blagard

Blag’ard is a two-piece guitar-drums rock band that delivers songs like Saturn 5 rockets, one after another. Joe Taylor plays a mean guitar and sings; Adam Brinson plays a mean drum-kit and sings back-up.The Blag’ard sound does not rest easy in some group or category. It is high-energy and lush, vigorous and mighty, and above all blackguardly.Blag’ard does not call home very often, but when it does it calls Chapel Hill, NC. Joe Taylor is late of the band Capsize 7 (Caroline Records – “Mephisto” 1995) which emerged from the fertile Chapel Hill scene of the mid-nineties to tour extensively and play Lollapalooza ’96 for 13 dates.Blag’ard put out an EP “Blank Faced Clocks” in late summer 2006, released on Joe’s label PZP. The disc was distributed to radio via AAM (Advanced Alternative Media), and received strongly positive reviews by antiMUSIC and many others. The song “Monk” was featured on the September edition of the Magnet Music Sampler, and KCRW in Los Angeles has played this track on at least three separate occasions (copies of the playlist available upon request). Matchbox Recordings in the UK has just agreed to release the band’s track “Friends Like You”, a snippet of this song will be available to download for your cell phone’s ringtone.Adam joined the band in the fall of ’06 after the release of “Blank Faced Clocks”, replacing Bill Buckley who got his wife pregnant.Blag’ard evokes strong reactions through masterful songwriting and high-energy delivery. Catch them if you can.Here are some reviewsReviews: Bla'gard - Black faced clocksEx-Capsize 7 member Joe Taylor is making his own music now. Although he receives some assistance from drummer Bill Buckley on the EP, Taylor is the heart and brains responsible for Blag’ard. Under this premise, the one man band’s "Blank Faced Clocks" EP is a heavy guitar-driven recording that remains edgy and raw by way of its lack of polish and spontaneity. Taylor puts an unconventional spin on the EP that works, creating catchy and unpredictable songs with lively riffs.Sounds Like: Loose, raw guitar rockKey Tracks: "Monk"~PlugInMusic.comBla'gard - Black faced clocksThis is octave heavy, mid-nineties rock and the artwork couldn't be more fitting. Straight out of Chapel Hill, Bla'gard don't play wistful alt-country or generic college rock, which the town became a hot bed for thanks to Merge records and Superchunk. Somewhere between Helmet, Bluetip and Weezer, these boys appear to be having a lot of fun with the two man band, guitar and drums set up. Sat at my desk at work today 'Black Faced Clocks' sounds awfully refreshing, when 10 years or so ago it wouldn't have. This says more about the safe fumblings of every modern rock band with an eye on the prize since the Strokes, than about the band’s concept. British band Distopia are probably doing a lot more for this (presently rather ropey) genre of Pavement fans with loud Gibson Guitars and psycho grins. On the other hand, 'Losty' is perhaps the most ostentatious lo-fi indie rock song since Urusei Yatsura called it a day. ~“Survivors”, Orlando GoodallBlag’ard – “Blank Faced Clocks’ (Pigs Zen Pace) Blag?ard are raconteurs of reductionist rock, although employing just a single guitar and drums, Guitarist Joe Taylor and drummer Adam Brinson, project a fuller sound than many of the skinny legged, mop headed indie kid bands to whose audiences they will undoubtedly appeal.I am a supporter of ?less is more?; I?d have a band with just drummers if left to my own devices, so I am attracted to this minimal set up.This five song EP peaks at track three ?Peaches In Cream?, with one of the most inventive guitar riffs I?ve heard for a while, strings like slack elastic bands distort and stagger the tempo while the drums syncopate stutteringly behind a oddly asexual vocal.There are similarities between Joe Taylor?s voice and Brian Molko of Placebo, but less whiney and with only half the mascara.This band seem to have concentrated their activities close to their Chapel Hill, NC, USA home but should they come this way they would find a ready audience for their brand of guitar based lo-fi rock. I?d check them out if they ever come near to my country retreat. -Dee Generate celebrity reviewer for Trakmarx www.trakmarx.comBLAG'ARD "Blank Faced Clocks" CD Unusually when I get stuff out of the blue like this, it's bad... but this time (at least) it's pretty impressive. Impressive and catchy. Impressive, catchy indie rock. Great sounding guitars and good vocals with some strong, desperate, but also driving lyrics. Sounds good and I am curious because there is talk that this guy is a one man thing... I cant imagine that being as good as on CD, but I would give it a shot...I imagine if some sorts of virus struck musicians, and only musicians,BLAG'ARD would be one of the survivors and replace something that has a hold on everyone now with their own brand of sonic awareness. -Shawn Abnoxious www.myspace.com/BlagardbandThere's something weird about this duo, because while I was listening to it originally it was UK indie names that were going through my mind, from The Three Johns to Diatribe, to Wedding Present and Disco Students. Not what you expect from an American duo, but then maybe Joe Taylor and Bill Buckley are unusual men. In fact it's really singing guitarist Joe, as drummer Bill was called in to help with the EP.'Monk' finds Joe yelping strongly about being the loneliest man ever, over surging backing vocals in a very simple song; so simple it's absurdly catchy. 'Losty' is friskier, with friction between the guitar chiming fast and drums being politely supportive. 