The only context I really have for awakebutstillinbed is seeing them open for Joyce Manor, Jeff Rosenstock, and AJJ at the Hollywood Palladium last January, an evening with a haha-what-the-fuck energy radiating from each of the bill’s four DIY punk bands as they took to the historic stage in front of a sold-out crowd. While they still seemed pretty confident onstage, the opening single to the EP awakebutstillinbed dropped on Christmas morning oozes uncertainty, with vocalist Shannon Taylor punctuating verses with “I don’t knows” before erupting into punky rasps—a considerably more existential scenario than the party vibes I first experienced the band in, though just as engaging.
Recorded in Shannon’s house, the twins’ house, the art boutiki and ally’s basement in december 2020. Thanks to chillwavve for inspiring me to write “leave” for their christmas comp, as well as martin and eric for helping us with this release. thanks to everyone who has ever supported this project, love you all, thanks for listening.
songs by Shannon. arrangements by Shannon with help from Brendan.
the following people contributed to this release: Ally Garcia – bass Brendan Gibson – guitar, synth Jpegstripes – drums, synth, piano Cat Egbert – drums Jason Hallyburton – drums Shannon Taylor – guitar, bass, vocals
If you know this San Jose band, you probably know the essay Lester Bangs wrote positively drooling over this album, which got him so excited he made up a bunch more Count Five LPs that didn’t exist. The Count Five – who wore Bela Lugosi-style Dracula capes – had a touch of the Zombies about them, and some similar melodic and rhythmic panache, albeit with less flexible grooves. This record is catchy as hell, with a couple Who covers, but more highlights in terms of originals. The hit title track borrows the rave-up gambit from the Yardbirds’ “I’m a Man” – a pretty bold pilfer – but opener “Double-Decker Bus” is the real rabble-rouser. Again, the American guitar-wielding teens of 1966 loved British stuff. And the reconceptualization of everyday British imagery could be pretty heady in its new seedy American digs. Don that cape!.
Psychotic Reaction which reached number 5 on the Billboard charts in 1966 and was selected as one of the five hundred most influential songs in Rock n’ Roll History by the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Psychotic Reaction was released worldwide and obtained prominence in United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, and Mexico.
At a rehearsal in early 1966, Psychotic Reaction was composed by the group. Psychotic Reaction” is an early garage rock song released by the band Count Five in 1966, and also the title of their only album. The song Psychotic Reaction was written by the five members of the Count Five, Craig “Butch” Atkinson, John Byrne, Roy Chaney, Kenn Ellner and John “Mouse” Michalski. The song started off as an instrumental jam between Ellner, Chaney and Michalski and was composed in the living room of Craig Atkinson’s at the beginning of a rehearsal. Kenn Ellner was breaking in a new harmonica for the first time and Chaney and Michalski were jamming and composing. The harmonica was a C harmonica, so the jam was in G. Atkinson and Byrne joined the rehearsal and added to the jam and composition. Many weeks prior to this monumental rehearsal Byrne had a psychology class at San Jose City College. The lecturer was discussing psychotic reactions and a friend and classmate Ron Lamb thought it would be a good name for a band. John Byrne had mentioned to the band about that event and it evolved from the name of the band to a good name for a song. At the rehearsal Ellner and Byrne looked at each other and said this is “Psychotic Reaction”.
Count Five (also known as Count V) is a garage rock group that was founded in 1964 in San Jose, California. The band is best known for its hIt song Psychotic Reaction went to #5 on the Billboard charts. Count Five continues to write, play music and is available to entertain at events, private parties, cop orate events and festivals.
Band Members:
Kenn Elner, Roy Chaney, John “Mouse” Michalski, Phil Indovina and Rocky Astrella.
Former Band members: John “Sean” Byrne, Craig “Butch” Atkinson
Classic blues ridden garage from Count 5 Originally released on Double Shot in 1966.
The San Jose trio known for crafting droning lo-fi rock tunes with undeniable melodies are poised for a comeback this year after breaking up way back in 2000. It begins with Capsule Losing Contact, a 51-track monster that compiles the material from Duster’s two full-length albums, 1998’s Stratosphere and 2000’s Contemporary Movement, as well as their three EPs and a handful of previously unreleased tracks, including “What You’re Doing to Me” and “Faint.”
