Native

Made of Chalk: Native "Coin Toss" the 1st of 3 live videos from Chicago

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:40:37 -0400

Sargent House has taken over Made Of Chalk all this month with 9 live video premieres coming including three from Native. Here is the first of the Native videos - “Coin Toss” featuring a nice Dave Summers cameo. Shot live in Chicago at Beat Kitchen. Big thanks to Made of Chalk for making these.

SPREAD: Retrospective Deconstruction Feature - Native

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:35:49 -0400

I have to review my favorite song performed by Native on March 25th, 2013, in Montreal at L’Escogriffe. This favorite Montreal dive bar, at first, seemed like a peculiar location to film a killer video, but it became clear this was home. The vibe and lighting accompanied Native‘s tension and rebellious attitude. These cats were so real and nice to the Spread crew, I was blown away. Also, the connection between them and another band close to my heart, Tomorrow, St. Peter, was too big to ignore, having played together at the Straight Edge Coalition‘s loft in Sweden. I found myself analyzing every piece of music as if it would save my tired soul. Watch the video before you read, so you really get how big this is. I promise to deconstruct this song and the writing approach just for you guys. The recipe behind the production of this timeless and perfect track. It was not by chance, nor was it a fluke, but masters at play.

Is it just me or are these crazy bastards playing to the tempo of children playing and other vocal samples. I’ve only seen this type of thing in Powerviolence and it’s a style that always impresses me as a listener. It’s the rare time that I don’t know where a song is going. Playing with tempo instead of time signatures. Hmmmmmmmm…..

song has the trademark Native presence forcing forward a wall of sound with their killer cabs. The song then falls into, what I call, groove number two. It’s the point of the song, really. A great shuffle with amazingly placed accents on the open high hat, creating a triplet feel within the binary shuffling groove. Then comes the Rage inspiration hidden within the song geniuse

ly with the punches aside the groove of the shuffle, creating more bass drums and a bigger heavy progression. The first loud, straight, and forward chorus-like riff returns and the drummer does some nice triplet work on the ride using a Samba-like ride pattern that’s more broken and rock influenced.

Now, the part I really want to talk about. It is what led me to be inspired by this song, and on that evening was the last groove. The first time I heard it, I was astonished. I’ve smoked NNDMT many times, so I know what astonishing means concerning human experience and sincerity of meaning. It’s not dramatized. You really don’t understand what’s going on! Your mind is blown wide open in front of this musical circus, and they are doing what seems like inhuman musical athletics of the mind and of placement. After listening to the track some more, you realize that the last groove is the primary shuffle with awesome accents layered over the punchy Rage rhythm, leading to this insanely pro beat. You have to cut all your high hats because your almost in an over ride, but like, engineered in reverse. There is always a scared way to novelty, just like Nassim Haramien‘s theory.

My point is for anyone who ever said that the Native guys are just a bunch of rich kids playing with pedals…suck it.

This song is so mature and has a Fusion jazz approach. No fluff as they told Spread, when we met them. Look how true it is. Words have meaning, as do symbols. Try and read between the lines and understand. It’s what Steve Wilson was recently saying to Spread about how no one engages with music anymore. Native and their fans do. It doesn’t happen by itself. Honest human contact on a biological level. This song as a musical narrative divorced from the lyrics attains that height for me. This song is for kings by kings. Play along, that’s cool, or understand and join us.

Buy albums, Support Native and L’Escogriffe! Spread it, bitches.

QCA: Live videos of two new album tracks Brass & Kissing Bridge

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:29:25 -0400

Thanks to Quiet Country Audio for having Native in for a live session. Above are two songs from the forthcoming new album out on Sargent House this Summer.

SEE FULL FEATURE AND PHOTO GALLERY HERE

SPREAD: Live Videos, Review and Interview with Native in Montreal

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:57:21 -0400

Pure, inborn, and Native, This band is heavy, trippy, and has a wide sound that melts into liquid gold. Always straight to the point, the songs capture the personality of each member at all times. This clash of egos creates an “end of the world” type of tension and depth. Just like Close to the Edge and Fragile, they are a constant, gyrating, overlapping machine that is made up of each member’s intent to try and overpower the last. This formula births the most sincere approach to playing music and really leads to a new, original, and unpredictable sound. The mixing of peculiar attitude and teasing the ones you love, only on stage. These guys are nice, polite, young, intellectual, political, and opinionated among many other things, and we love it all. The combination is an explosion of awareness. Native have started to stand up for what they believe in. Listen to the new album this summer and join the revolution. These are songs for tomorrow written before yesterday. In between the lines, that narrow channel bridging life and death. It’s the only way one can go that far and not be afraid for their life. Not even with nn-DMT, folks.

