"single-handedly bringing something gritty back
to our local music scene"
- SOUNDCHECK MAGAZINE
"muscular, driving guitar hooks,"
HEAD FIRST will leave you "brain damaged"
- ALARM MAGAZINE
"a visceral attack," "pogo- worthy"
- AUSTIN CHRONICLE
"fierce" - "exactly what I needed today, a kick in the ass!"
- COVERT CURIOSITY
to our local music scene"
- SOUNDCHECK MAGAZINE
"muscular, driving guitar hooks,"
HEAD FIRST will leave you "brain damaged"
- ALARM MAGAZINE
"a visceral attack," "pogo- worthy"
- AUSTIN CHRONICLE
"fierce" - "exactly what I needed today, a kick in the ass!"
- COVERT CURIOSITY
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ONE SHEET
MISPRINT MAGAZINE REVIEW
AUSTIN CHRONICLE REVIEW :
August 3,2007
7 and 7 Is:
By Austin Powell
...Aliens have had a textbook career thus far. Their debut EP, hand-numbered through
315, is a raw and unnerving three-song set Live at CBGB, with guitarist and vocalist
Blake Sandberg backed only by the beats of DJ High Priest. With two drummers in tow,
the local crew's new single "Committed to Wind" b/w "Stow Away," recorded at
Memphis's Sun Studios and issued on green vinyl, is equally unnerving, a visceral
attack on pop culture. Both spin at 45 rpm for Austin's Misc. Music.
August 3,2007
7 and 7 Is:
By Austin Powell
...Aliens have had a textbook career thus far. Their debut EP, hand-numbered through
315, is a raw and unnerving three-song set Live at CBGB, with guitarist and vocalist
Blake Sandberg backed only by the beats of DJ High Priest. With two drummers in tow,
the local crew's new single "Committed to Wind" b/w "Stow Away," recorded at
Memphis's Sun Studios and issued on green vinyl, is equally unnerving, a visceral
attack on pop culture. Both spin at 45 rpm for Austin's Misc. Music.
ALARM MAGAZINE REVIEW :
Aliens: Head First
December 12, 2007
The cover art to Aliens’ album Head First is an apt visual description of their music.
Much like the doomed diver smacking her head against the board, listeners may
feel a little brain damaged after listening to this album.
Not to be confused with the Scottish group of ex-Beta Band members, this
extraterrestrial band hails from Austin, Texas and is essentially Blake Sandberg on
guitar and vocals surrounded by a rotating cast of drummers and an occasional
drum machine...
Looking beyond the drums, you will find the album’s saving grace in muscular,
driving guitar hooks. Sandberg’s style owes a lot to Kurt Cobain, both lyrically and
from a guitar standpoint.
Sandberg screams vocal patterns into oblivion such as on “Moving Parts,” where he
belts out lines like “Label me,” “You tell me,” and “Can’t control me” with the same
emphasis and cadence. The song is a highlight and one of the successful drum
machine/live drummer pairings...
- Nate Daly
ALARM MAGAZINE
Aliens: Head First
December 12, 2007
The cover art to Aliens’ album Head First is an apt visual description of their music.
Much like the doomed diver smacking her head against the board, listeners may
feel a little brain damaged after listening to this album.
Not to be confused with the Scottish group of ex-Beta Band members, this
extraterrestrial band hails from Austin, Texas and is essentially Blake Sandberg on
guitar and vocals surrounded by a rotating cast of drummers and an occasional
drum machine...
Looking beyond the drums, you will find the album’s saving grace in muscular,
driving guitar hooks. Sandberg’s style owes a lot to Kurt Cobain, both lyrically and
from a guitar standpoint.
Sandberg screams vocal patterns into oblivion such as on “Moving Parts,” where he
belts out lines like “Label me,” “You tell me,” and “Can’t control me” with the same
emphasis and cadence. The song is a highlight and one of the successful drum
machine/live drummer pairings...
- Nate Daly
ALARM MAGAZINE
SOUNDCHECK MAGAZINE REVIEW:
ALIENS
Head First
Misc. Music
January 8th, 2008
Aliens is tough to label, probably in part because Blake and Ed—the guitar-and-drum duo
that comprises the band, and who apparently prefer to use their first names only—have
made it their mission to be. Not to be confused with The Beta Band offshoot The Aliens,
Austin’s own Aliens (note the lack of the “The”, as this will be important in tracking
inevitable lawsuits later) might just be single-handedly bringing something gritty back to
our local music scene that we’ve been sorely missing. Sometimes they sound like
Helmet, sometimes Blake sounds like Thurston Moore or even “It’s the End of the World
as We Know It”-era Michael Stipe, and sometimes they just sound like sheer,
unadulterated noise.
