Harrisonbug, VA’s Gifts from Enola are in a difficult position. They are a post rock instrumental group that needs to set themselves apart from instrumental giants like Explosions in the Sky, Mono, and Mogwai and raising stars like Caspian and God is an Astronaut. The good news: they are doing very well at keeping afloat in a over-saturated genre filled with wannabees and copycats. The very good news: Gifts will be releasing their second full length, From Fathoms on Mylene Sheath Records on June 9th on CD and double LP. Gifts from Enola slowly became a respected member of the instrumental rock movement with their cinematic and mountainous album, Loyal Eyes Betrayed The Mind. An album as epic as it is emotional. Raw in production yet beautiful in execution, the album towers with a genuine emotive power. You can purchase the double LP of Loyal Eyes Betrayed The Mind (recommended) here.
Gifts from Enola will be doing a short 4 date tour in their home state of Virginia before heading to Rubbles in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan to open for the always amazing Appleseed Cast.
Guitarist Andrew Barnes was ever so nice to swing by the Kata Rokkar and answer the world famous Kuestionnaire.
1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
My Dad had me grow up on “The Band” (bob dylan’s old backing band), and I’ve realized lately that I’ve been constantly influenced or inspired by their music in some shape or form for all 22 years of my life. So I’d have to say The Band’s 1969 self-titled album.
2. What have you been listening to lately?
Lots of Tortoise, Rob Crow projects, Talk Talk, Botch, Early Day Miners Hieroglyphics and American Football.
3. What’s your favorite local band?
I’d have to say “A Cosmonaut’s Ruin” from Charlottesville, Va.
4. What was the last show you attended?
I saw my friends in Nervous Habits play right down the street in Harrisonburg, Va. Punk rock done right.
5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
That’s really hard to say. I’ve came out of lots of shows thinking they were the best I’ve seen, but they are all for different reasons. I don’t think I can choose just one.
6. What show are you looking forward to?
We’re playing with our friends in Constants and Caspian in a couple weeks and I’m really excited to see them again. Del The Funky Homosapien is coming close in May…that man puts on a hell of a show. I think Mogwai is touring the states sometime soon. I might have to check that out, I’ve never seen them live. I’m really bad at keeping up with shows in the area.
7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
This question would be answered wayyy differently by everyone in the band. I don’t know if I could pick just one. For me; I would love to hang out with Rob Crow. He’s such a strange and unassuming guy that writes some of the simplest and most amazing songs I’ve ever listened to. I’d want to hang out with Dave Knudson so that he can teach me his ridiculous guitar techniques. I feel like Mike Patton or Tom Waits would have some great stories and be really interesting dudes to hang out with too. Like I said though, this would be wayyy different if you asked any of the other guys.
8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
Really hard. I’d probably change my mind about this in 5 minutes.
Tim And Eric- “Awesome Record, Great Songs”
Botch- “We Are The Romans”
Pink Floyd- “Meddle”
Mr. Bungle- “California”
9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
I’d say so. I don’t know what that defines exactly, but I’m constantly searching for new, interesting music to keep my ears and brain content.
10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
Our bass player (and roomate) Nate has the “Refused are Fucking Dead” DVD that documents the career of Refused. That one is put together amazingly. Botch’s “061502″ is a great raw dvd of their final show. And of course, Sigur Ros’s “Heima” is pretty breathtaking.
11. What’s the last book you read?
The last book I read was “The Plot Against America” by Philip Roth. Right now, I’m in the middle of “Cracking India” by Bapsi Sidhwa.
12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
They are two totally different worlds for us. The amount of fun and instant gratification of playing a live show is irreplaceable by any other kind of musical experience. On the other hand, having a record in your hands of something you put months or years into and feel proud of, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you’d like to share?
The first that comes to mind is a show we played about 2 years ago. I think it was maybe like the 9th or 10th show we had ever played. Nate, CJ, and I all live in Harrisonburg, Va and our show was about an hour and a half away. We packed up our gear and drove to the venue. We get there and CJ realized he forgot his guitar. This usually wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but he’s left-handed and there weren’t any lefties there that night. So, we tried to play the show as a three piece doing terrible improv versions of our songs as CJ scrambled to string a guitar backwards on the side of the stage, which ended with no luck. A lot of my friends were there to see us for the first time and their reactions were priceless. “Umm……that was….um….unique?”
