Saturday, June 29, 2013

THE BUDGETS


The Budgets aka les Budgettes aka The Fucking Budgets are a long-running Billings rock band who rely on solid rhythm, harsh yelling, and Coors A&W Frosty Root Beer. One time, I was told that they were “expanding their horizons” because they added a bridge to a song. Shit was complicated (by complicated, I mean: they added a fourth chord). If you ask them something, you will get a non-serious reply, but it will be given in such as way that you’re not sure if they are serious or not. What else do you need to know about the Budgets? We aim to find out below.

Who, what, where, when, why, and how?
Who: Let the dogs out?
What: Who? Who? Who?!
Where: Who let the dogs out!?!
When: Who? Who? Who!
Why: Do fools always fall in love (with outed dogs)?
How: Come you guys are so handsome?

Are the Budgets ever going to release a full-length?
We talk about this every few months, but that would require effort, time, and effort... and money. We had merch to make money once, and then that douche-sickle Kyle (from Bust!) told everyone on stage that they (Bust!) were the Budgets, and that all their merch (actually our merch) was free. Fucking asshole. So really, if anyone is to “blame” for the Budgets not putting out the full length it is The Farthest Edge.

Are the Budgets ever going to practice?
Who the fuck ever gained anything from practicing?

How many lineups has this band had?
It started out with This Guy and That Guy... then it was This Guy, That Guy, Some Chick, and Some Other Guy. That didn’t work for some reason. So, back to This Guy and That Guy for awhile. Then, Another Guy joined... things got good. We invited That Other Dude to play, so now we had This Guy, That Guy, Another Guy and That Other Dude. But, Another Guy moved away, so we played as a three piece for a bit. Then we stopped playing for awhile. That Other Dude joined the Marines, and at about the same time, Another Guy moved back... we loved that second guitar, so we asked A Wise Guy. And that’s where we are today. This Guy, That Guy, Another Guy and A Wise Guy.

"I thought it was your turn to pay the power bill." 
"No worries- your amp actually sounds better this way."

Never have I ever: _________________.
Explained how much we love doing interviews.

I was once around when the age old question “Beatles or Stones” was posed to you and, of course, you picked Stones across the board. What’s your favorite Rolling Stones song?
This Guy: Day Tripper
That Guy: Penny Lane
Another Guy: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
A Wise Guy: Black Shuck

What other bands are you excited about seeing at R. D-fest? 
The Farthest Edge

What are you doing to me? 
I like French Toast.

Please help me think of a question to ask you. I’ve been asking so many questions that my brain has turned to mush.
...

Please tell me that this is over.
...



So there you have it. In summation, these are the things you need to know about the Budgets:

They rock hard.

They enjoy bad
beer soda pop.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE.

C U @ Dreyfest! 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

DUFFY AND THE BEER SLAYERS


Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out! Duffy and the Beer Slayers are from that happening little town in North Dakota called Minot; and being the guys that they are, they decided it would be fun to make a video for their interview. Here it is:






























....

Kidding. Here’s the real one:











































....


Okay, you caught us again.
Here’s the real thing...






....No seriously, just click it, I promise it’s nothing that will scare you, confuse you, or otherwise disturb your sensibilities. Unless you are scared of a little 3 guys, 3 cups...mwah ha ha:









Thanks DandTBS!






SEEEE YOUUUUU AAAAAT DREEEEEEYYYYYYYFEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSt.












Tuesday, June 25, 2013

NO CIGAR


No Cigar: Billings’ newest hard rockers with a pop edge are primed to hit the stage with a sonic onslaught of epic propor

When my parents have grounded me and I’m feeling down and out, I put in my earbuds and hit “play” on the latest single by Montana’s No Cig

If No Cigar were a Jelly Belly, I think their tastebud-stimulating flavor would proba

Goddamnit.

...Here’s No Cigar:



Whatcher names? Wuddaya play?

Chris Reeves – Guitar & vox
Nick Miles – Vox & guitar
Zach Reiter – Bass & vox
Colton Gabel - Drums

How did you guys meet?