Any time a two-person band manages such a noisy sound, the band needs to be watched
and possibly reckoned with. Though Head First is their debut, Aliens has already
garnered attention from local, longstanding rock bands. They have played at CBGB’s and
have somehow made songs like “Committed to Wind” and “Moving Parts” seem slightly
familiar. Despite being young and fairly scruffy compared to the skinny jeansed, carefully-
coiffed hipster bands lurking around town, they’ve made pins and t-shirts and an early
gaggle of fans. All of this means that someday, if you’re any kind of savvy music
consumer, you can point to your record shelf, hold up the simple, bright album cover that
depicts a swimmer clonking her head on a diving board, and say, “Look, I’ve got Aliens’
first album.” You will thus impress the pants off your unsuspecting guest.
-Dina Guidubaldi
SOUNDCHECK
ALIENS
Head First
Misc. Music
January 8th, 2008
Aliens is tough to label, probably in part because Blake and Ed—the guitar-and-drum duo
that comprises the band, and who apparently prefer to use their first names only—have
made it their mission to be. Not to be confused with The Beta Band offshoot The Aliens,
Austin’s own Aliens (note the lack of the “The”, as this will be important in tracking
inevitable lawsuits later) might just be single-handedly bringing something gritty back to
our local music scene that we’ve been sorely missing. Sometimes they sound like
Helmet, sometimes Blake sounds like Thurston Moore or even “It’s the End of the World
as We Know It”-era Michael Stipe, and sometimes they just sound like sheer,
unadulterated noise.
Any time a two-person band manages such a noisy sound, the band needs to be watched
and possibly reckoned with. Though Head First is their debut, Aliens has already
garnered attention from local, longstanding rock bands. They have played at CBGB’s and
have somehow made songs like “Committed to Wind” and “Moving Parts” seem slightly
familiar. Despite being young and fairly scruffy compared to the skinny jeansed, carefully-
coiffed hipster bands lurking around town, they’ve made pins and t-shirts and an early
gaggle of fans. All of this means that someday, if you’re any kind of savvy music
consumer, you can point to your record shelf, hold up the simple, bright album cover that
depicts a swimmer clonking her head on a diving board, and say, “Look, I’ve got Aliens’
first album.” You will thus impress the pants off your unsuspecting guest.
-Dina Guidubaldi
SOUNDCHECK
NEW:
NEW:
SIDE ONE : TRACK ONE
ALIENS Song: "Stow Away" Album : "Head First"
I got this CD to review a few months ago, thinking I'd have to sharpen my critical teeth, but I ended up liking it quite a bit.
It shows a different side of Austin, specifically the side that sounds like R. E. M. and Dinosaur Jr. in a blender. Aliens
main-man Blake Sandberg runs Misc. Music here in Austin, which also carries Jad Fair (of Half Japanese), so it's safe
to say he knows a thing or two about making good original music. While this song does sound like a toss back to a
harder R. E. M., the rest of the album ventures into new areas of rock which will hopefully be expanded on soon.
Aliens are about to embark on a tour all over the US.
I suggest you catch them if they come through your town.
SIDE ONE : TRACK ONE
ALIENS Song: "Stow Away" Album : "Head First"
I got this CD to review a few months ago, thinking I'd have to sharpen my critical teeth, but I ended up liking it quite a bit.
It shows a different side of Austin, specifically the side that sounds like R. E. M. and Dinosaur Jr. in a blender. Aliens
main-man Blake Sandberg runs Misc. Music here in Austin, which also carries Jad Fair (of Half Japanese), so it's safe
to say he knows a thing or two about making good original music. While this song does sound like a toss back to a
harder R. E. M., the rest of the album ventures into new areas of rock which will hopefully be expanded on soon.
Aliens are about to embark on a tour all over the US.
I suggest you catch them if they come through your town.
SIDE ONE : TRACK ONE
AUSTIN SOUND REVIEW :
Aliens – Committed to Wind CD(Misc. Music)
The first release from new Austin label Misc. Music is an adequate enough
representation of their self-described “dysfunctional music.” Aliens is a guitar in
search of a band to fill out the pounding punk sound, but said guitar manages to kick
up a decent amount of ruckus through loops and some help on drums. Lead singer
Blake’s vocals seem to take cues more from 90’s alternative than punk, with the lead
single “Committed to Wind” especially seeming to move around any number of the
prototypical early 90’s radio rockers right before their break. But if the singing is
blurring those lines, it’s a credit to Aliens that they inject some lo-fi skuzzy energy and
urgency back into the genre. Their true sound is best represented on the three live
cuts from a 2005 show at CBGB. On “Reflex Motor” Blake yells out harsh mantras
across rusty guitar riffs while DJ High Priest works the turntables and drum loops in the
back with his own “High Priest Breakdown.” And “Watch and Learn” swirls ferociously
with a drawn out apathetic howl and intermittent bark of “God damn it anyhow,” a sound
that would work well on a bill with another local punk duo, “Shoot for the Stars…and Kill
Them.” If Aliens can match that live punk force on their studio tracks, maintaining the
raw energy with more polished recording, they just might kill a few stars themselves.
