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411 Mania review of FROM STAGGER TO WIND
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To me, the treatment of rock music in the mainstream is laughable. For bands, it’s all about loudnes...To me, the treatment of rock music in the mainstream is laughable. For bands, it’s all about loudness, clear production, and singles. God, it all seems to be about the single, the song that will allow the record label to get the band across and people out to the record stores. Up and coming bands are looking for that coveted song that could make them millionaires someday.
When did the philosophy of making music for the sake of music disappear? That’s my big question. As I listened to 24E’s From Stagger To Wind, I realized that bands like 24E are hard to find these days. This four-piece from California isn’t trying to make loud music or throw some random breakdowns that have nothing to do with the song. From Stagger To Wind is an album that takes its time and sets the mood properly for the listener.
If you listen to the first song, “She Moves Me,” you might get a false idea of where the album is going. The song starts with a catchy riff, slow-burning verses, and heavier choruses. The song is good, but not a real indication of how the album is going to be. It reminds me of Switchfoot’s The Beautiful Letdown. That album had a heavy song in “Meant To Live.” However, the rest of the album wasn’t even musically close to the first single. 24E pulls the same trick out of their hats.
“Deeper” is a slower track that introduces musical elements that appear throughout the album. In the background, there are slowly played keys from a lonely keyboard. The acoustic guitar creeps its way through the background. The chorus does pick up the tempo, but the album takes its time to build up to a melodic and satisfying conclusion.
The rest of the album continues by combining different styles together. “Love Is” is a softer song that uses the acoustic guitar/piano combo to drive the main melody. “Can’t Let Go” is a song that takes over half its length to really get going. The bass is right up front in the mix and Cblime sings over a single acoustic guitar with minimal band interference. Once the band comes in, the song picks up and an melodic solo finishes the song on a high note.
The first half has its highpoints, but the second half shows the band really showing off their influences and talent for melody. “Unfold,” the longest song on the album, is an example of 24E showing their influences. The verses sound like something the Eagles could have written 30 years ago and the instrumental section with just bass, drums, and piano is very 70’s sounding.
“Falling Down” is the piano ballad of the album. Is it cheesy? Yeah, a little bit. Damn if 24E didn’t do a good job on it though. The piano really stands at the beginning and end of the song. Cblime really belts out those vocals and the band gets some nice backing vocals in the chorus.
The most interesting song on the second half of the record is definitely “I’ll Wait For Never.” The song is country-sounding with some Southern licks played on the guitar and emotional lyrics about a lost love. The solo on this song is not only Southern-influenced, but the best one on the album as it changes from soft to loud on the dime.
Chad “Cblime” Fergerstrom does a good job on vocals. While sounding a bit too much like Mick Jagger at times, Cblime does stand out in most of his songs with his soft-spoken way of singing. His guitar playing is good as well, mostly being a lot of the acoustic work that is present throughout From Stagger To Wind. He also plays piano on “Falling Down,” which he does a great job with.
Travis Tingley gets a chance to shine on From Stagger To Wind, and when he does, he really shows off. His guitar work is subtle, yet still exciting. While it would have been nice to see him actually let loose a bit more on the guitar, he still puts in a valuable performance.
Steve Adler's bass work is up in the mix and clearly audible. He only gets a few parts to himself to show off (“Unfold”). Brian Auer keeps the beat going, but that’s about it. He has a few fills here and there, but nothing too special.
From Stagger To Wind is a great debut for this young band. 24E shows the right mix of melody, mood, and atmosphere. Not every song is a classic, but the band seems to put 100% effort into every song. I would’ve liked to have seen more songs in the vein of “She Moves Me,” with its infectious chorus and foot tapping-riff. Fans of alternative rock who don’t mind a more moody and slower pace will find a lot to enjoy about 24E’s debut, From Stagger To Wind.
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Shipwreck Island Interview with Chad Fergerstrom
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24E, the 4 man rock band from California has built a following not only on the local level but natio...24E, the 4 man rock band from California has built a following not only on the local level but nationally and internationally. 2003's "Dirt Love Songs" put 24E on the rock map and they haven't looked back since. As the year rolls on, the band has announced a new full length studio album will be released. "From Stagger To Wind" will be 24E's first album since their 2005 live release "Live From Jupiter". Recently lead vocalist Chad "cblime" Fergerstrom took time out to talk with us about the history of the band, meanings behind a few songs, what is to come from the new album and much more!
Island: Right out of the gate, a little band history. In 2001, 24E came to life through members Chad & Bryan. But in 2003 two additional members were added to the band and thus the "Dirt Love Songs" sessions came to fruition. How did Steve and Travis get involved in this musical endeavor?
