Ace Norton during the making of the video of Evil Son.
Genius, Ace Norton, Genius!!!!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
ACE NORTON EVIL SON FISH
Ace Norton during the making of the video of Evil Son.
Genius, Ace Norton, Genius!!!!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Salon.com Audiofile
Exclusive Daily Download: "Lonesome Gods," the Willowz
The last album from Los Angeles' the Willowz was picked as one of Rolling Stone's top 50 albums of the year when it came out in 2005. The band's new record, "Chautauqua," is even better. The way they balance fierce, fuzzy garage rock with a softer folky side brings to mind the White Stripes -- though with a full rhythm section and much less affected artiness. "Lonesome Gods" features both sides of the Willowz's dark and light personality, as the verse's lonesome melody gives way to anthemic bursts of brass and guitar. DM
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
AND MORE AGAIN KATHY FENNESSY
A New Review for a New Year
The Willowz, Chautauqua, Dim Mak [3/20/07]
Another line-up change, another label. Not to worry, the Willowz still sound like the Willowz. The Anaheim aggregate still rocks hard, Richie Follin still sings at the top of his range. Hey, it worked for Geddy Lee, it worked for Fred Cole--it worked for Jeffrey Lee Pierce, too. The Willowz may sound more like the White Stripes as a quartet than trios like Rush or Dead Moon, but you get the idea.Guitarist Follin and bass player Jessica Reynoza form the core of the band. As with Chicago's Ponys, a garage-punk group founded by a couple, I'd imagine that these two are an item (Reynoza's always been the only female member). According to their website, Aric Bohn (guitar) and Loren Humphrey (drums) are the new members (Tony Mann fills the drum seat on the disc). As with ex-couple/former Sympathy labelmates the White Stripes, the Willowz also alternate between hard and soft. While the Stripes base their sound in the blues, the Willowz enter country-rock territory when they turn the volume down. At these junctures, Neil Young comes to mind (he likes those high notes, too).
The Willowz, Chautauqua, Dim Mak [3/20/07]
Another line-up change, another label. Not to worry, the Willowz still sound like the Willowz. The Anaheim aggregate still rocks hard, Richie Follin still sings at the top of his range. Hey, it worked for Geddy Lee, it worked for Fred Cole--it worked for Jeffrey Lee Pierce, too. The Willowz may sound more like the White Stripes as a quartet than trios like Rush or Dead Moon, but you get the idea.Guitarist Follin and bass player Jessica Reynoza form the core of the band. As with Chicago's Ponys, a garage-punk group founded by a couple, I'd imagine that these two are an item (Reynoza's always been the only female member). According to their website, Aric Bohn (guitar) and Loren Humphrey (drums) are the new members (Tony Mann fills the drum seat on the disc). As with ex-couple/former Sympathy labelmates the White Stripes, the Willowz also alternate between hard and soft. While the Stripes base their sound in the blues, the Willowz enter country-rock territory when they turn the volume down. At these junctures, Neil Young comes to mind (he likes those high notes, too).
Sunday, February 11, 2007
MOUNTAIN TO SOUND
"I lost my mind now in a game and I found it hard now to pretend..."
Which is a line from a song by The Willowz I'm listening to and reminds me of a movie I saw last night called The Devil and Daniel Johnston. The documentary accounts for Daniel Johnston, a singer-songwriter from West Virginia who rose to a strikingly pronounced fame with his debut masterpiece he created on a weight bench in his brother's garage while working at McDonald's in Austin, Texas. Deemed a genius by most circles in the Austin rock scene of 1983 and by most in years to follow, he stepped onto MTV led by an inertia that seemed to carry him from peak to pit throughout most of his life. Flying under and off the radar and into a tree, (literally after he threw the keys the cockpit of his father's small plane and they spiraled into a wood) he's gone in and out of treatment for most of his life. Burdened with an intense gift for visual art and music and coinciding mental illness, Johnston channels these thoughts, visions, fears, paranoia, and essentially schizophrenia into the beauty that only travellers on the fringes of reality can witness. I highly recommend seeing this documentary. It paints a realistic and beautiful picture of Daniel Johnston and the people who love him.
