Western Addiction is back with a new album, Frail Bray, and I couldn’t be happier. Each of their previous release has seen considerable play time in my house and so far, this one seems to be cut out of the same mold of “grower” records that get better and better over time. Mostly favouring slower tempos than most Hardcore/Punk bands, their songs are crafted with the too often overlooked art of letting music breath, allowing the space between the notes to shine just as much as the notes themselves. Riffs are deliberate and aggressively thrown at us with a dark attack that’s balanced by a strong sense of melody and a somewhat bouncy Rock N Roll swing. The rhythm section is very dynamic and keep us on our toes with great variations. Jason Hall’s vocals are relentless yet catchy, often placed in a tug-of-war with the music to generate intensity. It all resonates into a package that’s very energetic and danceable, best experienced while pumping a fist in the air.
Frail Bray is available now on Fat Wreck Chords.
Name five songs that you consider “perfect songs” and explain why or what they mean to you.
I have so many perfect songs. I really pay attention to song structure, vocal melody and lyrical content. Here are five random examples but there are many, many more…
THE BEATLES – Yesterday – Call it cliché but they were the masters. Right out of the gate, this melody has you whether you like it or not. The Beatles are the best band of all time in terms of vocal melody. I believe the best songs have a magic moment where it shoots lightning up your spine, underneath your shoulder blade, up your skull, right behind your ear and you have the sudden urge to cry. The Beatles were the best in the world and they can do it about 65-70% of the time per record.
THE KINKS – Waterloo Sunset – A perfect song and I feel the authenticity and emotion. I understand what it’s like to be a young person in London at this time.
JAWBREAKER – Kiss the Bottle – This is their best song and I’m willing to fight any man in the building. It’s perfect. They should end every show with this.
AGENT ORANGE – Bloodstains – I’ll go out on a limb and say this could be the best punk song of all time. I love this song and I reference the lyrics in our song Black Salt.
DAN AUERBACH – Waiting on a Song – I’ll throw in a new one to show you what I mean. This is a PERFECTLY constructed song and the vocal melody is incredible. And…the song is about having writer’s block.
Here are a few more pulled at random, all very worthy and there are hundreds more:
Belle & Sebastian – Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying
Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl
Billy Bragg – A New England
Brandi Carlisle – The Mother
Buzzcocks – What Do I Get?
Camera Obscura – Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken
The Clash – Train in Vain
Echo and the Bunnymen – Bring on the Dancing Horses
Fang – The Money Will Roll Right In
Generation X – Kiss Me Deadly
God Help the Girl – The Psychiatrist is In
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Head On
Morrissey – Sunny
Old 97s – Rollerskate Skinny
Pixies – Indie Cindy
Rhett Miller – Our Love
Conor Oberst – You Are Your Mother’s Child
Sam Cooke – Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha
Sex Pistols – Bodies
Simon and Garfunkel – Bleecker Street
Suzi Quatro – The Wild One
The Cure – Friday, I’m in Love
The Decemberists – I’ll Be Your Girl
The Smiths – Cemetery Gates
Tom Petty – Down South
Violent Femmes – American Music
Five hardest riffs of all time?
I’m not sure about the “hardest riffs” but these are few of my favorites:
METALLICA – Seek and Destroy – This riff is absolutely incredible. My little daughter knows it as well. You know there is something to a riff or a song when you put it on for a young person and their body immediately reacts. Put the Beatles on for a baby and see what happens.
TURBONEGRO – Prince of the Rodeo – Euroboy is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. He is the perfect mix of Rock, Punk and Glam. This riff absolutely rips.
GEORGE JONES – White Lightning – I love classic Country and this little riff is undeniable.
MEGADETH – Symphony of Destruction – This came out when I was heavily watching Headbanger’s Ball so it holds a special spot in my youth.
MOTÖRHEAD – I’m So Bad Baby I Don’t Care – I think this is the best Motörhead song. I really want our band to cover this.
Here’s a few others:
AC/DC – Riff Raff
Black Breath – Razor to Oblivion
Danzig – Twist of Cain
Early Man – Death Potion
Kvelertak – Undertro
New Order – Age of Consent
Saviours – To the Grave Possessed
What’s the album you’ve listened to the most in your life? Do you still listen to it?