“Nick and I met almost 10 years ago. He was in a band called Struck Down and I was in a band called Gojeera. We played shows together. I was Zach's boss when I met him. I met Colton when another dude and I were looking for a drummer. That project didn't work out but I'm glad he's drumming with me now.” –Chris

“Like Chris said I met him about 10 years ago when I was throwing shows at the Yellowstone Perk. Billings is a small town and he and I have been in bands that play together forever. I met Zach and Colton in high-school. Turns out they come as a team. It’s always nice to have a bass player and drummer that have musical chemistry.” -Nick

You’re a newly formed band- how have your shows been so far?
“I’ve played drums all my life, and the first show was actually my first time singing in front of anybody besides my band-mates. I was nervous as hell, and felt like I was about to play the 8th grade talent show all over again. It turned out amazing and every show since has been nothing short of great fun and good times. We played with The-Front from Casper, WY whom I played drums for a short stint in around ’05 – ’06. All the shows have been  awesome and we look forward to every one of them. We get to open for Teenage Bottle Rocket tomorrow, and another band I played drums in, the Photo Atlas on July 12th.” -Nick

Assuming you’re not already taking prescription drugs, what do you think a doctor would prescribe to you if you were?
"Seroquel" – Chris
"I hate doctors and prescription drugs" - Nick

No Cigar? Yes Please!

Will you be my valentine (wink wink nudge nudge)?
“Awwwww. *kisses*” –Chris
“Most of us do need dates for Richard Dreyfest.” (wink wink nudge nudge) -Nick

You had a kickstarter going to fund the release of your first album (congrats on reaching your goal). Tell us about that.
"It started out like any other idea, a quick scheme to get some cash… turns out Kickstarter is a lot more work than it sounds like it is. I spent over a month worrying about reaching the goal, posting twenty times a day on Facebook and other social media. I bugged the shit out my friends, my family, my bosses, not to mention all of my band-mate’s friends and family. Although it was a lot of work, it paid off. KULR8 took notice and did a couple interviews with us. We reached our goal within hours on the last day of the campaign. It was a very humbling experience, and we can’t begin to express our gratitude to the people who pledged. It’s like they believe in what we’re doing and want to be a part of it. Now we’re hard at work finishing up the album and getting artwork and specific details worked out." -Nick

What else is in your forseeable future?
“We plan on touring sometime this summer and releasing the EP to our Kickstarter supporters in July. The EP release show should happen in August.” –Chris

“What Chris said.” -Nick

Please describe your band with a four-line poem:

“We have come to stay
Don’t get in our way
We love Richard Dreyfest
Come watch us play”




What will the fans’ decision be on No Cigar’s genre-bending coma-inducing cutting edge sound? Easy: they are as beloved to their followers as a bee is drawn the nectar of the purple chrysanthemum. But what about the industry’s take on their monetary viablity? For that, only time will te

So, as you can clearly see, No Cigar have touched the hearts and minds of the Now Generatio

Having fully savored both their delicious melody and their succulently nutritious rhythm, I can say that No Cigar has everything you need in a hearty, well-balanced rock ban

Goddamnit.


See you at
the symphony
Dreyfest!

Monday, June 24, 2013

PART TIME NINJAS

The Part Time Ninjas are a punk band from here in the magic city. They consist of four good friends, two of whom are married to each other. They like to party a lot, and being close buddies, they joke around a bunch, and those can be big parts of being a band, but having that be the band’s whole identity would be a discredit to the group. If you listen past the yelling and snarling and look past the fun indulgence, you might notice that there’s actually delicate guitar lines here and there, that their bassist isn’t a root note rider (more like some kinda virtuoso!), and the subject matter of the songs isn’t just the thoughtless nihilistic rhetoric that punk bands often get dismissed as having. Instead, the songs are about the Ninja’s lives: their friends and families, their fuck-ups, everyone else’s fuck-ups. They could probably drink you under the table and then make fun of you about it for 5 hours straight, but the Ninjas are thoughtful and have heart.


Names, ages, band role:
Cody-Guitar(29), Ashley-Guitar(29), Robbie(aka Bacon)-Drums(27), Antione(aka Tione)-Bass(34)

Are there any qualifications to be a Part Time Ninja? 
I don't know, ask Nels's dad.

