Monday, July 14, 2008
Review From Evil
The party was great fun, and those who missed it...missed it. For the first time ever we had a merch table with real merch on it! (Thanks Xtna!) The hard copy of Days From Evil was there in all its long-awaited, hard-earned, shrink-wrapped glory. (Thanks Tim!) Band buttons too! (Thanks Karrie!)
Fortunately, Jagged Spiral was there too, somehow managing to mix loud music with theatre; both comic and tragic. Colin's brand-new guitar made it's first public appearance. Josh got into a fight with his own drum set, and I poured a half a pitcher of beer over myself and jumped into the boy's moshpit with my bass. (Yes, there was a girl's moshpit too.) Like I said, if you missed it, you missed it.
Josh, Colin and myself would like to publicly thank all the people who made the CD Release party a big success:
Uber-Thanks go to Josh at Club Underground (no relation to Josh from Jagged Spiral) for having us out and running the soundboard.
Thanks to SBI for taking the "sober slot" and playing first to warm up the room. Thanks for firing up the moshpit, and for the pitcher of beer, some of which I actually got in my mouth....
Thanks to Sick Machine for coming down from St Cloud to rock out with us! I picked up their new CD "Ready To Burn" and you should too, check out the single "Black Out Sunday" on their Myspace Page...
Thanks to Something To Fear for taking the fourth shift and closing out the night with some wicked, double-female-fronted metal! You did a fantastic job, and we look forward to seeing/playing with you again!
Special thanks to Xtna for putting together the merch table and sign, and to Jess for helping her keep it running through the event!
Thanks to Jeremy for acting as the human "meat shield" between the boys and girls mosh pits! Who knows what might have happened if they had mixed...? Combined with Jagged Spiral's music, it's probably better that we didn't find out, at least until we can look over our liability insurance contract...
Finally, thanks to all the people who came to the show: Nancy, Sarah, Jess, Xtna, Jim, Reid, Denise, Karrie, Teresa, Boog, Tara, Dan, Tim, Jeremy, Lisa, and many more who came out to support the Spiral! You people get the Jagged Spiral Seal of Approval!
-Zero
Labels: Concert, Days From Evil, Jagged Live
Friday, July 11, 2008
Yet another Days From Evil review
http://www.perfectporridge.com/2008/07/10/jagged-spiral-days-from-evil-cd-release-party-july-11/
...and I quote, "With creeping guitar riffs, crunchy bass and haunting vocals that whisper fear into your soul, this album pretty much gives me piss-myself nightmares."
Mission Accomplished.
-Z
Labels: Days From Evil, Feedback
Days From Evil - Another Perspecitive
http://www.minnpost.com/michaelmetzger/2008/07/10/2514/jagged_spirals_bone-chilling_descent_into_northern_rock
I think I've read it about thirty times now.
-Z
Labels: Days From Evil, Feedback
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The very first review of "Days From Evil"
-C
Labels: Days From Evil, Feedback
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Days From Evil - CD Release Party

The CDs have been placed on order, and three years of hard work are about to pay off. We are excited to announce that Jagged Spiral's debut masterwork, "Days From Evil" will be available in CD form on 11 July 2008!
"Days From Evil" is a concept album which tells the story of a hero confronting monsters only he can see. The music covers a wide range of genres, including Gothic Hard Rock, Acoustic Ballads, and Majestic Epic Metal. Much of the music on "Days From Evil" was also used by Jagged Spiral in the movie score for the local vampire movie "Pray For Daylight" from Stone Soup Films.
Ha, and my guidance councilor said I'd never accomplish anything! Now he owes me five bucks! Not surprisingly, that's the same price as admission to the upcoming Days From Evil CD Release Party! For the price of 1.25 gallons of gas, (which won't even get you halfway up to the lake for the 4th of July,) you can experience an entire evening of devastating music, as Jagged Spiral takes the stage at Club Underground on Friday, July 11th, to celebrate the release of our new CD.
Our live show will contain some stripped-down selections from "Days From Evil", (Sorry, no acoustic guitars and no string orchestras!) and plenty of new material, all of it dark metallic rock fueled by adrenaline and Jag-Bombs. Bring earplugs.
Details:
Friday, 11 July 2008 - Doors at 9PM, - Music at 9:30
Club Underground - 355 Monroe St, Mpls MN
21+ (Bring ID!) - Cover $5
The Days From Evil CD will be available for purchase at the show for $8. All proceeds from the sale of the CD will go towards the following:
- Josh's Red Bull addiction
- Fines from the City of Minneapolis for 'disturbing the peace'
- The massive debt we ran up during the three years it took us to get this project finished
Also, we have some very special guests joining us for the event: S.B.I., Sick Machine and Something To Fear (who just got done kicking tail at the Flight of the Valkyries festival!) so come out and celebrate with us!
