White Suns Rise

“…Out of the woodworks?” From where does this confusing idiom come? Where was the original “woodworks” and what initially came from such an ambiguous location that deserves a comparison, meaning “to appear unexpectedly?” And now that I’ve over-elaborated on this irrelevant conundrum of mine, dare I allow myself to use it to describe the place where all of these amazing bands have been coming from? No, I must search the caverns of my hippocampus for the memory of an analogy, suitable for… arghhhh… brain… hurt… Did I just say “hippo campus?” Never mind. My thought process has been scrambled from bong rips, coffee and listening to good, experimental spazz. What I’ve been trying so say is that a band called White Suns, from Brooklyn, is playing at The Devil’s Playground on Wednesday, February 24 and I would like to describe how good they are with words-on-the-Internet.

White Suns, formed in 2006, is a spastic concoction of abrasive, yet meticulously arranged noises and penetrating drum beats, consisting of three members; with Kevin on guitar and vocals and Dana on drums, Rick is able to move around a little, performing guitar, drums, and/or miscellaneous electronics that consist of manipulated tapes or just effects pedals, filtering percussion pieces. And with every good band, exists a history of other good bands that could be illustrated with one of those diagrams at the free clinic that show you just how many people you’ve slept with, by-proxy: such is White Suns. White Suns has shared the stage with notable acts such as Krallice, an NYC band with ultra guitar-shredder, Mick Barr. Mick Barr has collaborated with Zach Hill from Hella as well as Tim Dahl, from another Brooklyn band that played here last summer, called Child Abuse. White Suns have even played with a band called Mi Ami, which contains members of legendary, experimental punk band, Black Eyes. Not to mention, Kevin briefly sang for a band called Cutter, which included members of Pygmy Shrews, Zs and Drunkdriver, all of which are pretty big bands in NYC. However, by their own admittance, they’re best show yet has been a benefit in NY to raise money for their friend from a band called Twin Stumps. Apparently, he had been mugged and brutally beaten, and was hospitalized for a couple of weeks. Fortunately, they were able to raise enough money to pay for a good portion of the bills. Although a band like this should be enough to drag you out of “the woodworks,” don’t worry. Some of Jacksonville’s favorites will be performing as well.

White Suns live on Philidelphia's Z Radio


The night wouldn’t be the same without something familiar to titillate your musical palette, so expect plenty of quality local acts to make you feel more at home: The Memphibians, front men for Jacksonville’s most persistent record label, Infintesmal Records, will be making an appearance; one of my favorite bands in town, Wudun will be setting the mood with their blend of spaghetti-western, psych-rock; spazz-organ-synth-mind-eaters, Sunday Cervix will be raising the hairs on the necks of those tolerant enough to embrace their sound; Taylor Ross, of Witch Porn, will be collaborating with surprise guests to present the follow-up to his last performance, The Ryan Strasser Solution, with his latest project, The Ryan Johnson Problem; National Dairy will be committing musical masturbation for their own pleasure, as well as releasing their self-anticipated, Pagan Skin EP, recorded by Tom Essex at Skinny Records; lastly, Jacksonville sweet-hearts, The 2416, will serenade us with their distinguished blend of dark folk-metal. Truly, it will be a night to remember. But, if that’s not enough for you spoiled art-connoisseurs…

Ian Chase has been creating some buzz with his obscure art installations, providing stage props for local bands, After the Bomb, Baby and National Dairy a few months ago at Art Walk. His work, recently however, has not been limited to the stage or the gallery. Chase has been spending a lot of time in his basement, arranging seemingly arbitrary objects together, creating, photographing and filming physical collages that would most likely never sell at a gallery around here. Conveniently, however, they make excellent installations to enhance the overall presentation of a band. Most recently, he has even filmed budget-free music videos for Chicken and Whiskey and National Dairy. I’m sure that the future holds much for this ambitious visionary. For February 24th, Chase has an installation in store and I, for one, am excited to see what he will do with the ample space available at The Devil’s Playground.