Chad: Travis and I met through a mutual friend. We, 24E, were looking for a guitar player to fill out the sound so I did not have to carry the guitar parts all on my own like I had been. We connected philosophically and musically. I think it was the next night after we had met that we got together with the whole band to jam and it was an instant fit.
Island: The "Dirt Love Songs" disc really put 24E on the map. Being that it was recorded in 2003, as you look back did this disc meet your personal expectations? Or even now, some 4 years later, do you feel something was missed on a more personal level, as if to say maybe music fans didn't pick up on a meaning that you were trying to convey?
Chad: Dirt Love Songs was recorded mostly to get the music captured with the new band line up and to use it as a demo to make some industry contacts. We liked it, so we made it available online and at shows. We were also successful and getting some industry contacts in Owen Sloane and Tom Callahan.
Island: One thing that has always caught our attention is the name of a band or artist. 24E is definitely an interesting name for a band, very mysterious. How did the name come about and what is the meaning behind it?
Chad: 24E is a prophetic term that means "The Constant State of Music". 24E is about filling the world with the sounds of music, our sounds. It is important to us to connect with people with our songs and the messages in them. Love, depth, pain and life. Forgiveness in life.
Island: The material on your MySpace page has something for everyone. There are all sorts of different emotions in the 4 tracks. One question that came up had to do with the lyrics. The tunes have a poetic sense of direction, who does most of the songwriting in the band?
Chad: I write all the lyrics, so the messages I suppose are mostly mine, although the band connects with them. I usually write the lyrics with a melody and a basic chord structure. From there it goes to the band. Sometimes Travis and I work out the arrangements and some signature guitar stuff together first but it always concludes the same, with the whole band arranging and finalizing the sounds together. I do not write out the parts I want the band to play. For me it is the chemistry that makes any good song or any good band. I want the creativity and the excellence of the guys to be seen in every song.
Island: Going hand in hand with the previous question, as you mentioned you write the basic song yourself. But does the band like to write separately or in a group environment?
Chad: I like to write the basic song by myself. It seems more productive that way, however we have written some songs together from their origin. Walk Away was a jam of the band and my lyrics and melody came last. Falling Down, Steve began and then I picked it up and it was concluded with the same band arrangement formula. I use the word formula reluctantly because I feel in creating songs there are many inspirations and ways that a song can come together. Bryan has been writing some deep stuff lyrically since our last recording, look for some of that stuff to emerge in the future.
Island: I am always interested in knowing a little bit of background information about a song or two. Are there any personal stories or meanings to share when talking about the tracks "Love Is", "Can't Let Go", and "She Moves Me"? As they all seem to have a similar under-lying theme.
Chad: Actually these 3 songs have quite different meanings. Love Is is a song about the truth and choice of love. That love is action and even if you do not "feel" it you can show the greatest love by the choices you make. These addresses the greatest love choice.
Cant Let Go is the other side of love. The depth of emotion. Being so lost in someone else that you go crazy and you think you can not live without the feeling. For me it was the title that rang in my head first. I Cant Let Go, which really means I don't want to let go and I will to everything to hold on.
She Moves Me is about inspiration itself. She is a metaphor for inspiration. It is the thing that moves people to be great and sometimes bad or even evil. The song speaks of how inspiration rushes across the stage and inspires us to play and then it contemplates weather or not the same inspiration causes a killer to kill.
Island: Now being that 24E is in the industry and signed to a label. The stress of live shows along with working on new material has to take its toll. But while reading we noticed that poetry is posted via an online blog that the band runs. Is this done to escape from the everyday chaos or just another way to get the emotions out and share things with your fans in an honest way, or both?
Chad: I think it is a bit of both. It is often to emit emotion and thoughts and ask questions about life. At the same time it is to put fresh ideas out to the fans to deepen the connection. We will put out a c.d. once a year if we are aggressive, but we can blog thoughts every day if She moves us.
I do not stress about having too much to do really. I am more concerned about spending more time doing the things we need to be doing, such as getting to those places in the country and the world where we have connected musically with fans but our tours have not taken us there yet.
Island: Each band member goes by a personal moniker via MySpace. Chad = Cblime, Travis = The Sound, Bryan = The Professor and Steve = The Energy. How did these nicknames (so to speak) come about?
Chad: My name comes from a painting that I connected with called Sublime Reality. The spelling comes from the combination of Sublime and my given name. I experienced the painting with a close friend and it connected with the moment, but I have not been able to find or see the painting since. The other names came out of a conversation the band and I were having one night. We literally went through and exercise where we each came up with a one word to describe the others and what they brought to the band. These names came from that night.