14. Any favorite tour locations?
Boston, LA and Austin have all been incredible for us. There are so many other great towns we’ve played in too. All of the shows get better and better each time we go out on tour, so the list of favorite places quickly gets larger. I’m really excited to play in Montreal this summer.
15. Lastly, what have you done today?
It was just a boring ‘ol collegiate day. Went to class. Had a midterm. Had to give a presentation. Had a cold. Decided against going to a show right down the street because it’s like 9 degrees outside. Looked at the pile of clothes on my floor. Decided against doing laundry. Took a bunch of mushrooms and made snow angels on the top of city hall. Normal day.
I wish I answered this on a weekend, the stories would be wayyy better.
Gifts From Enola – Early Morning Ambulance
Gifts From Enola – Screaming at Anything That Moved
After seeing the Air Guitar Nation film a few years ago, I fell in love with this growing genre of performance art. I have yet actually see any kind of “official” performance of Air Guitar, but I was pleased to find out that the US Air Guitar Championship is back on tour and will be swing by San Francisco for two days.
In 2009, US Air Guitar Championship is taking it all to a whole new level… Actually, the tour will be going to the same number of cities as last year, but given the state of the economy, reps for US Air Guitar maintain that staying the same is the new growth (we call this “stag-spansion”). One winner from each city will be brought to a yet-to-be-revealed city in August 2009 to compete in the US Air Guitar Finals for the crown of US Air Guitar Champion. The 2009 US Champ will then be sent to Oulu, Finland to represent the USA in the Air Guitar World Championships, where he or she will compete against national air guitar champions from all around the world, including Hot Lixx Hulahan, who, as defending champion, is granted automatic entry into the World Championships. [link]
US AIR GUITAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
2009 TOUR DATES
May 27 || Paradise || Boston, MA
May 28 || Bowery Ballroom || New York, NY
May 29 || 930 Club || Washington, DC
May 30 || The Khyber || Philadelphia, PA
May 31 || Orange Peel || Asheville, NC
June 1 || The Earl || Atlanta, GA
June 2 || Exit In || Nashville, TN
June 3 || House of Blues || Cleveland, OH
June 5 || Varsity Theatre || Minneapolis, MN
June 6 || Metro || Chicago, IL
June 8 || Sokol Underground || Omaha, NE
June 9 || Record Bar || Kansas City, MO
June 11 || The Loft || Dallas, TX
June 12 || The Parish || Austin, TX
June 13 || Studio at Warehouse Live || Houston, TX
June 16 || Bluebird Theatre || Denver, CO
June 17 || Aggie Theatre || Fort Collins, CO
June 19 || Troubadour || Los Angeles, CA
June 20 || The Casbah || San Diego, CA
June 23 || Dante’s || Portland, OR
June 24 || El Corazon || Seattle, WA June 26 || The Independent || San Francisco, CA – Golden Gate Regional
June 27 || The Independent || San Francisco, CA – Bay Bridge Regional
I was hard-pressed to know that the day I fly out to Boston is the same day Great Lake Swimmers play the Bottom of the Hill. This wouldn’t be that much of a problem if I didn’t love their new album, Lost Channels, so much. No matter, I’m happy with seeing the brilliant Chad VanGaalen and Women perform at the same venue this Tuesday.
If you haven’t already noticed, noise-freak rockers The Mae Shi and pre have been invading the Bay Area. They swung by the Berkley Amoeba Records and San Francisco’s Hemlock Tavern on Friday, Visalia on Saturday, and will be playing at Your House in Oakland tonight with Religious Girls. You can also catch them this week at…
03/30 Los Altos – KFJC live
03/30 San Jose – Nickel City
03/31 Santa Cruz – Crepe Place
Also tonight is Goapele at Yoshi’s Oakland, Emiliana Torrini at The Independent, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy at the Orchard Spotlight in Santa Rosa (who will also be playing the Fillmore the following day), and The Bronx at Rickshaw Stop. In fact, Rickshaw Stop is kind of busy with Sebastien Grainger on Monday and Kid Sister on Wednesday. Well, Kid Sister cancelled (AGAIN!), so nevermind.
RATATAT sold out the Fillmore for both Thursday and Friday. So keep checking craiglist if you haven’t bought tickets yet.
The Bottom of the Hill will be hosting White Denim on Thursday and Lily Allen and Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head visit the Warfield Theatre this Saturday.