-Jagged Spiral
PS: If you know anyone who likes loud guitars, please pass the message along! Share the Spiral!
PS/PS: You are receiving this message because you've been identified as a decent human being with impeccable taste in music. If that isn't the case, and you want to be taken off the Jagged Spiral mailing list, just say so! Simply reply to this message with "Your Music is an Abomination! I Demand by all that is Good and Right in the World that you Remove Me From This Accursed Jagged Spiral Mailing List!" in the subject line, or something like that...
Labels: Concert, Days From Evil, Jagged Live
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
'Days From Evil' Press Release has been...Released.
Promotional copies of the disk are finished, (sans the insert booklet). Just seeing the physical CD with printing on it has made me quite happy. Now, I'm just working on the insert artwork, which should be done this weekend, and the order can be placed next week.
As I mentioned previously, the "Days From Evil" CD Release party has been booked at Club Underground for 11 July 2008. Three other bands will be there to help us celebrate: S.B.I., Sick Machine, and Something To Fear. Jagged Spiral has gone through a significant upgrade in gear since our last live set, and we're focusing on pulling together a nice, tight, and loud show. Bring earplugs.
I've completed the press release, about the event, which you can check out here:
http://www.jaggedspiral.com/forms/dfe1.pdf and I've distributed it (with a copy of the CD) to all the usual suspects. With any luck, we can expect some honest and objective reviews of "Days From Evil". If we're really lucky, we might even get an interview offer, or other press coverage.
Even if we don't move a single copy of the CD, even if the critics slaughter it, even if no one comes to the release party, we will finally have payback for three years of hard work.
-Z
Labels: Concert, Days From Evil, Jagged Live, Press Release
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Quest
http://doritosthequest.com/
-Z
Labels: Fluff
Monday, June 9, 2008
Jagged Spiral Product Endorsement #1 - Jag-Bomb
At the Apocalyptica concert last April, we each downed at least two shots of something called a Jag-bomb. (Pronounced Yag-Bom) At least, I only remember having two.
For those not in college, a Jag-Bomb is a combination of Jagermeister and Red Bull.
I know what half of you are about to say. "Are you Insane? Mixing something that makes people Fight with something that gives people Energy?" The other half were going to say, "Are you Insane? Mixing something that tastes like Cough Syrup with something that tastes like Radioactive Camel Urine?"
Agreed on both counts, however, there is some strange co-mingling of effects and flavors with the two ingredients, and the end result is less undesirable than you would expect.
The drink is an interesting dichotomy of emotional directions, much like Jagged Spiral's music. Therefore, we are announcing that the Official Drink of Jagged Spiral is the Jag-Bomb. If you ever come see us live, [Editors Note: Like at the July 11th CD Release party for example...] try one out, it will definitely put a unique spin on your perception of our live sound...
-Z
Labels: Fluff, Product Endorsement
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Jagged Spiral Rides Again - Club Underground 11 July 2008
Minneapolis 'Northern Rock' band Jagged Spiral celebrate the release of their debut album, "Days From Evil" (Miku Darkly Productions).
The "Days From Evil" CD Release Party will be held at Club Underground on Friday, July 11th, 2008. Joining them will be local bands S.B.I., Sick Machine, and Something to Fear.
Music starts at 9PM, the show is 21+, cover is $5.
More details as we get them...
-Z
Labels: Concert, Days From Evil, Jagged Live, Press Release
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Results of the "Rock the Dash" Contest
If you hear of other music contests, make sure to let us know...
-Z
Labels: Contest
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Tour, or Lack Thereof
I can only say without fear of contraception that a Reunion Tour for Jagged Spiral would be difficult, if not impossible for the simple fact that we haven't broken up. At least, if we *had* broken up, I'm sure the guys would have told me about it. Pretty sure.
For further details about the rumored tour, I've been told to defer all questions to our new Public Relations Manager; Tom Waits, who held a press conference to clarify and/or obfuscate all the details of the Very Likely Only A Rumor And Not An Official Jagged Spiral Reunion Tour, which has been code-named "Operation: Glitter and Doom", (which is not to be confused with the Tom Waits album of the same name).
Labels: As the Jagged Spirals, Press Release
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
No, I Never Slept With Diablo Cody - Live!
Secondly, this will not be the final version of the song. The lyrics (which were derived from this blog post) will change, and the subject of Diablo Cody will most likely be changed as well. The song has become cursed, and all kinds of bad things have started happening in the studio when her name gets mentioned. Bad mojo, baby. So we will smudge the studio, and change the song.
Thirdly, we truly do love Diablo Cody, and we truly did not sleep with her, and we hope she enjoys the song. No offense intended.