JAWBREAKER – Dear You. I know this record is controversial but if you can’t recognize how good this is then you are dismissing it for the wrong reasons. The songs and lyrics are fantastic and it sounds big. The guitars are absolutely huge.
What are some of your favorite song lyrics? Lyrics that have been important to you or that had an impact on you?
I know most people don’t care about lyrics but it’s really important to me and if someone isn’t putting heart into their lyrics, I notice, and it ruins the song. I think the best lyricists use approachable words in a clever way. I can’t understand why someone could devote their whole life to perfecting their instrument and then put “red hot baby tonight” over the top of it. Such a shame.
Here are some of my favorite lyricists:
Conor Oberst
Rhett Miller (Old 97s)
Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian)
Blake Schwarzenbach (Jawbreaker)
Paul Simon
Frank Black (Pixies)
Morrissey
Do you have an absolute all-time favorite band or musical artist? What makes them so special to you?
Absolutely, JOHNNY CASH. He’s my number one. We share a birthday and we are both “JR.” Aside from the songs and his voice, what makes him special is the authenticity and the internal struggles he has. He seems like a real person. You can tell that his spirit runs hot but he’s trying to be a good man. His story is just so tragic with losing his brother and his father telling him that he wishes it was him who died. I make these playlists on Spotify where I put all the best songs from one band. He has a HUGE catalog and my playlist has 91 songs on it. Ninety-one great songs. That’s incredible.
Do you remember the first time music had an impact on you?
I’ve never really been any “kind” of person, e.g. punker, metalhead, etc. so I always feel ashamed that I wasn’t “anything.” However, I’ve always liked music since I was very young but it just took me some time to hone my style. I had a turntable when I was very young with a Star Wars record and it just took off from there. I also lived in a small town so I only had the most popular, glaring example from a genre to work backwards from. I was never cool and never had what someone would call “good taste.” My Dad also had a pretty important impact on my music development. He’s always liked music and the Blues and he gave me my first guitar. He bought it off a guy at his work, came home, popped it in my hands and said, “Here, try this thing.”
Music is incredibly important to me though. It’s on in our house from 7am – 11pm and I view it in the same category as water or food. It has a physical and emotional impact on me. When I go to dinner at someone’s house and they don’t have music on, I lean over to my wife and say, “What kind of perverts are these people?”
What were you listening to in elementary school? Then in high school? (Your favorite bands/records back then?) How much of that music is still a part of your playlists today? How have your musical tastes evolved since?
In elementary school I was listening to WEIRD AL. My little daughter now listens to Weird Al so life has come full circle, ha ha. He actually has an incredible career if you think about it. In middle school I tried to listen to the filthiest music I could get my hands on (2 LIVE CREW, NWA, etc.) and that’s what led me to Punk. I heard the song Fist F*ck by DR. KNOW and it just blew my mind. I’ve always been a “Rock person” but never really knew how to express that, therefore, in high-school, I listened to lots of Hair-Metal and popular heavy Rock because I just didn’t know any better. I remember watching Headbanger’s Ball and 120 Minutes pretty much every weekend. Wherever I was, I would leave to make it home to see these shows. When I was a senior, I saw the Smells Like Teen Spirit video and went to school the next day and asked some friends if they had heard of this band. I have never been hip or a trendsetter, but I did have a natural intuition of where I wanted to go. I actually found some old playlists from when I was a college DJ and they weren’t too bad. I was pleasantly surprised. I have of course evolved because once you find something you like, you backtrack to the original source and that is the good stuff. One thing I like to do is go back to some of those records and see if they hold up. Appetite for Destruction still sounds pretty good. Unskinny Bop sounds a little funky. Ha ha.
What beloved music do you share with your parents or children? Any specifics memories?
One band that always reminds me of my Dad is the MARSHALL TUCKER BAND and specifically Can’t You See. My wife’s parents love the BEATLES and you can’t beat that. My children and I share many, many bands and my wife and I are very aligned with our tastes (she grew up on Southern California Punk) except some types of extreme, intense Metal (SUNN, MAYHEM, etc.). I took her to see the MURDER CITY DEVILS and BOTCH opened up and if you’ve ever seen them, it’s like a sonic seizure. I remember her covering her ears and saying, “Is this legal?” Ha ha ha. I always tell my wife that I want Highway Patrolman by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN played at my funeral. That song makes me cry every single time.
