The Academy Is...: Interview with Adam T. Siska

View my article at USF Oracle

Misery Signals

Saturday September 22, 2007
The Orpheum
Photo by Tandy Williams

Out of all of the shows I have been to in Tampa, I have never witnessed one like this.
Maybe I’ve been hanging out in the wrong places. Maybe I’ve been going to the wrong shows. Maybe Tampa is alive after all.
I’ve never seen any venue in Tampa or St. Pete this intense before. The whole floor in front of the stage at the Orpheum was moving.
Hardcore dancing. Spin-kicks. Circle pits. Blood. Camaraderie.
I actually witnessed as a guy who had just punched someone in the face get picked up from the floor by that very same person he punched.
Sorry if I’m carrying on, but I’ve never seen Tampa like this before. And I must say that it was refreshing.
The hardcore show consisted of various versions of metal-based music demonstrated in the bands Born of Osiris, Sky Eats Airplane, Emmure, The Agony Scene and Misery Signals.
Ironically, I think the craziest show I have ever been to was one that Misery Signals played up in NYC with Bleeding Through a few years back.
Tonight, I watched the show from the bar, where I was safe enough. Although, I did get a little worried about the 6’ 7” guy behind me who was screaming the words to every song by Misery Signals and throwing his fist in the air.
Misery Signals hasn’t been to the area in nearly a year, but they were brilliant as always. Formed in 2002 from the fall of two of the greatest hardcore bands, 7 Angels 7 Plagues and Compromise, Misery Signals continues to send out a message with brutal force. They create the perfect balance between aggressive hardcore riffs and softer, dark ambient melodies.
They are touring with their newest vocalist and guitarist Karl Schubach. Playing music off their self-titled EP and first full-length album, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart, Schubach did justice to the band’s first works, including the songs “A Victim, A Target” and “Five Years.” Misery Signals also performed newer music from their highly anticipated second full-length album Mirrors, which came out in 2006.
The show was absolutely amazing. Probably one of the best ones I’ve been to all year.

Hello Alaska!

Friday, Sept. 21 2007
The Neptune Lounge
Photo by Jason Kushner

I stumbled over the railroad tracks and peered in through the glass windows of the bar to get a feel for it before I officially entered that night. Lights dimly lit up a laid back room full of sofas and tables. People mingled and played Nintendo Wii. Everyone appeared to be enjoying the local music playing.
Hello Alaska! headlined the show. This was my first show at The Neptune Lounge, located in Tarpon Springs. Set up next to a bicycle shop, the bar features plenty of local acts.
I arrived at about 8:30 p.m., just in time to see the first solo acoustic set, Bee. He was followed by the acoustic performance of, Channing Deren. The Spin Light Letter was third, switching gears with their power punk music reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday’s older songs.
Enter headlining band Hello Alaska! Ranging from 19-21 years old, the four band members walked on stage ready to have a good time. Some were wearing neon colored trucker hats with the letters HA! painted on, and others wore boat shoes and cutoffs.
Named after a friend’s ex-girlfriend, the band’s songs are about failed relationships. The name Hello Alaska! “is to be said with sarcasm and humility, " the band’s 19-year-old vocalist and guitarist James Gulino said.
They headlined with an energetic power punk music. From the Tampa/Clearwater area, the indie rock band played several songs from their newly recorded EP’s. With titles such as “Even a Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day” and “Shop till you Drop,” the songs were fun and easy going for the wide range of listeners that pervaded the bar.
Including rappers.
A friend of the band, DT, jumped on stage towards the end of the set. He didn’t exactly fit the cliché you-have-to-wear-really-tight-pants-to-fit-in, or the you’re-not-cool-unless-you-wear-black-band-shirts role. Rather, he flaunted his own baggy threads, including hater blockers. Big ones. With plenty of Bling. And in case you want to pretend to be completely oblivious to modern pop culture terminology, hater blockers are sunglasses.
Before I knew it, a few of the band members put on their own sunglasses and began to strum the melody to “Party like a Rockstar” by Shop Boyz.
So DT rapped. The crowd raised their arms. I bobbed my head along and laughed.
After the rapper finished, he took a spot in the crowd joined in support with the rest of the audience to the catchy music of Hello Alaska!