Music. The trance involved in it. We see this let go and we surrender to Native‘s live performance. We leave it all behind and embrace the inner experience we all carried yet forgot to tend to. We really enjoyed this show. It became clear to us pretty quickly that their sound cannot be contained. Five years later, Native return to their favorite Montreal venue to shed their skin and show us their souls. This was a special night and I’m glad we were able to capture it on tape.
Thanks Native for having us as a guest at your trip down memory lane. Aren’t we all looking for our purpose?

Ren Walker Sits Down to Talk with Dan and Ed of Native

SPREAD: So, everywhere I read about Native I see this word “Punk” being associated to you guys, did you set out to add a punk influence while writing music for this project? Because, I feel the anger, but I wouldn’t necessarily personally classify it as that, so I just want to know what your views are?

ED: It’s hard to say because Punk is such an ambiguous term now. The term Punk now, I think, originally was just meant to not be mainstream, it’s hard because Punk itself has been just so commercialized, you can buy a fucking Sex Pistols shirt at Target. It’s hard to say, but I guess for us, the only way I would say that we are punk, is as time goes on we have given less of a shit, I guess, about what’s going to get us big or commercial. We kind of just play what we love. I guess, that’s really the only way we can say that we sound Punk.

SPREAD: Well, I feel the attitude of Punk, but I don’t consider your music Punk at all, that’s just personally, but…I I was just curious to have your perspective.

DAN: Punk, the genre, in itself is a different entity than motivation… So maybe the motives kind of bleed through a little bit, so, I would kind of consider us Punk. If somebody asked me, who knows nothing about anything.

ED: Like, if my uncle asked me what band I’m in…

DAN: Yeah like “oh I’m just in like a Punk Rock band”, or something.

SPREAD: What was your musical journey growing up? I mean, it’s hard to imagine someone just waking up and deciding to do the kind of music you do? I want to know, what influenced you to take that path?

ED: I’m so happy that these questions are not like “How did you guys form?” I just hate those questions…Ummm, I guess for us, from the time we were young, all we ever wanted to do was be in a band. As time grew on, our styles would change a lot but as we’ve grown up, our motives behind being in a band have changed. Now it’s more than just being in a band, now it’s for a much bigger reason. We are a lot more political and socially driven. It’s a lot more and drives your sound more than just being in a band. There’s something that happens in your mid to late 20s, that you’re like, “alright, I’m tired of being poor”. So, there’s gotta be something more to life.

SPREAD: You’re on a social mission, now.

ED: More or less.

SPREAD: Yeah, I guess that’s kind of part of getting older, too…

You just wrapped up the tour with Caspian, what was the most memorable moment of that tour?

DAN: Basically, it was the best tour we’ve ever done so it’s kind of hard to pick a moment. We played some markets that you wouldn’t expect much from and we got a lot from it. It was just a real pleasant experience, the whole thing.

ED: That makes it memorable to us.

SPREAD: You were probably on “cloud nine”; I respect Caspian a lot. They seem like chill guys…

DAN: Yeah, they are hard workers and professional. They just do their thing.

ED: We couldn’t speak higher of that band, it’s been great.

SPREAD: It seems like you guys tour a lot, so, how do you handle your writing process when you’re always on the road?

ED: I like that, and that’s the funny thing – we don’t. We don’t handle it. For the last two years, we were basically on hiatus, we almost broke up. We were trying to write this next album, and were touring constantly. It was more work than any sort of expression. It basically was like the doldrums of life was just kind of taking a toll so we had to cut ourselves off from touring and the music world in general and focus on writing this album, and from now on, I feel that’ll be kind of the point anyway. Like, whenever we have down time is when we will write. You can’t multitask, we tend to put ourselves completely in one realm or the other. We can’t really split it.

SPREAD: That’s always a challenge, right, for a band?

DAN: You mentioned in that previous question about our secret, and that’s our secret. We just work hard when it’s time to write and it takes a long time. Basically, there are no secrets is the secret.

SPREAD: Is there anyone in your band who’s a total gearhead? Is there like a pedal, or something, that you just can’t live without?

ED: I think we are all gearheads. Some of us know a little more about specific things. Dan, here, is a lot more electronically saavy, but we’re all very picky. As for as for each of us, well, I use an Electro Harmonix POG for a lot of things. It broke awhile ago and so I was pretty lost without it. I got it back, and I’m pretty stoked. So I’d say that if I had a piece of gear, well or the Ampeg V4 I use those primarily for a head. So, I guess, that would be my crucials.

