the center of his movie—an aspect often overlooked in previous Napoleonic adaptations. Vanessa Kirby and Joaquin Phoenix as Joséphine & Napoleon. (credit: Apple TV + Columbia Pictures) When the two met, he was a 26-year-old French military officer, and she was a 32-year-old single mother of two. They fell deeply in love and soon married, but both were known to have affairs. They spent five years in marital unbliss before divorcing in 1810 after Napoleon accepted Joséphine would never be able to give him the heir needed to maintain his line. Napoleon’s story is that of a war criminal , really— a psyche overrun with obsession and madness . What makes it so intriguing is that he was a man who came out of nowhere to seize and rule everything, all in the name of love. What’s makes it so tragic is that he did all he did in an effort to win Joséphine’s love, and when he couldn’t, he conquered the world to destroy her; unfortunately, in the process, he wound up destroying himself. To see this tragedy play out in the era of 21st Century film will be utterly exciting and captivating. Other iconic moments of French history teased in the trailer include the 1793 public beheading of Marie Antoinette; the 1795 defeat of French royalists, where Napoleon ruthlessly fired on protestors in the streets of Paris; and Napoleon’s infamous self-coronation as Emperor of France in direct antagonism of the Catholic Church and Pope Pius VII. #4 : Cinematic Reunion of Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix on set (Columbia Pictures). Napoleon reunites Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott for the first time since Gladiator (2000), in which Phoenix plays the power-hungry ruler and last emperor of the Pax Romana, Commodus. His performance there is masterful and chilling, slicing you right in half as a viewer. S tunning and gorgeous in its own right, Gladiator was Phoenix’s first big production, so it’s quite fitting now that the two artistic forces are teaming back up for one of cinema’s biggest historical portrayals . If you saw Gladiator , you know how well the two support and feed off of one another’s creative energy. You also know what these powerhouses are capable of producing together. Both Phoenix and Scott have had over two decades to refine their respective craft and explore themselves as they relate to that craft, so we have every reason to be excited about this reunion, which will no doubt be anything short of brilliant and thrilling. #3 : Costumes & Sets Vanessa Kirby as Empress Joséphine and Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon (Columbia Pictures). Costumes and sets are integral aspects to creative and enhancing a story’s atmosphere. Lucky for us, Ridley Scott is known for going all in where both are concerned. His films are rich in detail with stunning visual style and are known for dropping us right into a certain time period so we can experience it for ourselves. And that’s what a good historical adaptation should do: represent history as accurately as possible in a way that allows viewers to lose sense of their own place in time. For Napoleon , Academy Award-Winning Costume Designer Janty Yates, known for her work on Gladiator , is teaming back up with Scott, so get ready to be awe-struck. The two have collaborated on several films, including Kingdom of Heaven and The Last Duel , and from those alone we know to expect opulent sets dripping in vibrant fabrics—in this case, of chiffon, silk, satin, and lace adorning the neoclassical styles that were widely popular during the Napoleonic era. Coronation outfits are always popular standouts, so pay close attention to Napoleon and Joséphine’s lavish outfits in particular: He wore a gold-embroidered white satin tunic and red velvet cloak embellished with golden bees, while she wore a white satin gown with puffed sleeves and gold detailing. # 2: Battle Sequences credit: Apple TV + Columbia Pictures Ridley Scott is no stranger to action epics featuring epic battle sequences and historical bloodshed incited by political turmoil. It’s his bread and butter. In fact, he’s already made the hefty proposition that Napoleon will feature not one, not two, but SIX large-scale battles spanning Napoleon’s prolific military career. Here’s why this is exciting. Where early Napoleon-centric films of the past also tackled the leader’s infamous battles, they often focused more on a specific military moment—The Battle of Waterloo, for example—and made a grandiose spectacle out of it. Technology has come a very long way since then, and with Scott’s vision at the helm, I’d say buckle up for quite the spectacle. Scott planned Napoleon ’s massive battle sequences, like the tactical masterpiece that was the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz, in regular meetings with the heads of various production departments and with military advisors in order to ensure scale, choreography, accuracy, and cohesion in presentation. As previously mentioned, Napoleon is Scott’s second attempt at capturing the lived experience of the Napoleonic Wars, so you know his heart is wholly in this presentation. His first attempt was with his 1977 debut film, The Duellists . Given how much he planned and consulted where these cause-and-effect sequences are concerned, one thing’s for sure: Napoleon will not skimp on spectacle. Not even a little. And isn’t that what we often love most about historical adaptations? I know I do. #1 : Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte. (credit: Apple TV + Columbia Pictures) The Oscar winner is one of the most talented, versatile, impactful actors of modern-day cinema. He’s well known for his emotional, soulful, thunderous performances—especially those featuring a heavy psychological aspect, like Joker . Ridley Scott himself has said Phoenix is perfect to play Napoleon , that he is “the best player of damaged goods.” Excluding their reunion, the idea alone of