The Be Helds: A Jangly Garage-Pop Explosion

As they were one of my absolute favorite bands to play in Missoula, I was pretty bummed when I learned that The Be Helds were venturing out of our little mountain hamlet for the greener pastures of Austin, TX. First seeing them at the Top Hat (opening for another MSLA favorite and TotalFest IX veterans Rooster Sauce) I was blown away by the uncomplicated, infectious energy that the garage rock duo brought to the stage. I don't do this often--especially with local bands-- but after dancing through their whole set, I immediately walked over the to merch table and plopped down a measly $10 for their LP, Vol. 1.

With their multi-layered, yet decided lo-fi sound, The Be Helds exemplify everything garage rock is supposed to be about. Jordon Lybeck's simple bass-snare-tambourine beats are the perfect backbone to Ralston Coorough's retro inspired jangly, fuzzed out guitars while both halves of the duo contribute to the rowdy, riotous vocal harmonies that really tie the band's slightly out-of-focus pop melodies together.

If it weren't enough that they make such terrific music, Lybeck and Coorough are also two of the nicest young gentlemen around, and both seasoned Totalfest veterans as spectators. But for Totalfest XI, we're really really excited to welcome them back to Missoula as performers.

Little Big Fiction

It's no surprise that we are massive fans of all things sludgy, noisy and abrasive - what with Wantage USA's history of scuzz-heavy rock releases and bands like Hammerhead, Black Elk, Akimbo and others laying waste to Total Fest crowds every year. 


So when Big Fiction's new slab of rumbling thunder, Prison Van, arrived in our mailbox earlier this spring, we were overjoyed at the nascent group's take on an old familiar sound.  These four fellas call Arlington, Texas home, and though they've only been around for a couple years, their blown-out long player caught us off guard, hooking us right from the start. It's loaded with caustic riffing, a pummeling rhythm section and a raw, frenetic energy that harkens back to old Total Fest favorites, yet, carries a youthful punk rock spirit all its own. We're stoked to have them (and their prison van) out to Missoula this August for Total Fest XI - our little celebration of big riffs under a big sky.

BUILDINGS CRUMBLE

Nothing quite captures that feeling while your moving around the concrete labyrinth like buildings. Not exactly the band, here, but those towering structures that help form our pathways. What's more fundamental to a cityscape than those brick, glass and granite effigies we build in celebration of our mastery over nature? Sure buildings like to pretend that they're slick, impenetrable facades (ok buildings don't, but their designers do -- or at least attempt to choreograph our experience, but, the truth is, they're covered in shit. From literal shit to graffiti to the residual elements in the air, buildings are virtual sponges that silently record and fossilize the miniscule strata we're lucky enough to leave behind. Here, in Missoula, we like to pretend that buildings don't dominate our landscape. The silhouettes of the Wilma, Millennium Building, and First Interstate are dwarfed by the lumbering profiles of Jumbo and Sentinel. Hell, MB and FI hoped that their glass facades would  efface their presence by reflecting the surrounding skyline. We're not idiots; we realize that we need to go indoors to accomplish certain things, but, somehow, we pretend that buildings aren't part of our landscape. It's a nice luxury. (Did we mention musings in the initial post?)  ... Missoula presents an interesting, if not outright contradictory, intersection between development and conservation. We like it, and we loathe it. Our blood boils over every roundabout, pedestrian path, condo, box store, renovation project. That's the rub of it. We exist in our space, but we willfully ignore or nostalgically pine ....

Minneapolis's Buildings is one of those occasions that don't melt into the peripheral. They're hard, mathematical, straight-forward, and mercurial. Reminiscent of Jesus Lizard, there's an explosive, yet reserved aggression that builds up to an infinite series of releases. Fuck, man -- kick the genre-police to the curb. it's good, old fashioned hardcore pressed through 20 years of frustration of being mired in "post" this or "post" that. It shovels its own shit. They've been around for six plus years, but 2012's Melt, Cry,Sleep is an album that announces itself. I don't remember how or when I first heard them, but I was absolutely blown away. I stalked them on the internet for a few and waited patiently for a show close to home. It didn't happen. Next option? Bring that hard-hitting stuff to Missoula. So here we are: a Building's structured demolition. Unlike cheap-shot, one-trick pony, media hounds like Howler, Buildings re-situates and erects (pun intended) Minneapolis as a benchmark for music. There's no entitlement going on here. Hardworking dudes, pounding out riff after riff and layering it with that rejuvenated, pissed-off scaffolding that allows us all to breathe a little easier. 