Pretty Girls Make Graves

Pretty Girls Make Graves, Moonrats, Call Me Lightning, The Viral Lies
Wednesday, May 23. 8 p.m.
Orpheum
Photo by Shaun Gomez

The air was thick with the smoke of Black and Milds as a sea of females crowded around the front of the stage waiting to hear Pretty Girls Make Graves play one last time in Tampa. When singer Andrea Zollo began the set, men and women alike began to bob their heads and dance to Washington’s own, including friends and family.
The show opened with just music. A girl in a black and pink party dress began to sing to a dark metal kind of music that was later announced as The Viral Lies. A Modest Mouse-esque band named Call Me Lightning played second, followed by an 80’s inspired indie band, Moonrats. And Finally, PGMG took the stage.
The stop at the Orpheum was a part of PGMG’s last tour since one of the band members, Nick Dewitt, quit recently and the band felt that they could not continue without him. So, the show was sentimental enough, but everyone still seemed to have a great time.
PGMG played a variety of songs from their albums, including “Bullet Charm” off the album Élan Vital, to which Andrea said, “We don’t ever play this song, but we are going to play it for you.”
The rest of the songs played included instruments from an accordion to the whistle, to a really big kazoo played by keyboardist Leona Marrs.
Throughout the show, it became evident that PGMG is a pretty interactive band, as several of the band members switched instruments around, by taking turns banging on the drums or switching between guitars.
PGMG was also interactive with the audience, as band members were jumping offstage with guitars and microphones to play and sing from within the crowd of PGMG lovers.
After the band bowed and walked offstage, the audience did not budge. Instead, the crowd waited patiently to see PGMG play some more, which they did. The band finished strong with two of their popular songs: “All Medicated Geniuses,” off their newest album named The New Romance, and “Speakers Push the Air,” from their 2002 album named Good Health.
It was truly a bittersweet night to have to wish such a great band goodbye after enjoying their set one last time.

Published in REAX Music Magazine Vol. 2 Issue #2

The Showdown: Interview with David Bunton

Sunday, April 22, 2007
State Theatre, St. Petersburg

Long hair, southern accents and heavy metal music are what these guys are into. Last year, they called one of my friends to sing her happy birthday and rant about alligators. This year, they are promoting their newest album, Temptation Come My Way. These are the Tennessee natives of The Showdown.
The Showdown opened unafraid to sport their own band t-shirts and bang their heads to guitar riffs at the State Theater on April 22 with Days of the New.
Before the show, I had the chance to meet up with singer David Bunton where he gave me some insight on what their band is all about. “We are into touring and having fun. No Xboxes. No PlayStations. None of that,” David said. “We are into outside.”
I saw them play once before at Cornerstone Florida, which is like a Christian Warped Tour. “We are all Christians in the band and I think that it definitely comes out in the lyrics,” David said.


David said that the band is just out there having a good time and hopes to get fans
to do the same. “I think we have a positive message and I’m pretty proud of that,” he
said. He does not think that many bands out there can say that. “The main thing we want people to do is head bang and learn a good lesson at the same time, you know?” according to David.
Temptation Come My Way is The Showdown’s sophomore release, and its production was provided by Paul Ebersold (Three Doors Down, Saliva). This album took two years to make and is a better reflection of the band members, according to David. It has more of a classic, heavy southern rock feel, as opposed to their previous record, A Chorus of Obliteration, which has a more heavy metal core feel.
Temptation Come My Way is a rather taunting title to give, I said to David. He responded, “It’s about all the stuff we face as dudes: addictions, sex, drugs and rock and roll.” The album is about dealing with those struggles and coming out okay. After all, “everybody messes up,” David said.
Even so, he does not think that the band has a harder struggle with temptations because they are out on tour. “We’re dudes. We get into trouble everywhere,” David said. “I’m just being honest.”
The first album has lyrics about the Old Testament. It was written in 2003, mostly by guitarist and vocalist Josh Childers, with a little help from guitarist and vocalist Travis Bailey. David said that they were not looking to be a serious band at the time. When they first started out, they wanted to get signed, but that was not their main goal because they had so much other stuff going on at the time. “We just wanted to do a record that was totally against the norm, as far as, like, you know, the breakdown and metal core,” he said. “We wanted to rebel and do something extremely heavy.”
The newest album is more personal, with songs titled “It Drinks from Me” and “We Die Young.” “It’s stories about us and our lives after being on the road for a couple years. A lot goes down,” David said. He explained that it can be difficult to put out a record and be tour, especially for the family. “It’s like being in a whirlwind. It’s kinda crazy; you learn a lot and grow up fast,” he said.
The band wrote the new record together, and David said that it represents them all. The new album has more structure and chorus and they all got to have more of a hand in it. “It’s music that we actually like,” he said. “The first album, we are definitely proud of. We are into heavy music, but I think that the new record is more us, you know?” David said.
“I don’t know, it’s a lot different doing the first record than the next one. Doing the second record was like ‘this is who we are, this is what we are into,” according to David.
This summer, The Showdown will be touring with Ozzfest. It will be their first tour with the Prince of Darkness, and I think that it is pretty safe to say that they are excited about it. Especially with all that Monster Energy Drink David kept talking about.
Published in REAX Music Magazine Vol. 2 Issue #1