Island: In 2005 the band set out to record a live album, which is now available on iTunes. "Live From Jupiter" features 15 live tracks which was recorded in the Southern California region. This leaves the question out there that just has to be asked. With a live CD already available, any chance of a live DVD down the road?
Chad: We actually recorded a live concert this year at the Galaxy Theatre in Orange County. It has been our plan to release it with some fun extras but the editing process is not going well. I am not sure what is going to happen with that yet but I can guarantee that there will be a live DVD in the near future.
Island: It has been announced that this summer, 24E will release "From Stagger To Wind" which is a brand new studio album. What can music fans around the world expect from this upcoming release?
Chad: I love this c.d. We entrusted the producing to Rob Hoffman (Cristina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Hole, Buckcherry) for this project. I think he did a great job capturing the essence of 24E. Along with his production prowess, Rob is an amazing engineer and new how to record the rawness of who we are musically. This c.d. will be the first 24E recording to really have the chance to reach the world at another level. It contains the best of 24E up to this point in our career.
Island: With the release of "From Stagger To Wind" coming, are there any plans to go out on a full blown US tour? Or will a smaller/regional set of shows be something to focus on at that time?
Chad: We would like nothing more than to tour the U.S. and the World with this album. We may hit some of the closer cities to our Southern California base first, but California will probably not be a big part of it initially. We need to see the out of state fans. They have been waiting too long.
Island: There's one reoccurring phrase that can be found on your website as well as MySpace. The slogan "Constant State Of Music", what does this mean to the band, the music being recorded and to fans all over the world?
Chad: This is the state 24E lives in. But as I stated before, it is the future for the world. I do not know exactly what that looks like but we will all know it when it happens.
Island: As this interview comes to a close we'd like to thank you for taking the time out to talk with us. We look forward to hearing the new album soon! Are there any final thoughts, words of wisdom or anything you'd like to mention to our readers, your fans?
Chad: For us it is truly about connecting with the fans. We write the music for us and then you and that combination at the end is what it is all about. Give the music a chance and give us a chance. I promise that Whether or not we are your style, you will feel something with us that is different. Its not arrogance, its sincerity and the choice to love what we do for you.
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The Californian - Live with 24E
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When it comes to putting together an album, many bands spend months, even years, writing and recordi...When it comes to putting together an album, many bands spend months, even years, writing and recording songs that they believe will speak to their listeners. Then, some time later, it will release a live album.
Temecula-based 24E took the opposite route. First they released a raw, live recording, before heading into the studio to give fans something a little more personal.
"We're different from most bands," drummer Bryan Auer said. "We actually put out our live CD full of songs we had not yet recorded in the studio. We were connecting live with so many people that we felt the need to record something for them to have, and ended up with the magic of 'Live From Jupiter.' When we met producer Rob (Hoffman), and went in to the studio to capture many of these same songs for a much wider release and audience, he basically took what was our best, and parked it on the top floor of the same parking structure."
Unifying Canyon Lake's Bryan Auer and Steve Adler, and Temecula's Chad Fergerstrom and Travis Tingley, 24E came together through a house of worship, few fellow musician pals, and time spent working on arrangements and writing.
"I met Bryan at church," Fergerstrom said. "He and I started the band a few years back, writing and arranging songs. I met Travis through a mutual musician friend, and we hit it off immediately. I invited him to a rehearsal, and he was an instant fit for 24E. His guitar sounds and style has become a signature to the 24E sound. Steve was a friend of Bryan's from some years back, but was a close friend to 24E before becoming the bass player. Once Steve was in, we all knew that the four of us were the 24E."
24E plays Friday at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, along with Stan Ridgway, and the Relatives. Doors open at 6 p.m and the show starts at 8 p.m. The show is open to all ages.
"What ultimately makes 24E's sound unique is the chemistry between the four of us," Fergerstrom said. "I believe you can put great musicians together in all kinds of line-ups, but only once in awhile will you get the right group of people who, when they play together, there is something different and unique found. I think 24E is one of those bands and that is rooted in the depth of our friendship, which transcends even the music."
The music which they are talking about, of course, is something that has caught the ear of listeners both locally and nationally. But their sound doesn't just appeal to the layman; it has also caught the attention of Hoffman, who worked with them on their 2007 album "From Stagger To Wind."
"The coolest thing about working with (Hoffman) was seeing him get excited about our songs," Auer said. "In essence, it was a recording session that was like several continuous days of that caliber of experience validating the songs and efforts of 24E."