2012 Begins Now

We've been promising this for a few weeks. Apologies for our delay.


We received an overwhelming number of great submissions this year. A few evenings spilled into a handful of marathon listening sessions, followed by days of talking through the crazy amount of talent that came through the submissions inbox. By no means is it a perfect system, but we, here at Total Fest, feel like we've come up with an awesome, well-rounded line-up that will get your blood moving. We have a limited amount of slots, and we're saddened by some of the bands that we have to leave out of the festival. It's tough, but it's a welcome problem to face. Thank you to everyone that put their hat into the ring. Submitting to a festival can be a tough, cold process, and we hope that we add a little more of a human element to things. We appreciate all the support  that you give us. Although it seems trite at times, it simply cannot be said enough -- Total Fest does not and cannot exist without you.


Lamentations aside, we're frickin' stoked about this year. We have approximately 45 bands lined-up, and there's not an out in the bunch. It's rewarding to see this come together, and we hope you'll erase that pencil and solidly ink in your travel plans for the 16th-18th.
A few changes: We'll be posting more as the days go by, but, unlike previous years, we'll throw-up a dozen or so bands at a time and follow-up with some write-ups and general musings on individual bands. So, without further ado here is the first installment for Total Fest XI:


Big Fiction    Arlington, TX
Brain Tumors    Minneapolis, MN
Broken Water    Olympia, WA
Buildings    Minneapolis, MN
Dikes of Holland    Austin, TX
Dreamdecay    Seattle, WA
No-Fi Soul Rebellion    Bellingham, WA
Pins of Light    San Francisco, CA
Rock n Roll Adventure Kids    Berkeley, CA
Roomrunner    Baltimore, MD
Sandrider    Seattle, WA
The Be Helds    Austin, TX


Stay tuned for blog posts on these bands with more updates to follow in the coming weeks!

Mucho Waito, Newso Soono. 
Seriously, we know. It's been so dang long since we let on anything. Just take a look at Freddie, watch this weird Blind Shake vid. and chill your proverbial nugz, mon. We'll be turning loose some meganouncement tres soon. Promise.

We've just gotten through about four nights worth of work checking out radical submissions, emailing and calling all sorts of folks, and let's just say, it's gonna be a big year.

TOTAL FEST 2012

Hello total world, Total Fest 2012 is upon us. Fortunately for us, 2012 is not the end of the world. Total Fest will happen this August 16-18 in Missoula, Montana, and we expect all of you total boys and total girls to be there. This is going to be one hell of the year of the dragon, and we plan on finding most of your rocked-off socks by the river this summer.

We're now accepting band submissions through April 1, 2012. As you route your late-summer tours, please consider that the best way to the Northwest from Minneapolis, or to the midwest from the west coast is on scenic I-90, via Missoula.

What do we want from you? The usual luddite feast: some tracks (CDR is fine; vinyl or other material is great), some great pics of you being a human being (please only one "occupy" photo per submission), a brief write-up of you and your mates (a review is ok), and reliable contact info (point of contact, email AND phone) for your band. Additionally, we're happy to accept mp3s via the submissions email mentioned below, but please don't simply send us links to websites and ask us to choose what to listen to; we appreciate you taking the time to select tunes that best represent your sound and making sure to include the additional items requested above.

Please send band submissions to:

Total Fest

P.O. Box 7784

Missoula, MT 59807

For further information, please contact us at submissionstotalfest@gmail.com.

Total Fest X: In Your Rear View Mirror, Brah.
This is a long time coming; it took a few weeks to shake out the cobwebs, say goodbyes, and find all the stray shoes, bags and drummers. Total Fest X already seems so far away. The eight months of planning flew by and the three days of music lingered in a haze that dissipated in the flash of a river drenched Sunday. In a way, Total Fest marks the end of the summer, but it's never a longing for days gone by; rather, the Sunday after Total Fest is more of a "let your hair grow long" type of celebration.