Dance Gavin Dance Album Review: Downtown Battle Mountain

Dance Gavin Dance’s debut full length album “Downtown Battle Mountain” is quite the follow-up to their EP “Whatever I Say is Royal Ocean.” I won’t lie, I’ve been listening to this new album nonstop since I first laid my hands on it a week or so ago. This screamo band is comparable to a mix of Circa Survive and Alexisonfire, if that is imaginable. Although this album is not about robots and cocaine, I think that it will be received well because of their still unique sound. Let’s face it, the singer has a voice that is just plain beautiful and the music is catchy. And if you are one of those people who hates bands just because they got popular through Myspace, then you probably won’t like this album. That being said, I am going to go check my Myspace now. And listen to some Dance Gavin Dance.

Published in REAX Music Magazine Vol. 2 Issue #1

Chasing Victory Album Review: Fiends

Chasing Victory’s newest album, Fiends, has come a long way since their first album, A not so Tragic Cover up. The first album and the second, I Call this Abandonment, have a style that has an uncanny similarity to that of Underoath’s middle projects. Their newest album has a little more classic southern rock influence. It is not quite the popular “screamo,” that seems to be on its way to becoming something mainstream these days. Rather, Fiends has a little more of a harder feel, almost with a touch of metal. Singer Adam Harrell still does some screaming in that scratchy voice, so you can still tell that it is indeed Chasing Victory; however, the album has a lot more singing then their previous ones, which Adam attributes to their producer. Fiends has a spiritual foundation and discusses the temptations that people face in everyday life, such as addictions. It even has a song titled “Carnies.” I’m still a sucker for their EP, but this album is worth checking out.

Published in REAX Music Magazine Vol. 2 Issue #2

Hopesfall Album Review: Magnetic North

Hopesfall kept the same sound from their last album, A Types, on their newest release named Magnetic North. Magnetic North has further developed their newfound grunge sound on this album. So if that is the style you are into, then perhaps you will like this album. However, it disheartens me. They sound nothing like the hardcore music that they produced on their first few albums so long ago, the albums that I love and still listen to from time to time. So I guess that makes me a little stereotyped, because I miss that old music. A Types, I’m not feeling so much. Magnetic North, I’m feeling probably less. I guess people really liked Hopesfall’s newer sound and bought into it. But I still have to go with my hardheadedness and say that I miss the old Hopesfall. Even so, I suppose it is great that they are growing as people and finding themselves through their changing styles of music, yada yada yada.

Published in REAX Music Magazine Vol. 2 Issue #2

Fightstar Album Review: Grand Unification

Recently switched over to Trustkill Records, the London band Fightstar has come out with a new album, Grand Unification. The album has a rock sound to it with a little scream thrown in there for the kiddies. It sounds like something you might here on an alternative rock station. Strike that. People in the UK already have. Grand Unification has a strong rock based tunes to it that follows through in all the songs. It is reminiscent of Funeral for a Friend, only a little more post-rockish. So, the style will probably work out for Fightstar because they are actually going to be touring with FFAF this fall. Definitely not my favorite album, but the masses will probably eat it up. Along with Killswitch Engage.