Which is a line from a song by The Willowz I'm listening to and reminds me of a movie I saw last night called The Devil and Daniel Johnston. The documentary accounts for Daniel Johnston, a singer-songwriter from West Virginia who rose to a strikingly pronounced fame with his debut masterpiece he created on a weight bench in his brother's garage while working at McDonald's in Austin, Texas. Deemed a genius by most circles in the Austin rock scene of 1983 and by most in years to follow, he stepped onto MTV led by an inertia that seemed to carry him from peak to pit throughout most of his life. Flying under and off the radar and into a tree, (literally after he threw the keys the cockpit of his father's small plane and they spiraled into a wood) he's gone in and out of treatment for most of his life. Burdened with an intense gift for visual art and music and coinciding mental illness, Johnston channels these thoughts, visions, fears, paranoia, and essentially schizophrenia into the beauty that only travellers on the fringes of reality can witness. I highly recommend seeing this documentary. It paints a realistic and beautiful picture of Daniel Johnston and the people who love him.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
The Willowz in Pitchfork
Ever zince L.A. garage rockers the Willowz filled two slotz on the zoundtrack to Charlie Kaufman'z Eternal Zunshine of the Zpotless Mind (and more recently, contributed muZic to another Michel Gondry-directed film, The Zcience of Zleep), their profile has continued to rize.
(OK, we'll ztop. I mean stop.)
Now, Dim Mak has tacked the Willowz on to its roster, and plans to release their forthcoming Chautauqua LP on March 20. The track "Evil Son" is available for download below.
The band will tour North America with the Mooney Suzuki in February and March, and hit Europe in early 2007, though dates have yet to be confirmed. They'll also appear at Dim Mak's showcase at next year's South by Southwest.
Like everybody and their mom, the Willowz have been nominated for "Subterranean"'s video of the year for their "Cons and Tricks" clip. Vote here, if you are so inclined.
Finally, the Willowz currently have a single date on their agenda. They'll play a free show at L.A.'s Spaceland club on December 26.
Tracklist:
01 Beware
02 Take a Look Around
03 Jubilee
04 Nobody
05 Evil Son
06 Siren Song
07 Warship
08 All I Need
09 Waiting to Fall
10 Choose a Side
11 Once and a While
12 Big Knob
13 Yesterdays Lost
14 Lonesome Gods
Friday, February 09, 2007
WILLOWZ JUBILEE BY TOBEN J SEYMOUR
Willowz Jubliee by Toben J Seymour. Toben's Cons and Tricks video recently was voted by Mtv's Subterranean as one of the top 10 videos of the year. For Willowz upcoming tour dates check their myspace.
THE WILLOWZ, 'JUBILEE'
Add to My Profile | More Videos
Thursday, February 08, 2007
WILLOWZ NEW TOUR DATES JUST POSTED AND MORE TO COME.
3.03.07 EL REY THEATRE w/ HAR MAR SUPERSTAR & WEIRD SCIENCE
3.11.07 LARIMER LOUNGE
3.12.07 CONSERVATORY
3.14.07 SXSW- Dim Mak Records
3.20.07 RECORD RELEASE PARTY!!! at CINESPACE
4.03.07 12 GALAXIES
4.07.07 THE SUNSET
4.10.07 THE AQUARIUM
4.11.07 THE TURF CLUB
4.12.07 VAUDEVILLE MEWS
4.13.07 DOWNTOWN RECORDS
4.14.07 SUBTERRANEAN
4.15.07 MAIN STAGE
4.17.07 KRAFTBRAU BREWERY
4.19.07 THE BLACKOUT FESTIVAL @ THE UNION
4.21.07 BEACHLAND
5.02.07 HORSESHOE
***CHECK OUR MYSPACE FOR MORE DETAILS.
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