National Dairy"Broken Anal Key" directed by Ian Chase


National Dairy "They Had Blood in Their Eyes" directed by Ian Chase


Chicken & Whiskey "Thankless" directed by Ian Chase


"Thai Lunch Buffet" by Ian Chase


Art Walk Installation by Ian Chase



So, whatever analogical locations we must emerge, appear, or derive from, let’s all make a point to “appear unexpectedly” on February 24th. Yes, it is a Wednesday night, but would you say that about your dead grandmother’s funeral or your son’s circumcision? Well, let’s allow ourselves to have a good time and see something we may not see every other Hump Day.

White Suns Rise

“…Out of the woodworks?” From where does this confusing idiom come? Where was the original “woodworks” and what initially came from such an ambiguous location that deserves a comparison, meaning “to appear unexpectedly?” And now that I’ve over-elaborated on this irrelevant conundrum of mine, dare I allow myself to use it to describe the place where all of these amazing bands have been coming from? No, I must search the caverns of my hippocampus for the memory of an analogy, suitable for… arghhhh… brain… hurt… Did I just say “hippo campus?” Never mind. My thought process has been scrambled from bong rips, coffee and listening to good, experimental spazz. What I’ve been trying so say is that a band called White Suns, from Brooklyn, is playing at The Devil’s Playground on Wednesday, February 24 and I would like to describe how good they are with words-on-the-Internet.

White Suns, formed in 2006, is a spastic concoction of abrasive, yet meticulously arranged noises and penetrating drum beats, consisting of three members; with Kevin on guitar and vocals and Dana on drums, Rick is able to move around a little, performing guitar, drums, and/or miscellaneous electronics that consist of manipulated tapes or just effects pedals, filtering percussion pieces. And with every good band, exists a history of other good bands that could be illustrated with one of those diagrams at the free clinic that show you just how many people you’ve slept with, by-proxy: such is White Suns. White Suns has shared the stage with notable acts such as Krallice, an NYC band with ultra guitar-shredder, Mick Barr. Mick Barr has collaborated with Zach Hill from Hella as well as Tim Dahl, from another Brooklyn band that played here last summer, called Child Abuse. White Suns have even played with a band called Mi Ami, which contains members of legendary, experimental punk band, Black Eyes. Not to mention, Kevin briefly sang for a band called Cutter, which included members of Pygmy Shrews, Zs and Drunkdriver, all of which are pretty big bands in NYC. However, by their own admittance, they’re best show yet has been a benefit in NY to raise money for their friend from a band called Twin Stumps. Apparently, he had been mugged and brutally beaten, and was hospitalized for a couple of weeks. Fortunately, they were able to raise enough money to pay for a good portion of the bills. Although a band like this should be enough to drag you out of “the woodworks,” don’t worry. Some of Jacksonville’s favorites will be performing as well.

White Suns live on Philidelphia's Z Radio


The night wouldn’t be the same without something familiar to titillate your musical palette, so expect plenty of quality local acts to make you feel more at home: The Memphibians, front men for Jacksonville’s most persistent record label, Infintesmal Records, will be making an appearance; one of my favorite bands in town, Wudun will be setting the mood with their blend of spaghetti-western, psych-rock; spazz-organ-synth-mind-eaters, Sunday Cervix will be raising the hairs on the necks of those tolerant enough to embrace their sound; Taylor Ross, of Witch Porn, will be collaborating with surprise guests to present the follow-up to his last performance, The Ryan Strasser Solution, with his latest project, The Ryan Johnson Problem; National Dairy will be committing musical masturbation for their own pleasure, as well as releasing their self-anticipated, Pagan Skin EP, recorded by Tom Essex at Skinny Records; lastly, Jacksonville sweet-hearts, The 2416, will serenade us with their distinguished blend of dark folk-metal. Truly, it will be a night to remember. But, if that’s not enough for you spoiled art-connoisseurs…

Ian Chase has been creating some buzz with his obscure art installations, providing stage props for local bands, After the Bomb, Baby and National Dairy a few months ago at Art Walk. His work, recently however, has not been limited to the stage or the gallery. Chase has been spending a lot of time in his basement, arranging seemingly arbitrary objects together, creating, photographing and filming physical collages that would most likely never sell at a gallery around here. Conveniently, however, they make excellent installations to enhance the overall presentation of a band. Most recently, he has even filmed budget-free music videos for Chicken and Whiskey and National Dairy. I’m sure that the future holds much for this ambitious visionary. For February 24th, Chase has an installation in store and I, for one, am excited to see what he will do with the ample space available at The Devil’s Playground.

