Fishbowl Records

Wes Loper – Somethin’ Real, Album now available

Ryan — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:01:06 +0000

WES LOPER – SOMETHIN’ REAL

Tracks: Give Me Somethin’ Real, My Favorite Spot, Good Mornin’ Love, The Long Way, One Big Ocean

Born and raised along the Gulf Coast, Wes Loper has entertained crowds for the past seventeen years. He performs professionally as a solo, duo, trio, or full band artist. He mixes Rock, Country, Blues, and Folk music to create his own style with a funky, beach side feel. He shares the stage with A-list musicians and sets the bar for hard work and dedication.

He released his first album, Take Me Home, in 2000. Take Me Home consists of nine original songs, written or co-written, by Loper himself. In 2004, Wes joined with a team from Muscle Shoals and Nashville to record a second album. Keep on Growin’ was released in July 2005. This album consists of eleven songs: nine titles written by various writers and two original titles previously recorded by Loper. A third album, Wes Loper Band Live, was released in 2010. The live album showcases the Wes Loper Band and includes the most requested of the Loper songs along with a few others. Wes released his fourth album, Somethin’ Real, in June 2012. Somethin’ Real consists of five original songs, written or co-written, by Loper. Albums may be purchased online via CDBaby.com or any Wes Loper show. Digital downloads may be purchased via CDBaby.com and other digital distribution retailers including iTunes and Amazon MP3.

With well over 1,000 live performances, Wes knows how to entertain a crowd. He has a way of blending music genres that has fans cheering for more. He finds a common ground with the audience and infuses his own flavor until everyone is singing along with the music. He travels far and wide to bring his music to others. His shows are exciting, his voice is outstanding, and his fans are never disappointed. If you enjoy music, then you will enjoy the talented Wes Loper.

Fishbowl Feature: Andrew Combs

Ryan — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:42:23 +0000

I met Andrew Combs nearly ten years ago when we played JV soccer together in Dallas, TX. He wasn’t a bad player… I remember Andrew having a silky touch and great vision. However, I knew he didn’t have a future in soccer, and not because he wasn’t skillful enough, but because his mind was always somewhere else.

It wasn’t until late 2002 when I first learned of Andrew’s interest in music. Off the soccer field, we also shared a first period study-hall. From what I remember, Andrew was quiet but opinionated, with a sense of humor that always had me laughing. One day, Andrew came into the classroom as usual; late, headphones on, smelling of cigarettes and looking like he hadn’t slept in days… but on this day, Andrew did something that would stay with me forever. Something that shifted my views on music, de-facto religion, and made me grow up over night. Andrew handed me his binder of cd’s and told me to take them home and burn as many as I’d like. Being the early adapter that I was, Napster turned me into a music junkie. Andrew’s gift to me that day turned me into a music snob. Up to that point I was well versed in the top 40 hits of every previous year dating back to the early 1950s, but Andrew’s collection contained none of that. Andrew’s binder was full of ‘ahead of the curve’ bands that I had never heard of at the time. Some would go on to do big things (Kings of Leon, Spoon, My Morning Jacket, Ryan Adams)… some would remain relatively unknown in comparison (Josh Rouse) Additionally, Andrew seemed to be fond of some older artists that are highly respected within their scenes but weren’t on my radar (Nick Drake, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt). In retrospect, I can hear the influence of each aforementioned artist in many of Andrew’s songs.

The first original music of Andrew’s I ever came across was in the form of a signed cd-r (pictured below). I listened to it obsessively at the time, and even to date I find myself scrolling through early Andrew Combs’ songs on my iphone. For what they are, songs of someone who hadn’t lived, loved, or experienced yet, it’s a quite impressive collection.

