EvilMrSod
Dallas Kincaid
Year : 2011
Country : Spain / Germany / France
Label : Masters At Paradise
Genre : Rock 'n Roll; Blues Rock; Rockabilly; Country Rock
Web Site : EvilMrSod Web Site
Dallas Kincaid Web Site
Enjoying of leaving summer, which will return with full force next year, we are left to enjoy the pure rock music. For which have no seasons, it exists in one form or another, waiting for her moment. Just that moment has come now, at the end of summer, when "Subterranean Power Strain" comes out, to be more precise on October 10. It's rock strike, collaboration between Pablo Rodriguez aka. EvilMrSod and French rock musician Dallas Kincaid. For which collaboration I mentioned in my review of "El Cuervo" EP' of EvilMrSod. I'll tell you that this album is able to instantly make me move my limbs, wax asleep feelings of excessive listening to shoegaze, for example. Apart from this runs groove in my blood, like to charge dried tank of your "Harley Davidson" - and to give dirty gas on dusty roads. I'll stop with my thoughts for a moment to tell you a little background on - records, the work between the two, the choice of the people responsible for the technical work on the album, studio andartwork. At all for things that are important as a case of a good album.
EvilMrSod and Dallas Kincaid find each other in the vast internet space, it happens in 2008, and then Dallas offers to try to write material together. The idea is not logical, because the styles in which they create are not very close. But the distance of time and what I heard, totally worth the experiment. Feeling imported and provides of both gives diversity, and the music is explosive in the best sense of the term.
And so with the same inspiration, but armed with a different outfit for fighting. Accordingly EvilMrSod without additional tools and effects, and Dallas armed with samplers, imported that one slightly mystical lo-fi sound and charge on the album.
The mixture is grasping from first listening, because all the ingredients are there - rock opener with racing pace and industrial rhythm plus distortion guitar, that unscrew the listener from the beginning, and rockabilly vocals of Dallas Kincaid ("SheryLynn"); catching choruses and emotion of EvilMrSod, plus the texts from life that you hear in "Baby Baby B-B-B-Baby" and "Oblivion"; blues stylistics, the guitar solo paves way through a kind of darkness in "Darkness". Each contributes to their participation, inspiration and mood in compositions of the other. But let's go back a little of the work process, because things there are no less interesting.
Searching for the right people and someone to organize the steps of the songs recording process. They unanimously stop of their first name and apparently obviously and it's Matt Verta-Ray, who takes to mixing the album in the studio N.Y.Hed Studios. But about the studio a little later.
Matt Verta-Ray is the founder and guitarist in the group Heavy Trash; Speedball Baby and Madder Rose, he has participated in Blackflies and others. Produced and worked with big names in rock music which are issue for emblematic labels (4AD; EMI; Fat Possum; In The Red; Sympathy For The Record Industry; Atlantic), among names such as - Jon Spencer; Jim Sclavunous; Andre Williams; Kid Congo Powers; Robert Quine; Ronnie Spector - to mention a few. Big name Matt Verta-Ray suggests a major studio to work on the album - the studio is N.Y.Hed Studios, as I mentioned above. With better equipment and predisposes to lo-fi, punk rock flings.
There have recorded bands and artists like - Andre Williams; Jim Sclavunous (from punk heroes The Cramps and The Bad Seeds of Nick Cave and Mick Harvey); The Juliana Hatfield Three; Mick Collins (The Dirtbombs; The Gories); The Untamed Youth, and many others. See studio website for more information - N.Y. Hed Studios. Mixing is performed by Matt Verta-Ray as you know, in the middle of the mix for mastering came Ivan Julian, which provides additional mood in workflow and atmosphere of records.
Records of the raw material made in cities of Troyes and Berlin, and production is the work of EvilMrSod and Dallas Kincaid. Going back to Ivan Julian however, that name is known and is part of New York punk rock scene in 1977. Then he played in the group that creates Richard Hell And The Voidoids. Along with punk poet Hell, guitarist Robert Quine and drummer Marc Bell, known to us as the Marky Ramone of The Ramones.
Everything looks good, and it's true. Record speaks for itself. Cover design and artwork was done by Rock Attitude Designs - responsible for the artwork of albums of EvilMrSod, and Keiko; Still Nasty; Stephan Imobersteg and others. They also deal with the production of flyers, t-shirts, logos, posters.
Production and the names involved in the creation and assembly of the album are great. Remains to be seen whether the material is good. So to "Subterranean Power Strain" in full step and open to experimentation rock heart.