DAN: My friend started an amp company called Science and that’s the head I use. It’s the one piece of gear that I would never turn my back on or just leave somewhere. It’s really the only thing I truly love about our gear..oh, except for like our cabs. This guy from our hometown made all of our cabs and we take a lot of pride in those too. Janice Cabs.

Basically it’s like handmade stuff or vintage stuff, or stuff that they don’t make anymore. That’s what we use on tour. Not because of those reasons, but oddly enough…

SPREAD: Right, because the quality of sound is there.

ED: It’s more what we want.

SPREAD: We’ve read that your next anticipated album is coming out later this year and that it is expected to be a lot heavier. Can you elaborate on that and explain what’s in store for your fans?

ED: Sure. I guess if we had to label our stuff, a lot of our older stuff is a lot more technical. In the sense, especially guitar work. For the new album, I would say that the greatest difference is that we rely much more on note choice and overall mood of the song, in general. The songs are much shorter and they are much more direct. We don’t have anymore 5 minute songs or anything like that. And like I said, it’s about much more serious issues than our last couple of albums that were much more introverted, topic wise. The new album is much more extroverted. It’s in a much different place and a much different direction.

DAN: Throughout the writing process we kept saying to each other, no Bullshit. We’d get somewhere and then be kind of wondering about it, like “is this cool”? Then we’d be like, “alright, guys, no Bullshit”

ED: Yeah, like, if you’re wondering if it’s cool, then it’s not cool. It’s a lot of gut reactions. Everything we wrote on the album is a gut reaction. We wrote it and then knew that that was the part. There wasn’t any mulling it over. It was like, “it’s done”.

DAN: The album’s pretty short but there is no bullshit, there’s no filler, there’s no fluff. That was a big problem with our last album, we were just so excited to be in the studio and we ended up watering the whole thing down a little bit.

ED: Like a track of just a loop, why would anyone ever pop that on? Like “Oh, I’ve been listening to this loop for 40 seconds…” Why waste people’s time?

SPREAD: We see you as being pioneers in this new musical movement, there are a lot of players for sure, but you’re definately part of this wave going on right now. It can be a blessing sometimes and sometimes it can be a burden. So, I guess my question would be, how does it feel to live with that?

ED: It’s news to me.

DAN: That’s news to us.

ED: I don’t really think we view it that way. A lot of the bands we started with have either blown up to points where they’re like playing on really huge tours or they’re gone. Our mission is that we just wish everyone we meet the best, I’m sure we got better at some point. But, then we kind of got over it. I think that we’re just on our own plane of existence and just forging our path. If people like it, that’s wonderful, if not, that’s wonderful too.

We just don’t like to view us as being part of any sort of wave. Especially in music because waves come and go too, and you kind of want to create something that’s going to be permanent.

SPREAD: I also think if you always remain organic than you can really only ever be just what you are.

ED: We try to maintain our independence, as strongly as we can.

DAN: We’ve made a lot of mistakes so learning from those and just moving forward, I feel like that is more lasting than whatever. It’s hard to say because that’s kind of news to us.

SPREAD: It’s because, I listen to a lot of bands, I honestly scour the net and try to find these bands, and I don’t base my judgements on aything apart from the sound. You’re in common with all the bands that I enjoy. I’m just saying that I see you as part of the movement but that doesn’t mean that that my view counts for anything.

DAN: We get really excited about bands that don’t exist anymore but they were just fucking incredible.

ED:You know like Rage Against the Machine and Kill Sadie, and bands like that. All the bands we like are dead.

DAN: The ones who made the biggest impressions on us are maybe what goes into our influences and maybe that bleeds out.

All photos and videos courtesy of Ginga Takeshima.

Native tour rolls on. Don’t miss them folks and follow...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:22:26 -0400

Native tour rolls on. Don’t miss them folks and follow their instagram @nativeband for more tour picture goodness and their tour Blog HERE.

SEE ALL DATES HERE

CASPIAN & NATIVE 2013
Mar 20, 2013 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House
Mar 21, 2013 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
Mar 22, 2013 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose
Mar 23, 2013 - Buffalo, NY @ Big Orbit Soundlab
Mar 24, 2013 - Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen
NATIVE ONLY
Mar 25, 2013 - Montreal, QC @ L’escogriffe Cafe Bar
Mar 26, 2013 - Kitchener, ON @ The Jam Hole
Mar 27, 2013 - Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s
April 02, 2013 - Boston, MA @ Northeastern (Students only) w/ Russian Circles
April 5, 2013 - Urbana, IL @ Channing Murray Foundation (Skeletal Lightning Fest)

The Bay Bridged: Live Review of Native in San Francisco - Noise Pop

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:02:26 -0500

Noise Pop 2013 has come and gone, and it ended on an epically high note. Post-rock mainstays Caspian were towering and majestic, a thing of primal beauty, on Sunday night at Bottom of the Hill, but that being said, supporting act Native was the real story of the night for me, if only because I knew nothing about them going in, and they officially earned my “best new discovery” award for the whole festival.

