The last album by Something Fierce, There Are No Answers, was a bulletproof 12-pack of pop-punk perfection.  Finally, after roughly two years, the band celebrates the release of their follow-up,  Don’t be So Cruel, this Friday at Mangos.  Most bands who have honed their sound as well as Something Fierce has, would be happy to simply give you more of the same with maybe a few tweaks or refinement to the sound but Steven Garcia, Niki Sevven, and Andrew Keith didn’t take that route with this record. Instead, the band chose to take a huge gamble and reinvent their sound by taking inspiration from late 70’s punk. The results is an unexpected and refreshing transmogrification of a classic band and yet, despite that new sound, they still have that knack for making songs that are catchy, memorable, and fun. We checked in briefly with ringmaster Steven Garcia to ask him about the new album.

FPH – Wow the new album is so different from your older stuff. How did the change come about? What inspired the new sound?

Garcia - It is different, but there were glimpses of this sound in the last album. We’ve been following similar transition points that the first punk bands encountered. This is year ‘79, and we just got better on our instruments. Time to make a dub, power-pop album.

FPH – Making that kind of change is pretty bold. How do you think your old fans will react to that new sound and has that been any kind of concern during the recording?

Garcia - Not a concern at all. Some will lose interest, but we don’t need hanger-ons. We must move forward.

FPH – The drums seem a bit less aggressive, the guitars are more subtle, and even your approach to vocals has changed. How was the recording and writing for this album? Was the process different in any way?

Garcia - Definitely, yes. First, an unhealthy amount of time and mental energy was put into the pre- and post-production of the album. That was probably the biggest change. Due to a few issues at the studio, we were left with an unfinished group of songs that needed to be mixed. With little time to waste, I made the gutsy decision to put everything in its place on my own. The record will have to speak for itself.

FPH – This is, what, like your gazillionth tour. Are you pretty excited or is it all old hat to you guys?

Garcia - Honestly, we don’t tour enough! We wouldn’t bother if we weren’t excited, but getting on the road for a month or two a year is nothing.

FPH – The new release is on Portland’s Dirtnap Records. How’s that relationship and, given the ability to be able to just throw out new songs on the internet, what do you see is the value for bands in being with a label?

Garcia - Dirtnap has been phenomenal to us. They believe in us and have stood behind every decision we’ve made. On top of that, it feels good to be among great names like The Marked Men, White Wires, Mean Jeans, The Tranzmitors, and so on. As for “throwing out new songs on the internet,” fuck that. Get it on vinyl, and get out there.

FPH – Lastly, you guys have been around for how many years now, is it six or more? How have you seen the Houston scene change, how do you think you embody the good and the bad of that scene, and why have did you guys decide to stay in Houston all these years?

Garcia - We’ve been around long enough to be bored with this question. What we think of the changes in the music scene doesn’t matter at all. Ideas can captivate minds, and good music can energize a community. That’s what we’ve learned. Finally, Houston is home, and it’s not worth leaving for a false sense of accomplishment. Moving away wouldn’t make us any better at penning a good tune; it would just make us homesick.

Friday April 1st @ Mango’s Cafe
Something Fierce record release with The Hangouts, Wicked Poseur and Fat Tony.

Something Fierce has been one of Houston’s most prized exports with their mix of punk energy, catchy melodies, and an undying DIY ethos. Their newest album – “There Are No Answers” – easily surpasses their debut album with songs so sharply written that they will run you through like a katana with Toshiro Mifune at the other end. We loved the new album so much that we immediately poked and prodded Niki Seven and Steven Garcia with questions as they prepared for their upcoming tour and here is what they had to say:

On the new album vs. the first album:

SG: We’ve definitely fine-tuned our love for powerpop over the last few years. I know that I’ve gravitated to writing razor-sharp pop songs, while maintaining an even darker tone in the lyrics. We took more time [on the new album] and that gave us a lot of opportunities to think about real production for the songs.

n.7: I’ve definitely enjoyed the freedom that we’ve had with this album. ‘Bastards’ was recorded in two days from start to finish; ‘There Are No Answers’ has been a long two-year road in writing and months of recording. We’ve had more time to explore with the songs and figure out what sounded right. Most of the songs on this album don’t sound anything like they did when they were originally written.