"SheryLynn" is pumped up opener that will earn fans on the front line of the concerts. And there will be jumping and rock vortex and make them head move, as for me while i listen. And I'm exactly what I need to get a complete deja-vu. It blows me away.
Rhythm section tends to be industrial, but you think in the direction of The Ramones pumped with steroids and grunge feeling (good grunge). Light breeze of industrial and rockabilly in vocals come to mind to suggest an experiment in which Dallas Kincaid seems to have struck a deal with the devil. I mean devil of rock 'n' roll. And he dances crazy, I bet to. Abstract do you think, not, pure rock 'n' roll thrill is. You can press the replay, I do and assure you, that with every single play guitar seem to me more inspired. They are so touched, that I wanted more and more of this.
The song itself has the effect back to the dawn of the great rock groups of the rank of Led Zeppelin; The Ramones; vaudeville and horror punk feeling of The Cramps at vocals. Bearing in mind the dawn and the passion with which he played rock 'n' roll from those angry at times, but the iconic in rock music big names as I mentioned. Come play her again. For me here is night, and so it suits my mood now perfectly. After several hearings of adrenaline punk, rockabilly, industrial rock opener "SheryLynn" I decide to listen to the album several times, to give him time to grow on me and then describe what happens in it.
Listened to it several times and find the following rock facts and my feelings, that I hope I can reproduce to you, until you buy the album and did not hear him. Listen to the vocals and guitar groove in "Oblivion" and see why I often say that EvilMrSod must be a great name and is alongside to the biggest names in rock scene. Here I can mention the names of Tom Waits; Bob Dylan; Hank Williams and others that you choose. You will not go wrong with each one. The vocals are melodic and has a positive tone of voice of EvilMrSod, it sounds as if he is having a bunch of happy event.
"Bye Bye Lil 'Bluebird (DeeDee's Blues)" may be a song of The Rolling Stones, but with experimental electro rhythms and Nick Cave nostalgic streak on vocals. If The Rolling Stones recorded a song with Iggy Pop and she is a bit melancholy, would sound right that.
"Damaged" is Elvis Presley with rockabilly and wanna get high mood. And a voice in echo in telephone conversation said, that he was writing rock 'n' roll songs of special paper. Light ironic humor and joke with pseudostars which are taken too seriously herself.
Listening to the album, there seems to alternate songs - from energetic rock, blues rock shots, to groovy folk rock guitar etudes of EvilMrSod, and to slow experimental lo-fi, punky, rockabilly tunes by Dallas Kincaid.
I notice the good work that is done with vocals EvilMrSod - he sang memorable, confident, with feeling. When it have with a mild abrasive hardness, other times melodic ("Oblivion"), and poetically and told in "Pure". And as a preacher of rock, honky-tonk parable tells things from life - where we all, with our good and bad moments. Nevertheless EvilMrSod scoring mood throughout the work. Initially you may not feel it, but then you become overwhelmed by his energy - energy that is not only sake pushing on drums, speed metal, sweat, muscles etc.. Another essence of energy is reflected in the emotional pieces of art created by EvilMrSod and his guitar. Someone said Bob Dylan; Chuck Berry; Tom Waits?
In "Pure" EvilMrSod sings of demons in his head, seduction, cadilacs, sun, but and for a little time which he have for the things that he loves. More sings about his sweetheart, which is gold and silver for him, the one that told him that "everything is fine". Lovely laid back, sun history in that after the second minute and 30th second are included guitar which is filled with Mediterranean feeling. And you can not chance to unlove leisures in the whole thing. And when I say leisure, I do not mean a slow standstill, diversion numbers, I mean infectivity that is transferred and blows me away and away from problematic thoughts.
Country, rockabilly with a wonderful vivacious chorus of EvilMrSod that has enveloped whole composition "Baby Baby B-B-B-Baby" and brings me a cheerful mental state. Here in this composition collaboration of both shows and the nature of writing and composing at them - EvilMrSod more folk rock, honky-tonk, country rock strains and mood, slightly guttural vocals, and above all fun; Dallas Kincaid with more rockabilly and more experimental attitude, but rock with psychedelic predisposition and lo-fi in the equipment. And not to leave the impression that Dallas seems sounds depressed, I'll tell you that there is no overlap in singing it with Nick Cave, just rockabilly which refers to the older and stronger years of style, and he recreates this here and now. Back to "Baby Baby B-B-B-Baby" - what more could you want from infectious honky-tonk chorus of EvilMrSod, on which you will dance with your girlfriend to fainting. A part of the text is simply fun - "Night is long, if you know what i mean. But the morning is longer, so you can stay if you please. I promise nothing, but a good time." How not to believe in him. I told you, that the mood is all day and evening and night. Only you have left to extinguish the candles and dance with your girlfriend, and the night ahead of you, in the night good things happen.