Published in REAX Music Magazine Vol. 2 Issue #2

The Same, Torche

I was sitting outside The Orpheum watching people flatten pennies as the trolley rushed by when I finally heard that glorious noise: music. As we filed into the club, I glanced at my watch and read that it was 9 p.m. The show was supposed to start at 7 p.m. and rumor had it that Torche had left Miami a little late that Thursday night.
Nevertheless, the wait was well worth it. The Same, a local band from the Clearwater-Tampa area, was up first. I heard them play a couple weeks before with Auto! Automatica!! and was excited to hear them again. Their music sound had a raw sort of pop/rock edge.
The band has been playing music together for three years and their EP, “Present Time has Past” came out about two years ago. The Same is working on a new album, according to Ryan, and hope to get it out this summer. He describes the new album as having a pop-edge, but harder than their older music. “We are just 20-something kids living life,” Ryan said to me after their set.
Light Yourself on Fire took stage second. It had been a while since I had seen a hard band, and I was glad that it was them. The native Tampa band’s music resonated throughout The Orpheum, as more and more people crowded around the front of the stage. Each song from this metalcore band finished clean and cut. To get an idea of what they sounded like, think a local version of Misery Signals.
After their set, singer Matt Coplon warned us, “You’ll need your earplugs,” as they prepared to leave the stage for the headlining band. They were not kidding.
Torche finally made their way to the stage, and by then, the whole club was relatively packed. I was not sure what sort of sound to expect from this band. The singer, Marius, had a great mustache and much of the band walked on stage with long, tangled hair. That hair was perfect to bang around to their loud music. I even found myself bobbing my own head a bit.
The metal guitar riffs cascaded perfectly to our ears, assuring us that waiting for them was not a mistake. The crowd exploded, apparently anticipating the long awaited show from Miami’s band. Torche brought the audience real power metal music which took The Orpheum by storm.

Haste the Day

Haste the Day with From Autumn to Ashes, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, The Sleeping and Alesana @ The State

The lights dimmed as music started pouring from the gigantic speakers that I was stationed all too close to. I was pretty excited about this show because I had never seen FATA before, and was curious to hear them without their old screamer. I was also completely stoked to see Maylene.
Alesana’s choreographed performance contained a mixture of high and low screams. They promoted their new album “On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax” and fit in some old songs off their EP for the rest of us.
The Sleeping was up second, and I must say that every time I am forced to see them, I hate them more and more. They switched from a pop-like sound to hardcore- probably just to gain more fans, which is even more annoying.
Maylene was amazing as always. The floor exploded as they began their set with “Gusty like the Wind,” one of my favorites. They gave the night a dose of good ol’
Southern rock, and maybe a little scream.
Following was FATA. I have to say, I am a fan of their older music and never
really cared for their new stuff; however, it is safe to say that FATA’s show at The State was a success. They played a combination of old and new music, so most everyone could appreciate them.
By the time Haste the Day hit the stage, it was going on hour five, so we were all pretty tired and sticky from our own sweat and that of the big guy standing next to us. Or was that just me? At any rate, the band played a good set and ended with “American Love” and “Long Way Down,” filling the audience with just enough energy to finish off the night.

MewithoutYou

7 March 2007

“If they ask you for a sign of the Father, tell them it’s movement and repose,” Aaron said. He was a bearded man marked by tattered clothes as the audience stared expectantly back.
I had been looking forward to this show for months. I was hooked to MeWithoutYou’s music after I saw them a few years ago at Cornerstone Florida. The singer, Aaron Weiss banged a tambourine on his head while dancing on a stage covered in flowers and leaves.
My expectations were high for the show this Saturday. Aloha played a few songs and created a relaxed atmosphere. MWY took the stage second and Sparta followed, playing music that everyone seemed to know the lyrics to.
The majority of songs MWY played were from their newest album, “Brother, Sister.” Their music tells poetic stories and usually starts off slow and picks up towards the middle.
MWY’s set had the crowd dancing along, especially when Aaron brought out an accordion. There is something about the lyrics that hits a nerve within me. Something about the way the music plays and the words are spoken stirs something deep inside me.
I was disappointed when Aaron said he would not play my favorite songs “Gentleman” and “Silencer” off their oldest album, “[A-B] Life.” He told us that he wishes to promote hope and love for nature, not the “angst” he was feeling when he wrote those songs in his early twenties.
When the show was over, I saw Richard, the drummer of MWY, hanging out by the bar. He told me that this tour was the first real chance for the band to play the new songs off “Brother, Sister” for their fans. The fans have given a good response from the album, according to Richard.
Richard told me about how the old albums consisted of the band playing heavier music. They are now going towards a softer style because that is what each of the band members prefer to listen to.
The band’s members are Christian, but they are not trying to convert people. “I’m not trying to evangelize,” Richard said. According to Richard, Aaron would say that he does not think MWY is a Christian band, but he wishes they were. “I don’t think we are controversial, maybe if Aaron says something we don’t like,” Richard said.
Richard still wonders what it means to be alive, and is scared of what he may find. “That’s the mystery of faith,” Richard said.