Aliens – Committed to Wind CD(Misc. Music)
The first release from new Austin label Misc. Music is an adequate enough
representation of their self-described “dysfunctional music.” Aliens is a guitar in
search of a band to fill out the pounding punk sound, but said guitar manages to kick
up a decent amount of ruckus through loops and some help on drums. Lead singer
Blake’s vocals seem to take cues more from 90’s alternative than punk, with the lead
single “Committed to Wind” especially seeming to move around any number of the
prototypical early 90’s radio rockers right before their break. But if the singing is
blurring those lines, it’s a credit to Aliens that they inject some lo-fi skuzzy energy and
urgency back into the genre. Their true sound is best represented on the three live
cuts from a 2005 show at CBGB. On “Reflex Motor” Blake yells out harsh mantras
across rusty guitar riffs while DJ High Priest works the turntables and drum loops in the
back with his own “High Priest Breakdown.” And “Watch and Learn” swirls ferociously
with a drawn out apathetic howl and intermittent bark of “God damn it anyhow,” a sound
that would work well on a bill with another local punk duo, “Shoot for the Stars…and Kill
Them.” If Aliens can match that live punk force on their studio tracks, maintaining the
raw energy with more polished recording, they just might kill a few stars themselves.
COVERT CURIOSITY REVIEWS:
ALIENS Head First January 28th, 2008
I'm feeling a bit lost today. It's almost like the two sides of my brain are fighting against
each other. Most of the time my Mondays are slow and casual, but this one has been
weird and oddly hectic. I feel disoriented. Maybe if I push some noise between both ears
at high volume I can force the two sides of my brain to work in unison. I am compelled to
put on the debut album from Aliens, a local guitar/drum duo. I have had it for weeks but
haven't gotten all the way through it yet. Perhaps they can show me how to relieve this
overwhelming sense of disequilibrium. They are Aliens, after all.
I put their record on, and it is loud. Loud is good on a day like this. Louder. It sounds
angry, yet rational. It sounds desperate, yet focused. It is direct, with no frills. It is raw and
gritty. It borders on being fierce, like the soundtrack to a fistfight between friends. It is
exactly what I needed today, a kick in the ass. As soon as it stops, I begin dazing off
again. Better start it over from the beginning….
- MR. CURIOSITY / COVERT CURIOSITY BLOG
ALIENS Head First January 28th, 2008
I'm feeling a bit lost today. It's almost like the two sides of my brain are fighting against
each other. Most of the time my Mondays are slow and casual, but this one has been
weird and oddly hectic. I feel disoriented. Maybe if I push some noise between both ears
at high volume I can force the two sides of my brain to work in unison. I am compelled to
put on the debut album from Aliens, a local guitar/drum duo. I have had it for weeks but
haven't gotten all the way through it yet. Perhaps they can show me how to relieve this
overwhelming sense of disequilibrium. They are Aliens, after all.
I put their record on, and it is loud. Loud is good on a day like this. Louder. It sounds
angry, yet rational. It sounds desperate, yet focused. It is direct, with no frills. It is raw and
gritty. It borders on being fierce, like the soundtrack to a fistfight between friends. It is
exactly what I needed today, a kick in the ass. As soon as it stops, I begin dazing off
again. Better start it over from the beginning….
- MR. CURIOSITY / COVERT CURIOSITY BLOG
ALIENS
BIO:
ALIENS is an underground band started by Blake Sandberg in New York then relocated to his
birthplace city of Austin, Texas. The concept was a stripped down to bare essentials punk
band. As Blake calls it, "ALL HOOK." ALIENS began as a two-piece guitar and drum group.
Later a bassist was added, then both were replaced by a drum machine. Here Tamaki Ui,
veteran drummer recording with John Spencer and on tour with New Kingdom, began playing
with Blake over the drum machine. Followed by local Austinite, Raanen (Bozzio) son of Terry
Bozzio. Recently Blake, Tamaki, Ed Warga, and Raanen have recorded the bulk of ALIENS
first album with guest drummer Hunt Sales (Iggy Pop, Tin Machine) contributing on three songs.