"Fake Smiles" is like a deal with the devil or voodoo witch from which you do not know how you go. Dallas talks about the temptations that are hiding behind a fake smile and for seduction. The pace of the song is slow, psychedelic, deadly, The Bad Seeds and sedated Iggy Pop, waiting the time to explode in a deadly tirade. Not let the fake smile to conquer you and to make you trash is the message. Guitar leads you through the entire composition, which ended with mantric chants of female shaman or voodoo witch. Mystical and appropriate for the moments of awareness of the hallucination of character's of William Burroughs in "Naked Lunch". If rearranged soundtrack of the film this composition must be present there. This I say with the best feelings for the song and film, with all my confidence in their atmosphere and message. Do not let the fake smile in your home, because the meeting will always be confusing for you. Instead, listen to the song.
"Fuck It All (Nothing To Lose)" is a song that Bob Dylan did not make today, to sounds groove and modern. And EvilMrSod says it with song that you had nothing to lose, and must be feel alive and yourself as you are. To walk the path that you have chosen.
It is longer than usually for rock song, eight minutes without six seconds. But this is not the most important, most important are the words in it - "How many reasons do you need to feel guilty" - which repeats EvilMrSod, to become lodged in my brain and not feel guilty for mistakes of others. The pace was something like a delta blues and slow stuff of The Rolling Stones with many groove and guitar solo after six minutes and to the end.
Southern folk rock have in the next "The Long Walk", desert sun for a lonely cowboy, waggle on his horse and jazz pastiche in the third minute, keyboards and believe it or not funky Jamiroquai looks behind the rhythm and the vocals of Dallas Kincaid. Bi-bop also can I say. I like the experiment in this seven minute composition. B.B. King walking through the desert with a smile on his lips and southern rock chords in his pocket. In this composition and also in the ninth "Fake Smiles" part takes Jean Noel Levavasseur - rock journalist and photographer who wrote the texts of both.
12th before last composition "Just Another Day" is like a freight train loaded with groovy rock dynamite. I feel how I start to beat time with the rhythm. Pure rock fury for your starved for dancing body.
The last "Juliana (Listening To Heavy Trash In Coney Island)" there country and psychedelic rock in the whole 7 minutes and 41 seconds, but this is not the most important thing, is that, there is mixing of styles - heavy blues starting from the first minute and 20th second with slide guitar, which goes into hip-hop beats with lo-fi experimental noise and indie rock. And a kinematic atmospheric keyboard passages are like time travel. That is the deployment of creative potential in the right direction. But who am I to judge, better listen to the song, to make sure, and to fly away.
And after this song I want to record does not end, because in this last composition charge is equally strong, even stronger than the initial chords of the album. What a groove only. Right this you must at the end of the summer to keep you in the mood to next in the next year, every time you play the "Subterranean Power Strain".
Judging by the mood in music, his temperament (he is a spanish), and if thou leisure that emanates from his rock, folk rock, country rock miniatures, I am convinced, that any show of EviMrSod - in a club, concert or festival is extremely infused with joy, fun, emotions and feelings and love to rock music. EvilMrSod is an artist who has emotions and is shown with his music, and is not this the most important nowadays. I know. This is important, and sometimes is not easy to bare your soul to people, to be honest to your art. And although it did not sell millions of albums (and I wish him one day to become just that), honesty in art that he shows is important to me. Add to this the experimental punk, rockabilly bias of songs of Dallas Kincaid, and you get colorful material, but the nature and consistency of its groove rock album.
When I listen to the music of Pablo Rodriguez aka. EvilMrSod always have the feeling of relaxation of creativity on his part, and this is not just a simple feeling, believe me, this is really so. For any we talk he is really devoted artist to what he makes. He sold his soul to rock 'n' roll. And it's for good.
This album will grow with each listening. Do not be limited rock purist, because you'll miss the groove and thrill, which deserve to be heard by as many people. Hurry to buy the album and give your stereo a right tone. Rock on.