National Dairy"Broken Anal Key" directed by Ian Chase


National Dairy "They Had Blood in Their Eyes" directed by Ian Chase


Chicken & Whiskey "Thankless" directed by Ian Chase


"Thai Lunch Buffet" by Ian Chase


Art Walk Installation by Ian Chase



So, whatever analogical locations we must emerge, appear, or derive from, let’s all make a point to “appear unexpectedly” on February 24th. Yes, it is a Wednesday night, but would you say that about your dead grandmother’s funeral or your son’s circumcision? Well, let’s allow ourselves to have a good time and see something we may not see every other Hump Day.

Interview with Divets/Review of Divets and Anisette: by John Touchton

IMG_0773
Originally uploaded by jaxscene

How does such a small state produce so much good music? Rhode Island has been the birth place of some of my favorite bands: Arab on Radar, Daughters, Lightning Bolt and even The Body, who just played here last weekend. Last Monday night, I was able to befriend two more bands, stemming from the Ocean State; Divets, a one man psych project and math rock trio, Anisette, have been all along the East Coast, braving some of the coast’s recent blizzards and backwoods towns, ending up at Doozer’s Pub. Their arrival in Jacksonville was not welcomed by sunshine and warm weather as they had hoped for, nor were their many people at the show to greet them. But sometimes those empty-room shows can provide a more intimate experience, as well as a chance to talk with both Anisette and Divets about some of the stranger shows they’ve played this tour.


After the show, we all met at a friend’s house in Riverside to consume Busch, cheap wine and some fresh Californian herbs that they had acquired on their trip. The living room was live with drunken energy, but we managed to talk above everyone else and discuss what it’s like to play those awkward shows when on a self-booked tour.

John: You guys have traveled a long way, just to play for a few people at Doozer’s. I’m sure you’ve had similar shows on your way down. What do you think is the strangest show you’ve played, thus far?

Joe (Divets): This guy who was supposed to help us book the tour only ended up booking two dates. One place, in Big Stone Gap, VA, was called The Edge. It was this Christian, straight edge venue. They immediately acted weary around us and said that if we cursed at all, we’d have to leave. When we first arrived there was this woman standing at the venue, wearing an “I’m for Jesus” shirt. They didn’t care for us too much.

John: That reminds me of the Murray Hill Theatre here in Jacksonville. Did any thing good come from the show?

Joe: We received some expired orange juice, bread, and milk.

John: Any other difficulties during the tour?

Joe: There was another Christian venue in Mill Spring, NC that we were supposed to play. When we got to town there were these red necks with guns that just sat there staring at us, wickedly. We got to the venue and they told us that no one was coming out, but we could set up and play if we wanted. Luckily, our friends from Blastoids were playing a house show about three hours away, in Winston Salem, NC, so we ended up playing there instead.

John: That must’ve been a relief. I think that those kinds of shows are unavoidable, but worth it to play a few good ones. Are there any dates that you guys are excited about?

Joe: Yeah. We’re playing a show in Queens, NY as our last date. It’s this zine release show. There’s something like, eight bands playing and I guess it’s supposed to be a big deal. We’re playing Orlando tomorrow and then driving, I think, eighteen hours straight to Queens. We’re stoked.

Realizing that it was nearly 5am, we decided to call it a night. We said our goodbyes and reaffirmed plans for future National Dairy/Anisette/Divets shows.


Although they played for an almost empty bar, both Divets and Anisette kept a good attitude and it showed through their performances. We traded some of our merchandise for a few Divets/Anisette split mini-discs, stayed up late and discussed music all night. I feel that the show, overall, was fun and we met some cool kids from Rhode Island. Expect more music from that little mound of dirt off the coast to pop up in Jacksonville’s future.

Interview with Divets/Review of Divets and Anisette: by John Touchton

IMG_0773
Originally uploaded by jaxscene

How does such a small state produce so much good music? Rhode Island has been the birth place of some of my favorite bands: Arab on Radar, Daughters, Lightning Bolt and even The Body, who just played here last weekend. Last Monday night, I was able to befriend two more bands, stemming from the Ocean State; Divets, a one man psych project and math rock trio, Anisette, have been all along the East Coast, braving some of the coast’s recent blizzards and backwoods towns, ending up at Doozer’s Pub. Their arrival in Jacksonville was not welcomed by sunshine and warm weather as they had hoped for, nor were their many people at the show to greet them. But sometimes those empty-room shows can provide a more intimate experience, as well as a chance to talk with both Anisette and Divets about some of the stranger shows they’ve played this tour.