What are some of the most memorable shows you’ve ever seen? What makes them stand out?
I’ve seen a lot of shows. Here are a few that stand out…
MURDER CITY DEVILS – I’ve seen them several times but this one show, the singer was so drunk that he could barely get through the songs and at one point, he vomited on stage, dropped his glasses in the vomit and then put them back on.
DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN – They are one of the most exciting bands I’ve ever seen. The last time I saw them, the singer climbed this huge wall up to where some tables were that people were having dinner and mid-song he said, “Oh, you guys got food up here?” and then grabbed a hamburger from this guy’s plate, took a bite, spit it into the crowd and then dove 10 feet down into the crowd.
GREEN DAY – The apparel company, Cinderblock, had this gigantic, private warehouse party in Berkeley and Green Day and One Man Army played. It was filled with punks and video games and kegs everywhere. It was one of the first dates I had with wife and it was just so fun and pure and a great memory.
INCREDIBLY STRANGE WRESTING – SF used to have these big shows that combined Mexican style wrestling and bands like the DWARVES. They would pass out tortillas that you threw during the matches. Before it got too big and went on to venues like the Fillmore, they would have the matches at smaller clubs and it was just insane. Gigantic wrestlers would jump on people in the crowd, blow fire and it was pretty dangerous, but incredibly fun.
WILLIE NELSON, BAND OF HORSES in Hawaii – We were on vacation in Paia and this was back when MySpace would have those secret shows where big bands would play in a small place. We just happened to be near Willie Nelson’s bar and he played a set with Band of Horses. It was just so cool. I love Willie Nelson.
RHETT MILLER – I’ve seen the OLD 97s a million times and I love Rhett Miller. I think he’s one of the best songwriters on Earth. He played a small club in my town and I met him after the show. He does this thing where he writes out lyrics to a song for fans and my friend Sara lined it up for me and he wrote a special note because my hometown had just burned down. I met him, and he remembered who I was and asked about my family and it was just a cool moment. It was one of the rare cases where you meet someone you worship and they are actually a wonderful person.
OFF! @ Amoeba, Berkeley – I used to take my little daughter to see in-store shows because the volume wasn’t too loud and she could experience a show. When she was two I took her to see OFF! and it was so great. At one point, Keith Morris told her to cover her ears because he was going to say a few bad words.
Boat in NYC, boat in Paris – We’ve played a couple of boats and it’s always pretty exciting. We played the ship that goes around the harbor in NYC with GOOD RIDDANCE and NIGHT BIRDS. In addition to the excitement of playing in a swaying vessel, our old bassist was having a tough night with his girlfriend and she got so pissed that she kicked over the Night Birds merch table, twice!
Japan – We have been lucky enough to tour Japan twice. Our last show was for the big Fat 25th anniversary and we played to about 10,000 people. It was quite surreal.
A shed – We played a Punk house the day Tremulous came out and it was in an actual shed. There was a lawnmower, bed frame, old tools, exposed nails, a damp carpet, etc. It’s one of those nights where you shake your head and wonder what you are doing with your life but it actually turned out to be an incredibly fun show. Somehow though, I got pink eye. My wife was not pleased.
Is there any band that you’ve always wanted to see live but never had the chance to catch them? Any classic show that you wish you could have experienced?
I of course would have loved to see JOHNNY CASH but that is well before my time. There are a million classic shows I would kill to see and if I went back in time, that’s the first thing I would do. I would actually like to experience them to see if they really were as spectacular as everyone says.
What are some of your all-time favorite music books and/or zines, documentaries, biopics?