Working with Hoffman could have been an intimidating experience, as well, considering the big names that he has worked with in the past, but the gentlemen of 24E took each day in stride. They attempted to soak up as much knowledge and information about the recording process as they possibly could and viewed Hoffman as more of an inspiration than anything else.
"Rob absolutely brought life to the music," Fergerstrom said. "He was an inspiration, as was the environment of his studio. While it was cool to see the platinum records of Michael Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Quincy Jones, and even The Temptations on the wall as we created the album, it also felt like we belonged there. That we were no longer just an aspiring band, but a band who had somewhat arrived to a place of fitting in with the big boys. We do not take that lightly. We want to earn our place, whatever it is, everyday."
The fact that they've snagged a show at The Coach House proves to them that they are managing to earn their place in the music world. While 24E have played this particular venue in the past, opening for artists such as The Alarm and The Rembrandt's and even having performers Fiction Plane, along with Sting's son, Joe Sumner, open for them on occasion, they still want to ensure that they put on a great show for attendants. And they have already begun the process of gearing up for a great show by contemplating their typical 24E ritual.
"Picking out the song list is somewhat of a ritual for us," Auer said. "It is fun to put together what we are going to present to the fans. It is a cool process with 24E. The stale chips and salsa in the dressing room of The Coach House is always a hit as well."
Song lists and stale chips aside, 24E, who credit artists The Beatles, The Police, Coldplay, and John Mayer, among others, as influences, believe that speaking to the crowd on a personal level, whether through song or from the heart, is something that makes live performances that much more special.
"What I say to the crowd really varies from show to show," Fergerstrom said. "I am not one to have planned things to say during the show. I try to relay what is in my heart, but most of the time it's all in the songs."
And, at the end of the day, according to 24E, everything it does is for the fans, and those who have supported it as they've strived for greatness.
"We really appreciate the fans and people who have believed in us, and encouraged us," Fergerstrom said. "In many ways, we want to break out for them. I know so many of our fans would love to see us grow in popularity, just as much as we would. They are truly behind us, and for that we are forever grateful."
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At Home Publications Review FSTW
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24E’s From Stagger to Wind harkens back to the days when true pop rock dominated the radio waves, ba...24E’s From Stagger to Wind harkens back to the days when true pop rock dominated the radio waves, back to when people weren’t afraid to like the more accessible brand of rock music. In other words, it could seemingly transcend radio stations, meaning any type of station today could presumably pick this record up and slide it right into their playlist.
She Moves Me is probably the best track that 24E could’ve picked to lead this record off. It is the lead-off batter in the batting order that is From Stagger to Wind, and is the poster child for the entire record. It reminds me of mid-90’s radio-friendly rock like that of Matchbox 20, Counting Crows or Live; clear, crisp cymbals, noticeable clean guitar tones and front and center vocals. 24E can write a good hook, and that is a talent that definitely shines through above all. Love Is and Can’t Let Go have some of the better hooks of the record, and From Swagger to Wind’s guitars don’t get much better than the fret work on Unfold.
The pianos are wonderful; the vast majority of the guitars are rich and affluent, while the vocals laid atop that musical bed by Chad Fergerstrom are lush. The musicianship isn’t lacking anywhere on the record, and 24E’s musical bouquet so the speak is what you would want and expect from some pop-rockers.
From Stagger to Wind is the type of record that your girlfriend will fall in love with, and when she isn’t looking, you can rock out to bit too.
All in all, this is a pretty easy record to listen to.
Rocks like….Matchbox 20, Another Big Machine, Sixpence None the Richer, Sugar Ray, The Wallflowers
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Can't Let Go Top 5 Finalist
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24E's "CAN'T LET GO GO" was one of the Top 5 Songs at Songwriter Universe's monthly songwriting cont...24E's "CAN'T LET GO GO" was one of the Top 5 Songs at Songwriter Universe's monthly songwriting contest.
There were several hundred entries and this is a great honor that our song was selected.
Check it out at ... http://songwriteruniverse.com/contestwinner67-123.htm.
This could open up some more opportunities.
SongwriterUniverse & SingerUniverse creator/President Dale Kawashima has an extensive background as President of major publishing companies, as a label A&R Executive, as an Independent Music Publisher, and as a Music Critic/Journalist/Editor. He has enjoyed success in the pop, rock, R&B and country fields. In addition to discovering and developing new talent as an A&R exec, Kawashima as a music publisher has supervised and represented many of the world's top catalogs, including the songs of the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Prince, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Little Richard, Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager, and Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly. He has worked as an executive at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Irving Azoff's Giant Records, Mercury Records, and Jobete Music (the publishing division of Motown Records).
supersonic
