New Music Alert: Vigil of War's "Spoon Fed"

I first came across Vigil of War in 2018. I loved their aggressive Sunset Strip style and listed them in my Top 15 Favorite New Bands that I came across that year. That aggressive style can be seen in this song "Spoon Fed." And one has to love those snarl vocals. The two guitarists go above the speed limits and the drummer sets the heart pulsating.

The video shows the masses hypnotized while watching what I assume is propaganda videos. 

Lyrics go as such, "Masses buy just what they're sold. A spoon fed crowd among us. The countless victims of the mold . . . If we can't bring the change, ignorance remains." 

So yes, the masses are hypnotized by the propaganda, but that doesn't mean we can't change all of that. 

photo taken at the Viper Room

The Viper Room: The Mulhollands/The Shakers with Paul Chesne Band and Pacific Radio

Sometimes a magical moment happens. That happened this past Friday night when The Mulhollands and The Shakers joined forces at The Viper Room. The Mulhollands broke up sometime in 2011/2012, but still ranks as one of my two favorite Los Angeles based bands of all time. I first saw them -- I believe -- in 2006 at El Cid during Sunset Junction. It was an early afternoon. Hot (August). Maybe just 5 people watching their set. Sarah Jeanette, the lead singer, ended the set by turning to face the drummer and leaping into his arms. I was like, "So awesome." That sold me and I followed the band consistently until the end.

As mentioned, the band broke up sometime in 2011/2012. I don't believe they ever put on a farewell show. They just sort of ended things. Part of the band moved on to a short-lived project called Birds of a Black Feather. Well, flash forward to 2020, and we finally had an reunion show that I'd say helped many of their fans celebrate a final hurrah. The Viper Room was packed with familiar faces. Two of the original members of the band Sarah Jeanette and Jeff Mizushima were on stage. Long time members Matt Fuller and Rich Berardi were there, as well. And an original member was there in spirit, Jeremy James, who passed away in 2018.

I was a little worried about how the long lay-off would impact the performance. I had nothing to fear. The set started off with laughter as Sarah Jeanette busting her tambourine on first use. And from there, my long history with the band just flooded back. As the set was heading towards an end, I started to get misty eyed as I listened to the crowd singing back the lyrics. Eight years or so and everyone still remembered the beautiful pop-rock sounds that this band brought to the music scene.

The Mulhollands

As for The Shakers, that band largely ended in 2015 when Jodie left lead singer duties as she and her new family moved out of the state. The band continued on briefly after she left, but I think everyone can involved can honestly say it wasn't the same. Jodie was actually in my other favorite band of all time, Automatic Music Explosion. The Mulhollands and Automatic Music Explosion were close friends and would often play sets together. When AME broke up, Jodie started up with The Shakers.

When the curtains of The Viper Room opened up, Jodie had the largest smile with hands pressed together. There was this sense of anticipated from the audience as The Shakers were one of those bands like Barb Wired Dolls that ruled the scene for a number of years. They didn't disappointed, putting together a twelve song set that rocked the asphalt of Sunset Blvd. When the band hit their final song, "Villains," out of the park, the crowd clapped along with the beats as if they just didn't want the walk down memory lane to end.

The Shakers

Paul Chesne Band and Pacific Radio opened and closed the night. Paul Chesne brought some folk-country tunes. Pacific Radio closed the night with some caustic rock that brought the ladies to the front.

Paul Chesne Band

Pacific Radio

Quick Hit Artist Interview: ARSNK

ARSNK at the Viper Room

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? My sound is a blend of folk, 90s angst driven rock, electro and an obsession with ethereal worlds.

How do you believe that you, as an artist, have progressed over time? I want to tell bigger stories now. I’m fascinated with this moment when you are in between dream and awake, like a kind of stasis and my keyboardist Jess was saying that she thinks the previous set we were playing was an entirely different color and I love that, that rings true. I like to lace the lyrics in a way that presents as fairy tales. Sonically, I love layered builds that are cinematic as all my music comes to me visually. I want to lead people into an abyss like state but also still be raw, cutting and direct.