The Oaks Album Review: Our Fathers and the Things They Left Behind

This album was inspired by the sounds and sights Ryan Costello encountered with Global Hope Network International in Afghanistan, where he lived for two years teaching creative agriculture. It encompasses all that is of the folk-indie genre. Throw in a few random instruments like the trumpet, mandolin and accordion, and you get The Oaks. The melodic voices fit the rhythm of the music in all the right places. It is obvious that the band’s soul has really been put into their work, and something about it just shuts you up and makes you listen. How often do you come across bands with that kind of capacity these days? As if that wasn’t enough, 50 percent of the profits from the record sales are going to help the widows and refugees of Afghanistan. This album is definitely something to appreciate.

Jesse Malin Album Review: Glitter in the Gutter

At a glance of the CD cover, my first impression of this guy is that he tries way too hard and that something is terribly, terribly wrong with his hair. That aside, the music is the pop sort of rock that you are likely to hear alongside artists such as Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen, which is ironic because Springsteen actually plays a part in the song “Broken Radio” on Malin’s new album. Other contributions to the album are made by Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Jakob Dylan and Ryan Adams. The lyrics are simple and easy to understand, and their meanings tend to be light and care-free to match the upbeat style of music, unlike the more depressing material on his last record. I honestly had a hard time listening to the whole album, but if you are into “tough pop,” as Malin describes it, then check out his third album, “Glitter in the Gutter,” when it is released in March this year.

Murder by Death: Interview with Adam Turla

On January 26, the Strhess Tour- with Heavy Heavy Low Low, Fear Before the March of Flames, Murder by Death and Thursday- came to State Theater.
HHLL did not make it to the show in St. Petersburg and FBTMOF’s set was a disappointment to say the least.
MBD hit the stage with power and confidence. Their country-rock sound and morbid lyrics put a perfect twist to the tour. They were followed by Thursday, who put on a performance that tied the young and old together with the words “in a crash.”
Toothpick in mouth, lead singer and guitarist Adam Turla of MBD walked on stage with Sarah Balliet on cello and keys, Matt Armstrong on bass and Alex Schrodt on percussion.
Turla said the tour had been “great fun” and was happy to be touring again with their friends from Thursday. MBD started as a local college band playing the bar circuits in Indiana about five or six years ago. The band’s first show was with Thursday. MBD
got a record label with Eyeball Records through Thursday, according to Turla.
“I like music with some drama,” Turla said. In their newest album, “In Bocca Al Lupo,” sin and redemption are the major themes, although they are not a Christian band. The Italian album name translates to “in the mouth of the wolf” and means “good luck, you’re going to need it,” Turla said.
According to Turla, the songs are about different lives and stories of characters that are to be doomed in the afterlife. He likes to write fictional songs, but several songs are real stories about his personal life. He would not say which ones because he “likes mystery.”
Musically, the band is influenced by those like David Bowe and Johnny Cash. Turla said that he wants to play rock and roll, but the band ends up mixing that with some country.
Movies play a major role to the band, as they are named after the 1976 film. “Movies are concrete,” Turla said. His favorite is “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen,” directed by Terry Gilliam. Turla’s favorite author is Earnest Hemmingway because of the way he captures the movements of life in a simple way.
MBD created a distinctive sound at the State, complete with a blue flame guitar. Thursday finished the show with the song “Autumn Leaves Revisited,” inspired by their friends of MBD.

Published in REAX Music Magazine Vol. 1 Issue #10