After the show, we all met at a friend’s house in Riverside to consume Busch, cheap wine and some fresh Californian herbs that they had acquired on their trip. The living room was live with drunken energy, but we managed to talk above everyone else and discuss what it’s like to play those awkward shows when on a self-booked tour.

John: You guys have traveled a long way, just to play for a few people at Doozer’s. I’m sure you’ve had similar shows on your way down. What do you think is the strangest show you’ve played, thus far?

Joe (Divets): This guy who was supposed to help us book the tour only ended up booking two dates. One place, in Big Stone Gap, VA, was called The Edge. It was this Christian, straight edge venue. They immediately acted weary around us and said that if we cursed at all, we’d have to leave. When we first arrived there was this woman standing at the venue, wearing an “I’m for Jesus” shirt. They didn’t care for us too much.

John: That reminds me of the Murray Hill Theatre here in Jacksonville. Did any thing good come from the show?

Joe: We received some expired orange juice, bread, and milk.

John: Any other difficulties during the tour?

Joe: There was another Christian venue in Mill Spring, NC that we were supposed to play. When we got to town there were these red necks with guns that just sat there staring at us, wickedly. We got to the venue and they told us that no one was coming out, but we could set up and play if we wanted. Luckily, our friends from Blastoids were playing a house show about three hours away, in Winston Salem, NC, so we ended up playing there instead.

John: That must’ve been a relief. I think that those kinds of shows are unavoidable, but worth it to play a few good ones. Are there any dates that you guys are excited about?

Joe: Yeah. We’re playing a show in Queens, NY as our last date. It’s this zine release show. There’s something like, eight bands playing and I guess it’s supposed to be a big deal. We’re playing Orlando tomorrow and then driving, I think, eighteen hours straight to Queens. We’re stoked.

Realizing that it was nearly 5am, we decided to call it a night. We said our goodbyes and reaffirmed plans for future National Dairy/Anisette/Divets shows.


Although they played for an almost empty bar, both Divets and Anisette kept a good attitude and it showed through their performances. We traded some of our merchandise for a few Divets/Anisette split mini-discs, stayed up late and discussed music all night. I feel that the show, overall, was fun and we met some cool kids from Rhode Island. Expect more music from that little mound of dirt off the coast to pop up in Jacksonville’s future.

The Body and Civilization: by John Touchton

IMG_0723.JPG
Originally uploaded by jaxscene

Night did fall. And a penetrating breeze, whispering chilling rumors of evil and despair, did carry him steadfast, through vast plains of concrete and to his destination. The gates of Wambolt St. would steer our protagonist to his ruin… Sorry for the dark tone. Have I been reading too much Cormac McCarthy, you ask? Or could such grey narrative be due to the quality doses of doom, administered by Providence based duo, The Body and Jacksonville’s own, Civilization? Saturday night was borderline freezing, but such low temperature wasn’t going to curb the desires of those in need of a fix of iniquitous metal.

Warehouse 8b has been home to a collection of artists, while also providing a place for bands to practice and book shows. Saturday night, however, Unit 8b acted more as a giant refrigerator, in which to host a night of loud music played through very large amps. The first band that played was called Nuclear 2. As soon as they started they were almost finished. After an assault of blast beats and cymbal crashes that lasted only minutes, the masked drummer angrily removed his outer face and threw down his drumsticks, with frustration. This was my queue to get warm by the fire outside, but only embers remained, smoldering and emitting a thick smoke, reminiscent of countless fires before it.

Speaking of nostalgia, watching Civilization that evening reminded me of just how long they’ve been playing. Very few Jacksonville bands from five years ago are still together. Josh and Eric, however, still seem to enjoy damaging eardrums and their progress, after losing a bass player to the Portland, Oregon migration movement, shows that a two piece band can still deliver volumes of trembling guitar riffs and droning drum beats. Civilization’s set, that evening, tore through the cold and vibrated the sternums of stoned onlookers. Boasting their freshly pressed LPs and t-shirts, their merch table also presented a few zines from the main library’s new collection. According to Josh, they’ve just obtained the entire archive of Maximum Rock and Roll. Be sure to check out Civilization again on Jan. 16 at the 5 Points Theatre, as they provide an original soundtrack to classic cinema.