What's next for Fierce Femme Sounds (Thea of ARSNK is a co-founder of this musician collective)? We want to start a movement in Los Angeles for women to come forward and seek the support they need for their careers in music. We are absolutely a music industry showcase for women but we want to offer resources that women in music find indispensable too. Hopefully the word gets out that we are putting together nights of amazing female talent and can grow into panel discussions that are relevant to women.

Own final thoughts: I guess my pagan Celtic roots, I just am just so fascinated by the people who walked the earth before us and the landscapes they saw. I spent long childhoods in the Scottish highlands wandering around dilapidated ruins and the wildness of this underpins all the stories I’m telling. My aim is to build an entire world people can be propelled into both musically and visually (I’m also a film maker and make all my own videos).

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Lauren Lakis

Lauren Lakis at The Viper Room

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What's the story behind when you knew you wanted to become a singer? I first wanted to be a musician when I was 15 and discovered riot grrrl bands from the 90s (especially Hole, Babes in Toyland, Sleater Kinney, etc) but never had the confidence to really pursue it until years later. I started singing in my first band about 5 years ago, and started to feel more capable of writing my own songs as time went on. After surviving a terrible break-up and my mom going through a traumatic car accident, something shifted within me and I decided to get out of my own way and finally write my first solo album, which I just released this summer.

Do you find greater enjoyment writing a great song or performing a great song? Why the choice? They are such different experiences, it's hard to choose! Writing a song is spiritual - the process feels like I'm channeling it, like the song is coming through me as if I'm a conduit. It's very personal, and finding those pockets of inspiration are exhilarating. On the flip side, connecting with an audience and my band mates while we perform is sort of the whole point of music making - to share in this human experience through art. I don't think I can choose because both elements are important.

Own unique band comment. My band mate, Becca (keys/bass), and I are both from the same neighborhood in Baltimore . . . but we never knew each other then. We met when we were both servers at Cafe Gratitude here in LA. Small world!

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Jane Machine

Jane Machine at the Viper Room

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

Q. What is currently influencing your music? A. My first album was mainly inspired by internal conflict and desire. I think that’s how first albums can work because you basically have all of these things in your life that have led up to you finally putting out a collective body of music and so there’s kind of a lot of shit to get out. These days I find it’s been moving a little bit outward, the subject matter of the tracks. Ideas for songs generally come to me in dreams or right at that moment where you’re about to go to sleep or just waking up. I also don’t just sit around playing with melodies, they generally just come to me because I have something I want to say and about 80% of the songs are written at once. So these days the fact that I am recording all of my music out in the desert definitely has inspired the amount of space in the songs and I even think the amount of space and more softness in the vocal takes. I find myself writing more about issues that are out of myself and concern more of a larger human or an environmental scale versus my own personal demons which was the first album. But hey we all have a concern for both, don’t we?

Q. Where is your favorite spot to write music? And why the spot? A. I have a studio out in the Joshua Tree area where I write and record the majority of the music. It’s on 5 acres so there is really nobody to disturb and it is on top of the Mesa so you really do feel like you’re on the moon. As I just mentioned, I write and arrange about 80% of the songs at a time and then I’m really lucky to have some beautiful musicians (who I play with live who are part of the creative integrity of the project now) track guitar or drums or bass or whatever didn’t feel right for me to play.

Basically, I’ll create a really advanced demo and then we will play with that for concerts or whatever and that has truly shaped the new tone of Jane Machine and it’s a tone that I think is a little bit more alive than the previous album. Jules de Gasperis has played a huge part in the project as more than a drummer, but also has helped a lot with production and structure ideas, as well as mixing all of the songs. Sonically for the recordings his mixing work and little production details are why it sounds as large and punchy as it does. I’m really looking forward to releasing the new tracks very soon and can’t wait for you to hear them!

The Viper Room: Lauren Lakis, ARSNK and Jane.Machine

I got a random DM from the singer of ARSNK, Thea, regarding checking out a new community called Fierce Femme Sounds. They were holding an event at the Viper Room. I decided to head off to the Sunset Strip. It is a little far from where I live in Glendale, but I figured why not considering the only reason I head to the Sunset Strip is to catch Barb Wire Dolls/Royal Distortion. It would be nice to head over to catch musicians other than those two (which in some ways is one band).