TONS of new releases this week to talk about. First off I’ve been listening to The Decemberists‘ new album, Hazards of Love and so far…it’s…uhh…okay? I seriously need to spin this a few more times to get a real opinion about it, but it doesn’t suck. It’s obviously no Castaways & Cutouts, but it’s a grower. Catch The Decemberists on tour this spring here.
In addition to the plethora of new releases are Dan Deacon’s wonderfully bizarre masterpiece, Bromst. (Dan Deacon Kuestionnaire)
DOOM’s (MF Doom) Born Like Thisbrings back that dark production I love so much; giving me a reason to listen to his whole catalog all over again.
The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson’s project Fever Ray releases her debut. Highly recommended for Knife and Bjork fans (like me).
Mastodon slaughters your senses with Crack The Skye. I find it annoying that fans of the band are not embracing this change in style. Time to grow up kids!
Fresh off a breakout trip to SXSW this past week, including a spot opening for Jane’s Addiction at the exclusive Playboy / C3 party, LA’s Kenan Bell will be playing with +1 Records label-mates Illinois at Rickshaw Stop on Saturday, March 28th.
Illinois
w/ Kenan Bell, The Toy Soldiers, & DJ Set by DJ Amplive
Saturday, March 28th
@ Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell St.
$12 Adv. / $15 Door
Directed by Gang Gang Dance’s Brian Degraw. from the album “Person Pitch” on Paw Tracks Records. It’s new…I guess. Well the song isn’t but the video is. Typical psychedelic Panda Bear.
This is a promo video for Delphic’s debut single, “Counterpoint“, which will be released Monday 13th April 2009 on 12″ and download through R&S. It seems very…err….Euro. Or like a Calvin Klein commercial turned into a movie.
Delphic – Counterpoint (Live in Amsterdam)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero
Okay I get it Karen O; you are a badass. What I do like about this video is that it represents the record well. They have evolved past a genre that is kind of milked dry of creative energy and have let loose a bit. It’s time to be positive and dance like a freak. Or whatever. Oh and here’s YYY’s remixed version of Zero from the every so awesome MSTRKRFT. Enjoy.
No, you’re not watching an episode of Robot Chicken; this is the new video from straight-up rock band Middle Distance Runner. Their latest record, The Unbeliever, is available now digitally and in stores. Catch them on tour with Eulogies in a town near you.
Middle Distance Runner – The Unbeliever
The Safes – The Sky Is Falling
Was that last video not weird enough for you? Well I give you The Safes’ bizarro video for The Sky Is Falling off their latest Sight of All Light EP.
The Bay Area’s The Limousines have been gradually making a name for themselves with their infectiously catchy single, Very Busy People. After their last San Francisco gig, I was surprised to hear that a majority of the attendees were there to see the duo, which they were not even headlining…and don’t even have a record out yet. The Limos have even snagged an opening slot with rising Norwegian rock musician Ida Maria. So if you find yourself at Popscene SF tonight with a bunch of people that are mouthing the words of Very Busy People, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
You can catch the electro-pop duo on tour on the following dates…
Mar 26 2009 8:00P
POPSCENE SF
San Francisco, California
Mar 31 2009 7:00P
The Venue w/ Sonny
Los Gatos, California
Apr 1 2009 7:00P
The Boardwalk w/ Sonny
Orangevale, California
Apr 4 2009 1:00P
BAMBOOZLE LEFT – Verizon Amphitheater
Irvine, California
Apr 23 2009 7:00P
The Blank w/ Ida Maria
The finialized version of Very Busy People will be avaiable to download via iTunes on the 21st of April. Until then enjoy this demo…
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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Gifts From Enola – Early Morning Ambulance
I was hard-pressed to know that the day I fly out to Boston is the same day Great Lake Swimmers play the Bottom of the Hill. This wouldn’t be that much of a problem if I didn’t love their new album, Lost Channels, so much. No matter, I’m happy with seeing the brilliant Chad VanGaalen and Women perform at the same venue this Tuesday.
TONS of new releases this week to talk about. First off I’ve been listening to 
Fresh off a breakout trip to SXSW this past week, including a spot opening for Jane’s Addiction at the exclusive Playboy / C3 party, LA’s Kenan Bell will be playing with +1 Records label-mates Illinois at Rickshaw Stop on Saturday, March 28th.
The Bay Area’s 