Gazed upon through the darkness, The Body slowly assembled and at the center of this frigid warehouse was the warmth of a small crowd of anticipators. Only a vague light subtly illuminated the room with a quiet shine. With the first chord, struck a heavy blow. The ground trembled and within measures everyone seemed to be swaying in unison, entranced by such bleak sound waves. Although this was my first chance to see The Body perform, I did managed to catch a hip-hop project called Lorna Doom a few years ago, which contained one member of The Body, as D.J. They were obviously new at what they were doing, but it was good. They even sampled a song by The Pixies, which must have been some kind of copyright infringement, as I don’t believe they could afford to pay for its use. But Saturday night, The Body delivered an onslaught of dark, heavy riffs, as if the soundtrack to hell was chopped and screwed. As they make their way back up the East Coast, I’m sure they’ll look back at their Jacksonville date as the warmest.

Overall, I believe the black cold of the night called for a helping of perilous metal such as this: loud and evil. They go together like cookies and milk.

The Body and Civilization: by John Touchton

IMG_0723.JPG
Originally uploaded by jaxscene

Night did fall. And a penetrating breeze, whispering chilling rumors of evil and despair, did carry him steadfast, through vast plains of concrete and to his destination. The gates of Wambolt St. would steer our protagonist to his ruin… Sorry for the dark tone. Have I been reading too much Cormac McCarthy, you ask? Or could such grey narrative be due to the quality doses of doom, administered by Providence based duo, The Body and Jacksonville’s own, Civilization? Saturday night was borderline freezing, but such low temperature wasn’t going to curb the desires of those in need of a fix of iniquitous metal.

Warehouse 8b has been home to a collection of artists, while also providing a place for bands to practice and book shows. Saturday night, however, Unit 8b acted more as a giant refrigerator, in which to host a night of loud music played through very large amps. The first band that played was called Nuclear 2. As soon as they started they were almost finished. After an assault of blast beats and cymbal crashes that lasted only minutes, the masked drummer angrily removed his outer face and threw down his drumsticks, with frustration. This was my queue to get warm by the fire outside, but only embers remained, smoldering and emitting a thick smoke, reminiscent of countless fires before it.

Speaking of nostalgia, watching Civilization that evening reminded me of just how long they’ve been playing. Very few Jacksonville bands from five years ago are still together. Josh and Eric, however, still seem to enjoy damaging eardrums and their progress, after losing a bass player to the Portland, Oregon migration movement, shows that a two piece band can still deliver volumes of trembling guitar riffs and droning drum beats. Civilization’s set, that evening, tore through the cold and vibrated the sternums of stoned onlookers. Boasting their freshly pressed LPs and t-shirts, their merch table also presented a few zines from the main library’s new collection. According to Josh, they’ve just obtained the entire archive of Maximum Rock and Roll. Be sure to check out Civilization again on Jan. 16 at the 5 Points Theatre, as they provide an original soundtrack to classic cinema.

Gazed upon through the darkness, The Body slowly assembled and at the center of this frigid warehouse was the warmth of a small crowd of anticipators. Only a vague light subtly illuminated the room with a quiet shine. With the first chord, struck a heavy blow. The ground trembled and within measures everyone seemed to be swaying in unison, entranced by such bleak sound waves. Although this was my first chance to see The Body perform, I did managed to catch a hip-hop project called Lorna Doom a few years ago, which contained one member of The Body, as D.J. They were obviously new at what they were doing, but it was good. They even sampled a song by The Pixies, which must have been some kind of copyright infringement, as I don’t believe they could afford to pay for its use. But Saturday night, The Body delivered an onslaught of dark, heavy riffs, as if the soundtrack to hell was chopped and screwed. As they make their way back up the East Coast, I’m sure they’ll look back at their Jacksonville date as the warmest.

Overall, I believe the black cold of the night called for a helping of perilous metal such as this: loud and evil. They go together like cookies and milk.