I love every podcast we have done. This one was really special though. Ania is such a force of nature. Her music, her passion, and laser focus on her goals. I really feel this is the most personal and revealing conversation we have had of an artist. It felt so good how much she opened up about her life and journey. This is a future star and being able to feel the glow of her rise is a gift. As always I will link the bands we discussed as well as pictures of her dog.
Exciting new podcast with Curse Mackey of (Evil Mothers) (Pigface) (Pig) (Sine) where we discuss his solo sonic sculpture “Instant Exorcism”. Getting an in depth look into his creative process, his amazing tour with Clan of Xymox, Twin Tribes, Bellwether Syndicate, and Specters. As well as parenting wins like raising him on the mothers milk of William Burroughs. As always I will link all the bands we discussed below.
This interview was a wonderful experience. The Joy Thieves are a glorious super band that has put together a who’s who of Chicago Industrial that we strong armed Dan into letting us join during the podcast. He is creating a creative oasis for artists to shine and find a voice. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed getting to know him better.
Take in this freaking line up : Chris Connelly: solo artist. Vocalist for Fini Tribe, Revolting Cocks, Ministry, Pigface, Murder Inc., Damage Manual, Acid Horse, Cocksure, Bells Into Machines, and more. Author. Poet. Joy Thief.
–Dave Suycott: former drummer for Stabbing Westward, The Machines of Loving Grace, Spies Who Surf, Razorhouse, Verbow, and more. Joy Thief
–Louis Svitek: guitarist for Ministry, Pigface, Mindfunk, Zoetrope, Project 44, and more. Joy Thief.
–Ania Tarnowska: one woman industrial army for I Ya Toyah. Dog lover. Joy Thief.
–Eric Liljehorn: vocalist for Ravens and In Europe Without a Jacket. Joy Thief.
–Mike Reidy: vocalist/programmer for Chicago industrial rock band, Worm (The World Organization of the Righteous Movement). Vocalist for Now I’m Nothing. Joy Thief.
–Matthew Clark: guitarist/vocalist for Mary’s Window. Joy Thief.
–James Scott: bassist/vocalist for She Rides Tigers and Matthew. Owner and engineer at Populist Recording Studio. Joy Thief.
–Dan Milligan: producer, drummer, and songwriter for Drownbeat. Drummer/programmer for Mary’s Window. Joy Thief.
–Michael Allen Gould: vocalist for Spyderbone. Vinyl enthusiast. Joy Thief.
–John Fryer: musician, producer, mixer and remixer for Black Needle Noise, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, This Mortal Coil, White Zombie, Stabbing Westward, Gravity Kills, Jesus Jones, Silver Ghost Shimmer, Yaz, Peter Murphy, etc. etc. etc. Legend. Joy Thief.
–Lana Guerra: one of a kind artist, fashion designer, performer, and owner of CrudeThings.com. Joy Thief.
–Gordon Young: guitarist for Children On Stun,Dream Disciples, and too many others to list. Mastering engineer. Sound designer. Writer/producer/arranger/remixer with Gary Numan and members of The Prodigy and Marilyn Manson. Modular synth geek. Joy Thief.
–Howie Beno: keyboardist, producer, mixing engineer, and remixer for Ministry, Black Asteroid, Silver Relics, Depeche Mode, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mary’s Window, Sheep On Drugs, Skrew, 13MG, Blondie, and many more.
–Mike Czarnik: bassist for Mary’s Window. Joy Thief.
–Taylor Busby: guitarist/vocalist for Purple. Joy Thief.
–Mimi Wallman: singer/vocal architect for ONO, Ampyre, and Host Body. Joy Thief.
–Andy Gerold: multi-instrumentalist. Former bassist with Marilyn Manson. Guitarist with Ashes Divide, 16VOLT, There Is No Us, and more. Joy Thief.
–Geoff Matson: solo artist. Joy Thief.
–Jeff Harris: guitarist for Mary’s Window. Joy Thief.
–Matt Mercado: singer/guitarist/songwriter/producer for Mindbomb, Daisy Chain, Supermercado, Pivot Man, and more. Owner of Sonic Palace Recording Studio, Chicago. Joy Thief.
–Katzen Hobbes: bassist with The Human Marvels. Sideshow performer at 999 Eyes Freakshow. Joy Thief.
–Bradley Bills: drummer/songwriter/leader of Chant. Drummer/percussionist for Evil Mothers. Has played and/or toured with KMFDM, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Skatenigs, Die Krupps, and more. Joy Thief.
–Dave Bachta: guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for Lovelies Bleeding. Joy Thief.
–Laura Glyda: solo artist. Joy Thief.
–Jaysun McBain: vocalist/instrumentalist/songwriter for Murmuur. Joy Thief.
–Matt Noveskey: bassist for Blue October. Joy Thief.
–Marcus Eliopulos: guitarist for Stabbing Westward. Joy Thief.