Old School Andrew Combs

After graduation, Andrew and I lost touch, reconnecting 5 years later in Nashville, TN. I was there on business and Andrew happened to be playing a Valentine’s Day showcase so I gave him a call and let him know I’d be coming by to see the show. I didn’t really know what to expect but as Andrew walked into the Mercy Lounge, it appeared as if nothing had changed in our 5 years apart… he showed up late, guitar on his back, smelling of cigarettes, and looking like he hadn’t slept in days. After slamming a shot of Jameson, Andrew confidently walked on stage. He slurred an announcement that had to do with drinking a box of wine and being angry with a girl. Then, once Andrew started playing, I realized he had changed… he had finally lived, loved, experienced and matured into the songwriter I always knew he had the potential to become.

The highlight of his 3-song Valentine’s Day set was when he sang an eerily festive original called “Too Stoned To Cry”, a song from his EP Tennessee Time. He stood on the stage by himself and sang to a crowd of about 80:

“As lonely as these days are long

As dark as the night bird’s song

This strange way of livin’

Has bled my heart dry

I’m lonesome

But too stoned to cry”…

“There’s whiskey and wine

And pills for the pain

Fast easy women

And a little cocaine

I’m walking the line

Between hell bent and high

I ain’t happy

Just too stoned to cry”

Later that year, I had another realization of how far Andrew had come since our days in 1st period… My business partner and I were on our way to pick up the famous Pat Green from the airport before one of his shows in Mobile, AL. We coincidentally had Tennessee Time playing in the car when Pat climbed into the backseat. As we were pulling out of the airport, the song changed to the title track and Pat started singing Andrew’s song word for word. I asked him where he had heard the song before and he said he couldn’t recall but that it was evident how incredibly “free” Andrew was as a songwriter and how writers often spend years trying to achieve that liberation with their craft.

It’s been an amazing journey following Andrew’s growth as an artist over the better part of a decade. I am fortunate enough to have an un-released copy of his up-coming album, and while the appropriately titled Tennessee Time was a great 5-track EP, it lacked an important component that this new full-length is littered with. To me, Tennessee Time was Andrew’s successful attempt at creating a ‘Nashville album’, a Waylon/Willie/Hank sound molded by his time in Nashville. On this next album, Andrew finds his sound and harnesses that freedom. He employs the same silky touch he had on the soccer field in his songwriting, with a clear vision of what direction to shape the songs. The end result is a cohesive album that tells stories of loneliness and love and is sure to be one of Nashville’s biggest releases of 2012.

Be sure to pre-order your special edition 7″ and download Andrew’s 2 newest singles; ”Big Bad Love” and “Take it From Me” here.

Fishbowl Review: Mississippi Rail Company – Coal Black Train

Ryan — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:56:47 +0000

Now, a lot of press-kits come through… and about 90% via e-mail, so when I receive a “hand-off” I really take note. Furthermore, when one of the most ornate press kits I’ve ever seen is hand-delivered to my office, it’s something that really doesn’t go unnoticed. A couple of weeks ago, a member of a New Orleans’ band, The Mississippi Rail Company, stopped by to drop off what I was expecting to be a standard cd in a cardboard jacket. Instead, the gift, was packaged in recycled wrapping paper with a wax seal. Afraid of ruining the packaging, it took 3 or 4 days for me to finally open it. Inside was a copy of the new album, a one-sheet, and a custom, wooden usb drive containing the band’s unreleased LP, Coal Black Train…

The careful attention to detail and thought put into this presentation, segued into the composition of the LP itself…right down to the location of it’s production, Dockside Studios. Located in the swamps of Maurice, LA, the studio boasts a client list loaded with heavy hitters, including but not limited to; Arcade Fire, BB King, Dr. John, Derek Trucks, Allen Toussaint and many more.

Dockside Studio Virtual Tour

The band (Travers Geoffray -Piano & Vocals, John Paul – Upright & Electric Bass, Sam Shahin – Drums & Vibes), employing local resources like Bhob Rainey and John Snyder, is able to produce a quality freshman album. One that is polished, complete, and ready for your ears.

Album Highlights:

The rootsy trio hits the ground running with crashing cymbals and a saloon style piano in the up-beat murder ballad, ’Six Feet In The Ground’.