seeing Joaquin Phoenix play one of the most powerful and emotionally complex military generals-turned-leaders is excitedly appealing. He has an authentic ability to dissolve himself into the psychology of his characters, which is part of what makes him so alluring. He understands darkness and uses that to create unforgettable dimension in his characters, layering them with varying levels of innocence and sadness mixed with power, love, and danger. To see Phoenix play any emotionally complex character is an experience that exposes us to deep empathy and awareness of something we haven’t yet considered. He often winds up carrying the entire film, as opposed to the film’s own story. Judging from early promotional materials, this will be the case with Napoleon . Reportedly, Scott realized his film centered around Phoenix’s performance and even rewrote the movie during filming to ensure Phoenix’s comfort level with his character portrayal. This allowed the actor to focus solely on bringing the depths of Bonaparte to life in an unforgettable way. Because of that, I imagine Napoleon will be the most immersive, authentic Napoleon Bonaparte film experience to date, one that sees us all hold Joaquin Phoenix in the highest esteem. Ridley Scott recently told Deadline , “No actor could ever embody Napoleon like Joaquin. He created one of movie history’s most complex emperors in Gladiator , and we’ll create another with his in Napoleon .” Mmm, I bet they will, and I can’t wait. Napoleon releases in theaters on November 22, 2023, before streaming on Apple TV+. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAZWXUkrjPc Keeley Brooks is a big ole movies, television, and streaming nerd with a voracious appetite for entertainment consumption and an uncontrollable urge to write about everything she watches, even if it sucks. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

The LA Phantoms have the strength and will to create music that resonates. < Back The LA Phantoms: A Louisiana Punk Band with a Rich History Nicole Brice Nov 4, 2024 Share The LA Phantoms have the strength and will to create music that resonates. The LA Phantoms , a Louisiana punk band, has a rich history of resilience and readiness to face any challenge. Since the early 2000s , the band has seen many line-up changes and iterations, but their strength and determination to create music that resonates with their audience have never wavered. We are thrilled to share their story with you. Credit: Gary Governale Formed in the early 90s under the name Mystic Fix , the LA Phantoms are a homegrown band originally from Ville Platte that moved to Lafayette, Louisiana . There, they underwent numerous line-up changes due to member deaths and other tragic circumstances, but they never stopped. With even more changes since then, The LA Phantoms have emerged today through these trials and tribulations, ready to conquer the musical landscape. Today, the band is fronted by Cutty and Mac , who share vocal duties. Cutty , who also plays bass, Mac on drums, and Jaysun Birdman on guitar round out all the band duties. Sometimes, they'll invite other musicians on stage with them, too, because it is all about the music. This trio is brimming with anticipation for the new era of punk rock they are about to be a part of, with new music set to be released in 2025, and we cannot wait. I had the absolute pleasure of hearing this new music, and I can assure you, it's something to look forward to. A vast range of influences have solidified the LA Phantoms ' tight sound, and they are dedicated and determined to leave their mark on music history. To describe the LA Phantoms ' music, it is good, solid punk rock. There is no fluff, no frills, just straight-up enjoyable punk rock. The LA Phantoms , a trio of humble yet immensely talented musicians, embody a relentless drive and determination to push the boundaries of their craft. Their unwavering commitment to their music is admirable, and we eagerly anticipate what the future holds for them. Mixed Alternative Magazine had the privilege of engaging in a profound conversation with the LA Phantoms , and their love and dedication to their craft was genuinely inspiring. Read on to learn more about their journey. MaM : Let’s dive into your band history. Tell us a bit about how you got started and where. Mac : This band was an incarnation that spawned from another band. A punk band was called Mystic Fix . Mystic Fix was formed in the early 90s , around 1994 , in Ville Platte , Louisiana , by our brother, Chris . It was Chris and James , and another guy named Timmy on drums, who is my brother-in-law now, so then they moved from Ville Platte to Lafayette , and the other guys from Ville Platte fell off, and Chris continued with us with a different line-up. The line-up fluctuated between various people until it ended up being me, Cutty , Chris , and Luke Duke . We played a few shows with that line-up, but Chris wanted to play more rock n roll, and he was discovering bands like Nashville Pussy and Speedealer – a lot of Southern rock stuff. Mac Black by Gary Governale Eventually, he told me he didn’t want to go on with the name Mystic Fix anymore. He then said he wanted to start another band with more of a rock n roll approach because he thought it would give us more gigs across the country. He didn’t want to be pigeonholed into the whole punk rock scene. Fewer dive bars and bigger, more prominent venues. This all happened about 2001 , and that was when we officially started The LA Phantoms . It was me , Chris , and Luke Duke ( Choke ). We wrote and recorded an album and put it out. Luke lived in Lake Charles , and Chris lived in Lafayette . Luke eventually fell out because he couldn’t commute from Lake Charles to Lafayette to rehearse. We ended up getting another guy, Damien Miller . Damien was the bass player for that run of LA Phantoms and passed away in 2007. That run of The Phantoms went from 