Native hails from Indiana, plays music that is equally influenced by hardcore and post-metal, to my ears. It’s a pretty original formula, and a pretty damn thrilling one, too. It helps that the band has the chops to pull off some wicked rhythmic interplay between the bass and drums, and to lay intricately arranged guitars on top with some extremely tight starts and stops. That’s where the hardcore comes in—abrupt changes not being a common feature of the post-metal genre, which typically moves at a more glacial pace—in addition to the vocals, which were exclusively shouted in a hardcore punk snarl. Apparently Native were playing mostly new material from an album they plan to release in July, and the band told me it’s all darker than their old stuff. It’s a pretty safe bet I’ll be writing about this band again come the summer.” - see the full show review & photos here

SEE ALL NATIVE TOUR DATES HERE

Native add some more headline shows to and from tour with Caspian

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:12:00 -0500

Native have just added a few new headline shows before and after they meet up with Caspian for their tour together that starts on March 1st in Los Angeles.
Above, check out a newly posted video live from Paris of them playing a new song called “Kissing Bridge”. Stay up to date on all things Native on Instagram HERE and updates on their own tour blog HERE .

NATIVE 2013
Feb 25, 2013 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
Feb 26, 2013 - Albuquerque, NM @ The Gas Works
Feb 27, 2013 - Tempe, AZ @ Tempe Women’s Club
CASPIAN & NATIVE 2013
Mar 01, 2013 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex also w/ Junius
Mar 02, 2013 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar And Lounge
Mar 03, 2013 - San Francisco, CA @ The Bottom of the Hill
Mar 05, 2013 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza
Mar 06, 2013 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 07, 2013 - Boise, ID @ The Red Room
Mar 08, 2013 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Mar 09, 2013 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
Mar 10, 2013 - Omaha, NE @ The West Wing (No Caspian)
Mar 11, 2013 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall
Mar 12, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 7th Street Entry
Mar 13, 2013 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Mar 14, 2013 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Mar 15, 2013 - St Louis, MO @ The Firebird
Mar 16, 2013 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
Mar 18, 2013 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Mar 19, 2013 - Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar
Mar 20, 2013 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House
Mar 21, 2013 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
Mar 22, 2013 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose
Mar 23, 2013 - Buffalo, NY @ Big Orbit Soundlab
Mar 24, 2013 - Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen
NATIVE ONLY
Mar 25, 2013 - Montreal, QC @ L’escogriffe Cafe Bar
Mar 26, 2013 - Kitchener, ON @ The Jam Hole
Mar 27, 2013 - Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s
April 5, 2013 - Urbana, IL @ Channing Murray Foundation (Skeletal Lightning Fest)

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS & UPDATES HERE

Native announce Tour with Caspian

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 15:37:00 -0500

Native have just announced that they will be touring with good friends Caspian starting in Los Angeles on March 1st. We will be adding a few more shows of their own on the way so stay tuned.

SEE ALL SHOW DETAILS HERE

CASPIAN & NATIVE TOUR 2013
Mar 01, 2013 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex also w/ Junius
Mar 02, 2013 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar And Lounge
Mar 03, 2013 - San Francisco, CA @ The Bottom of the Hill
Mar 05, 2013 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza
Mar 06, 2013 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Mar 08, 2013 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Mar 09, 2013 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
Mar 11, 2013 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall
Mar 12, 2013 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 7th Street Entry
Mar 13, 2013 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Mar 14, 2013 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Mar 15, 2013 - St Louis, MO @ The Firebird
Mar 16, 2013 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
Mar 18, 2013 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Mar 19, 2013 - Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar
Mar 20, 2013 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House
Mar 21, 2013 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
Mar 22, 2013 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose
Mar 23, 2013 - Buffalo, NY @ Big Orbit Soundlab
Mar 24, 2013 - Burlington, VT @ Signal Kitchen

A Video Interview with Native from the UK

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:40:00 -0500

Dan and Ed from Native sat down with Zarif Miah from The Math Rock Blog to discuss things such as the political/social agenda of the upcoming album coming out in 2013 on Sargent House, the ever-changing ways of acquiring music, the pros and cons of digitalisation, gun control policies and much more.