San Jose’s sonic cure-all for the Y2K hangover that never materialized, Duster emerged from a cloud of lonely bong rips to take indie rock to the moon, and beyond. Scotch-taped guitars toggle between a chorus of brittle winter trees and a blanket of distorted fuzz. The low rumble of a cardboard box being kicked in a dead mall keeps pace in the background, as muffled, sung-spoken vocals ponder the great mysteries of modern mundanity. Three years of home recording accidents and blown-out 2AM studio experiments are spread across four LPs, gathering the short-lived trio’s Stratosphere and Contemporary Movement albums, 1975 EP, singles, demos, and other miscellaneous debris into one escape pod, now free to drift in the endless void of space.
After a frenetic schedule back in 2015, Eagle Rock’s Rolling Stones‘From The Vault’ series has slowed down in recent years, with only one release – 2017’s Sticky Fingers at the Fonda Theatre in the last two and a half years. But the series continues in July, with No Security. San Jose ’99which is available in the usual variety of formats.
The No Security tour of 1999 was in support of the No Security live album (issued in 1998) which itself used performances from the Bridges To Babylon tour. The ‘Stones were certainly keeping busy during this period, becausethe Bridges To Babylon tour ended in Sep 1998, only four months or so before they started the No Security tour!
Two shows in San Jose in April ’99 ended the US leg of the No Security tour before the band moved to Europe for nine concerts in June. The band made a point of playing arenas (not stadiums) on the No Security tour, playing to much smaller crowds than they had in ’98. While still not exactly intimate, the idea was to lose some of the special effects and let the music do the talking.
The set list features some sixties classics (but no Satisfaction) and includes songs like Midnight Rambler, Out of Control, Some Girls and Saint of Me.
No Security. San Jose ’99 will be issued as a 3LP vinyl set, a 2CD+DVD package and on blu-ray and DVD on 13th July 2018.
For bands in San Jose, existence itself is a political act. With almost no venues at their disposal, and a culture dictated by billion dollar corporations, passion is the only option. Formed in 2017, Awakebutstillinbed emerge from this environment screaming out for connection and meaning, their music “a vivid rendering of a life spent standing on a precipice”. Awakebutstillinbed debut What People Call Low Self-Esteem Is Just Seeing Yourself The Way Others See You is an album about being crushed by expectations, and loaded with other people’s desires. It is untamable, and undeniable. What began as the solo project of singer/guitarist Shannon Taylor, Awakebutstillinbed are now a powerful group, part At the Drive-In, part Kim Shattuck, and (at times) part pre-Good News Modest Mouse. Explosive and honest, Taylor’s lyrics painfully, purposefully tear out the false seams and sutures that shape us in the eyes of others, revealing underneath the beautiful, beating heart of whatever it is we call the self. On paper, it might sound like familiar territory for emo, but don’t be fooled Awakebutstillinbed map out whole areas of the soul previously pushed to the shadows. Plus, they fucking rock.
The San Jose emo band’s debut sounds like various states of alarm, a big statement that leans on the raw impulses of singer and songwriter Shannon Taylor. While some albums use a spectrum or rainbow for their emotional palette, low self-esteem needs a fire code: Every moment sounds an alarm, they’re only differentiated by its state of emergency. – Pitchfork Review (7.7) They say the best music comes from the heart; Awakebutstillinbed’s debut album, is nothing if not a testament to this. On the solo project of Shannon Taylor, every moment is more vulnerable than the last as she lays every emotion out for the world to see. A classic cathartic, emotional, good ‘ol punk album for those who feel too much… – The Grey Estates
what people call low self-esteem screams out of the gate with perceptive and esoteric songs about the relationship with self and, in turn, each other, and it’s one of 2018’s first great releases. – Crossfader
Think shimmer meets aggression meets sadness meets elation meets pretty melodies you can totally scream-sing along to… – Oh My Rockness
Kitty Kat Fan Club feature members of San Jose punk bands Hard Girls and Shinobu alongside the owner of Asian Man Records Mike Park. However punk rock this is not and is instead indiepop at it’s finest. I must admit I don’t care that much for cats but I do care for these fun inducing tracks! Opener Talk About Love is the standout for me simply because I got grabbed by the excellent vocals and the cat-chy music.
Songs About Cats is available on limited edition coloured vinyl through Asian Man Records.
Friends playing music and having fun. members include:
Mike Huguenor-Guitar
Casey Jones-Keys/Lead Vox
Mike Park-Guitar/Vox
Jon McMaster-Bass
Justin Amans-Drums
The Fat Angel Sings 