2001-2005 . Also, Creosote Jones from Cheater Pipe played with us for a few years and helped write many songs with us. Credit: Gary Governale Cutty : We also had a harmonica player. He did lead harmonica solos. MaM : Man, I’d be curious to see how that fits in with your sound. Mac : We have a link to it. We can send it to you. MaM : Yes. Please send me the link. Cutty : It gave it kind of a blues edge. It worked with the formula. It was kind of like the song “ Electric Worry ” by Clutch . They have harmonica on that song. MaM : So how did you get to the band's current incarnation? Mac : Chris died. MaM : Oh wow … Mac : In 2005 , my wife Jessica was terminal, so I had to quit the band because I couldn’t really play shows or go anywhere. We had been gigging everywhere from Austin to New Orleans , and I couldn’t go on the road because my wife needed me. Mac Black by Gary Governale MaM : I’m so sorry, man. I understand. Mac : I quit the band, and Chris started Mystic Fix back up with some other guys in Ville Platte . He started having trouble with his drummer because of his lack of interest. After my wife passed away, he asked me to join the band because he had recently signed up with a local label in Carencro . Chris gave me a cassette of the songs he planned to record, and I learned all the songs. The last show was at a skate park in Lafayette , and I got on stage to sing with them. This was June 10, 2007 . On the next day, June 11th , Chris passed away, and then I found out on my birthday, June 12th , that he passed. We were devastated by this. To help with his funeral expenses, they asked me to put together a band to gig and help make money to pay for his funeral. I told them we would learn all the songs Chris had created. Chris’ girlfriend sang for us, and we raised a few thousand dollars and were able to bury him. Chris’ girlfriend later became my wife. Her name is Julie Jab . Then there was this guy named Shane , who played bass briefly. He was like the Sid Vicious of Lafayette—a lot of stage presence. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Then what? Mac : We got Cutty . Me and Cutty had played in Mystic Fix , and he was with us when we were writing the early songs with LA Phantoms , and he came back once we got rid of Shane . Then we gigged like that till my wife had a heart operation. She had a valve replacement. She couldn’t continue with us. Then I started a band called Black Feratu , with my friend James Feratu . That was metal , and we did it for a few years. Then, the original guitarist for Mystic Fix was on his deathbed and was not doing well. He decided he wanted to play another run of shows, so he and Luke went with Cutty and I , and we started doing Mystic Fix songs. Still, we decided to do some LA Phantoms songs, too, but then James got on the stage one night, and he could only do half a song, and he was on a tank of oxygen and just couldn’t do it anymore. Cutty by Gary Governale MaM : Wow, bless his heart. Cutty : Yeah, his last performance was in Lafayette at The Boom Boom Room . He was convinced he could stand up and play the songs. We tried to persuade him to sit down, but he stood up like a soldier and tried to troop through the song. Unfortunately, he did pass out, which was James ’ last performance on stage. MaM : To me, that is badass because that shows his dedication to music. Cutty : One of the toughest MF’ers to get on stage. MaM : I admire people like that, man. Those are the actual soldiers. Mac : That’s right. Till we die, we don’t stop. Cutty : Unfortunately, he did. MaM : You all have an interesting story. Mac : Tragedy at every step. Cutty : Today, we are coming to you for this interview from the slab that used to be Changes . Mystic Fix was pretty much the house band at Changes . Love it or hate it, but if this slab could tell stories, we could write an incredible book. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Reminds me of the Dischord House and how well-known it is. Cutty : The sacred slab. Mac : Until it burned down. MaM : You’re back to where it all began, and it is fortunate that we are doing this interview today. Brings back all full circle. Let’s get into the music. Your music blows me away, and I can’t wait to market it. When are you planning to release the songs you sent me? Mac : We just finished mastering them and got the final footage for the video we are putting together of ‘ Slow What .’ The plan is to release everything simultaneously on all platforms, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwAHWhD1e1g MaM : I think that sounds great. It's punk rock meets melodic thrash punk. It has a unique sound. I love the heavy bass on ‘ Slow What ,’ when the guitar comes in, it’s strong as hell, man, and that whole song takes off. It reminds me of The Melvins meets Tad . That’s the first vibe I got. With ‘Tight Grip,’ that song is aggressive out the gate, and then ‘Vampire,’ has that whole Van Halen ‘ Hot for Teacher ’ vibe. What inspired you to come up with your sound on these tracks? That is the LA Phantoms sound. Mac : It’s just all our influences. I wouldn’t say I like being put in a box. Cutty : A broad spectrum or prism. Without it, you’ll be limited and boring. We try to expand as much as we can. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Who are your influences then? Cutty : The Misfits , Social Distortion , Slayer , Corrosion of Conformity Mac : James Brown , Taj Mahal , Sly and the Family Stone . Cutty : We also have another element of the music you haven’t heard yet. It’s more funk and blues. It's like Minutemen meets Sly and the Family Stone . We also have a small catalog of that. MaM : I can’t wait to hear that! You guys are talented as hell. Let’s do this. What is your ultimate goal as a band, and what are you looking to accomplish with your music? Mac : Our short-term goal is to release this music and expand our range of gigs. We have only been playing mainly in Lafayette and Lake Charles . We want to play Metairie and New Orleans more, maybe even Texas . In the long term, I’d love to tour Europe . My friends do this already, so I feel it’s achievable. Jaysun Birdman by Gary Governale MaM : Let’s make this happen. What is about music that makes you passionate? Cutty : It’s a release. You can have all these problems – weights and burdens on your back, and when I pick up my instrument, everything starts coming together. Even if it’s just 15 minutes or two hours, it makes everything okay. Jason : The creativity and playing live. There’s nothing else like it. I love the camaraderie we have. We played a show with Choke recently. They are awesome guys. Super cool. I love hanging out with everyone because we have so much in common, and everyone is so supportive of each other. Mac : Music sets me free and connects me to the universe. It connects with all is one, and one is all when I play music. It’s flow. It puts you in this flow state. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : They say music is medicine, and the Chinese symbol for medicine is like music. Tell me about the worst show you’ve put on so far, and then tell me about a good show you played. Cutty : I can’t focus on a bad show because it broadens the human horizon even if we mess up. We’re all people. It’s like a joke. If you trip, are you going to laugh with the crowd, or are you going to get laughed at, pissed off, and make an entire burden about it? You don’t do that. It would be best to roll with the punches because even a horror show is still a show. We’re out. We’re playing music. We’re having a good time, and we try to make the best out of it. That’s about it. As far as the best one? With these two guys, it’s always good. Mac : I’d have to say the last show or the ones going on right now are the best ones. The worst show I’ve ever shown is when there is violence at the show. Someone would be throwing bottles at us, or someone would come into the club with a gun or just incidences like that. Just don’t stop playing unless we have to chase someone out. Cutty : Now, if we got hit with a bottle, we’d have to beat the piss out of them. (laughter) Cutty : It’s just expected. (laughter) Mac : Well, the time with the gun, we didn’t stop playing. They walked in with the gun, pointed it at someone, and that was it. Credit: Gary Governale (laughter) MaM: If you could share the stage with anyone in the future, like your dream show, who would you pick, and why? Cutty : I would say opening for The Misfits and Suicidal Tendencies. That would be the perfect show for me. Mac : I have to concur. MaM : In the next five years, where would you like to be as a band? Mac : Touring Europe and playing big festivals. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : If someone approached you and asked you to describe your music to them, how would you sell it to them? Mac : Gangster Punk Rock n Roll (laughter) Cutty : I like that one. What was the phrase you wanted to put on shirts? Mac : Vampire bank robbers from outer space (laughter) MaM : Last question – how does music inspire you daily? Mac : To get up in the morning and face the world. Motivation to work out and live life. Credit: Gary Governale MaM : Same Cutty : Adrenaline and therapy – when you combine the two, that can also have a positive effect, and for us three, it works. MaM : Oh yeah, 100%. Jaysun : It helps me grow. I like to learn new stuff. I’m a student of the game. As The LA Phantoms prepare to embark on a new year with new music, they will undoubtedly begin to build a following. Stay tuned for much more from this trio. To learn more about LA Phantoms : Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559706162429 *All photos by Gary Governale www.governalephotovideo.com Zenfolio | Home I have been working as a video professional since 1993, with a wide range of experience writing, producing, directing, shooting and editing. A strong interest in videography, specifically lighting and composition, led me to photography in 1998. Rapidly changing technology has blurred the line between video and photography, allowing me to work in both mediums.. Baton Rouge, LA, United States www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90's flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Next

Adjacent punks making noise. < Back Headcannon: Supercharged Music for a New Generation Nicole Brice Oct 7, 2026 Share Adjacent punks making noise. Punk rock to me is everything. Ever since I was a teen, it's been my favorite genre of music, next to hardcore . In my early 20s, I tried to catch every big punk show that came through New Orleans , from my faves like Flogging Molly to Anti-Flag to Pennywise, Less Than Jake, Face to Face, Bad Religion, AFI, Sick of It All, Sum 41, etc. You get the picture. Over the years, though, newer punk bands have been somewhat lost on me. I blame it on the industry shifting away from an MTV culture and into a cluttered mess of music. No, seriously. So much clutter. Sometimes the best way to cut through the clutter is to discover new music through your local hometown music scenes, and that is exactly where I found Headcannon , a very charismatic punk/grunge band out of Jackson, Mississippi . Gage plays bass and does vocals, JD plays drums and keeps time, and Isaac rounds it out on guitar and vocals. Their sound is very full, rich, fun, and loud . Just my type of music. It reminds me of Melvins meets Fu Manchu . It’s gritty and just perfect. Credit: Headcannon I had the opportunity to speak with these guys not once, but twice for this interview, and well, the joke about speaking to them twice is that the first time we tried to do this interview, there was a bad internet connection on their part, and it made for a hilarious first introduction between us all that definitely broke the ice. We ended up having to reschedule so they could do the interview somewhere else with