Native Live Review: London UK @ Old Blue Last

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 13:29:51 -0500

The collaborative efforts of Pink Mist and Zine & Not Heard, however, put me firmly in my place on the 9th December 2012 – the date of Native‘s first ever London show to be exact, four or so years in the making. An overriding sense of gratification filled the Old Blue Last on the brisk winter’s night; each band grateful to us, the audience, for taking the time to appreciate what it is they do, whilst we thanked them with our clapping hands and wolf whistles for creating such glorious music. All three acts were so expertly selected and placed that although varied, they collectively projected a similar theme – the complexities of Suffer Like G Did paired with the relentlessness of TROPICS fusing to create a well-crafted bridge that seamlessly lead to Native…

…After opening with the intro to end all intros, ‘Backseat Crew’, Native proceeded to play strictly new material, which they apologized for on several occasions. I, however, thought that this out with the old approach was an admirable one, giving the audience a genuine insight into just how far they’ve traveled – in both a musical and literal sense – since the release of ‘Wrestling Moves’; which, for those who don’t know, was almost a whopping three years ago! Imagine how exhilarating it would be, after playing the same songs to the same people in the same places for so long, to have a new, highly developed sound and subsequent repertoire. I’d want to do nothing but share this discovery with the world. With this in mind, I think they deserved to play the majority of what they’ve been toiling over for literal years, especially to a predominantly unfamiliar audience; the ideal, unbiased recipient of the new. It’s apparent that Native have collectively been through a lot since ‘Wrestling Moves’ first graced our ears, and even more so since their inception, overcoming what was previously in their way to unlock a deeper, darker side; later creating music akin to both the likes of ‘We Delete; Erase’ and the aforementioned album, but so very different.

Having to work harder than ever before to forge what it is that defines them has evidently taken its toll on all four members, but instead of succumbing to doubt and, in turn, becoming weak, they’ve only grown stronger. It’s as if every fiber of their collective being was scrutinized, taken apart, reassessed with form and function in mind, and pieced back together; the result being an amplified version of Native‘s former self. The sheer scale of the sound they created blew me away, particularly when every instrumental aspect met head-on after the occasional, perfectly timed pause, sending an earth-shattering sonic wave across the top of close to one hundred heads. Songs were interwoven with various samples, which I liked, adding to an already apparent sense of consistency, and one of two guitarists, Ed O’Neill, contributed vocally more so than I once thought; his voice further adding to the staggering efforts of both vocalist and bassist, Bobby Markos. My understanding is that much of Native‘s new material has a deeper, social and/or political agenda, the specifics of which I’m sure will become known when their new album drops in 2013; but said samples certainly reflected this new direction.

In a way, their performance is indescribable, as nothing I ever say will amount to how it felt seeing, hearing and ultimately experiencing Native live; specifically as they are now, post-transformation and so on. As opposed to simply reciting a series of songs, they unleashed a kind of pure, unbridled energy that was far more satisfying to witness than the physical act of music being played. From Bobby Markos bellowing in a guttural fashion until red in the face, to Ed O’Neill furiously throttling the neck of his guitar in an attempt to squeeze every last note out, no stone was left unturned. Dan Evans took centre stage, so to speak, intricately tapping on his fretboard amidst a whirlwind of intertwining elements, whilst Nick Glassen, the band’s beating heart, commanded their small but formidable fleet in a calm, collected and ultimately impressive manner. I was always under the impression that their live persona was of colossal nature, but never expected them to be as impactful as they were. Combined, the four of them were quite simply an unstoppable force, and this is only the beginning; the rebirth.

Native don’t stop touring until the 22nd December, which gives you plenty of time to see them if you haven’t already.

Review by: Dean Smithers for MM - Read Full Review of all three bands here

Musical Mathematics: Retrospective - Native's Wrestling Moves

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 12:59:55 -0500

“Wrestling Moves’ is one of the most important and meaningful albums of our generation, period.”

