Coastwest Unrest at The Bunkhouse Saloon - Las Vegas
Coastwest Unrest is a three-piece Las Vegas indie band whose innovative, yet classic sound is hard to pinpoint, but it has deservingly earned them a spot at this year's Vans Warped Tour Las Vegas stop. Their music is the most familiar sound you've never heard, as it encompasses elements of folk music, bluegrass, punk, southern gospel, and rockabilly. And the trio even achieves all this without a bass player! Some fans and followers have fittingly dubbed their sound as "Whiskey Rock."
Their first album Songs from the Desert (2009) is succeeded by their most current LP, Old Weird America (2010), and the band is currently working on a third album due out by the end of the year, under their own independent label, Reclaim Records. Each song-- typically characterized by precisely accented percussion and high-gear violin-infused progressions, suddenly halted by dramatic breakdowns that kick into neutral, only to swoop you back up with a swift, musical kick to the seat of your pants-- seems to be a number that's part of a larger production about pain, redemption and ghosts of times good and bad. Beyond the light, acoustic sound that one initially hears in Coastwest Unrest, lays a dark, spooky, intriguing context. The band consists of Alex Barnes on violin/backup vocals, Josh Dickie on drums and his brother, Noah Dickie on acoustic guitar/lead vocals/harmonica (and several other outfits such as mandolin and upright bass). Drummer, Josh, stated that he and his brother have been playing music together since he was 10-years-old, and that their parents have always been extremely supportive of their musical endeavors.
I caught up with Coastwest as they played The Bunkhouse Saloon on June 18th with The Devil Whale and Shiny Boots of Leather. I asked the basic question of how the band name came about. The "Coastwest" element was explained as it literally entails the west coast, L.A. and the Las Vegas area. Frontman Noah explained, "There's just something about the West… It's where a lot of our inspiration comes from." He went on to explain that the "Unrest" element refers to "…the restlessness of this environment." Noah, a seasoned writer and lyricist responsible for all of the band's lyrics, also extolled classic literary heroes such as John Steinbeck and William Faulkner as sources of inspiration.
I first heard Coastwest Unrest's notable track, "The Lonesome Tale of Bacchus Lee (My Friend)" on 107.9's weekly locals spotlight with Local Show Joe. With murky lyrics like "If there's a God, won't you descend?" and hypnotizing violin, the mysterious and alluring song caught my attention. Since that moment, I was hooked on Coastwest. I began the parking lot interview by probing to find out what the song was about; who Bacchus Lee is. Noah responded by asking me what I thought "Lonesome Tale" was about. I replied that the tune makes me envision a dark character, that's done something wrong. He's in trouble and hurrying to get away from something. The band replied that, though I'd definitely embraced the intended idea, there is no clear, tangible answer to who Bacchus Lee is, what he's running from, and why he desperately questions the existence of a higher power. Originally only played live, the band decided to record the track after getting phenomenal feedback from fans at shows. Noah continued by stating, "We leave it to interpretation. Like art, we want listeners to perceive it by the brush strokes we paint the song with."
In discussing their music and albums, lyricist Noah, mentioned the word "redemption" on more than one occasion, as the act of seeking it seems to be a powerful theme in their music. I pointed out to the band that I sense a spooky, ghostlike feel to their persona and their music. Violinist, Alex confirmed this and pointed out that several of their songs literally mention ghosts in the title, such as "I'm a Ghost Now" and "East Coast Ghost." In the song "Your Streets under My Feet" loom the lyrics, "She and the ghost of Henry take to the streets tonight for a blood-thirsty sacrifice…" And in yet another example, a line from the track "Fontana Bounce" says, "And you'll hear the ghost whisper so loud: Get out, get out, get out." Aside from spooky titles and lyrics, the instrumentals themselves are eerie and heart-rending, yet darkly satisfying, especially on tracks like "Mojave Dream #5" which is purely instrumental. There are frequent, long breaks during some of their songs, wherein, even without vocals, the music continues to tell the story. Future plans for Coastwest Unrest include continuing to play shows, and also completion and release of their third album, in which they intend to continue their dark story-telling, and as Alex added, they also hope to add more vocals and harmonizing.
At a recent show put on by local scene-setters, EIY (earnityourself.com), at the Royal House, Coastwest Unrest beat out several other local bands for a slot at this year's Vans Warped Tour, which is set for June 30th at the old site of The Plaza. I encourage all local music-lovers to go to Warped Tour this year and show support for the bands, but especially for this amazing, eclectic band at the Kevin Says Stage. You won't be able to keep yourself from bobbin' your head and stompin' your foot to the fresh, spooky sounds of Coastwest Unrest!
~Meow~
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