Carol Blaze

An interesting dark rock CD. Very well produced with dark tones. Brings to mind Voltaire
(Projekt Records). The songs vary from low fi rock to semi-electronic rock. It could be
compared to a cleaned up Bauhaus mixed with New Order. Track 8, I Believe in the Sun,
is probably the best track. Track 10, The River is Low, is also a great moody rock track
with the music almost like Trance to the Sun, in a lower intensity. Track 11, Summer Disconnection,
sounds like one of those made for radio tracks, not gothic, no real edge, just
how most commercial radio songs sound. The good part about this CD is the clear moody
tracks, 8 & 11. The part that may not be all that appealing is that the songs range from
moody rock, to electronic rock, to commercial radio like something from American Idol
rock. A CD that tries to appeal to everyone. You may end up with 3 or 4 favorites you listen
to often, and others you consistantly skip. Stiill good when its good. - Darkgrave.com

In our modern day soundscape it’s becoming harder and harder to find some good ol’ psychedelia/goth/darkwave/rock. Described as the product of a confused sexual relationship between Nick Cave, The Sneaker Pimps, Bowery Electric, Tangerine Dream, Peter Gabriel, U2, and Monster Magnet, Carol Blaze is an interesting trip into the dark hallways and passages of our minds. Written and produced by A.T Vish, Carol Blaze reminds me a lot of the great shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine and Swervedriver. It’s the type of music that I enjoy listening to at night, in a dim lit room with all outside distractions shut away. It truly will create some vivid scenes in your mind’s eye if you take the time and give it a good listen.

Let’s get a sneak peek inside the mind of A.T Vish, the man behind Carol Blaze.

SN- What inspires you to write the music for Carol Blaze?

well, sometimes, nothing! but, its just what i do. my life inspires me to try to express things that i cant express in any other way but through music. sometimes i’m successful, sometimes not.

SN- It has a very dark and melodramatic feeling to it, ghostly haunting and fluid melodies can be found on many of the tunes. Does this tell your own personal story, as in a direct or some what direct reflection of your own life experiences or is it merely just the sound track to the character? (Carol Blaze is based on a fictional character ala dark goth female type -SN)

the music is my personal story, or expression of fantasy, which ever the case may be. its about all the things i’m interested in: decadence, the desert, escape, love, hope

SN- What is it like drumming for the Pittsburgh city theater and what all does that involve?

it involves a lot of discipline, a lot of compromise, and in a way, i think a lot of maturity. its such a different thing then being in a rock n roll band. but it hasreally made me a better player by putting me in unfamiliar situations. i’ve played with some genuine stars, and being accepted in that circle is pretty cool.

SN- You also do producing and run a studio. How do you view the local music scene?

well, i think ive stopped having any relevant opinion about the local music scene long ago. its mostly because, as time goes by, i dont have time to hang out like i used to. im not at every party every night, and im not at bars every night, and im not at shows every night. ive been so focused on my own music and playing that i rarely get out to see whats going on. i think in general, there is a lack of what i see as my traditional genre in town and that would be darker, psychedelic, gothy, rock…people with aesthetic. there seems to be too much “indie” stuff…too many kids with their jeans rolled up above their ankles….and wearing beards. i really only produce and record bands that i wont slit my wrists listening to for hours and hours.

SN- As an artist, what is your take on people downloading songs for free (*opens can of worms)

ive been playing, mostly for free, my whole life, except for very specific instances. people should get paid for their work. if someone wants to give their music away for free, thats their business. but kids today need to understand that music is something that took work to create. real people created it. its not just something that comes with your computer when you buy it. i think too many kids think they are entitled to get music for free. its wrong. none of my music is available for free. you can hear it for free, but not own it. am i missing out on opportunities to become famous? maybe.

SN- Do crazy thing really happen back stage or at the after parties or is this exaggerated in the minds of non musicians, like a sort of living vicarious fantasies through musicians?

well, they have all happened to me. i cant speak for anyone else.

SN- What does 2010 hold in store for your music?

uh, music for me has been an up and down thing. its just like love, and love only comes around every so often. im looking for some musicians that i can be in love with…literally. ill be doing what i always do; trying to be the best i can be, as a drummer, and trying to perfectly express some feeling inside me via sound. hopefully, ill fall in love again in 2010 and there will be a brand new, awesome band in pittsburgh to go see.

