Bravo Zulu

NEW ARTIST

The past 12 months have seen the genesis of a number of new bands, running the gamut from new projects by veterans to greenhorns ready to bathe the world in stoned-out bliss. The brainchild of Joshua Loewen (Voigt, Chatterton), The Apache 5 blasted out of the gate last fall with a set of earnest, high-gain paeans to ’60s pop rock. While the guys are rooted in the past, they crank their amps to 2011. Bravo Zulu, featuring members of dearly departed Maddy Girl and the cut*off, stomps you with enthusiastic ’90s-referencing power-pop. Igneous Grimm’s washy, atmospheric rock clouds you with reverb, occasionally piercing the sonic fog with bouncy, jazzy pop — like Side 1 of Pink Floyd’s Meddle minus the damn dog. Red Starlet, with snappy beats, angular rhythms, bluesy guitar runs, and a slinky chanteuse in front, sounds like the house band of an alternate-universe CBGBs, where Carl Pack tends bar and across the street Terry Chandler slings Fredburgers and CFS from the top of the Empire State Building. Skeleton Coast boasts a song-writing knack that betrays the members’ relative youth. Tightly structured pop hooks mingle with spacey jams in sonic textures that make you want to explore the cosmos, even if only from the comfort of your couch. –– Steve Steward

ROCK SONG OF THE YEAR

Tough choice, voters. The Missile Men’s “Big Fan” is a heaping helping of rocking New Wave sans synths. Bravo Zulu’s “California” is a groovy Jane’s Addiction-ish trip down Sunset Boulevard. “Knife Fight” is just one of a half-dozen hits on Calhoun’s remarkable Heavy Sugar. The Foxymorons’ “Out of Control” conjures up the heavy-but-clean-guitar-rocking and hooky spirit of Soul Asylum. EPIC RUINS’ “Child and Cobra” revolves around a honking riff that marshals the power of guitar, bass, drums, and sax. And perhaps the most fun you’ll have between the ears all year is Sally Majestic’s hard-rocking yet spunky and jungle-poppy “Brand New Hat.” –– A.M.


- Fort Worth Weekly

Our 14th or 15th Annual Fort Worth Weekly Music Awards are right around the corner. The ballot will be published online and in print on May 25, and voting will end on the day of the free 50-band festival, Sun., Jun. 26. As usual, the ballot was created from nominations from local club owners, producers, booking agents, media types, and other members of the local music cognoscenti. The 2011 ballot will include several new categories, including best bassist, best drummer, and best guitarist. Adding categories means more nominees, which, in turn, means more festival performers. Two venues, The Grotto and Magnolia Motor Lounge, have been added, giving us eight in all. Lola's patio was packed for the 2010 Music Awards Festival.The other venues are holdovers from last year: The Backyard at Capital Bar, Fred’s Texas Café, Lola’s Saloon, Poag Mahone’s, The Pour House, and 7th Haven. Last year, with six venues and 36 bands, nearly 7,000 people spent the day with us. We expect even more foot traffic for the 2011 event. Artists confirmed to perform include Calhoun, The Burning Hotels, The Orbans, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Spoonfed Tribe, Josh Weathers and the True+Endeavors, Quaker City Night Hawks, American Idol semifinalist Tim Halperin, The Cush, Stella Rose, Pinkish Black, Fate Lions, The Hanna Barbarians, KatsüK, Holy Moly, Luke Wade & No Civilians, Chatterton’s Kevin Aldridge, Clint Niosi, Sean Russell, Phantom Caste, Titanmoon, Dru B Shinin’, JJ & The Rogues, Stoogeaphilia, Beauxregard, Alan, Pablo & The Hemphill 7, Bravo Zulu, The Spiral Sound, Jefferson Colby, Villain Vanguard, The Hendersons, and Derek Larson & The Leavers. Yes, every band is from Greater Fort Worth. The rest of the lineup will be announced soon. About a week before the festival, copies of our annual Music Awards compilation CD will be available for sale –– all proceeds will benefit a local charity. The 2011 version of Live in Studio will feature music from select nominees, including Quaker City Night Hawks, The Hanna Barbarians, Stella Rose, Fate Lions, The Cush, Luke Wade, My Wooden Leg, Telegraph Canyon’s Chris Johnson and Tamara Brown, The Hendersons, Bravo Zulu, The Spiral Sound, Derek Larson & The Leavers, and others. Tracks will be laid down at Eagle Audio Recording on Sat., May 21, and Sun., May 22. To be a part of the studio audience on the day of your choice –– and to partake in the free beer and snacks that we provide –– e-mail me at hearsay@fwweekly.com with the correct answer to the following trivia question: Which Matt –– Hembree or Mabe –– is in more bands? (If you are affiliated with the Weekly, please do not respond. You’re already invited.) If you can name all the bands of the Matts in question, you can attend both days. The fifth e-mailer with the correct answer will win admission for two. Put “Matt Attack” in the subject line. … As the Weekly does every year around Music Awards time, we will induct another class of legends into the Fort Worth Music Hall of Fame, a metaphoric institution dedicated to 817-born or -raised musicians who’ve had an impact on the national consciousness. Hall of Famers include Stephen Bruton, Robert Ealey, Ornette Coleman, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Doug Ferguson, Q.T. Tubb, and many more. Members of the 2011 class will be announced on the day the ballot is published.
- Fort Worth Weekly

Slowly but surely, the pieces are being picked up. The early part of 2010 played host to a bloodbath of epic proportions as one DFW band after another called it a day. Foe Destroyer, which is all of Oso Closo but frontman Adrian Hulet, has been steadily gigging around town; ex-Odis guitarist Rob Bastien has reportedly joined Ishi's ranks and now, Fort Worth's Bravo Zulu, which counts ex-Cut*off bassist Chad Sones among its members, has formed.

Bravo Zulu's live debut is July 17 at Lola's Saloon Sixth, with an as-yet-undetermined band.

"The other two guys in the band are brothers Leonard Schilling (guitar and vocals) and Steven Schilling (drums)," says Sones. "They had a really good band around ’97-00 called Matty Girl that I was a big fan of. Matty Girl became a Wreck Room staple and had a bit of a local following before Leonard left the area to attend law school."

The band came together in slightly roundabout fashion, as Sones originally contacted Steven Schilling to see if he was available to fill a vacancy in the Cut*off. Once the Cut*off crumbled, however, the tables turned and Sones was enlisted to start a brand new outfit.

"Great timing for me as I would have become very anxious just sitting around and not having a band to play in," says Sones. "We’ve been practicing a little over a month now and I’m pretty excited about our show next month. We’re hoping it’s received well as we plan on hitting the local scene pretty hard over the next few months."
- dfw.com