What can we say? We said that it was coming. We're sure that we raised that flag. Were you ready? It seems like you were. 3 sultry summer days of DIY music with handful upon handful of familiar and new friends do things to a person's face. It stretches the ends of the mouth until it meets the ears. Laugh lines cement deeply into your face coupled, maybe, with some black under your eyes. A delirious, sleepless exuberance establishes a foothold as the days mercifully bleed into one another. The entire weekend is well oiled chaos that's a delight to behold.

Ten years! It's difficult to live up to an anniversary. All the anticipation can sometimes lead to disappointment. This year was far from disappointing. I can't do justice to each band's set so I'll just throw out some well-worn yet polished adjectives that I hope can sum up each night. Thursday night's kick-off established a telling tone for the weekend. The envelope was slightly pushed open. We looked at the cat. We made it to the end of space and stuck out our arms. More

space! Truly inspired sets helped initiate the Top Hat as one of this year's new venues. Special thanks to the Top Hat for helping to make this year's first night a smashing victory. Friday had all the promise of another spectacular evening. Awesome summer temperatures, great food and one helluva early show at Zoocity Apparel (the second addition to Total Fest X). The space lived up to our expectations. People packed in and the bands delivered. Impassioned from the get go, Friday's opening showcase set the perfect table for the Badlander / Palace. I'm not sure exactly when the Palace turned into a swamp, but sometime around 10 PM you could swim in the air. Saturday was no different. From the moment the doors opened, the Badlander / Palace complex buzzed with anticipation. Hammerhead! It's hard not to be excited for one of your favorite bands of all time, but holy shit did they deliver. This isn't to take away from any other band that played Total Fest. Each band brought it and kicked serious ass. There were so many gems that it's hard to pin down those moments where everything seemed to come together. Bad Naked's controversial set? Vaz's close-out? Shellshag? Unstoppable Death Machine's swimming and drumming? Dead's ass-solo? Gull!?!?! The Men! Helms Alee's shreddage? Big Business sweat machine or White Shit holding up the ceiling? Seriously, there is so much that's missing from this post that it hurts to think that some people missed this year. But, Hammerhead placed the perfect bow on a memorable weekend. Finely tuned and blistering, the closing set left a full year in its wake. Somehow it seems fitting that the slate is wiped clean. We have big ideas, plans and changes coming up for next year. So stay tuned and keep your eyes and ears pegged to the pavement.

There are so many people to thank.

Totalizers: Josh Vanek, Niki Vanek, Kari Nicole Workman, Lou Beard, Wendy Maltonic, Travis Jack Morss, Paul Hansbarger, Marty Hill, Greg Ragan, Erin Lambert Sipe, Josh Harteis, Julie Tompkins, Bryan Ramirez and Johnny Fink

Volunteers: Alex Key, Monte Sipe, Jonathon Richter, Derek Andrews, Greg Twigg, Jesi Noe, June West, Marcie Erving, Sarah Poole, Robyn Hegland, Scotty Moore, Marshall (BBQ Mercenary), Tom (Peace Mouse - all BBQ), Matthew LaRubbio, Hellgate Rollergirls: Lucky,
Knuckle Slambitch, 60 Grit, Flo, Mess, KP, Kelly, Shannon P., Bows, Lora Weitzel, Sarah D., MK,
Grobel, Paige, Andrea K., Laci, Dawni, and Kristen Grimm

Sponsors: American Made Tattoo, Astarna Web Development, Betty's Divine, Big Dipper, Biga Pizza, Black Coffee Roasting Co., Boom Swagger, Ear Candy Music, Edge of the World, Garage Tees, Garden City Gondola, Good Food Store, Howsyournetwork.com, KBGA, Kent Bros, Kettle House, Le Petit Outre, Missoula Copy Center, Missoula Independent, MissoulaEvents.net, Nature Boy, NewWest.net, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Piece of Mind, Rockin' Rudy's, Selvedge Studio, Shakespeare & Co., Statriot Designs, the Badlander and Palace Lounge, The Green Light, The Top Hat, Zoo City Apparel

And of course: YOU. Thank you so much for your continued support!!