SN- Do you have any rituals, drinks, etc that you find help the creative process?

just christmas lights…

SN- If you could live and do music in any city which would it be an why?

well, it depends on what ones goals are. the place really doesnt matter if you just want to play music. but for me, any where in eastern europe is where i would currently like to live as a musician. when you see a punk rock kid in those places, it means something. my time there has just made me feel like anything is possible, musically, in places like warsaw, lodz, prague, etc. i might be romanticizing, but everything just seems so fresh and new there when it comes to art.

SN- Top ten things your into:

im really not that diverse:

li feng
christmas lights
about 15 or so bands
my 3 drum sets
friends
family
prague
krakow
cesky krumlov
the desert

SN- We also believe if you like music you should buy it. Help support the people creating it. - Social Noir

Saturday, October 10, 2009 – OldMon Music Blogspot

You can trace the Pittsburgh music scene fairly linearly, from the crooners to the jazz era to the
R&B/doo-wop bands segueing into the pop/punk sound of more recent decades.
But beyond the club bands, musical genres of all stripes have bubbled just under the mainstream
radar in the 'Burgh. Goth and industrial rock have been underground mainstays in the region, and
some strong if locally underloved experimental electronica groups have emerged.
One of the veterans of the area's side stream scene is drummer A.T. Vish.
He's played the kit for Pittsburgh bands like the 90's garage-psych Thickhead Grin, InShalla,
MACE, Una De Luna, electronica Jilted Brides, and perhaps the best-known of his groups, of
New York's Projekt label, the goth/darkwave Lowsunday.
Lowsunday was named by Alternative Press as one of the "Top 100 Bands You Need to Know
of 2002," and was featured on MTV and The Real World TV series before their breakup, when
Vish departed to work on some solo projects.
In the summer of 2003, Vish was the drummer in South Side's City Theater and Hartford Stage
production of the rock musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," starring Anthony Rapp. He also
backed Rapp during his "Without You" show that premiered at the City Theatre in 2008.
But his raison d' etre has been Carol Blaze, the collective name for his solo work.
Apart from a couple of guest vocalists, the CD "Carol Blaze" is Vish's love child, featuring a
mixture of drone, psychedelia, goth, darkwave, and rock, originally conceived as the soundtrack
to a fictional character by the same name.
Written, performed, and recorded by Vish, he claims that the tracks are "the product of a
confused sexual relationship between Nick Cave, The Sneaker Pimps, Bowery Electric,
Tangerine Dream, Peter Gabriel, U2, and Monster Magnet."
Well, we don't know about all that; the mind shudders at contemplating a sexual bond between
Sneaker Pimp and Monster Magnet. But it is an interesting sound, kind of a Bowie meets Pink
Floyd mash-up with generally bleak, gloomy undertones.
One reviewer compared it to a "cleaned up Bauhaus mixed with New Order." The songs range
from analog to darkwave to lo-fi to radio rock, quite a lot of genres to wrap one's ears around.
While the approach is an honest representation of Vish's collective musical experience, if you're
a hard-core fan of one style over another, you'll find some tracks awesome, but will pound the
"skip" button on others.
Even Vish recognizes that a melange doesn't suit everyone. So he's put together a pretty unique
sales pitch - he offers 32 different tracks at his MySpace Music site, and will customize a mixand-
match Carol Blaze CD to your liking. How's that for service?
It's also available at other e-outlets, like i-Tunes and Amazon, for the less ambitious or more
catholic listener.
Cuts from "Carol Blaze" have also been snapped up by a couple of indie film-makers, who used
its dark, foreboding tracks to evoke the right mood for their flicks.
He's just followed up 2003's "Carol Blaze" with the September release of "Soul Surrender," on
his All Terrain Vehicles label.
Vish also stays busy in his ATV recording studio. He's recorded and/or produced bands such as
Peace Project, Between the Waters, Debutante, Boxstep, The Drag Strippers, Violaria, and
Freddy Hall, among others.
So hey, remember there's life beyond the pop/punk scene in Pittsburgh. A.T. Vish is living proof. - Old Mon