I watch all music documentaries even if I don’t like the band. One of my favorites is “Until the Light Takes Us.” It’s about the second wave of Black Metal and the church burnings in Norway. I also like “Once Upon a Time in Norway.” I just find the whole story SO fascinating and unbelievable. I also like Walk the Line and Almost Famous. We talk about the band “Stillwater” all the time. It’s kind of a code word for a “Rock and Roll” moment. We played this dance club on the East Coast of Italy and it was just wild. The floor was tile and wet and dangerous, the club was loosely run and at the end of the night, the punks spill out and the dance club people come in. It just happened to be pouring rain and we were loading out and our tour manager was screaming at the promoter and it was just absolute chaos. Tony and I were pushing our gear through the club dancers and I just looked at him and said, “Stillwater.” I also love the Decline of Western Civilization. And of course, Spinal Tap.
Is there any classic / universally acclaimed artist that you missed out on when they first came out and discovered way later? Any artist that you didn’t like at first and learned to appreciate over time?
Several. I believe that you have to be at certain stages of your life to appreciate and “understand” some artists. I know when I’m just not ready but there is some kind of appeal that I need to eventually investigate. I also may have missed some of these because I wasn’t born yet but two that stand out are SIMON AND GARFUNKEL and SAM COOKE. I just brushed by Simon and Garfunkel my whole life but if you really listen to their lyrics they are incredibly sad and intense and subversive. I’ve learned to like Classical music the more I go on and Baroque is my favorite. I’m still not great about identifying it and I can’t have a conversation with anyone with expertise in this field. I also grew up in the mountains and was surrounded by Country music and I shunned it a bit because I’m a Rock person at heart but I’ve really come around to true Country. I don’t mean modern pop banjo music either. There are several fantastic modern Country bands like STURGILL SIMPSON, SARAH SHOOK AND THE DISARMERS, JOSHUA HEDLEY, CACTUS BLOSSOMS, CAITLIN ROSE, etc. I believe a good song is a good song and if you are shunning an entire genre then you aren’t paying attention.
Do you have an artist that you love in a genre that you don’t usually listen to? What makes them stand out?
I don’t listen to a great deal of Hip Hop but I do like MF DOOM. Every time I hear his voice, I perk up. There is something so soothing about it and his lyrics are clever. Yes, I like the classics like RUN DMC, PUBLIC ENEMY, KURTIS BLOW, GRAND MASTER FLASH, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, KRS-ONE, etc. but I’m just not good about picking out a lot of new Hip Hop. I also don’t like a lot of profanity or any kind of misogyny so I have trouble with some of it.
Do you have any unpopular music opinion that you would like to defend? Something that you love and yet can hardly find anyone to agree on how great it is?
I have two that I’ve found to be VERY unpopular.
1. Popularity or success doesn’t mean something is “good”.
I think most people think that if something is popular or sells a lot then the music is “good,” but this simply isn’t true. Yes, sometimes these items do overlap, but not always. Take a look at the Spotify Top 50 and tell me in 3 months if many of these songs will have made a lasting, cultural impact. I can assure you they won’t and haven’t.
2. I do not believe that music is subjective
I know that people always say this but I don’t believe it to be true. I believe there are certain elements within a song that make it great, with vocal melody being the MOST important. I could go on for hours about this topic like a lunatic but people always tune out. There are other elements too that make something good but if you don’t believe me, the true metrics are time and timelessness (whether it bumps around in the universe for years to come). When I hear a new record, I think I know pretty instantly if it contains the elements that make it stick around. People always tell me I’m wrong but I tell them to just watch and you see the signs, promotion starts to fade, ads for shows start appearing (a warning sign), etc., etc.
Now you’re probably thinking that if I’m so damn smart, why don’t I just write the hits. Well, it’s complicated and frankly, I’m just not that good. I can barely sing and the music I prefer to play isn’t exactly for a dinner party. I do try my best but if the BEATLES can only do it sometimes, how am I supposed to do it.
I think I’m also pretty good about discerning between “what I like” and “what is good.” I don’t spend a lot of time forcing music that I know won’t be for everyone. I love Black Metal and I can see the beauty and intricacy but it just makes most people feel like they are having a panic attack so I don’t push it.
Do you enjoy live albums? What are some of your favorites? Can you think of a few examples where the live version of a song is better than the studio version?