I was in a little bit of a surprise. I'm so used to the sounds of Barb Wire Dolls and Royal Distortion that I was expecting some power rock sounds. I got none of that.

Up first was Jane.Machine who brought some synth driven sounds. She was doing a solo act versus having a backing band with her, but you could get a basic feel for how her full sound is.

What I noticed: this was perhaps the funniest moment of the night. Normally, the Viper Room stage curtains close after a set is finished. After her set, the curtains remained open. Maybe the sound guy was pre-occupied. Jane.Machine literally didn't know what to do. Should she tear down her synths with everyone watching? Well, she decided to go off stage and talk with a friend until the curtains finally closed.

Jane.Machine

ARSNK followed. Her sound switched it up to poetic prose. She was dressed in white and held dead roses close through much of her set. Her set actually reminded me a lot of Wendy Bevan (another Los Angeles local artist -- though she also spends a lot of time in the UK), but perhaps a touch understated in comparison.

ARSNK

Closing out the night for me was Lauren Lakis. Now it was past midnight and I had to drive back to Glendale so I couldn't stay for her full set. However, her initial songs reminded me so much of what one would hear at Hotel Cafe. It was a nice way to end the night.

Lauren Lakis

What I noticed: so this was also an after set situation. After ARSNK ended her set, the co-founder of Fierce Femme Sounds went up on stage with Thea of ARSNK and they gave a brief talk about their new community. They also made it sound like the night was over. As soon as they were done talking, Lauren ran up to the stage to remind them that she was still going on and to let folks know that she was up next. The co-founder realized her mistake and tried to make amends, but the microphone was already cut off. So she made her way to the floor and yelled out that Lauren was still coming up.

Royal Distortion and friends at The Viper Room

It was off to the Viper Room for the first time in years. For the past few years, my time on the Sunset Strip has been confined to the Whisky a Go Go. How did I end up going to The Viper Room? Well, Royal Distortion was playing a Wednesday night residency there throughout the month of March. And well, Royal Distortion is fronted by members of a favorite band of mine called Barb Wire Dolls.

There were five bands playing on this final night of the residency. Earthsleep, Double Cobra, Jason Achilles Mezilis, Royal Distortion and Vigil of War.

It all started off with Earthsleep hitting the stage at 7:30 p.m. (The Sunset Strip venues love their early start times.) Lead singer Cindy knows how to scream it out. What did I notice? At one point, she put on some skeleton dance moves. What did I notice going through my photos after the night? One photo I captured had Cindy licking her hand. If anyone knows the band, they know that Cindy goes by Girlwolf. It all connects.

Earthsleep

Double Cobra came up next with a high energy sound that one would expect from a Sunset Strip band. I initially wasn't sure what the band's name was. When they were announced, I swear I heard Double Cover. Then I thought I heard Double Poker. Comment of the set, "Narcissism is at an all-time high . . . said the lead singer." For this being the band's third set ever, they put on a solid show.

Double Cobra

Jason Achilles Mezilis was up there by himself and his drummer. I swear he was the busiest musician playing in Los Angeles that night. He had loops going on all over the place. He'd play a few bars on his keyboard. Then he'd rush over to his guitar. Then he might jump over to the bass. Half my time during the set was spent thinking, "Is he going to make it to his next instrument in time to keep up the sound?" Noticed: Half his body from his feet to his face were covered in Tron-like drawings.

Jason Achilles Mezilis

Then it was time for Royal Distortion, the new Barb Wire Dolls project. Dare I say that Royal Distortion is a new mature sound for the members of the band. IQueen still puts on an amazing front woman show. What would a band fronted by IQueen be without her high energy? But let's also say the sound is pure energy bliss. What I found amusing about myself? I keep wanting to call the band Blond Ambition. I have no clue how I go from Royal Distortion to Blond Ambition.

Royal Distortion

Closing out the night was dressed in black Vigil of War. Their set was less than the standard 30 minutes and it left me wanting more. When I think Sunset Strip, this is the type of band I'm thinking about: heavy on the mascara to present a bit of the dramatic death look, but then just a touch of a smile that pops up when the music is going perfect -- just to let you know not to take the look too seriously. I can't wait to catch this band again.

Vigil of War