Tracks 7 and 8, ‘Kill The Devil’ and ‘Whiskey Drink’ are two of my favorites. With lyrics like; “you better get your sinning done tonight” and “I’m goin to drink til the steel runs dry”, you can hear the New Orlean’s influence loud and clear! The title track, (10) ‘Coal Black Train’, is straight out of Saturday Night Fever… and I love it.

All in all, the band does a great job in their first attempt and I look forward to the response of the critics and consumers!

Be sure to make it out to their CD Release Party is this Saturday, April 14th at the historic Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans.

Pre-order the album here.

‘Like’ Mississippi Rail Company on Facebook!

Alabama Shakes lose nothing in translation in ‘Boys & Girls’.

Greenberry — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:28:20 +0000

Greenberry Taylor
Music Editor

A lot can get lost in translation. It happens more often than we realize. For example, a book made into movie, emotions/thoughts put into words on paper and sometimes a band’s live presence when they cut a studio album – it just doesn’t seem the same, like something’s missing.

The Alabama Shakes are one of the hottest acts in music right now, and after their performance on the Conan O’Brien Late Show, the world received a taste of the raw, ‘Bama soul that sounds oh-so-sweet live, the same sound my friend John Thompson, co-owner of Callaghan’s Irish Social Club (Mobile, Ala.), had described about their performance at his venue last November.

On April 10, the Shakes are scheduled to release their debut album “Girls & Boys” (available now for pre-order). Not only is this a major milestone for the group, but also the time where audiences will find out if the group can bottle that same live sound and somehow transform it into a unique in the studio, not losing something important in translation.

THE REVIEW

From the first lick of the opening track, Hold On, the Alabama Shakes deliver something unexpectedly brilliant. The recording of this album captured the powerful, unprocessed sound this group is known for producing live, helping set the tone for this Southern Rock/Soul masterpiece.

The consistency of Brittany Howard’s vocals throughout the album is terrific. Howard really puts her pipes on display, showing her dynamic range in the notes/tones she hits, some of which are reminiscent to Soul singers of the past such as Bettye LaVette, Aretha Franklin and Etta James.

One of the more powerful tracks, which displays Howard’s fiery vocal range, is I Ain’t the Same (#10). Not only are the vocals terrific in this song, and throughout the album, but the content is as well. Each song possesses a variety of emotions, every one precisely contrasting to others.

While the vocals and content play a critical role in the albums worth, neither would be nearly as poignant if it weren’t for the music surrounding them.

Heath Fogg (guitarist), Howard (vocals/guitar), Zac Cockrell (bassist) and Steve Johnson (drummer) do a fantastic job of creating an uncommon track-list of tunes, covering a wide spectrum of genres from Blues to Country and Rock to Soul, all the while making each one truly something of their own.

Among the 11-tracks featured, standouts include Hang Loose (#3), which seems to give a shout out to Alabama Football fans with the lyrics, “Hang loose, hang loose. Roll with the Tide and I’ma take care of you;” On Your Way (#11), a nice upbeat tune with stunning vocals and music alike and finally Boys & Girls (#8), a sultry, soulful song with passion backed into every chord and vocal.

Without a doubt, The Shakes’ debut album proves the group is a well-rounded machine; banging out a killer studio-sound, while never making listeners think twice about them losing something from the live-show realm.

Not only is this a group everyone needs to hear in the comfort of their own home/car/headphones, but still a must-hear group live as well. Be sure to check out The Alabama Shakes on tour this summer.

Andrew Combs – “Dark End of The Street”

Ryan — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:00:56 +0000

SXSW by WTUL

Admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:00:51 +0000

WTUL’s SXSW RECAP

By Kayla Green, Chelsea O’Lansen, and Sonya Zhong

DOS:

-This is the lamest and most obvious statement, but bring comfortable shoes. I’m not talking about, “but like, these are wedges” shoes, or even ballet flats or sandals. Get yourself some fugly, cushy sneakers.
-Sneak into crowded events through gaps between food trucks or by saying you own a magazine
-Go to Cheer-Up Charlie’s and get $2 Imperials!
-Plan ahead and plan in a manner as geographically logical as possible!
- Take advantage of every free taco
- Go see a genre of music you’ve never heard before (ie: seapunk)
- Get a slice of pizza from Death Metal Pizza on 6th
- Look up the side-projects of your favorite bands
- Invest in a portable phone charger (or push your way to the front of each show to use the outlets on the stage during sets), or go to the Marlboro tent regularly to use their free charging stations
- Use Twitter religiously, and…
- When in doubt, tweet it out
- Be prepared to make musical sacrifices (it is physically impossible to see it all)
- Take chances on new bands
- Look up SXSWendy’s
- Two words: Lone Star

DON’TS:

-Pay SXSW bar prices for a drink. There are free drinks to be had, and BYOB shows to go to.
-Go anywhere near the tourist traps on 6th Street… unless you’re watching that crazy guy panto-miming an entire two-hour fishing trip… including the drive home.
-Bother RSVPing to every party, as many websites advise. I didn’t even use one of my two-hundred or so RSVPs.
-Get your tragus piercing ripped out via entanglement in someone’s fishnet shirt and bleed all over a co-op.
- Don’t forget you’re not in New Orleans anymore (ie: Open Container Laws)
- Don’t get upset when you’re kicked out of a bar at 2am (not every bar is Snake n Jakes, sadly)
- Don’t get star struck. You WILL be standing in line for a taco with your favorite band
- Don’t waste your time waiting in absurd lines for one act. There are hundreds of incredible bands playing around every corner.
- Don’t underestimate the power of the fannypack

HIGHLIGHTS:

-Witnessing Carson Daly play drums for Thee Oh Sees
-Watching Zola Jesus climb atop a speaker and perch like an ice goddess falcon.
-Watching Nicky Da B, Rusty Lazer, and other members of the NOLA bounce family shake their asses on stage with Diplo while performing the new Nicky Da B/Diplo single “Express Yourself”
-Participating in a 200 person synchronized circle dance at Dan Deacon. It was dictated by the “contest winner” at the center… lots of pseudo-swimming.
-Watching Trash Talk, Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs, and Wavves perform in a backyard at the Workaholics house party (and drinking their drink named “The Tightest Butthole”)

-Discovering Airbird, Joel Ford of Ford and Lopatin’s solo project, and watching his gnarly bass face while he performed
-Seeing my friend get “back-slapped” in the face by an obese, excessively sweaty and shirtless man at a particularly rowdy Maps and Atlases show. Meaning, slapped with said sweaty back.
-Seeing bands I’ve never heard of before and falling deeply in love!
-Watching Bass Drum of Death play inside a giant Doritos vending machine (you heard me)
-Seeing The Octopus Project play in their hometown (they have a standing Theremin on stage, need I say more?)
-Taking my very first sip of Lone Star beer
-Discovering that there are still bands beside JethroTull whose lead singer plays the flute (ie: POND: Tame Impala side project)

Andrew Combs – “Too Stoned To Cry”

Ryan — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:55:58 +0000

www.AndrewCombs.net

Andrew Combs – Vox, acoustic
Jeremy Fetzer – Lead Guitar
Spencer Cullum JR – Pedal Steel

Produced by: Ryan Chavez (Fishbowl Records)
Video Edited by: Tony West (JOLT Productions)
Audio: Mixed by Dan Merker (Fishbowl Records)

BalconyTV – Brooklyn: Kink Ador

Ryan — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:42:36 +0000

BalconyTV – Austin: The Magnificent Snails

Ryan — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:38:11 +0000

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/magnificentsnails1

Mambers:-
Rusty Galis – Guitar and Vocals
Charlie Magnone – Guitar/Keys
Chris Galis – Bass and Vocals
Cullen Faulk – Drums

www.facebook.com\themagnificentsnails

BalconyTV – Dublin: The Rusty Fixtures

Ryan — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:33:00 +0000

The Rusty Fixtures EP was finally recorded in early January 2012 and is available for free download at www.therustyfixtures.com or from the band’s Facebook page.