On writing songs and tracking albums:

SG: I start writing a song with a feeling in mind. I pound away for hours at a time on my own or through various band practices. We can feel the song “working” or sense it slowly dying. It’s a real disappointment when a song dies out because I feel like I missed an opportunity to seize what was there. When the song does work, we pour our hearts into thinking about what the final version will sound like.

n.7: We’ve all developed an instinct we can tell right away which direction [a song is] going to go.. whether it’s going to be great, whether it needs work, or if it just needs to be put out of its misery as quick and painless as possible. “Modern Girl” has been recorded at least three times. I would have been disappointed releasing one of the previous versions, but this version I think has captured the very best this song has.

SG: There has to be real thought injected into your recordings because those are what will live on beyond the band. Making a good album is very much like making a mix tape. The track listing matters to me, and I had this one song that I could not fit anywhere. The pacing was so different; the beginning and end too abrupt. Finally, we made the decision to cut it from the album, and I think it was a good choice.

On Singles:

SG: We got the idea [of including songs from singles] from looking at punk bands like The Buzzcocks, It’s a fantastic way to keep the songwriter away from writing an “album” and instead just focusing on each individual song.

n.7: The Buzzcocks are my absolute favorite band. ‘Singles Going Steady’ is an amazing record and the notion of creating an album out of singles released for years and years is incredibly genius. For us, I think it just keeps us thinking about the present. It keeps us focused on writing new songs and not re-hashing old ones time and time again. It’s also a great way to keep people interested in a band. It looks like you’re doing more if you keep releasing all these singles than if you just do an album every two or three years.

On lessons learned:

SG: I’ve learned how to design lots of artwork, master for vinyl, play bar chords, fold a map, order at Hot Doug’s, record with two amps at the same time, book national tours, clean a bird off of a windshield, clean beer off of my guitar, share a van with five other people, wear a tuxedo for my brother’s wedding, maintain sanity on a 16-hour drive, find ways to get a free motel room, wear thermal underwear, and most importantly, I’ve learned that water freezes if left in a van overnight at freezing temperatures thus causing the unfortunate result of being temporarily non-potable when you are dying for a drop of something to wash down the previous night’s…everything.

n.7: Don’t give Andrew a glove. Don’t sit next to Andrew when a rap song is on. Don’t give Andrew a camera and access to your laptop. Steven knows most of the words to some Spice Girls songs. Don’t share a blanket with Jeoaf (Monocles) .. he will take it all. Steven is willing to pay me $5 every time I change his strings. 80’s music is good for driving 8 solid hours through the night when everyone else falls asleep. Wisconsin beer has a higher alcohol content than Texas beer .. pace yourself!! iPods and books are essential for keeping up your sanity. Yes, boys can pee anywhere and in anything (and if they manage to pee into a sprite bottle, they will carry it around like a trophy). [While on tour] I have now seen more of Andrew’s ass then I ever hoped I would.

…I love it and I can’t think of any other way I’d rather waste my life.

Links:
Something Fierce on Myspace (Link)
Something Fierce.com (Link)

We just saw this on Hands Up Houston this morning and thought we’d share in case you missed it. Something Fierce’s songwriting and performance skills have put them at the top of the pop-punk heap. If you’ve missed their 7″ Modern Girl and Teenage Ruins earlier in the past year then you missed out on some of the best waxy goodness to rise out of the Bayou. Luckily you poor turntable-less folks won’t miss out too much longer as it seems those singles will be part of the new full length. So enjoy, we’ll be back to reviewing live shows next Monday.

Here is Steven Garcia’s accompanying text:

The new album is inching closer toward finality, and we’d like you all to be as excited as we are in it’s coming.It will be entitled, “There Are No Answers” and will be released in December 2024.

This video is not only a preview to the upcoming release but also a look back at the last 2 1/2 years that we’ve been writing and refining the songs between “Come For The Bastards” and this, our sophomore, full-length. We’ve shared some of the finest moments of our lives together, and we’ve been lucky enough to meet some of you along the way.

Thank you for being a part of this band,
SG

I hope you guys had as much fun as I had this Saturday. I sure had a blast listening to great music, running into just about everyone I know, and it’s nice to see Westheimer with some hustle and bustle on its sidewalks.

