Despite equipment failures and a haunted house, experimental avant-garde rock band Kiss Kisswould like you to know that they are done with their new album. And it’s got some pretty big shoes to fill considering their debut album Reality vs. The Optimist was one of the most talked about debut albums of 2007. Reality vs. The Optimist is the soundtrack to a death circus; it’s mix of Mr. Bungle oddity and Cure like emotion makes it a joyous yet dark record that leaves the listener begging for more. Well, there is no release date for the new record just yet, so you’ll have to settle on a double Kuestionnaire with the founding members of Kiss Kiss, drummer Jared Karns and lead vocalist/guitarist Josh Benash.
Lets start with Jared Karns’ answers…
1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
Slayer. I have every one of their albums of original material, except “Show No Mercy” got stolen when I went to see Murder By Death and Gogol Bordello in Brooklyn.
2. What have you been listening to lately?
Between The Buried and Me – “Colors” – that record is fucking ridiculous. And our own music.
3. What’s your favorite local band?
Sick Of It All. There are a million bands from NYC so I’m sure I’m forgetting far better ones, but that’s the first one that comes to mind. As far as smaller bands, Nakatomi Plaza make me proud to be from here, but most of the NYC scene is drowning in mediocrity.
4. What was the last show you attended?
King Crimson 40th Anniversary Show at the Nokia Theater NYC
5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
Aw man, so many contenders. It would have to be a toss-up between The Get Up Kids/The Anniversary/Koufax/Jebediah at Water Street Music Hall Rochester, NY October 2000, and Godspeed You Black Emperor at Bowery Ballroom NYC April 2005 I think.
6. What show are you looking forward to?
Portugal The Man/Maps and Atlases this weekend, but we can’t go because we’re practicing. Priorities.
7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
Robert Fripp (King Crimson) if I were Bill Bruford in 1972 – 1974.
8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
Between The Buried and Me – “Colors,” Saves The Day – “In Reverie,” King Crimson – “Red,” The Get Up Kids – “Something To Write Home About”
9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
Yeah, somewhat.
10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
Rush – “Chronicles” music video collection on VHS. My roommates sit around and watch it all the time, it’s fucking hysterical.
11. What’s the last book you read?
“Reign In Blood” by DX Ferris
12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
They both are awesome in different ways. In the studio I get to spend time playing with different drum setups, perfecting a sound, and actually practicing! Live is a lot more fun in a quick-paced energetic kinda way, and usually involves traveling more.
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you’d like to share?
When I thought it would be a good idea to throw a piece of skin that blistered and ripped off my finger while I was playing into the crowd after a recent set. People were just grossed out by it. Lesson to bands – never let your drummer near the front of the stage.
14. Any favorite tour locations?
Chicago, Cleveland, NYC, Little Rock AR, the Ohio/Kentucky border, Maine (even though we haven’t been there in years), Colorado/Wyoming/Montana/other western states – definitely looking forward to getting back out there.
15. Lastly, what have you done today?
Continued solidifying plans with the band for practice this weekend, went out to dinner with my girlfriend and my roommates, got caught up on our myspace messages/emails, updated street team/mailing list, planted a couple seeds for possible tour/show ideas.
It seems as though it’s late 90s alt-rock reunion year. First the supposed Far reunion coming up in mid-October and now the ferocious Human Waste Project will be reuniting to tear up the Key Club in LA. HWP was doing the Flyleaf/Kittie angst-rock way before it was generating any attention. Drawing influences from The Cure, Sepultura, Tool, and Portishead, Human Waste Project was a shining star in a mess of cookie cutter nu-metal acts trying to cash in on the now squeezed-dry genre. The band consists of theSTART lead vocalist Aimee Echo, Mike Tempesta on guitar, Jeff Schartoff on bass, and Scott Ellis on drums. They only released one now discontinued album entitled e-Lux on Hollywood Records; which is filled with your fair share of heavy riffs, aggressive vocals, and experimentation. They played Ozzfest and toured with bands like Incubus, Helmet, Deftones and Sublime before their demise in 1998.
You can catch Human Waste Project with a recently reunited Snot one last time on…
Oct 10 2008 8:00P
Key Club, Los Angeles, California
If you’re in the Bay Area, here’s a few concerts to attend this week…
Sunday:
Woven / Phantom Float / ghost tree
The Crepe Place
1134 Soquel Ave
San Jose 95062
United States
Monday:
A Place to Bury Strangers / Sian Alice Group / The Blacks
Bottom of the Hill
1233 17th Street
San Francisco CA 94107
United States
Tuesday:
My Bloody Valentine
The Concourse
620 7th Street
San Francisco CA 94103
United States
Wednesday:
MSTRKRFT / Felix Cartal / Congorock
Mezzanine
444 Jessie Street @ Mint
San Francisco CA CA 94103
United States
Thursday:
Noah and The Whale
Popscene
330 Ritch Street
San Francisco CA 94107
United States
Friday:
Sigur Rós / Parachutes
Greek Theatre – U.C. Berkeley
Gayley Rd.
Berkeley, CA 94701
United States
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 8 (Friday – Sunday)
Iron & Wine / Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy / Gogol Bordello / Alison Krauss and 37 more
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco
United States
Saturday:
Deerhoof / Okay / The Happy Hollows
The Great American Music Hall
859 O’Farrell Street
San Francisco CA 94109
United States
Indie-core hip hopper Cage is ready to unveil his new material…on tour. It seems as though he’s gone through a few signifcant changes since the release of his last album, Hell’s Winter. But Cage is no stranger of tragedy and bad luck. So I have no doubt that this upcoming performance will be pretty powerful. As well as his new record, Depart From Me.
Cage will be performing at the Club Six in San Francisco on the 22nd of October with Hatebreed/House of Blow’s Sean Martin.
The first weekend of Autumn is here. So I decided to construct a little 10 song mixtape for those of you that plan on taking a little walk through the woods to check out the foliage. These songs in particular represent the dreariness and slow change that Autumn brings. So strap on the headphones and let me know what you think…
Not only will I be seeing the amazing electro-rock band Woven tonight at the Rockit Room in San Francisco but I will also be so lucky to witness the shoegaze band, Foxtail Somersault. Siting influences like My Bloody Valentine, Broken Social Scene, Sigur Ros, and Cocteau Twins; Foxtail Somersault combines those influences and extracts them into a dreamlike sound that can put any listener into a relaxing trance. This is headphone music for the Gods!
September 25th 2008 9:00P
w/ Woven & Cloud Archive
The Rockit Room
San Francisco, California
Kata Rokkar is a place where you can download free mp3 from artists and bands that I currently love and listen to. They are only for sampling purposes and to influence you to go out and support these artists by purchasing their records and going to their concerts. If you are a record company or an artist that is displeased with a song being displayed, feel free to contact me and I will remove it ASAP. Thank you and enjoy!
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Kiss Kiss – Machines
