Token Tuesdays with Colin: Trainwreck

TRAINWRECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I. Fa-king. Love. This. Strain!!!! Seriously tho, one of the best scented and best tasting types of marijuana in my opinion. If you are looking for a cerebral “head high”, as the kids are calling it these days, this is a perfect strain to pick up. Trainwreck has been a household name for us marijuana abusers for decades now. I’m sure if you said the name “trainwreck” around your hippy parents, they would know exactly what you’re talking about. Besides giving a crazy awesome head buzz, this strain is great for patients that suffer from depression, anxiety, appetite stimulant, cramps associated with PMS, RLS, DDD, nausea, muscle aches, and eases pain from nerve damage. I personally have found myself leaning towards this strain whenever I’m in need of a pick me up. It helps take a bad mood and turn it right around. It’s also great to smoke during the day because it gives you a euphoric state of mind with a high amount of energy. 

Smoke em if you got em boys and girls! Have a gnarly week!

-Colin

The BoySz are Back in Town <3

Hey guys!

As you probably already know, Wayne Szaliniski has won my heart with their full-length effort "Black Mirror" last year. Since the album's release they have gone through some changes, and now they are headed out on a whopper of a tour! I took a sec to chat with frontman Andy Milad, who doubles as one of my favorite people on earth!

PHOTO CRED: Daniel Balderas

ANDY: First off, thanks for takin' your time to ask us a few questions, I really appreciate it. Second, so glad you're into the record. That means so much comin' from friends I hope you know. 

TOPH: Thank you for making such a gorgeous set of songs, man. We go back a lil' ways and it's always been so fun to be around you and the music you create :) So, tell me about this tour... Is this your longest one yet?

ANDY: Yep! This is going to be our longest tour to date. Super excited, I'm sure it'll be a blast.

TOPH: I fucking bet! And since you guys released black mirror(one of my absolute favorite things this past year), I know dudes like Nick Galli and Kurt Roy have moved/are moving away. So, how are you guys adjusting to that? (I really wanted Kurt to record my band so it hurts me, hopefully he can master/mix some stuff for me some day!)

ANDY: It's always a bummer to lose a band member. We've played with, I think, five bass players now... so we've learned to adapt pretty quickly. Drums are another issue entirely. When Nick left to go work at his dream-job, we were very sad. Nick had such a profound impact on the sound of the band through his playing-style, so it took us awhile to get back on track. We love Nick, we miss him, but we're also very happy for him. Check his Instagram, he's livin' lavish.

 That being said, we're working with a fantastic new drummer now, Judson Branam. He's got a style all of his own and he's an incredibly positive force to work with. Jud's a really friendly guy and I'm super excited to be touring with him.

TOPH: Good to hear you found a good fit! However, I miss the hell out of Nick. Never got to ride bikes :( And I was broke when it first released, but is "Black Mirror" still available on vinyl?

ANDY: Black Mirror, our debut album, is definitely still available. We sold a bunch when it was released and got more pressed for this upcoming tour. If you can't catch us at a show, you can always get it online, here @ wayneszalinski.bandcamp.com 

TOPH: DOPE! I'm snaggin' that shit ASAP! Now, what were your biggest influences on that record? (I mean both musically and "IRL")

ANDY: Black Mirror is our first full-length record, so it compiles a bunch of songs written over several years. In that time our influences were extremely varied, but I think the strongest were Jeff Buckley, The Smiths, and TTNG

TOPH: I can definitely see it. I'm gonna catch you at PJ's on May 7th, can I please sing with you? <3

ANDY: heck yea man, just get up there w/ me. :)

TOPH: Yesssss. You can count on it. See ya then buddy! Tell Andrew Adams I love him!

You can catch them on the kick-off, like I mentioned, at PJ's in detroit. Click here for the FB event, and peep the poster below for the full tour schedule! Dueces!

XOXO TOPH

MMMAN MMMOUNTAIN MMMMUSIC MMMONDAYYY!!!!!!!!

FRESH OFF THE MF'N PRESSES Y'ALL!

MY DUDES in MAN MOUNTAIN have done it again. The post-rockin' dudes of metro detroit have finally followed up last year's release of "To Call Each Thing by it's Right Name" with an incredible new single. "To Be Made As New" is an homage to spring, and it's come just in time. It's gorgeous, comes in twinkling with bright guitars that sound almost like a couple of acoustics echoing all seductive-like, and then before you know it the boys (Mike Reaume, David Reaume, and Jacob Goins) eventually crush you with their land-slide of epic beauty. These guys are special, and I've known that about them forever- so I'm so glad to get the chance to show everyone I know! 

There's no vocals, but they don't need them. The layers of tones and melodies are so immersing. Go get that shit on bandcamp, and keep checking back here because It's Man Mountain's week here at vile company!  And tomorrow I'll be tophin' around with Mike and going over the gear that he uses to crank out that delicious tone you're hearing!

