August 23rd, 2010
May 1st, 2010
February 27th, 2010
Untouchables open for Joan Jett - Urban Noize - 1981
February 21st, 2010
Snow Bud and the Flower People © 1986
Vegetable Matter © 1986
July 6th, 2009
April 22nd, 2009
images taken from Napalm Beach’s “Moving To and Fro” album art.
April 9th, 2009
Napalm Beach
Chris Newman: Sounds like Jimi with Bowie overtones
by SP Clarke
The first thing you notice about Napalm Beach is this big guy in the middle, almost as wide as he’s tall, playing a Fender Stratocaster (shit pink with silver duct tape bandaging the top fin) like there’s no tomorrow. The relentless energy Chris summons up through his guitar is Apocalypse Now personified. His creative/controlled abandon reminded me of another Strat player, Jimi Hendrix.
In fact, the whole sound of the band, which is mostly originals penned by Chris, is reminiscent of the Hendrix experience with updated lyrics and David Bowie overtones. “Punk/new wave” would be simplifying their sound. Aggressive, yes, but they also display crisp melody and careful instrumental blending among Chris, guitarist Mark Nelson and bassist Dave Minick. However, drummer A. Chon Carter and Nelson both lean toward frenetic and ostentatious playing. They are neither subtle nor refined, but the energy and creative potential is there. Dave Minick’s vocals were uninspiring, but his bass playing definitely upholds and accents Chris’ imaginative songs.
Unfortunately, I was not able to appreciate their lyrics that eve in the wake of the horns blowing out on their PA. I picked up these words, though: bombs, fire, death soylent green, my TV. Maybe they’re playing anarchist rock. But any way you hear it, Napalm Beach is definitely muscle music — lean, a bit mean and well-flexed — bred of the frustrated high school prison and video game era. When Chon finally played a roll, on the snare, it was such a welcome relief from the thump-thump rabbit rhythm that I wanted to thank him personally.
However, when Chris sat down to talk between sets, there was a shy, fidgety, boyish person talking about his scalding hot music. Dressed in a khaki fatigue coat despite the stifling air (maybe he’s trying to lose weight), his voice and manner were the exact opposite of his wailing-away performance. Talk about stepping into phone booths…
Chris possesses the childlike naivete of many artists. The world of business is like a foreign culture. It would be easy for unscrupulous managers, agents, and what not to take advantage of him. Fortunately, he’s hooked up with some respectable and influential people, which is indicative of Napalm Beach’s potential.
Brian Monahan, production assistant for Double Tee and talent scout for David Leiken, is handling quasi-manager deals for Napalm Beach in a less-than-formal arrangement. At this point they’re feeling each other out before making a commitment. Brian is handling their business affairs (drawing up contracts, rounding up equipment) and states that, “Hopefully in the near future I’ll be dealing with artistic direction for them.” According to Brian, Napalm Beach is hesitant to enter into a contractual managerial agreement because they have been screwed in the past.
Frank Butler of Future Talent Agency, co-owned by Double Tee president David Leiken, is handling their booking which has been sparse in Portland. Brian says, it’s hard to get a band that’s not working much of any semblance to lights and a PA.”
However, Brian and the band are looking to San Francisco with well-founded optimism as a possible playground. Dave Minick, who recently joined the band, made connections in San Fran while playing with a minimalist band, the Cosmetics, prior to reuniting with his old musical partner, Chris. Monahan boasts of a three-year stint as production assistant for Bill Graham which could open doors for Napalm Beach in the Bay Area following the release of their albums. Brian wouldn’t mind if the band played in San Francisco and Seattle and holed up in Portland. however, at this writing, Frank and Brian are actively seeking gigs in Portland and San Francisco is just a pipe dream.
But the albums are a reality. Greg Sage has produced a compilation album at Wave Studios featuring Sage’s band, the Wipers, plus Napalm Beach, Pell Mell and Drum Bunny. According to Wave owner Tom Robinson, “The album is basically off the floor. It’s not heavily overdubbed except for some of the vocals.”
The album, which will be released on Sage’s own label, Trap, was the impetus for the Untouchables’ name change to Napalm Beach. (I think the name “Formerlly the Untouchables” sounds best.) When it came time to register the name Untouchables, it was discovered that another band had already done so. Chris takes full responsibility for the name Napalm Beach, which he claims just landed in his mind out of nowhere.
A 2 Louies associate called the name fitting because when the substance napalm gets on your skin, it burns right through. The implication is that Napalm Beach’s music penetrates and you either love it or hate it. No response would be virtually impossible.
My own quick poll of local managers and musicians unaffiliated with Napalm Beach elicited rave reviews for their music. I’m not the only one to compare Chris with Jimi while about the drummer Chon I was told, “Give him time. He’s only 19. In a couple of years he’ll be awesome.”
On the greater album horizon, Tom Robinson is producing an LP that’s in the works for Napalm Beach. Pilot tracks have been completed, basic tracks are underway at Wave, and the band has unlimited time to record. According to Tom, release appears six months away with distribution handled by Robinson’s own lable, yet to be named. Tom states that his label will be well-connected with domestic and European markets and the Napalm Beach disc and tape will receive imediate international distribution. Tom says, “The money is there.”
It will be awhile before anyone can hear the canned Napalm. Meanwhile, love ‘em or leave ‘em — there is much to be gained by hearing this band live, and somehow the Silver Moon was the appropriate setting for the initiation. Not to imply that this band is without talent or isn’t going anywhere. On the contrary, I couldn’t help but feel looking around the Moon that night, isn’t this what rock is all about, minus the glitter? Rock-n-roll played without pretense and myopic to the pursuit of grand illusions is born and bred of the far less than cozy and fashionable settings. Rock is meant to be rough, creative energy bursting through a stifling atmosphere, and spontaneous.
A friend that eve had this to say about the band in the Moon. “I feel like I”m on another planet; does this kind of thing go on in Portland all the time?”
Of course not, and that’s why Napalm Beach has yet to be accepted here. The name itself is about as inviting as a frontal lobotomy if not taken with a grain of humor.
Napalm Beach is not operating on any level of slick showmanship, sex appeal, promotional hype or commerciality. I only heard one copy tune, and it was by the far-removed-from-the-mainstream New York Dolls.
The doorman stood in on the vocals on that song and provided the only punk posturing of the evening. He was acting the way a lead singer should act in a black leather jacket. The rest of the evening was devoid of any posing with the tired rock cliches. This band is fresh, not pretty, and maybe one step ahead of Portland’s Cowbell Consciousness.