ALIENS debut album, HEAD FIRST was released on MISC. MUSIC label on November 16th..
ALIENS tour the US this summer!
BLAKE: Guitars / Vocals / Noises
PHILL: Drums
TAM: Drums
HUNT: Drums
RAANEN: Drums
ED: Drums
WEB: www.aliensmusic.com
EMAIL: alienist@aliensmusic.com
DISCOGRAPHY:
ALIENS "HEAD FIRST" LP/CD NOV 2007
ALIENS "DON'T PANIC" LIVE at CBGB 7" MARCH 2007
ALIENS "Committed To Wind"/ "Stow Away" 7" recorded at SUN STUDIOS FEB 2007
ALIENS “ENJOY KILLING TIME” appears on the MISC. MUSIC SAMPLER 2007
ALIENS Self titled CD/EP DEC 2006
SHORT VERSION:
ALIENS is a modernized punk/rock band pounding out songs, distorted guitars over
multiplied drum beats. Sometimes utilizing a transistor drum machine, loops,
prerecorded materials, and turntables. At the nucleus is guitar based riff rock / punk
rock / independent / other / schitzoid / mutant / rock and roll hybrid music.
ALIENS
PO BOX 685314 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78735
BIO:
ALIENS is an underground band started by Blake Sandberg in New York then relocated to his
birthplace city of Austin, Texas. The concept was a stripped down to bare essentials punk
band. As Blake calls it, "ALL HOOK." ALIENS began as a two-piece guitar and drum group.
Later a bassist was added, then both were replaced by a drum machine. Here Tamaki Ui,
veteran drummer recording with John Spencer and on tour with New Kingdom, began playing
with Blake over the drum machine. Followed by local Austinite, Raanen (Bozzio) son of Terry
Bozzio. Recently Blake, Tamaki, Ed Warga, and Raanen have recorded the bulk of ALIENS
first album with guest drummer Hunt Sales (Iggy Pop, Tin Machine) contributing on three songs.
ALIENS debut album, HEAD FIRST was released on MISC. MUSIC label on November 16th..
ALIENS tour the US this summer!
BLAKE: Guitars / Vocals / Noises
PHILL: Drums
TAM: Drums
HUNT: Drums
RAANEN: Drums
ED: Drums
WEB: www.aliensmusic.com
EMAIL: alienist@aliensmusic.com
DISCOGRAPHY:
ALIENS "HEAD FIRST" LP/CD NOV 2007
ALIENS "DON'T PANIC" LIVE at CBGB 7" MARCH 2007
ALIENS "Committed To Wind"/ "Stow Away" 7" recorded at SUN STUDIOS FEB 2007
ALIENS “ENJOY KILLING TIME” appears on the MISC. MUSIC SAMPLER 2007
ALIENS Self titled CD/EP DEC 2006
SHORT VERSION:
ALIENS is a modernized punk/rock band pounding out songs, distorted guitars over
multiplied drum beats. Sometimes utilizing a transistor drum machine, loops,
prerecorded materials, and turntables. At the nucleus is guitar based riff rock / punk
rock / independent / other / schitzoid / mutant / rock and roll hybrid music.
ALIENS
PO BOX 685314 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78735
SOME FLYER AND POSTER ART
HEAD FIRST
"Vocals like a brick through your window
and a guitar sound to knock out the
remaining walls!"
- dB. Mayne DYSFUNCTION
and a guitar sound to knock out the
remaining walls!"
- dB. Mayne DYSFUNCTION
The Daniel Johnston cover (“Alien Mind Control”)
is a nice touch.
- TASTES LIKE CHICKEN
is a nice touch.
- TASTES LIKE CHICKEN
AUSTIN SOUND:
REVIEWS ALIENS “HEAD FIRST”
….my initial impression was that their take on Rock n’ Roll might be “out of this world”
(read: “unlistenable”). On the contrary, the music, once I actually listened to it, is anything
but. It’s an interesting mix between late 80’s radio-rock and simple punk riff-based songs.
For a more in depth analysis, I had originally constructed a story detailing, in part, a
spaceship flown by They Might Be Giants’ John Linnell who has thrown overboard the
band’s unique instrumentation in order to achieve a near-lightspeed velocity fast enough
to tear apart an unsuspecting spaceship piloted by R.E.M and built by Dinosaur Jr. with a
daring kamikaze raid. Somewhere along the way, I realized I’d been watching Wing
Commander far too often these days.