Dueces!

-XOXO TOPH 

RECORD STORE DAY!

SO ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN: RECORD STORE DAY! SO WE DECIDED TO WRITE UP A QUICK LITTLE POST SO YOU GUYS CAN SEE SOME OF THE AWESOME THINGS THAT ARE GOING DOWN TODAY. EVEN THOUGH THE REALLY REALLY COOL STUFF IS ALL GONE BY NOW.! BUT HERE GOES! HERE ARE A FEW RECORDS THAT MAKE OUR NEEDLES SALIVATE!

BRAND NEW- DEJA ENTENDU - LIMITED RELEASE OF 1400 2X12 LP

EVERY TIME I DIE- SALEM - 1000 7' COLOROED VINYL

AGAINST ME - OSAMA BIN LADEN AS THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST - 700 7' COLORED VINYL

FOO FIGHTERS -SONGS FROM THE LAUNDRY ROOM- 4,000 10'' VINYL

METALLICA - LO LIFE TIL LEATHER - 10,000 CASSETES

FOR ALL YOU DETROIT LOCALS. WE SUGGEST YOU CHECK OUT PARAMITA SOUND ALONG WITH MANY MANY OTHER LOCAL SHOPS FOR ALL YOUR RECORD STORE DAY NEEDS! 

FIREPROOF!

Toph is here with another friggin homegrown BANGERRRRRR <3

This past weekend, Under the Gun Review debuted the new single "Fireproof" for our good homies in Wolfshark. I was really excited to hear this jam, and it didn't disappoint. I'm very proud to have known Colin Guffey as a musician for pretty much forever now, and he's come a long way. He's developed a really cool sound as a vocalist, and works really well with the dynamics the band creates. You end up with this really dope fuck-you-you-don't-even-know-me party jammer. The main riff is a really cool norma-jean esque bit they pull through most of the song without losing the energy of it. The chorus hits you with hint of the Used and maybe a little bit of ETID with the way Colin croons over it. I really love the guitar tone in this band. For being what I and a lot of folks are calling a "Party Metal Band"- I feel the tone is pretty sophisticated. You get this really cool high-end English tube sound with a more natural break up. It's GAWJUSS. :) The bridge starts with the whole band stepping aside and letting our bassist shine. He comes in with this really cool slap-happy riff, where you finally realize how good his tone is as well. Gritty, a bit of a fuzz on it, and only slappy enough to be interesting. Reminds me of He Is Legend's bass sound. And then the whole group gets back into it with this escalating set of bars- starting with some delay on the fiddle and Colin cooing like sexy dove over the top. And then we explode. But Colin doesn't, because he is "FIREPROOF, YOU FUCK!"

I fucking love this jam. Check out the vid below, by our good dude Brandan Lee Keller. <3

See?!? I told you!!!!

Aren is shooting an interview with the dudes soon, he'll be talking to them about how sexy they are AND about their forthcoming Spring 2015 EP  titled "Finding Yourself". Look for all of that and more right here at vilecompany.com. ALSO- be sure to follow Wolfshark on Facebook, and come check them at Cthulhu's 2 Year Anniversary Pizza Slam coming up at the stick March 14th!!!!

XOXO- Toph <3

Narco Debut

HEY GUYS. TOPH'S GOT ANOTHER SE MI GEM FOR YOU. :)

Narco Debut is a killer quartet from metro detroit and they "bring it on" the melodic spacey rock front. Gorgeous layers of guitars saturated in delays and reverb, soaring vocal melodies with hella range over a rhythm section that just grooves it all along. It's not all sparkles and bells- there's an edge with heavy breaks that don't get lost on the rocker crowd. I particularly like how they remind me a lot of Coheed and Cambria's "Second Stage Turbine Blade" record- one of my absolute favorite things ever recorded.  Just lots of builds and lots of high range vocals that wash over you once they hit the break. I love it. Check out their video for "Apologia" below:

They're obviously worth checking out live, Detroit kids. Add them on facebook, and listen to their S/T EP on band camp. I believe it is available for free right now.Do it. It's not just good. It's sofa king good!

-XOXO TOPH

Adventurer S/T EP

So I'm looking into my calendar for the upcoming months. I'm doing a lot of shit, trying to catch my life up after a very tumultuous 2014, and I remember I need to mark down March 14th, as that is the date of  Cthulhu Entertainment's  2nd year anniversary party! I love John after meeting him last year. He's one of the kindest bearded fuckers you'll ever meet, and he truly loves what he does. Check the link and go if you can. Buy tickets from him or from one of the bazillion sick bands playing, including my homie Collin's sick ass band Wolfshark (they just released a single and it's dooooooope!).  Anyhow- My point: I'm checking out all of the bands on the event page, as you might choose to do after reading this bullshit, and I run into a fucking gem.

