Blackcoats return with anthemic 'Ballad for Ukraine'
Plus, 10 year of Vina Robles and RIP Subtractions drummer Wayne Garabedian.
Blackcoats have always seemed a sort of political outlet for its collective membership.
The band’s self-titled album was written prior to the 2020 election as anti-Trumpian call to arms. The songs ranged from the not-so-subtle (“Russian Asset,” “Constitutional Crisis,”) to the transparent AF (“Traitor Bill Barr,” “DeVos,” “Moscow Mitch”).
Its follow up, Ballad of Ukraine, keeps the playbook, but switches focus.
“The project started as an idea I had at the start of the war for us to do an EP of four songs,” says Sparklejet’s Victor Sotello, who does vocals, bass, mandolin and guitars on the album.
It quickly grew into a full album, he says.
Musically, the 17 songs could be loosely classified as retro punk rock, especially in the leftish, British sense of the word (a la, the Clash).
There are the anthems; the opening track, for example, and “Coming Over the Hill.”
“War Monger” is Ramonsesque hard-core, with the double-timed verses and sub two-minute run time.
“Russian Filtration Policy,” and “Fate of Mariupol,” push into ’80s post-punk, college rock territory to end out the album.
Scott Oliver (of Miss Alans fame) does a lot of the heavy lifting on “Ballad of Ukraine.” He produced the album, wrote the majority of the songs and sang and played guitar and piano. He’s joined by a cast of musicians that includes Sotelo, plus Ron Woods and Peter Wolf on drums; Chris Estep doing lead guitars and bass; (chef) Paul Canales singing and playing guitar and Iain O‘Higgins, doing background vocals and rhythm guitar.
Wolf co-produced the album from his studio, Wolfsound Audio Engineering.
“Ballad of Ukraine” is available now via Bandcamp. Proceeds from sales of the album will go to World Central Kitchen, which is working to feed people in Ukraine.
Vina Robles Amphitheatre celebrates 10 years
I get that this is a hyper-local newsletter and Vina Robles Amphitheatre is definitely outside Fresno and technically outside the Central Valley.
But, the Central Coast has proximity and a trip to the amphitheater can be done in under two hours, which makes it a rare destination, given the lineup of acts it continues to attract.
The amphitheater, just off Highway 46 in Paso Robles, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and continued its annual concert series last night, with Yachtley Crew.
The amphitheater, through its partnership with Nederlander Concerts has already had a good run with summer, with performances by Neil Young, Jason Isbell and Fleet Foxes (also Motionless in White, if that is more your pace).
Still to come: Common Kings and Steel Pulse, Los Lobos and Ozomatli, Lupita D’Alessio, The Avett Brothers, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Shakey Graves, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, Alice in Chains, Banda MS, The Used and Sleeping with Sirens, The Psychedelic Furs and Squeeze, Oingo Boingo Former Members, Alice Cooper, Carly Pearce, Dary Hall with Todd Rundgren and Devo (on the west coast run its farewell tour).
The venue has seen a 108 percent increase in attendees since 2013 opening and hosted more than 75,000 fans and nine sellouts last year.
According to the venue’s press, its on track to exceed that in 2023.
Wayne Garabedian, drummer in Fresno’s first punk band, dies at 68
Wayne Garabedian, a long time local musician and founding member of the seminal punk band the Subtractions, died earlier this month after a brief stay in hospice.
The Subtractions are considered Fresno’s first gigging punk band and helped usher in the hardcore scene in the early 1980s. The band was rediscovered in the mid 2010s and have since had their recordings re-released (on HoZac Records and Lynx Rufus Recordings, respectively).
Garabedian played with the Subtractions in 1979-80 and during the band’s reunion show in 2015. He was also know in the jazz scene, playing at Fresno City College in the late ’80s and with bands like the Tower Jazz Quartet in the mid-1990s.
A memorial service is happening 11 a.m. Sept. 7 at the First Armenian Presbyterian Church. Remembrances should be sent to: Love Song Community Outreach or First Armenian Presbyterian Church.
That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com