a stronger internet connection. But, on a side note, when we did conduct the rescheduled interview, my connection glitched for a moment, and the guys made sure to give me hell about it. Ok, officially in my circle of new fave bands. Headcannon has two full albums out: Punk Adjacent (excellent name, by the way), released in 2024, followed by their latest, Sucker Bet , on September 12, 2026 . Both are incredible. Sucker Bet blends more grunge with the punk aesthetic, and it’s just really freakin good. Learn a little more about Headcannon below. *edited lightly for clarity Credit: Headcannon MaM : Yo! What’s up! Let’s try this again today. I can hear you, yay! Headcannon : We were actually going to try to prank you and talk all delayed. (laughter) MaM : Hey, it was a great way to break the ice last time. Ok, let’s dive in. What year did you guys get started? Take me through a little of your history. Gage : Officially, in 2022 , at the end of 2022 , is when we started as Headcannon . It started with Isaac and me, and we’ve known each other for a while. We worked together as kids a long time ago in a completely different city. I saw him on Instagram , hit him up, and we decided to jam, so he sent me his address, and it turns out we live right down the street from each other. We knew each other from a city about 45 minutes away. Pretty cool, small world, and we had another drummer with us for the first year or so, and he’s an awesome dude. Still love him. Shoutout to Gene. Anything on “ Punk Adjacent ”, that’s him on drums. He had a family and a busy life, and we wanted to do more out-of-state stuff, so he stepped down, and the timing was good. JD was in a band called Lady Gun ; you should go listen to them. MaM : I will – noted. Gage : Basically, their guitar player moved away, and it was just perfect timing. It was pretty seamless, and happened pretty quickly. JD : I jumped in, and we started going. Isaac : (to JD) Yeah, you learned all our songs in like a week for a show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OejPvU1cltM Headcannon - Local and Live MaM : Let’s talk about your sound – you have two different sounds. You are punk, but then you’re grunge. You kind of straddle that line. Was that intentional, or more of an evolution of the band's sound? Isaac : It was all organic. I don’t think we had a thought process going into it. We just get together and try to write songs, and whatever it sounds like, it sounds like that. Gage : Pretty much, yeah, it was pretty organic. Even some of the “ Punk Adjacent ” songs we play now sound a little different live, obviously because JD is the drummer now, but we sound different now, and it’s crazy. There are certain songs that used to be our favorite, and we’ll go to practice and be like, “Eh, we don’t like this song.” And then we’ll move on. I will say there are times when Isaac or I will come up with a riff; I’m probably the worst about it, but then we’ll think something sounds too poppy, so we kind of stay within the lines we’ve created. Maybe our next album will be a little country. (laughter) Gage : Nah, but this is the way I look at it. “ Punk Adjacent ” was Headcannon establishing itself. “ Sucker Bet ” was us finding our rhythm. JD, Isaac, and me finding out who Headcannon is. I think our next album is going to be super awesome because it’ll really be synonymous with Headcannon . I think the next album will have a little more variety. In my mind, I think it’ll be a mix of the first two albums. Credit: Headcannon MaM : As far as influences with you guys, who has influenced your music the most? Headcannon : We’ll go left to right. Gage : I’ll put it this way: we all love Kyuss , Queens of the Stone Age , things like that, and then from there we branch out pretty much differently. Isaac and I like a couple of the same bands, and JD and I like a couple of others. Isaac : What probably connected me and Gage first musically was our love of Fugazi . One of my all-time favorite bands, but I love all the East Coast hardcore ; Bad Brains is one of my all-time favorite bands, too. As for JD and me, we have a special connection because I was a KISS kid. I have all the boxed sets. I have Halloween pictures of me dressed up as somebody from KISS . And JD comes from that 70s and 80s hard rock, so that’s where we all kind of connect. We all meet in the middle, but I listen to a lot of stuff. A lot of local regional acts, too. JD : Yeah, for me, that 70s and 80s hard rock, but some of that stuff in the 80s gets bad towards the end. Same thing with Grunge , too; then, toward the late-90s, it all started sounding like vanilla ice cream, and all the same. I also like Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu , and Butthole Surfers . Gotta give them a shoutout. The "master counter" himself, JD MaM : I love The Butthole Surfers – I’ve got my daughter liking “Pepper” these days. JD : I’m all over the place. I like pop music , too. MaM : Same Isaac : No disrespect to all the bands from the 80s because there really were some good bands. MaM : There were some good bands, but then there was a period where it was all cheese. It was all this formulaic hair-metal cheese. Isaac : Hair metal, yeah. MaM : I was a Mötley Crüe fan growing up, and I can’t listen to them now. Vince Neil, aka Vince Meal, just disturbs me now. Dude can’t hit a single note. Looks like he is miming on stage. How active are you guys in the local scene these days? Been around since 2022, so I’m assuming you’re pretty active. Isaac : Gage didn’t get to talk about his influences. MaM : Oops, my bad. I got on a tangent there about hair metal. (laughter) Gage of Headcannon MaM : Gage, you’re up! Gage : My influences begin with Funkadelic and Parliament . That was what made me want to make music myself. As for my influences in what I write and play, Ty Segall is one, and I also like some more modern ones like Upchuck out of Atlanta . They’re fucking awesome