Photo Cred: Brandan Lee Keller

These guys are called Adventurer, and so is this 7 track banger. And they are everything I love about post 2000 post-hardcore. Heavy and bright. Dynamics off the chart. Killer dual vocals. You would not believe this is just a fucking 3 piece out of Chesterfield, MI. the cleans are beautiful. Great range and they come out with some really exciting harmonies as well. The screaming is super tasteful, fitting well with the dynamics. The drummer kills it, man. I wanna shake this guy's hand on March 14th, because this shit goes everywhere, and he does some sick stuff while not only keeping the time, but he completely moves the dynamics himself. I love this friggin EP, and it'll be on a consistent rotation till I can catch a set :) Listen to my favorite jam, "pursuit of happiness" be;

I fucking know, right?!?! I also really dig "Mariana's Trenchcoat".  But the whole thing is pretty incredible. They definitely give me Fall of Troy vibes, mixed with that of some early Coheed and even a bit of Hopefall's Sattelite Years. All favorites. So I absolutely love and approve. Go snag it from their bandcamp, or look them up on itunes or spotify. And don't forget to catch them at one of the last Magic Stick shows with guitars in it on March 14th!!!! Seriously! Go! 

-xoxo Toph

Lakota De Kai- Big Dad Wolf

Photo cred: Tyler Hill

So I REALLY fucking hate Ohio. A lot. However, these dudes (LAKOTA DE KAI) are outta Kent, OH and holy shit do they rule. Their newest release, Big Dad Wolf, is incredibly complete.  It'll thrash your brains out, and then let you feel safe just long enough before you break your neck trying to keep time with the break down. The vocals are raw and incredible. Every time their front man starts to remind you of someone, he changes personality just in time for you to forget. Don't get me wrong though- his sound is very much his own, despite the multiple personality disorder. The rhythm section is tight and rolls with the incredible dynamic punches. The guitar work is also on point. Incredible instrumentation all around. Did I mention that the vocals are fucking phenomenal?

Check the YouTube vid below to hear my favorite jam, "Spliff". Or just save yourself the time and download the whole fucking album on bandcamp. You won't miss the money you spend(only 7 bones!)- hell, you might wanna buy it twice just out of principle. 

Beautiful. They play out here every so often, too. I'm absolutely gonna go see this shit live ASAP.  Cheers to the only thing I like in Ohio that isn't waffle house(I fucking love waffles).

 

For fans of: Every Time I Die, Pianos Become the Teeth, Listener, La Dispute

Favorite Tracks: Spliff(see YouTube video above), Leslie Americus

Thanks for scopin' these dudes out! Keep it fuggin Vile, dudes and dudettes!

 

-XOXO Toph

GET SUPER RAD

Stoked on this video from our dudes at Get Super Rad! The Vile footage was shot for their Reel this past summer and the stock footage is from random VHS video's they thought were fucked up in all the right ways!

Thanks Rob and Chris for Vile Vid! 

check out their work on VIMEO

and follow them on FACEBOOK

 

THEY'RE HERE: Our New 2nd Gen Snap Back and Murder Mitten Tee

Heres some pics from our recent shoot with the talented Trevor Dernai (aka LFTY_ )

featuring our two brand new designs:

Our 2nd Gen Snap Back and our Murder Mitten Tee

Model Cred to Casey Jones and Ashley Mendoza and Jeremy Don Gottie aka "SIlly"

Wilson Video and Vinyl Release

ITs a busy week for the Wilson dudes. First they release their Music Video for their song "If You Ever Leave Me, I Will Find You!" Featuring Old Gods front man Jeff Tuttle. Now they are getting us all ready for the Vinyl release show for their full length "Full Blast Fuckery" at the Magic stick this weekend! So make sure you guys head out and partake in all the fuckery this saturday with Against the Grain, Red Stone Souls and Ana! -Quayyy!

ASSASSINS PLAY THROUGH THY KINGDOM COME VIDEO

For all you guitar nerds who are interested in watching and learning something new. Our brothers in Assassins made a play through video for their song "Thy Kingdom Come" Check it out and enjoy! 

Thirsty Thursdays with Dave: St Bernardus Abt 12

One of these will give you a buzz. Three of them might have you talking funny. Brewed by Trappist monks in the quadrupel style, abt12 is an incredible beer. Dark in color, heavy with flavors of dried fruits, sweeter, boozy... honestly, everyone who likes beer should try this beer. World-class ratings touts this beer as one of the best to be had, and with good reason. With a recipe centuries old, this beer was once brewed at an abbey where you could only get the beer if you visited the monastery in Belgium. Now, it's shared with the planet. With a 10% abv this is no session beer, but a sipper to be paired with finer foods. To be enjoyed as a treat for the pallet, not for the average bro belly.
If you try any of the beers I've blogged about, let this be the first. Try it cold, then try it room temperature, a whole new beast awakens. And for shits sake, buy some beer glasses and pour this mother in a tulip. Cheers and mahalo!