I heard through the grapevine you might be recording something soon...any truth to that? 
Yes, no, maybe so. In typical PTNFSU fashion we kinda wrecked a space we were using for a one time practice, that was lent to us by unsaid person, who is to record us, leaving that person a little angry. We left a lot of beer cans. Hopefully we can smooth that over though. I would like to record drums somewhere, shit anywhere, this summer, and then when ranching season slows down a bit, do bass. I would really like to get together and do what my favorite bands did and just pump out as many songs as we can afford to do live in a nice studio. The song list is getting very long so I don't see any option but to finally put it on wax.

Cody and Ashley- what are the difficulties and advantages to being a married couple in a band together? 
I don't think I know anyone, personally, that could play in a band with their husband or wife. It takes a lot of patience. Everything that has to do with Ashley and I's marriage needs to be kept separate from the band in a certain way. We could get into a argument, or fist fight right before practice and we have to shut that off. Completely. We don't treat each other like a husband and wife when we have guitars slung over our shoulders. We're hoods in the same gang ya know, we have to have each others backs. Bacon, and Tione have seen us fight at practice. Usually over a palm mute, or a upstroke. It can be challenging at times, but I really think it's worth it, for us and our band. 

You throw very fun occasional basement shows. a.) On behalf of your attendees, thank you for that! b.) Any shows on the horizon? 
Stokin' the neighbors!!! Umm, well you’re welcome. I don't have anything planned. My neighbors are circling like vultures right now. The last show pist a few people off, and got a little bit away from me. People are starting to get the wrong idea. I have some young kids that may think my house, is like, some kind of party house, not just a place where bands can play a few songs and that's that. Also, I was pretty bummed after the last show of the unwillingness to donate any money to a touring band from Texas. I'm not a promoter, or a profiteer. When I set a cover, which is very, very rare, 100% of that money goes to the touring/out of town band. That being said, it will probably be September. That's usually the start of our show season, to coincide with football games at Daylis Stadium.

Donnie or Marky Mark? 
Magic Mike.
"Grasshoppers, move quickly and the camera will
not capture your features; Ninjas must hide
their identities at all times"
Some people are coming to Billings from out of town/out of state for Dreyfest. Do you have any recommendations for things for them to do while they are here?
Bwahahahahahahah, um, check out the beautiful refineries, or Skypoint. I don't know. I can only give advice anymore on what's family friendly. Depending on what direction one is traveling, I would always say just drive through Yellowstone Park. I would recommend that they fish and golf. I think Montana has some of the best of both.

What’s on the turntable/ipod/discman at the moment?
In the old 6 Disc right now: 1. Cut Cut Paste, Paper Moon EP 2.? 3. Rancid, Life Won't Wait (It never comes out, ever.) 4. The Dave Matthews Band, Crash 5. James Brown, Greatest Hits Collection 6. MegaGiant, S/T EP
iPod- Cheap Girls, My Roaring 20's
Turn Table- One Man Army, Rumors and Headlines
This is taking me back to the old MTPunk days, dang. Go!

What is your favorite thing about being in PTN?
Is this a for real question!? I get to make music with by best friends, duh! I also have an excuse to horde musical equipment. Also, the Satan worshiping. 

What are you looking forward to? 
Quitting my job. Oh, you mean the band. Everybody that read that is like, "Duh, no shit, me too." Um, really, really want to record. I won't be sheepish about that. It's all I want right now. Our drummer Robbie is going to be a father this December, so were all excited for him and Katie, were collectively looking forward to that. Oh yeah, and all the coke and whores we'll get when Jay-Z signs us.
PTNFSU 666


Thank you to The Part Time Ninjas for participating; we’re stoked on them and the scene they help uphold with their shows.

See you at Dreyfest!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

KANCERUS


KaNcErUs fact sheet:
  • Modern metal.
  • Female vocalist.
  • Billings, MT-based.
  • In addition to drumming for KaNcErUs, Lucas plays guitar and sings in local alternative rock band Idiot Kid Arsenal.
  • Among others, the band has opened for Today Is The Day, MDC, Black Tusk, and Primer 55.
...Also, one time I saw Chad get tackled for hugging Josh Homme.