Aliens are the product of Blake Sandberg who after starting the band in New York,
relocated to Austin. Aside from Sandberg’s vocal and guitar contributions, the band
features both electronic drums, and a rotating group of drummers, including Hunt Sales
(of Iggy Pop) and Raanen Bozzio (the son of Terry Bozzio, drummer for Frank Zappa).
The album itself, the first studio LP from the group is….a fine example of the band’s
ability to expertly blend two of the most influential genres in music.
Probably the best example of this is the album’s third track, “Stow Away.” As the song
begins, a clean-channel guitar and simple bass line combined with Sandberg’s less-
than-punk vocals are almost indistinguishable from your favorite R.E.M record, but then
the chorus kicks in with heavily distorted guitars, and the drums take off leaving Peter
Buck in the dust. The punk influences are brought to bear; the simple hooks, the
feedback buildups, the excessive power chords, it’s all there.
Aside from a few exceptions, the better songs on the album are the ones that follow the
same “hybrid” concept as “Stow Away.” The more notable exceptions are “Guinea Pig”
(with Hunt Sales behind the kit) which, not surprisingly, has a more classic punk sound
complete with raw-themes (“I’m your guinea pig, try it out on me”) and “Reflex Motor”
which sees a more aggressive side of Sandberg’s vocals and a much looser structure.
Then of course there’s the last track “Alien Mind Control,” a Daniel Johnston cover that
has a truly unique blend of electronic noise and soft guitar accompaniment that segues
into an acoustic section that reads more like an afterthought than an album ending.
On a whole, the album is everything you would expect from a guy who takes his vocal
cues from They Might Be Giants' answering machine and plays guitar with all the edge of
the DIY-era rockers. And again, the best songs are the ones that stay true to the simple
but effective cross-genre combinations. …
- John Michael Cassetta “AUSTIN SOUND”
REVIEWS ALIENS “HEAD FIRST”
….my initial impression was that their take on Rock n’ Roll might be “out of this world”
(read: “unlistenable”). On the contrary, the music, once I actually listened to it, is anything
but. It’s an interesting mix between late 80’s radio-rock and simple punk riff-based songs.
For a more in depth analysis, I had originally constructed a story detailing, in part, a
spaceship flown by They Might Be Giants’ John Linnell who has thrown overboard the
band’s unique instrumentation in order to achieve a near-lightspeed velocity fast enough
to tear apart an unsuspecting spaceship piloted by R.E.M and built by Dinosaur Jr. with a
daring kamikaze raid. Somewhere along the way, I realized I’d been watching Wing
Commander far too often these days.
Aliens are the product of Blake Sandberg who after starting the band in New York,
relocated to Austin. Aside from Sandberg’s vocal and guitar contributions, the band
features both electronic drums, and a rotating group of drummers, including Hunt Sales
(of Iggy Pop) and Raanen Bozzio (the son of Terry Bozzio, drummer for Frank Zappa).
The album itself, the first studio LP from the group is….a fine example of the band’s
ability to expertly blend two of the most influential genres in music.
Probably the best example of this is the album’s third track, “Stow Away.” As the song
begins, a clean-channel guitar and simple bass line combined with Sandberg’s less-
than-punk vocals are almost indistinguishable from your favorite R.E.M record, but then
the chorus kicks in with heavily distorted guitars, and the drums take off leaving Peter
Buck in the dust. The punk influences are brought to bear; the simple hooks, the
feedback buildups, the excessive power chords, it’s all there.
Aside from a few exceptions, the better songs on the album are the ones that follow the
same “hybrid” concept as “Stow Away.” The more notable exceptions are “Guinea Pig”
(with Hunt Sales behind the kit) which, not surprisingly, has a more classic punk sound
complete with raw-themes (“I’m your guinea pig, try it out on me”) and “Reflex Motor”
which sees a more aggressive side of Sandberg’s vocals and a much looser structure.
Then of course there’s the last track “Alien Mind Control,” a Daniel Johnston cover that
has a truly unique blend of electronic noise and soft guitar accompaniment that segues
into an acoustic section that reads more like an afterthought than an album ending.
On a whole, the album is everything you would expect from a guy who takes his vocal
cues from They Might Be Giants' answering machine and plays guitar with all the edge of
the DIY-era rockers. And again, the best songs are the ones that stay true to the simple
but effective cross-genre combinations. …
- John Michael Cassetta “AUSTIN SOUND”
ALIENS have been voted the
"# 3 unsigned punk band" in the Spring 2008
issue of VERBICIDE MAGAZINE ISSUE 23
"# 3 unsigned punk band" in the Spring 2008
issue of VERBICIDE MAGAZINE ISSUE 23