if you don’t know them. MaM : I don’t, but I’ll have to check them out. Gage : Upchuck – cool ass people, and then Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol is another one. They’re a little out there, but I love their shit. Ty Segall and Funkadelic are the two big ones for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZC0DjkQmhs Headcannon's Smoking Cannon Tour 2025 MaM : To me, when you have that many influences, it makes you more well-rounded as a musician. You can appreciate the different textures in styles in music. So, back to the scene up there in Jackson, I’m not familiar with it. Tell me more about it. Isaac : There is a lot of variety here. There’s the alternative scene, but there’s also a hardcore scene that kind of branches into the metal scene. There’s an EDM scene, too. We also have a noise scene and an emo scene. The Midwest emo scene is pretty good. Gage : The cool thing is, honestly, the DIY scene. It’s all the outlying genres. The only scene with its own big following is metal , which they really built from the ground up, and it's a healthy scene for the most part. Honestly, the best part about Jackson , and something that I didn’t realize, is that there are a lot of cities that are not cool with genre mixing on bills at all, but here in Jackson , the DIY scene is what’s happening. Isaac : It’s a pretty welcoming scene, and not all scenes across the country are super welcoming. Gage : We’ve played plenty of bills where it’s us, an emo band, and then a singer/songwriter, or like us and then a band that is super indie pop , and then with a heavy metal band. Like heavy metal . We play with all kinds of bands. I think the Jackson scene is really good at blending things like that. Credit: Headcannon MaM : As far as songwriting, is there a process for when you go into the studio? Isaac : The songs are usually ready to go when we get in the studio. They’re usually road-tested and approved. Gage : Well, with both albums, we had a song that was finished at the studio. Isaac : We needed nine songs , so we needed one more song. Gage : So most of it. I guess that’s kind of our thing now; we choose one song that just isn’t done and then finish it in the studio. I would like to piggyback off that, though, because one of my favorite songs on our new album that I think is really cool is that we got another local band here called Kicking ; they’re awesome. Super cool people. Their lead singer is named Bobbie , and we had this instrumental on our album. It was good, but we kept feeling like it needed lyrics, so we decided to come up with something, then had Bobbie listen and see what she thought. We all practice in the same building. Isaac : Yeah, the same jam space. We’re all in the same building. Gage : It’s like twelve different bands all in the same building. That’s where our recording studio is. Bobbie came up one day to listen, took a demo recording on her phone (a voice note), went home, and six days later had something she wanted to show us. JD and I went and met up with her along with our producer, and on the first take – she nailed it. JD and I thought it was awesome, so we recorded it right then and there. That’s how we came up with “ Uncle Butch ”. MaM : What are your plans for the rest of this year and into next year? Shows, I assume? Isaac : We’re working on some new songs, and we have some tour dates rounding out the year. We’ve got some songs in the sheath we have been playing with for a while; I mean, we probably have like five or six. Gage : We’ve got a lot of cool out-of-town stuff coming. We’ll be in your area in Houma and New Orleans , too. Tour Schedule for the rest of 2026 for Headcannon As Headcannon prepares to bring their supercharged sound to the masses for the rest of 2026 and beyond , be sure to peep their tour schedule and catch a show if they come near you. In the meantime, stream all their tunes on your favorite service today. This is a band to watch. They have the drive and ambition to take their sound to the next level. To learn more about Headcannon: Facebook: Facebook Instagram: HEADCANNON (@headcannonofficial) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify: HEADCANNON | Spotify Apple Music: ‎HEADCANNON - Apple Music YouTube: HEADCANNON - YouTube Bandcamp: Music | HEADCANNON www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Trust Devoured offers a bold, cathartic journey that demands attention and rewards you with depth and intensity. < Back Reviews on the Real: Exploring Trust Devoured by pMad Nicole Brice Jul 23, 2025 Share Trust Devoured offers a bold, cathartic journey that demands attention and rewards you with depth and intensity. Released July 19, 2025 , Gothic post-punk artist pMad has unveiled Trust Devoured , a captivating new EP that is part of an international music collaboration called Exquisite Corpses . Teaming up with the Australian dark rock band Killtoys and the intercultural cinematic group Lunar Paths , pMad explores a fresh approach to artistic creation—one grounded in rhythm, trust, and transformation. This unique musical endeavor brings together three artists from around the globe to create a project that is greater than the sum of its parts. I always appreciate when bands collaborate, as the results can be extraordinary, and this project is no exception. If you're a fan of music that is just good, you'll love this. Released July 19, 2025 Inspired by the classic parlor game " Exquisite Corpse ," where each participant adds their piece without seeing the previous contributions, the three artists challenged themselves to apply this concept to their songwriting. The result is three EPs that form a rich, atmospheric collection of nine tracks , seamlessly blending their styles, perspectives, and creativity in an unconventional way. Together, they present Trust Devoured , a distinctive contribution to the Exquisite Corpses project by pMad . The title of the EP reflects