In late 2008, Cathy Pellow of Sargent House stated, “Fuck it, we signed them – they rule.” She was, of course, talking about Native. Having built a reputation on nothing but raw, youthful vigour and a lust for shows (whenever, wherever) the Indiana-based quartetsoon drew the attention of everyone that mattered; just over a year later, their first full-length was released. In a considerably short amount of time, Native transcended the limits of their assigned genre and rose to the top of a thriving music scene. That said, ‘Wrestling Moves’, being highly developed and notably more mature than its predecessor, ‘We Delete; Erase’,1 confirmed my belief that these guys meant business. Their debut EP served its intended purpose, and outstandingly so, perfectly encapsulating a time and place specific to them; the collective energy of four young people and their friends, all on the cusp of change. When I first heard Bobby Markos proclaim, “If third times a charm, why not the fourth?” during EP opener ‘Alpacastan’ (Ed O’Neil, Dan Evans and Nick Glassen chiming in momentarily) I felt involved, regardless of geographical differences. ‘Wrestling Moves’, however, signified a greater understanding of both musical and ideological concepts; Native subsequently became something more, a vessel, so to speak, used to convey beliefs through music.

Produced by Chris Common of These Arms Are Snakes, the album sounds gargantuan, accentuating and ultimately bettering a style of music that Native can safely call their own. Its opening track, ‘Backseat Crew’, couldn’t make you feel more ready for whatever it is you’re about to do; the pounding drum urging you to contribute, whether it be with a quickened nod or the thrusting of a fist. I feel as though they, the band, are providing you with the tools necessary to start something, anything. In that sense, it represents change, functioning as a modern-day punk record of sorts. Each member evidently takes Native, for want of a better word, seriously, all of them exuding intensity when onstage, not one complying with a set of unspoken rules that govern the vast majority of their cohorts. Instead of weaving in the odd radio-friendly song, they stick to their guns and release music that has value to them; Sargent House and the creative freedom they provide obviously contributing to this sense of integrity, but primarily, it’s all Native. With this in mind, ‘Wrestling Moves’ has a well-balanced midsection, in that it features a frantic, pre-album sounding version of the band, as well as their lesser-known side; calculated and atmospheric, said side is emphasised with the use of effects, making guitars sound otherworldly and, in turn, unlike instruments. A point at which these two styles collide is during ‘Shirts and Skins’, a track that – for my teenage self – sounded futuristic, and weirdly enough, still does. The screeching, banshee-esque tones that weave in and out of a sparsely placed bassline are one of many things unique to Native. Bobby’s lyrics read like an interlinked poem (those of you familiar with his infamous piece describing their new album will know that the guy can write, and well) suffice to say, the tales told throughout ‘Wrestling Moves’ are pretty darn good. These aren’t vacuous descriptions of things that adolescent bands often succumb to uttering about – they’re focused, poignant notions albeit sometimes cryptic. In its conclusive phase, the album settles, all four members taking time to step back, reassess and mull over what has already been expressed; this, to me, is what sets ‘Wrestling Moves’ apart from ‘We Delete; Erase’. ‘Marco Polo’ succeeds in creating a kind of pure, unbridled tension that further accentuates the impact of title track, ‘Wrestling Moves’, culminating in a growly, bass-driven pit located at the very core of an ever-evolving Native.

It’s been almost three years since then, during which time the band have given next to nothing away about their sophomore effort. In theory, it’s going to be three times the album ‘Wrestling Moves’ was, which seems like an impossibility; the past, however, would suggest otherwise.

Listen to Native @ native.bandcamp.com

Native Live Video of New Track "Books On Tape"

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:03:00 -0500

Native playing a new song “Books on Tape” from their forthcoming 2013 album release. This was recorded live at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago, IL. on October 19, 2012. Native are currently on Tour in Europe - SEE ALL DATES HERE and we will be announcing very soon their March 2013 tour on the West Coast of the USA!

Thanks to Ben Clayton, Ben Hoy and Kaitlyn Manlove and Dither:The DIY Sound for their work on this video!

Native European Tour week 1 done! 4 more weeks to go. Nov 23,...