Here’s a brief visit with KaNcErUs:


Names and what you do:
Chad Dvorak- bass/backup vocals
Lucas Speed -drums
Josh Schleining - guitars
Katy Robertson -vocals

You guys broke up for a bit, then reformed, right? How long have you been a band now?
Yes. Chad, Katy, and I (Josh) formed the band in late 2006. Katy originally was the second guitarist. In late 2011, our drummer left the band. Katy took a long break to have her son and we officially started playing shows again in September 2012.

I know you've traveled with the band once or twice, any good stories?
Oh yes, there have been many road trips. Probably the most fun we had was going to bodog battle of the bands in Seattle. We kind of trashed the hotel room, met tons of cool people and behaved like annoying tourists. I got pooped on by a seagull.

Katy- Have you found being female singer in a genre primarily dominated by men to be challenging?
Yeah, a lot of male musicians look at a female metal vocalist as a joke at first: A sexual object or so and so's girlfriend. Then they see what I can serve up. A female has always got to be at the top of her game, whereas a male can be sub par or even awful.

Did KaRcInOgEnS make you KaNcErUs?
Yes they did. We call ourselves carcinogenic metal. A funny question we often get: "are you guys pro cancer?"

Who are your favorite local bands to play with?
Favorite local bands to play with...anybody and everybody! We have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with basically every original band in town. We always make it a fun experience!


Guys, I told you: the gate is on the left.
Bachelor/Bachelorette number 3: What would your ideal date be like? I think I speak for all of us when I say a nice romantic meal followed by a death metal concert.

What are your hopes for the near future?
We would like to record another CD this summer and we have our first week long tour in the works this fall.

...And if that last statement’s not enough for you, I also hear that the band is currently recording a new song for the second installment of the Richard Tryfest compilation. Watch for it reasonably soon! Thanks to KaNcErUs for answering these questions...especially the silly ones. And...

See you at Dreyfest!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

TRIBE


If I remember rightly, I’d have to say it was the summer of ought-’welve. I had probably finished up a sweaty shift as a jack-of-all-trades at the local Old Person’s Restaurant, and drove home in the oven that is most any automobile on a broiling Montana summer afternoon to relax for a couple hours before going out for the night’s festivities. My guess is that something came up; like my dog threw up on the carpet or my in-laws had an emergency that I had to help out with for some reason, so whatever down-time I was looking forward to was eaten up pretty quickly. Instead of making a quality meal, all I had time for was some leftover beans and rice that tasted more like pellets and glue, and hurried out the door to head to a garage show a few blocks away.
Upon arriving, I said hi to a few guys I knew and likely admired the bravery of one of them who was so out of his mind that he had shaved off one of his eyebrows. Then I found out that someone had done it to him because he passed out on the front lawn or something. ...It’s still a move that takes at least a small amount of courage to walk around like that afterward. Anyway, I had heard some well-played heaviness coming from the garage, and decided I should poke my head in and check out what was going on inside. I opened the door to the garage and stepped in to find it fifteen degrees hotter and stinking of the odor of unwashed adolescent male. Not to insult the guys, and hopefully they don’t take it as such, but that’s the kind of metal these dudes play! ...I mean, it was too loud to make out lyrical content and, of course, there wasn’t any real time to analyze the tunes, but, standing in the back corner of the room watching them shred through a number of high-speed rockers, sweating profusely and hamming it up with the crowd, in those moments, they seemed gleefully young and male. Ah, to be a teenage midwestern American band: rhythm pounding, heads banging (seriously good technique on the short guy!), pit circling with skin and bravado, and a one-eyebrowed guy with a backpack full of booze yelling at the top of his lungs and crashing into your side. Here’s a short q&a session with that very same band, Billings’s Tribe:

Who you are, what you do:
We are Tribe!

How did you learn to rock so hard?
From our idols, ranging from Maiden to Pantera, and from the people we look up to in local bands (Assnyne, Shangri-La).