the thematic thread connecting its source material: "Feed," "Eating for Pleasure," and "Zero Trust Mentality"—all songs deeply rooted in themes of self-consumption, trust, and emotion. Photo provided by pMad "It's a Frankenstein of feelings—each version stitched from the same drumbeat, yet telling a different story." – pMad While each band in the collaboration has released its own EP, we will focus solely on pMad's contribution, the Trust Devoured EP. The result is three deeply personal and emotionally intense tracks: 1. Celestial (feat. Lunar Paths) This track is amazing. The intro sets the perfect stage for the rest of the song. The vocals are spot on, the beat is solid, and every sound meshes beautifully. I love everything about this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCrT8g1aU2k Video for 'Celestial' 2. Closer (feat. Killtoys) This song reminds me of what it would be like if Joy Division and Killing Joke collaborated and Bauhaus added a few notes. It features layered guitar parts with a steady rhythm and haunting vocals that lead you into a tunnel of sound, engulfing you completely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqFkp3kYgug Video for 'Closer' 3. Feed A smooth groove and a howling guitar create a dreamy and atmospheric sound. The pounding drums and bass build up to a melancholic chorus that throbs and pulses with emotion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-aYp35GFWA Video for 'Feed' The Trust Devoured EP offers a bold, cathartic journey that demands attention and rewards you with depth and intensity. If you’re craving music that hits hard and inspires , streaming Trust Devoured is essential. To learn more about pMad: linktr.ee pMad | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitch | Linktree New album 'I in Power' out now on Bandcamp & hit singles in all the usual places streamondistro.lnk.to Trust Devoured EP Listen to content by pMad. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

28 Days Later is one of the best zombie movies ever made, having popularized the fast zombie craze of modern-day cinema and terrified moviegoers around the world with its horrific scenario. < Back 28 Days Later: Feast Upon This Keeley Brooks Oct 18, 2023 Share 28 Days Later is one of the best zombie movies ever made, having popularized the fast zombie craze of modern-day cinema and terrified moviegoers around the world with its horrific scenario. Rating: 5 out of 5 raging zombies Growing up as a Gen Xer, I was, of course, aware of George Romero’s infamous zombie canon and was intrigued by the whole concept, but it wasn’t until the mid-2000s when a friend made me watch 28 Days Later (2002) that my intrigue completely changed. Not only was 28 Days Later my first introduction to the brilliantly talented Cillian Murphy ( Oppenheimer ), but it was also my first intro to a new kind of zombie beyond the slow, dread-inducing shufflers of the 20th century. Prior to watching 28 Days Later , I’d never seen (or even considered) fast, vicious, blood-thirsty zombies, and the idea was so horrifying to me that after watching it, my zombie interest turned into obsession. Although Nightmare City (1980) is often credited as the first movie featuring fast zombies, it was 28 Days Later that popularized the fast zombie craze of modern-day cinema and terrified zombie lovers and moviegoers around the world with its horrific scenario. And don’t get me wrong: While I love the concept, if fast zombies ever appear and start chasing us and we’re running together, I will trip you in my effort to reach safety. I’m kidding. Following the aftermath of a deadly viral outbreak in Great Britain, 28 Days Later focuses on Jim (Cillian Murphy, of Oppenheimer ), a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma 28 days after an accident to discover bustling London life completely obliterated and in total destruction, not another human soul in sight. After wandering the streets alone and easing into a church, Jim realizes the horror of the situation he finds himself in when he is chased by raging, bloodthirsty, once-human creatures. credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures It’s only after he’s rescued by a couple of survivors that he learns what has happened. Nearly a month prior to Jim’s awakening, a group of eco-terrorists in Cambridge freed a lab chimp from its cage, not realizing the chimp was infected with a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus called the “Rage virus.” Unlike what we’ve seen in other zombie movies, one does not have to be bitten to be infected. All it takes is one drop of blood from an infected to drip into your eye or mouth or an open wound, etc., and that’s it: You’re done. Within seconds, the virus overtakes its host, completely morphing him/her/them into a violent, vicious creature that aggressively salivates for one thing: bloody carnage. Case in point: Check out what happens to Brendan Gleeson ( In Bruges ) after a drop of infected blood gets in his eye (warning: the scene below is intense): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzdxUlCNPLA While this scenario is indeed horrifying, heart-pounding, and hair-raising, it’s not what makes 28 Days Later such a terrifying film. The fact that what was once the military has set up a blockade and is broadcasting protection as a cover to lure female survivors into sexual slavery so they can repopulate the world does. And this is where the movie really gets delicious, as Jim jumps into action to save the only two females he’s come to know—one being a minor. 