'Peaches In Cream' is like apocalyptic lo-fi glam, if you can imagine crossing Placebo with Jon Spencer Blues having a breakdown? Quite the little stormer.'Friends Like You' has, “with friends lie you who need strangers?” which is a good line, over more concise, linear guitar guile, then 'Jenny G' is calmer, with stamping drums and cutely gracious guitar, over which angst-ridden melodic vocals spill out. The song staggers boldly along and starts shuddering with verve towards an audacious end, although it does get unnecessarily weird and ugly too. An unexpected thing, and quite intriguing. ~THE MICK 30, December 2006We have become so inundated with digital recording, it is very difficult to remember what music was like before quality recording became cheap, effectively moving musicians out of the raw, dungy garage. Blag'ard is a throwback. Maybe Blank Faced Clocks was recorded digitally, but Joe Taylor and Bill Buckley definitely bring the dirty, plodding, idle rock that I remember seeing with ten other androgynous individuals in Buddy Holly specs ages ago. The beer-soaked sound system weighs about 700 pounds, but only cost $75, the sound board badly needs its pots cleaned, but no one will ever care enough to clean them, and the basement floor is damp enough to shock Joe and Bill if they accidentally touch their lips to the mic. This is Blank Faced Clocks; an album designed for those who seek the hidden."Monk" is the perfect beginning to such a departure. The tempo is so retarded, and the distortion so past its proper peak, the music sounds like early metal, or early Polvo. The chorus, which asks, "Would you like to get to know the loneliest man ever", should be a mantra for this band. The loneliest band ever. The vocals sound a bit overdramatic, like Ween, but if this can be overcome, "Monk" is solid. The vocals temper a bit during "Losty", while the tempo jumps, which results in a rocking romp. This masterpiece is also where the "Blank Faced Clocks" reference is found; emblematic of where this track fits in importance to the 5-song EP.In "Peaches In Cream", there is a guitar line, full of bending strings, during the verse similar to Built to Spill. The sexuality of the lyrics, wrought with frustrating images and guilt, put this in line with Sebadoh's "Homemade". Musically, throughout the EP Blank Faced Clocksis pretty consistent. The guitars keep a solid beat, while the guitar is distorted in such a way that chords are thick to a muddy degree, though individual strings are piercing (reverb). Lyrically, the EP is a bit more dynamic, at points masked in imagery, while other moments bring simple brutality. One of the latter moments arrives on "Friends Like You", where the witty "What's not the opposite is true", is followed by the stark, "With friends like you, who needs strangers."Blag'ard is straightforward indie rock (although my RealPlayer is telling me it's Art Rock), but the stork who was sent out with this baby got sidetracked for more than a decade. Regardless of the time trap, Blag'ard is beauty in all its ugliness. ~Patrick Muldowney, ANTImusicBlag'ard - Blank Faced Clocks EP 2006 Pig Zen's Pace Blag'ard makes its home in the sludgy backwaters of indie rock, combining restrained powerchord progressions and layered vocals that foster a faint echo of glammy androgyny (at times reminiscent of Placebo's Brian Molko when Blag'ard frontman Joe Taylor rips into his upper register).The EP opens with the cascading existential refrains of "Monk," where Taylor laments his position as "the loneliest man ever" by confiding dark secrets with the listener, explaining, "My libido's the only one who cares." "Losty" picks up the pace with Taylor's ever-evolving hall-of-mirrors lyrical fumes spinning into a catchy explosion chorus, resulting in Blag'ard's most carefree and enjoyable track. The frantic string-bending merry-go-round of "Peaches In Cream" and the whimpering muted chords of "Jenny G" keep Blank Faced Clocks from ever sounding like its following in its own footsteps exactly, but the album could have benefited from some studio tinkering, or at least a little variation in guitar tone. While inspirations are sometimes mimicked (Meat Puppets, Wipers, Melvins, etc.), Blag'ard has delivered an interesting starting point that will hopefully fill out with more time and some tactfully developed creative experimentation.Best track: "Losty" ~ by Christopher J. Ewing www.onlinerock.comJoe Taylor is the mastermind behind Blag'ard, which is essentially a one-piece band. However, on Blank Faced Clocks he is assisted by the drumming skills and backing vocals of Bill Buckley. The album was recorded in North Carolina and put out by Joe's own label, Pig Zen's Pace.The rawness is ever-present throughout the 5-song EP, yet it doesn't hamper the quality or the opinion of the album. In fact, it may even be asset, setting Blag'ard apart from the pack of singer/songwriters. The beginning track 'Monk' , a well spliced, spacey piece which gives ample time to reflect on the ambient sounds. The second track 'Losty' more straight-forward rock song, showing that he can cut to the chase and just rock out. The middle piece is a great number entitled "Peaches in Cream" showing a stranger, more off-key side to the tunes, driving hard to the point that variation is a key factor on this album. "Friends Like You" is a great song, likely my favorite on the album. It showcases some nice guitar work with what is my favorite vocal line on the album when he begs the question, 'With friends like you/ who needs strangers?' The final song, 'Jenny G,' is a nice closing to the album, though pegging love-lost stereo-types.All in all, I was pleased with this album but not blown away. The potential of Joe Taylor is undeniable: the combination of his skillful guitar playing, song writing and unique vocal work are all strong assets. Hopefully Blank Faced Clocks will have enough momentum to fuel his musical passion into the horizon. ~Josh Hogan [email protected] Clocks EP (Pig Zen's Pace) Joe Taylor and Bill Buckley pull a little Flat Duo Jets duty--as in two-man guitar drum outfit, not psycho retro renovators. The songs are generally bright pop tunes, played with often frightening abandon. I love the sleek sound. Just rings with happiness. ~ Aiding and AbettingI edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4