Some highlights? OK! The Wild Moccasins played a great show outside Mango’s on a rickety stage that seemed to be on the verge of collapse from all the hopping and general Moccasins shenanigans. The added amusement for me was watching as my very serious and artistically minded six-year-old tried in futility to find a spot on stage stable enough for him to draw the five popsters. Damn it, how can I express myself artistically if you guys keep hopping around up there! Hearing Paul Winstanley and Lucas Gorham perform outside La Strada was wonderful too. I hadn’t heard Paul take a bass guitar to the edge like that in ages and it was wonderful and challenging to hear it again. Also fun was the (this time official) Cop Warmth and B L A C K I E gorilla set. Cop Warmth, for the uninitiated, is the musical equivalent of children running around the playground in pure chaotic frenzied joy. My favorite moment of the set was when Craig, running into the audience, made a woman squeal in fright. B L A C K I E meanwhile doesn’t so much a rap as spout words like a steel-driver laying down iron with every ounce of energy at his disposal. Balaclavas, at the acoustically pleasing space behind the Austin Layne Hotel, performed one of the best sets of the day as they kicked-out amazing new material that reminded you just how unique their sound is and how furious their shows can be. How they are not one of Houston’s biggest draws, I’ll never understand. Over at Mango’s, as we were waiting for Tambersauro, we got some drama as some drunk Asian woman was challenging another woman to some fisticuffs. Unfortunately, the fisticuffs did eventually occur outside but while no one was getting hurt, it was pretty amusing theatre of the absurd. Tambersauro though wasn’t about to be upstaged by a lone drunk and proceeded to tear into a raging set that almost made me forget that I was trying to see five bands in that time slot. Luckily a friend who knew this, poked me and pointed to her watch. Thanks mon ami! The McKenzies were quite a sight surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd of fans who had joined them on stage. Ah, those Houston pop bands sure know how to work-up a crowd. Buxton closed out the outdoor shows with an amazing set that had the entire crowd at the Austin Layne Hotel enraptured. After the first set, the audience clearly wanted more and thankfully JD (Secret Saturday Shows, Guitars, Lenny Briscoe, etc) demanded they play a few more and Sergio Trevino somehow agreed to it in his typical sheepish manner then proceeded to treat us with a work in progress that was much better than I think they realized. I think Trevino and company work their music with such expert care that they seem a bit worried about showing some rough edges. That’s OK because there is a bit of excitement about seeing a band not exactly knowing where they are going with a song and that vulnerability – that putting yourself out there with no net – is charming when you are as good a band as Buxton. Now for me that was pretty much the proper end of the Block Party for me. I was pretty tired by then but, like the Terminator, the Block Party just wouldn’t quit. Don’t get me wrong, I saw some amazing sets afterwards like Something Fierce laying down some serious and furious pop-punk and Satin Hook’s Lucas Gorham using a Tuvan throat singing technique for backing vocals but by the time the Jon Benet plowed into their set, I was physically fatigued. I’ll admit it. Another Block Party has left me beaten and bloody on the canvas. So, what’s new? At least I had fun getting pummeled.

Now one last thing before I get to the photos: Kudos to our heroic and fearless FPH leader Omar. Omar is the general behind all these operations; he books all the bands and gets everyone involved to little acclaim. That’s largely because he’s not one to self-aggrandize but, instead, seriously believes in the community of artists and people that live in this city. I for one, seeing a small bit of what he does behind the scenes, am always impressed at how the guy pulls it off twice a year. Of course Omar can’t do it himself and it’s only because of the efforts of all the local businesses, bands, artists, and the community in general coming together that makes these things so special. That’s also because, unlike the latter years of the wholly unrelated Westheimer Street Festival, this event isn’t just about attracting sponsors but about building and celebrating a community. That’s the way these things should be. So thanks everyone who helped and came out. I don’t know about you but I’m ready for another round next Spring.

Links:
Complete Sets on my Flickr.
* Westheimer Block Party (Link)
* Bonus: B L A C K I E & Cop Warmth’s Guerilla set (Link)

Oh and look:
Breakfast On Tour posted some pictures on their Flickr too (link)

The Punk rock Starbucks show this afternoon was a hoot even if it was short. Yeah, you loser, I know you missed it so I posted a few pictures for you. But don’t take my word for it, check out my little video at the bottom with bonus six-year-old commentary:

A beautiful day and good music.
What could possibly go wrong?
Something Fierce

Cheese it! It’s the cops!

The Man makes his move!Niki “Dude! We’re so gonna get shut down!”

More pics at my flickr