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 14:35:00 -0500

Native European Tour week 1 done! 4 more weeks to go.
Nov 23, 2012 - Linz, Austria @ Posthof
Nov 24, 2012 - Prague, Czech Republic @ K4
Nov 25, 2012 - Berlin, Germany @ Tiefgrund
Nov 26, 2012 - Hamburg, Germany @ HafenKlang
Nov 27, 2012 - Kiel, Germany @ Schaubude
Nov 28, 2012 - Kristiansand, Norway @ Haandverkeren
Nov 30, 2012 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Klara Sodra
Dec 2, 2012 - Munster, Germany @ Baracke
Dec 3, 2012 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg @ Cafe Rocas
Dec 4, 2012 - Porrentruy, Switzerland @ Galerie du sauvage
Dec 5, 2012 - Oberhausen, Germany @ Druckluft
Dec 6, 2012 - Trier, Germany @ Ex-Haus
Dec 7, 2012 - Leuven, Belgium @ Rock Cafe
Dec 8, 2012 - Brighton, UK @ Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
Dec 9, 2012 - London, UK @ The Old Blue Last
Dec 10, 2012 - Nottingham, UK @ JT Soar
Dec 11, 2012 - Leeds, UK @ The Well
Dec 12, 2012 - Dundee, SL UK @ Beat Generator Live
Dec 13, 2012 - Barrow in Furness, UK @ Sanctuary
Dec 14, 2012 - Dublin, Ireland @ The Twisted Pepper
Dec 15, 2012 - Cork, Ireland @ Fred Zepplins
Dec 16, 2012 - Sheffield, UK @ The South Sea
Dec 17, 2012 - Cardiff, UK @ Buffalo Bar
Dec 18, 2012 - Southampton, UK @ Joiners
Dec 20, 2012 - Paris, France @ La Cantine de Belleville
Dec 21, 2012 - Merskplas, Belgium @ JH ZigZag
Dec 22, 2012 - Würzburg, Germany @ Café Cairo

SEE ALL NATIVE SHOW DETAILS

Native Finish New Album Recording and Announce First European Headline Tour 2012

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:00:00 -0400

Native are putting the finishing touches on the mixing with Greg Norman on their new full length album due out sometime in Spring of 2013 on Sargent House. They will also get back to touring with a kick off show in Chicago on October 19th before heading overseas for their first tour in every corner of Europe possible. We can’t wait for everyone to hear the enormous growth and evolution of this band and they will be playing a lot of the new music so get ready and don’t miss them when they come through your city.

NATIVE HEADLINE EU TOUR 2012

Nov 16, 2012 - Milan, Italy @ SCA
Nov 17, 2012 - Darmstadt, Germany @ Oetinger Villa
Nov 18, 2012 - Dornbirn, Austria @ Cafe Schlachthaus
Nov 19, 2012 - Graz, Austria @ Forum Stadtpark
Nov 20, 2012 - Budapest, Hungary @ Trafik
Nov 21, 2012 - Budweiss, Czech Republic @ Cafe Klub Slavie
Nov 22, 2012 - Dobeln, Germany @ Treibhaus e.v.
Nov 23, 2012 - Linz, Austria @ Posthof
Nov 24, 2012 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Bunkr Parukarka
Nov 25, 2012 - Berlin, Germany @ Tiefgrund
Nov 26, 2012 - Hamburg, Germany @ HafenKlang
Nov 27, 2012 - Kiel, Germany @ Schaubude
Nov 28, 2012 - Kristiansand, Norway @ Haandverkeren
Nov 30, 2012 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Klara Sodra
Dec 2, 2012 - Munster, Germany @ Baracke
Dec 3, 2012 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg @ Cafe Rocas
Dec 4, 2012 - Porrentruy, Switzerland @ Galerie du sauvage
Dec 5, 2012 - Oberhausen, Germany @ Druckluft
Dec 6, 2012 - Trier, Germany @ Ex-Haus
Dec 7, 2012 - Leuven, Belgium @ Rock Cafe
Dec 8, 2012 - Brighton, UK @ Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
Dec 9, 2012 - London, UK @ The Old Blue Last
Dec 10, 2012 - Nottingham, UK @ JT Soar
Dec 11, 2012 - Leeds, UK @ The Well
Dec 12, 2012 - Dundee, SL UK @ Beat Generator Live
Dec 13, 2012 - Barrow in Furness, UK @ Sanctuary
Dec 14, 2012 - Dublin, Ireland @ The Twisted Pepper
Dec 15, 2012 - Cork, Ireland @ Fred Zepplins
Dec 16, 2012 - Sheffield, UK @ The South Sea
Dec 17, 2012 - Cardiff, UK @ Buffalo Bar
Dec 18, 2012 - Southampton, UK @ Joiners
Dec 20, 2012 - Paris, France @ La Cantine de Belleville
Dec 21, 2012 - Merskplas, Belgium @ JH ZigZag
Dec 22, 2012 - Würzburg, Germany @ Café Cairo

SOME CHANGES MIGHT OCCUR CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL NATIVE SHOW DETAILS

Chicago October 19, 2012 @ Beat Kitchen

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 09:27:00 -0400

Terroreyes Exclusive: “Native Album Piece” by Bobby Markos

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:28:00 -0400

We asked Bobby Markos of Indiana based 4-piece Native to write a few words about the bands upcoming record (Dropping early 2013 via Sargent House) and told him he could write whatever he wanted. What we got a was an intimate, poetically abstract, stream of consciousness approach to the bands recording process. Without spoiling it, or interjecting my own interpretations, read what Bobby had to say below.