Mike Moore on Ironclad Tattoo Co

This week we decided to have our good friend and Ironclad Tattoo Co owner Mike Moore, stop by and rock out a quick interview. In our neck of the woods Iron Clad is THE place to go, and where we get most of our work done. And there is a very good reason for it. They are a legit shop with legit artists and products. Its literally a no brainer but check out this video interview we did with mike and let him do the talking!

Thirsty Thursdays with Dave: Monks Cafe Flemish Sour Ale

People often ask me, Dave, what the fuck is a sour beer? Well, if you stop swearing in front of my grandmother, I'll tell you. Sour beers are an old style of brewing fermented with bacterias. Typically brewed in the Flanders region of Belgium and often barrel aged, sour beers have more of a fruity, acidic bite to them. Almost vinegary. Some are even put through a second fermentation process with cherries or cherry juice to give even more tartness. Traditionally though, fruit isn't used. 
A very wine-like beer, Monk's Cafe flemish sour is my go to entry level for those in search of trying new beers. The most mild of tart and fruit, lightly carbonated and always refreshing. Found wherever a good import selection is had. Pair with more beer. Cheers and mahalo!

ps check out this euro dad saying some historic shit about Monks Flemish Ale. 

Thirsty Thursdays with Dave : Founders Nitro Oatmeal Stout

Stouts on stouts on stouts. Like Guinness? Why not try Founder's Oatmeal stout! Creamy, chocolatey, roasty. Easy on the booze, but sadly this delicious treat is draft only. If you get lucky your local bar has it on a nitrous tap and this mother will come out smooth as silk. It is available year round so drink up. Pair it with life, edible nourishment and friends... and tip your god damn bartenders! -Dave

Music Mondays: Sean Kick of Rocky Loves Emily

A few weeks back i was able to sit down with our good friend Sean Kick. He plays guitar in the band Rocky Loves Emily. Now i know what you are thinking. " Arent they a Pop band?" Well in attempt to potentially blow your minds. The dudes are onto something new, something "More genuine to our roots" says kick. but i wont spoil all the fun. Listen to our interview below with Sean kick on the New Rocky Loves Emily. -Aren

Detroit Soup

  Ok so one of the things that makes Detroit so great is the movers and shakers in our community! The solid dudes and ladies who are breaking new ground with solid innovations and hard work. Vile friend Amy Kaherl (recently represented in the Girls Guide to Detroit Video) has started something rather unique: Detroit soup .

So heres the scoop: Five dollar cover gets you in. You sit and enjoy a meal with other mover and shakers in the community. Presentations are given on certain plans that will be voted on that night. Then everyone gets a chance to vote. The money collected at the door goes towards the specific plan that won the vote. Seems simple enough. Like one of those " why didn't i think of this!?" kind of ideas!

Our hats off to Amy and the others who created and are still running Detroit Soup.

Make sure you guys check out this video below that explains things a lot better than a two paragraph blog. -Vile  

Music Mondays: Detroit The Album

So last week I had the pleasure, to lay down a few guitar tracks on the recent project from Vile friend Derek John . DETROIT THE ALBUM  is the first of its kind. Here's the scoop: 40 Musicians 10 Groups and 10 original songs all in one album. Each group is comprised of elite members of the Detroit music community thus making up 10 different super groups if you will. As much as these songs are not my personal cup of tea to record, it was still fun stepping out of my comfort zone along with 39 other musicians stepping out of their boxes as well. The end result is an exceptionally mixed variety of music with different feels and genres. So take a second and head over to their BandCamp. The album was just released this past weekend! So let us know what you think! Comment Like or share below and help spread the word! 

-Aren 

Derek John ^

POSI DETROIT: DANI FAHS ON : OMNICORP DETROIT

Lasers. How fucking cool are lasers? Or what about wooden, floatable glasses? Or handmade industrial furniture? These are just a few of the really rad things being produced in an Eastern Market located industrial shop named OMNICOPRDETROIT 

OCD is what is called a ‘hackerspace’, housing 10+ local “makers / entrepreneurs / doers / thinkers / creators / artists / designers / engineers / musicians and others who come together in a repurposed industrial building in Eastern Market to work on projects, learn and share together”. Every 1st and 3rd thursday of the month come check out what they’re creating and you can even bring your own project to “hack”. 

During September of last year, I was fortunate enough to get a tour of their space and meet some of the members during Eastern Market After Dark. Since we’re creators ourselves, we love seeing spots like OCD in the community supporting the same values and creativity.

If you’ve got ideas for some really awesome shit, set a date and get to their space for an Open Hack Night. Lets see what you're made of, Detroit! -Dani Fahs