What are you focused on, concerning the band?
Doing what we like doing. If someone else digs it, then we dig them.

A lot of metal bands house guys that enjoy the gory, strange, and fantastic. Take your pick and tell us why: Sci-Fi, fantasy, or horror?
Probably sci- fi. Many of us are actually really terrified of the idea of extraterrestrial life, but at the same time really pulled towards anything that has to do with the subject. And one of our songs is based on a Alien abduction film!

TRIBE (l-r): Ryan Buening, Billy Zahn, Ron Bray, Forest Woodrow Squirrelhouse the third,
Riley Madsen, Curtis Harris


If you were to name your own shade of black, what would it be called?
Slayer.

Is there a particular venue in town that you enjoy playing at?
Manny's, the Railyard, the Shrine, the F.O.E., our friend Colt's basement ... we're really not too picky. As long as we get to rock out to at least one person who's into us, we're set.

What do you do when not wailing on your instruments?
Work, sleep, eat, drink, smoke, and spread diseases.

Describe your band using only onomatopoeia:
wooooommmm... froooooooooooooooWAAAAAWWWWRRR! SQUUUEEEEEEL! WEEE WEEE WEEEOOOOOORRRR! bop.


Short and sweet, sucka! Thanks to Tribe for participating and thanks for reading. Keep on the lookout; there’s more interviews to come. 

See you at Dreyfest!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

POSTURE


Posture is secretly a supergroup who formed from the remnants of two Chicago bands (Bust! and Heart Shaped Hate) when two of their members (Kyle and Natali) moved to Seattle together. (That may not be 100% accurate, as I hear Bust! is actually still a band...but I digress -The Editor) They hooked up with Trevor Leonard (ex-The Reddmen) and a guy named Adam, who, given the pedigree of the other members, I’m gonna assume was in Night Ranger. And now they’re coming to Dreyfest to prove to you that even though your old projects may dissolve, You Can Still Rock In America.


Names. Ranks. Duties.: 
Kyle, guitar, uh
Natali, organ, organs

Seattle: Come for the __________, stay for the ____________.
Doughnuts, heroin addiction

In your past two bands, you toured Japan together. What were your favorite and least favorite parts of Japan?
Favorite: Jin & Shin.
Least favorite: the guy playing bass in Bust! (total prick).

You were both pretty involved with the operations of Cassette Deck Records while you lived in Chicago. Do you keep in touch and, if so, what are they up to?
No, nothing.

Kyle- you moved around a bit when you were growing up, and part of that time was spent in Laurel, MT. Do you consider it “home” at all? Do you ever miss it?
Growing up in the late 90s/early 2000s was a lot like growing up in the 70s. I hung out at the starlight roller rink a lot. Taco Johns is great.

Cats or cats?
Dogs specifically owned by DMX. 
photo courtesy of the paparamenzzi

Have you thought of any great band names or song titles lately?
Bongfucker. Susan Bitchin' Anthony. Narc Bats. Joint Division (reggae Joy Division cover band).

What else is your creativity funneled into?
Kyle - sandwich artisanship; Natali - crafts for satan

What can we expect from Posture live?
Dissapoimted [sic]

Final thoughts? Final Fantasy? Finals Week? What?
One time when I was 18 I got drunk in a bar in Coeur d'Alene Idaho then went to a state line strip club in Washington then woke up in a public park in Idaho on top of a minivan. It was "on holiday's." That's it.



...So that’s what you have to look forward to: inside jokes and references to things you have no way of knowing about. That is, if these questions were actually answered by Posture... Since the interview was conducted via email and it was signed,

K, one love.
-Jahstin Timberlake
”,

it’s entirely possible that someone from a Jamaican dancehall boyband hacked into their email account and answered the questions this poorly in an effort to sabotage the band; especially given the fact that everyone knows that the bassist for Bust! on their tour of Japan was a diamond encrusted demigod who probably should have been paid copious amounts (or at least given earplugs) for having to put up with said band’s “music”. Thanks Posture!

http://www.posture.cc

See you at Dreyfest!