Bobby Markos
Native album piece

He sat in front of the building with his head buried in his hands.
The faint sound of passing traffic surrounded him from the highway sitting just south.
The scent and uncomfortable warmth in the small room where the four of them sat became
too much, so they all moved into different locations.
They all had the same question, “Why are we doing this to ourselves?”
A question never answered. There is no conceivable answer.
That night a major milestone was met. The seventh of eight compositions was completed.
As they sat in the dark and listened to what they had just written, a bleak happiness settled
onto the party of four.
Bleak because of the fatigue felt, bleak because they all knew that the same torment
would be met again in such a short time.
But for the time being triumph was here, and would linger until next Tuesday.
Each note heard took each of them back through the timeline that led to here.
Where it began, in a stuffy summer warehouse with terrible sound and rodent neighbors.
Arguments blown out of proportion by the summer heat, quickly followed by a temporary
victory: first song completed.
Winter writing where breaks were taken in the restroom, since it was the only room in the
building with heat.
A long lull where progress was missing, tensions were high, actions were made out of
spite.
A short journey that found praise and reignited a flame, only to be stifled by old habits.
Long nights spent in a gorgeous sounding apartment, where five and six were completed.
Listening for sounds across the street, going on walks to stimulate the minds.
Watching re-runs of cancelled television shows as rewards.
Up to the present day location, and past through the following weeks.
The deadline put its hands around their four necks, but it was finished.
As they drove south to capture the sounds, none of them could believe what was next.
Was it really done?
As the days slid past, they all realized it would never be truly done.
This work had taken a life of its own, and it would never allow the cover to be closed.
They sat in silence, watched the tape roll by and heard the sounds they created in a whole
new light.
A light that couldn’t be described.
A feeling that could not be accurately captured by human language.
The next session brought new hardships.
A cycle of emotions, between acceptance, hatred, happiness and acceptance.
This work will never be an open and shut case unfortunately, it will never be black and
white.
Too much has been invested, but at least there’s reassurance in that.
He laid in bed and talked to his friend from Iowa.
In response to a question, he said “There are no words.”
“I wish I could tell you about it.”

Native’s forthcoming LP will be available in 2013 via Sargent House. Stream their excellent 2010 release Wrestling Moves below.

Wrestling Moves by Native

Altar TV Live Video: Native's New Track "Books On Tape"

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 18:11:22 -0400

Native is a four piece band from Indiana with one of the coolest/weirdest sounds in recent memory. It’s heavy and aggressive and discordant but the members of Native are also absurdly proficient from instrument to instrument, so it makes for a pretty awesome combination of technicality and slush. A new album is due out sometime in 2013 on Sargent House and “Books On Tape” is our first look at it, live at The Altar Bar.

Live from Pittsburgh

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:51:00 -0400

Native performing a new song off of their upcoming 2012 album. Taken in Pittsburgh, PA at The Smiling Moose. Filmed by David Summers

Native announce East Coast shows with narrows

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:31:00 -0500

Native will be supporting Narrows on two of their East Coast shows as well as playing two of their own shows in Pittsburgh and Purchase with locals to be announced.

March 7th Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop w/ Narrows
March 8th Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie w/ Narrows
March 9th Purchase, NY @ SUNY Purchase *FREE SHOW*
March 10th Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose

Native Announce Shows & Tour with Thursday, Maylene And The Sons of Disaster & Zechs Marquise

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:58:00 -0400

Native will be joining Thursday, Maylene And The Sons of Disaster & Zechs Marquise for some tour dates this winter. Below are those dates as well as a few others shows which have different lineups most with Look Mexico. Click on the links for the exact lineups for each show.

NATIVE LIVE
Oct 27 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room
Oct 30 - Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic
Oct 31 - Orlando, FL @ Stardust Lounge
Nov 01 - Ybor City, FL @ The Crowbar
Nov 03 - Athens, GA @ Caledonia Lounge w/ Tera Melos
Nov 04 - Nashville, TN @ Little Hamilton Collective
Nov 05 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Hoosier Dome

Thursday, Maylene & The Sons of Disaster, Zechs Marquise, Native Shows
Nov 23 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Nov 25 - Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
Nov 26 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar // Early show Big Lineup
Nov 27 - Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
Nov 28 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
Nov 29 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups (native only)
Nov 30 - Atlanta, GA @ The Loft
Dec 01 - Cincinatti, OH @ 20th Century Theater
Dec 02 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Dec 03 - Detroit, MI @ The Eagle