Page 37 - the NOISE December 2013

Bryant Vasquez: Dear­Brother­Death
the local music scene. Just sayin’ and I’d never
mate masters of their craft is downplaying
the amount of composition that goes into this. Over the course of a single song, they move from driving hard punk to black metal to crust then into ska then back again.
jjjj
steer you wrong.
Bryant Vazquez
Dear Brother Death
Our Records
—­ ­Mike­WIlliams
Watching the crowds alone is worth what- ever pittance they’re charging for tickets. An entire sweating crowd, all headbanging and moshing then suddenly flipping into old- school skanking ... Awesome. Utterly awe- some.
In addition to Let The World Die, the three core members have added Nick on second guitar and begun performing as Towardis, a project more on the side of thrash with Scan- dinavian D-Beat breakdowns blistering faces alongside heavy doom and dub. In my unjus- tifiably humble opinion, this is everything that is good and right about music wrapped into one neat package, like opening a Christmas present to find a high end sex toy that brewed beer with weed in it, did your dishes, and gave free cab rides home.
Sonically, both projects are skilled execu- tions of each genre, played by musicians who have put time and love into creating a sound- scape that captures their influences perfectly. Live, they play with the kind of professional- ism that only comes through constant prac- tice, performance, and touring. Both bands have played extensively throughout the Southwest including Tuscon, Durango, Phoe- nix, and naturally Flagstaff, with Let The World Die even venturing as far as Reno, Portland, Olympia, and Seattle.
Lyrically, the content is dead on, ranging from imperialism and colonialism to envi- ronmental degradation and the impending demise of the natural world at the hands of corporation and government.
Which makes sense as Mark and Jamie have been at the forefront of the Taala Hooghhan Infoshop, one of the Southwest’s most nation- ally recognized anarchist infoshops, since its inception. They’ve organized countless shows, book fairs, skill shares, and charity drives over the years, as well as moved the entire store twice, and, like their music, remained true to the do-it-yourself spirit of punk while remain- ing focused on egalitarian access to every- thing they do.
Both Let The World Die and Towardis have music available on bandcamp, lastfm, spotify, and for more information on local issues and politics, check out taalahooghan.org. Plus, ya know, you can always drag yourself away from the TV to catch them live and support
It was a warm summer day in 2012, and my roommates and I decided to barbecue at the park near my house. Ben Velazco and Josh Be of Them Savages, our recent buds, were kind enough to join. They brought what appeared to be a raggedy looking friend who initially came off as the quiet type. We grubbed and drank ourselves drunk, then went back to my house to jam a bit.
Too inebriated and lethargic to publicly dis- play my inept skills on any instrument, Velazco happily hopped on drums, Be on bass, and their scraggly friend on guitar. Within the first few minutes of the music starting, our small home reverberated with complex squeals from the guitar. I stared wide-eyed at the un- kempt bastard with an axe around his shoul- ders, not entirely believing the intricacy of his neck-hand as it tamed the strings of the instrument.
Realizing I had either forgotten or over- looked his friendly introduction at the park, I asked our disheveled guest who the hell he was, and why, in God’s name, he was constrict- ing his talent to such a small town. Over the next two years of seeing him perform, I was able to formulate a solid picture of the be- draggled musician.
Name: Bryant Eugene Vazquez
Origin: East Los Angeles, 1987
Musical occupation: give him an instrument
and he’ll most likely be able to play it.
His experience as a live musician is no less impressive. The former Flagstaff local and 6-string aficionado had been a staple of North- ern Arizona’s music scene long before moving his talents to Philadelphia earlier this fall.
Experience: drums/guitar with Flagstaff ’s now deceased Murdoch, the string and vocal half of Vagabond God’s sibling duo, and a stint on bass with Sedona’s decker.
But these endeavors only scratch the sur- face of his musical prowess. Vazquez has also introduced nine solo albums since 2008, with each drawing from an eclectic array of musical inspiration.
Fortunately for the not-so-easily-enter- tained, the 25-year-old’s latest release displays
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• DECEMBER 2013 • 37
b Ugh
bb Eh
bbb Solid
bbbb Gold bbbbb Total Classic