Sometimes I do but mostly I don’t. I oftentimes think bands can’t pick the right setlists. When I see a band live, I want to hear the hits and I want to know that you curated a cadence that is pleasing to the audience. I can’t stand when bands play obscure or new songs because they are bored. They should do that in practice. With that said, JOHNNY CASH at Folsom Prison and at San Quentin are my favorite live records. I like some of the live versions on here better because of the intense energy of the setting, especially Folsom Prison Blues.
Name one or several cover songs where the cover is better than the original? What makes them superior?
I could be murdered for this but I like a lot of the songs on SETH AVETT and JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD’s ELLIOTT SMITH covers record, Fond Farewell, Somebody that I Used to Know, Twilight and Ballad of Big Nothing. There is just something about the pleasing nature of their combined voices and the song tempos that I like. You can tell that they are incredibly written songs and that’s ultimately why they shine but I just like these versions better. One other version I really like that I don’t necessarily think is better than the original is PENETRATION MOON’s cover of Take a Chance With Me by JOHNNY THUNDERS AND THE HEARTBREAKERS. It’s a great song but this version has some serious attack. This is a band that Blag Dahlia from the DWARVES was in. I also like the BRONX’s version of Carmelita (WARREN ZEVON) because it’s a bit more gritty and AUTOMATIC’s version of Mind Your Own Business by DELTA 5 because it sounds so subversive and intense.
What albums have been on heavy rotation lately?
SHOPPING – All or Nothing – Cool, angular, Post-Punk, Pop.
AUTOMATIC – Signal – This record is fantastic.
STURGILL SIMPSON – Sound and Fury – A true punk.
KIT SEBASTIAN – Mantra Moderne – Sounds like it’s from another era.
AVETT BROTHERS – Closer Than Together – Master songwriters.
HIGH COMMAND – Beyond the Walls of Desolation – Great Thrash but I also want them to make the Black album by METALLICA. Fantastic riffs. They could be huge if they wanted.
PIXIES – Beneath the Eyrie – No band sounds like this band. Great songs.
CACTUS BLOSSOMS – Easy Way – I think I listened to this record the most. Great singers, great song-writing.
What are some up and coming artists that you would recommend?
The best new record I’ve found is this band called AUTOMATIC. It is like Synth-Post Punk, Dance Wave, etc. but the secret is that their songs are really good. There are lots of bands like this but you absolutely must have the songs. They are so minimalist and because the songs are so good, you don’t need anything else. I also like SHOPPING from the UK and the new CONTROL TOP single, One Good Day is fantastic. If it was the 90’s, a record company would cut the bridge in half and make a radio edit and they’d be a big band. I’m also enjoying the new MOANING record on Sub-Pop. My pal Alex Newport produced it. Again, if it was the 90’s, their song Make It Stop would be a hit. I also like this band DIAT from Berlin and DRY CLEANING from the UK.
Is there a band that you’ve discovered live recently that blew you away?
Not too recently but I will say that the last live band I saw where I was truly impressed was POWER TRIP. The precision of their playing is just incredible. You could tell something was happening just from the songs alone but when I saw them live I could not believe how precise they were. They are already big, but if they want to write about four Executioner’s Tax-like songs and make a conscious decision to make a record like the Black Album by METALLICA, they would be the biggest band in Metal, without a doubt. I also love seeing the BRONX. They are a band’s band and the singer is very entertaining. DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is also one of the most incredible live bands. I recently saw this band called the CACTUS BLOSSOMS, a Country-ish band and I couldn’t believe humans could sing that well. Seriously, flawless. Also, one more, UADA from Portland. They are a Black Metal band and their guitarist was just so good. He gave every single note exactly what it deserved.
What are you listening to right now, while answering these questions?
KEXP in Seattle. It’s the best radio station in the world. The people that run this station have taste in music and I can clearly tell. And I don’t mean, “they play what I like.” What I mean is that someone there has listened to a LOT of music and has discerning taste. The Metal show, Seek and Destroy, is the best Metal show on radio. I can’t understate how good and important this station is. I listen every single day.
Is there anything you would like to promote?
Yes, we have a new album, Frail Bray, coming out on May 15th. This must be one of the worst times in recent history to release a record but that’s the way the cards fell. It feels shallow to talk about when there are much bigger problems to solve in the world but we are hoping you might give it a listen. Thanks!
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