28 Days Later shows what happens to society in a frantic, post-apocalyptic crisis. In such a scenario, you’d like to think that when there’s a common enemy to fight, humanity would band together, but it doesn’t happen like that: The law breaks down, forcing humans to self-regulate, and self-regulation always leads to a form of anarchy, which is what we see here. 28 Days Later is arguably the first zombie film to successfully show the true breakdown of humanity and those effects in a post-apocalyptic crisis. Furthermore, while these fast zombies serve as a symbol of loss and meaning amongst a plethora of society vacancies, they also serve as metaphors for society's need for immediate, mindless consumption of, well, everything. So where there are multiple interpretations of a zombie crisis between all zombie movies, one thing that remains standard throughout all of them: Human beings can’t be trusted to take care of each other in the middle of a crisis where there is no collective hope because consumption has taken over. There’s a lot about 28 Days Later that is hands-down masterful, including its horror within the horror story, but what I love the most is the way Director Danny Boyle juxtaposes the terror of what is happening with the beauty of nature (i.e., colorful geometric tulip fields and sprawling English country sides)—ironic since nature is where viruses originate. That alone is what easily makes 28 Days Later one of the best zombie movies ever made . In addition to its stellar narrative, the actors each give outstanding performances riddled with inherent fear, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and the creative editing techniques as well as the soundtrack nicely drive the tension and pace of the movie, allowing the viewer to oscillate between safety and fear as 28 Days Later moves through its cycle of death, destruction, and rebirth. In 2007, a sequel released called 28 Weeks Later , but it was not written by 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland ( Ex-Machina, Sunshine ), was not directed by Danny Boyle, nor did it feature Cillian Murphy and his character Jim. Some liked it; some didn’t. However, there is hope. Word on the circuit is that it looks like Garland, Boyle, and Murphy are teaming back up to bring us another sequel, which will likely be called 28 Years Later . I don’t know about you guys, but I’m already waiting with my giant bucket o’ popcorn and my safety blanket. Oddly enough, while 28 Weeks Later seems to be streaming multiple places, 28 Days Later is not currently streaming anywhere but is available to purchase and is well worth the fee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcDhdb6J3rM Keeley Brooks is a big ole movies, television, and streaming nerd with a voracious appetite for entertainment consumption and an uncontrollable urge to write about everything she watches, even if it sucks. www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link

Aeternum Vale is heavy, ruthless, and unapologetically Southern. < Back Reviews on the Real: From Misery to Malice Bids Farewell with Ferocity on Aeternum Vale EP Nicole Brice Jun 30, 2025 Share Aeternum Vale is heavy, ruthless, and unapologetically Southern. Let me begin this review by expressing how refreshing it is to discover the music of From Misery to Malice , a Louisiana-based Deathcore and Death Metal band. Since they are the only band with their name, I don’t have to sift through ten other bands with the same name; there is a direct path to their music. Released on June 27, 2025, Aeternum Vale is an expertly crafted EP filled with layered sounds, making it difficult to categorize truly. It’s heavy, ruthless, and unapologetically Southern, and it’s best heard loud. Released June 27, 2025 The EP features two previously released singles from 2023 and 2024 , along with several new tracks. How would I describe the sound of From Misery to Malice? It’s brutal and unrelenting, blending punishing breakdowns, guttural vocals, and atmospheric elements that tap into the darker corners of human emotion. It’s real and embodies the chaos and aggression of classic deathcore while infusing modern influences that keep their sound fresh and hard-hitting. At its core, it's just good. There is something for everyone with this offering, so let's dive in. Circle of Death – thematic opening with piano that builds to a thunderous sound where a harpsichord is heard faintly in the background until the track just explodes. It’s got groove, it’s got heavy vocals, and you’ll find yourself nodding your head in unison with the groove. Great track. Strangers – the guitar opening on this one is incredible and then the song just starts rolling with this sludgy and heavy abyss of sounds. It’s dark, and it’s just good. Terraform – the drums that open this track are fierce, and then it just rolls, and never stops. I think this is my favorite track on the EP because it’s got so many layers to it with guitar breakdowns, etc. Skin of Glass – there is no thematic opening with this one – solid deathcore all the way through A Wilted Waltz – previously released in 2024 – this track is a great introduction to the music of From Misery to Malice because it defines their sound perfectly Is this Limbo … - released in 2023 – cinematic is the best way I could describe this song. It would make an excellent backing track for a horror film. It’s just intense. I rate this EP a perfect 10/10 for its artistic vision, diversity, and expression. It's an outstanding EP that captivates your attention from start to finish. No song feels boring; each one is distinctly different from the last. Be sure to stream Aeternum Vale now on your favorite platform! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m61YgDFF0Wk Aeternum Vale on YouTube To learn more about From Misery to Malice: Spotify: From Misery to Malice | Spotify Apple Music: ‎From Misery to Malice - Apple Music Facebook: Facebook Instagram: From Misery to Malice (@fmtmband) • Instagram photos and videos www.mixedaltmag.com Music | Mixed Alternative Magazine Southern-based indie music/arts/entertainment magazine with a 90s flair. www.mixedaltmag.com Questions or comments? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com . Previous Next Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link