by Morgan Y. Evans
This is the kind of music you should be rocking in these tough times, as it comes from a real place and yet also offers escapist fantasy at the same time. This recession is the pits and we need to stay inspired (although admittedly Obama is getting way too much crap in the polls from unrealistic, impatient types for the mess George Bush and cronies left behind). Anyway, turn up the jams!
Not to dis Axl Rose, ('cuz opinions are like assholes and he gets more than enough shit, plus he tried to pull of something very epic with Chinese Democracy whether you like it or not), but with their Breakdown Lane Music debut (yes, you just read that!) Sweet Cyanide have nailed the elusive, fine line between grand-scale arena worthy melodrama and gutter glam! The band are admitted huge fans of KISS and G’N'R and while not stealing from their heroes, they have managed to really hit the nail on the head with a much smaller budget. There is a killer balance to this material, especially “Black and White”, that is respectful to the best aspects of every genre that rears its head on the disc. From not getting too sickening with the pop side and still making it catchy as fuck to knowing when to get down in the mud and guts and play 'til your fingers bleed, Sweet Cyanide are on to something. They also have a live show that is gaining them a loyal following, and I'd love to see them share a stage with Fixer, The Dirty Pearls or Acey Slade's new outfit.
Sweet Cyanide recorded their album in a former halfway house for convicts that was allegedly haunted, and the tunes themselves have a certain unearthly power to get stuck in your head. This record feels like an “event” more than a collection of songs, and not just because of the way it is being marketed.
If you're in the Big Apple, you can catch them on stage at upcoming late summer gigs at Southpaw and Arlene's Grocery, with more shows on the horizon. Into the great wide open, these rebels have a clue.
MORGAN Y. EVANS: I guess the first question is, is there
any style of music you guy's aren't comfortable playing? [laughing] The
album has such a blend of sounds. I mean, it is all generally in the glam/hard
rock vein, but you can pick up traces of all kinds of stuff! "Certain
Shadows" in particular, with the piano and moody but sort of whimsical,
dark yet soulful balladry, stood out for me, as does "When We Were
Young." "Certain Shadows" almost reminds me of some of
the quieter stuff on Life Of Agony's Broken Valley but there's
this great glam and ‘80s meld going on with your band also.
SAL SCOCA: We'll take a stab at just about anything!
We're actually experimenting with middle-eastern dance music and gospel-metal
for our next album, no joke!
MYE: A lot of the rowdy tracks sound fun but also have
a lot of substance. You've got the admitted huge KISS influence sitting
comfortable with the sleazy punk and hard rock. The record sounds minimal
and in your face but with a big rock sort of meld going on. Was it hard
writing like this or did you just concentrate on cutting out all the bullshit
and keeping your eyes on the prize?
SS: We wrote most of the songs with the intent to blow peoples minds when they listened to the whole record. Modern rock records are so cookie-cutter and in the box, we just wanted to make a record we'd want to hear. I'd say ,"mission- accomplished!"
MYE: Can you give us some more background for people new to the band on how the group combined from previous bands Crashbox and Moment Theory? You've even got a sort of anthem celebrating this on the first track "Crash Theory".
SS: We were all friends, hanging around the same dirty bars, and both bands had toured together. Once the scene started to get stale, we joked about starting a band together and the rest became rock n' roll history!
MYE: Who had the idea for a kazoo solo? It surprisingly rocks. Some of this record, it really impresses me, that is, the amount of swagger and catchy songwriting. It almost reminds me of a much less transgender cousin of Hedwig And The Angry Inch.
SS: I am a brilliant Kazoo player and arranger...and will gladly do work for hire!
MYE: Ok, so...I opened the promo CD very early in the morning and was still half asleep. Boy, did I get an eyeful! GOOD MORNING! Who came up with the idea of the artistic collage on the inside sleeve? Rather...the pictures of all the naked ladies?!! I emailed your press rep and was like, “Whoa!” And she said, “Yeah, it's for the guys.” [laughing] Sex is a big part of rock’n'roll, but do you guy's think your band is setting back the strides of feminism a hundred years? [joking]
SS: A few personal Polaroids of ex-girlfriends/friends surfaced and the idea incubated to the final product. It's art. If someone gets offended, then mission accomplished. We like to stir people’s emotion, good or bad. Everyone can admire the female body, including females. I think it’s an homage to their beauty.
MYE: "American Me" starts out almost like Tesla meets ZZ Top and then gets all pushy/glam/Manson on us. This one seems like a fun song to play live. Have you heard the new Marilyn song "We're From America"? He talks a lot about feeling fucked up in the wake of a lot that has happened in this country and I was wondering about "American Me" and what it means to you to be a citizen and a rocker these days.
SS: We haven't heard the new Manson yet but it sounds like we may all share a common feeling in regards to America...but with “American Me” the main point we're making is "Be proud to be American! It's still the best country in the world!"
MYE: It seems like they always say rock’n'roll is dead and rap or whatever is the new king. Maybe in CD sales and in the mainstream, but the funny thing is it seems like there are more bands than ever before in history? Any comment on this? Do you think there are too many bands nowadays or does it just reflect enthusiasm?
SS: I think it’s different nowadays. It’s all about motives. A lot of people seem to be making music for the fame and fortune that they see on TV. Also anyone with a computer can call themselves a musician. The real players have it in their blood.
MYE: I agree 100%, brother! It seems a lot of them are on your album! A lot of people were involved on this CD as guest or additional players, though the band has a core of four. Can you describe how the process went?
SS: We would have musician friends hanging around the studio while we were recording, so we thought it would be very "Stones" to have our "Friends" play on some of the tracks.
MYE: Yeah, where's Gram Parsons? How did Lindsay Benjamin get brought into the fold to add the female vocals that really add extra dimension to some of the music?
SS: We're big fans of the "Female Backing Vocal" ala “Exile on Mainstreet”. Lindsay had the goods to deliver what we were looking for in some of the tunes. There's a fine line between cool and cheesy...thankfully we did NOT cross that line. We also had the lovely Annie Lincoln lend her sexy voice on a lot of the tracks. Lindsay and Annie made an amazing team!
MYE: Hmmm...are they in the artwork somewhere? Just kidding. It was the “team” thing, sorry. Not to diminish female contributions, I just have a dirty mind sometimes, too! Anyhow, I love the lyric "fighting the world with our CDs". It reminds me of taking refuge in albums or this old Sub Pop band the Fastbacks' song "Old Address Of The Unknown" where the lyric said, "I'll stay away from work again today and think of all the records that I want to play”. The idea of sub-culture as refuge is still relevant, although it is funny to see alot of bands we maybe grew up thinking so obscure years later have their music in Guitar Hero. Still, you gotta get your music out there somehow these days.
SS: The music business is a war and the songs are our
weapons! And we're firm believers that there is a revolt on the horizon...
and Sweet Cyanide will be leading it!! From the start we felt like we
had to control our own future. There were people against the formation
of this band from the very start. Our attitude from day one was, "It’s
us against the world." No one was around on those twelve-hour days
holed up in the studio channeling our creativity with us but that’s
just how we wanted it. There was no compromising this time around. This
is us in a nutshell. Either you get it or you don’t and
either way… we don’t care.