Dogtablet is: Martin King (Test Dept), Roberto Soave , Jared Louche (Chemlab), Jenny Bellestar, Sapphira Vee and A-Rex {Yes, pause a moment and just take all of that in}
Look I might not be in the best head space to try and write a review right now. It’s been a tough week. This album has been my constant companion holding me up when it felt like things were a bit too much. So I feel like it is important to share the power of what these songs have meant. My trauma has been animal related (worry for a pet). This record is so full of the intimate and animal nature. It’s energy conjures totem aspects of primal creatures which I have needed to focus on. The credentials of the artists collaborating here are too many to count. It’s real power lies in how different it sounds from it’s individual parts. Every piece is a perfect blend of the talents without ego or pretense lifting each other on dark flapping wings of intimate raw energy.
The drums are perfectly crafted and have an organic feel for such electronic elements. They remain subtle to allow the poetry and power of the vocals shine through. The motion of the synths and triplet world beat toms feel like stalking, slithering, gliding beasts. It gives a unique texture to every song. Jared Louche in particular has a distinctive vocal style and really steps outside their comfort zone with the intimacy of this delivery. These tracks are so full of blood, claw, scale, fur, and tooth.
Hawtness
Lets talk favorite tracks:
Shadowlands – The album opens strong. Beautiful distant piano coming to you from across the distance. I will probably lose goth street cred for this but one of my all time guilty pleasure albums is Rolling Stones “Emotional Rescue” This song holds that same stripped down lay bare spiritual power. The winding blues riff guitar leads are smoky and flowing. Jared’s vocals are so exposed and powerful.
Collapsing Lives – I love the contrast here. Almost like two songs overlapping. A sinister smoke rising from the sand. While mono synth effects and trip hop drums slash back and forth to create a swaying beauty. Sapphira Vee lends a delicate breathy beauty like the wind holding a bird gliding.
Things Said and Done (Snake Lies) – This track really encapsulates that feeling of an animal in music form. I feel it slither with those drum beats falling just behind where your mind wants to hear the tempo. This song is never where you expect it to be. It slithers and strikes. Jared Louche chants like a vision driven prophet whispering secrets of a forgotten time.
Martin King
Overall I found this to be a remarkable and powerful offering from several industry legends combining their abilities to create something primal and resonant in a world barely scratching the surface. Get it now, listen to it often, dream of wolves and ravens.
Members: Holy Shit too many to count 🙂 Please see Facebook link below Chris Connelly , Dave Suycott , Louis Svitek , Ania Tarnowska , Eric Liljehorn , Mike Reidy , Matthew Clark , James Scott , Dan Milligan , Michael Allen , John Fryer , Lana Guerra , Gordon Young , Howie Beno , Mike Czarnik
The Joy Thieves are a massive collaboration with over thirty contributors gathered together by Dan Milligan. When i first heard this EP my initial description was “This is what it would sound like if Clutch beat the shit out of Stabbing Westward with a baseball bat” I still stand by that. This record has a ton of big name Industrial contributors and the Pigface, Ministry, Chicago Industrial sound is prevalent. To me what really made this record shine was the hard rock aspects charging forward which included aspects of industrial. Not the other way around. Dan is a drummer by trade and this percussion fills every inch of space and creates such electric movement. These tracks have melody and catchy hooks, but it’s the teeth that sets them apart. It bites hard, visceral, and does not let you go.
This EP includes remixes and a cover of “Siouxsie and the Banshees” sung by the amazing Ania Tarowska of I Ya Toyah. Her vocals are a fierce guttural homage to the queen of goth punk and pulls off something I had lost hope for. Making a song that was so incredible it had been overplayed into the ground, sound fresh and crackling with energy once again. The musicianship on the guitars make every song sizzle with true foot stomping ferocity of rabid wolves attacking in unison. Every song finds a way to build in succession and find a new voice.
Lets talk about favorite tracks. It is an EP so I will limit to two.
Honeycomb and Silk – This song is a freaking master class in percussion and drive. Thick slashing guitars are chased like wild horses by whip crack snare snaps. The vocals are a driving chant with range and intensity. I just want to play this song and break shit.
Cities in Dust – I hate to use a cover for best tracks but this one is a show stopper. There was so much potential to go wrong covering this song. Cities in Dust has been played at every goth night since the Vandals sacked Rome. Although I love it I almost dread hearing it at this point. Then Dan and company found a way to turn it up to 11. Ania attacks it with a ferocity I think Siouxsie herself would be proud of. Plus the humming guitar lead really cuts through the mix to give a blistering hard rock feel. They made me give a shit about Cities in Dust again.
Overall this EP was a blistering fresh romp through the wild west of hard rock on an mechanical horse. The lineup is so chocked full of talent it couldn’t help but obliterate every target it set sights on. Sometimes you just need to flay with reckless abandon and swing your arms to intense perfect precision drum beats. This is the album to do that to. Turn it on, max your volume, and scream until your neighbors know just who they are fucking with.