L8R,
-Zero
Labels: Concert, Jagged Live
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Reset the Vote at www.rockthedash.com

Labels: Call to Action, Contest
Friday, March 28, 2008
Update on Alpine's Rock the Dash Contest
This was not unexpected.
I certainly wasn't going to tell you, but I know some of you must have figured out how to 'cheat' the system, and vote more than once per day. It's as simple as clearing your browser cache (more specifically, your cookies) and you could vote as many times as you liked. It became obvious when bands were shooting to the top of the list in no time at all.
My hope was that *those* votes would simply be removed from the contest once Alpine figured out WTF, and Jagged Spiral would rocket to the top (becuse of the honesty and integrety of our fans). Unfortunately, Alpine decided to implement a "more secure" online voting system, and start over.
So we're going to need your help again.
Yes, the interface blows. Yes, it sucks to scroll down to the "J"s to get to Jagged Spiral. No, you can't go to the "Albums" list, because there isn't one! I'm starting to think Colin is better off using the portable CD player in his car.
But, thanks to all your help, both Jagged Spiral songs "Let It Out" and "Not Enough Bullets" crawled up the charts, past hundreds of other songs, to end up in 60th and 61st place after three weeks!
Please visit www.rockthedash.com every day that you can (from every computer you can) throughout the month of April, and help push Jagged Spiral to the top 10! If Jagged Spiral wins one of the prizes, we promise to sell it on craigslist, and use the $$$ to buy Colin a nice car stereo system!
Thanks for your support, and keep voting!
-Zero
Labels: Call to Action, Contest
Monday, March 3, 2008
Nine Inch Nails follows Jagged Spiral into Creative Common Ground
It seems that Jagged Spiral's marketing strategy is gaining traction among the band's more famous peers.
Not just another Heavy Rock/Metal band from Minneapolis, Jagged Spiral (http://www.jaggedspiral.com/) smoldered in obscurity until their debut release in 2007 - Days From Evil. The album was every bit as avant-garde and eclectic as its method of its distribution. Released by label Miku Darkly under Creative Commons licensing, Days From Evil is free to download from their website, free to copy, and free to distribute. A Donation link on their website allows fans to contribute any price they see fit for the music. (They call it a "Virtual Tip Jar").
Other groups, notibly Radiohead and Atmosphere made their albums available for free download, although the Radiohead downloads were removed from the band's website once the CD was released. [Editor's Note: Atmosphere's album Strictly Leakage is still available here]
Now, Audioholics.com has announced that Trent Reznor, primary songwriter and frontman for Nine Inch Nails and historically a Trend Setter in marketing, has decided to follow a similar formula with the new release of "Ghosts I-IV". The first nine tracks from the album are available for free, thanks to Creative Commons licensing. The entire album spans an impressive 36 tracks of instrumental-only work. The remaining tracks of the album are available for purchase in a variety of formats, including progressively more expensive options, including a $300 Ultra-Deluxe Limited Package, of which only 2500 were made...and have already sold out.
While Jagged Spiral could not be reached for comment, the band's manager, Sugar, was more than happy to expand on the decision to release music for free:
"It just seemed like the obvious choice for an independent artist starting out in today's market. When a band like Jagged Spiral is just starting out, they have a limited fan base. If they released their recordings in the traditional model, they would have the traditional results - they would sell a couple copies, and they wouldn't likely make enough to cover the cost of production. Trent Reznor has a large enough fan base that he can give away a teaser, and still make profit on the upsell.
There's always a compromise between monetary gain and distribution. Higher cost equals limited distribution, lower cost equals larger distribution, No Cost equals unlimited distribution. When you're starting out, it makes more sense to choose fame over fortune. Now, people around the world are sharing the songs off Days From Evil through bittorrent, limewire, e-mail and blog postings. And instead of feeling like criminals, they can feel that they are helping the band out. That's not a 'Street Team' that's a 'World Team' working for them 24x7.
The money can come later, once you've proven yourself. Crack dealers use the same method, and it works if the product is addictive. Trent Reznor is doing it right now. The first nine tracks off Ghosts are free, and if you like what you hear, and you want more, you'll pay for it."
While giving art away for free is not a new idea, and neither is Creative Commons licensing, Jagged Spiral's idea of allowing the audience to pay them via donations through their website is. Sugar explains:
"Having a method for fans to donate money directly to the artist makes them feel involved in the process; it creates a loop between the artist and fans. The fans provide the resources for the artist to continue, the artist converts the resources into art for the fans. Marillion has this business model mastered. They funded their entire last album production costs off fan pre-orders ,and they're doing it again this year. They're working directly for the fans. It's the internet version of the musician on the street corner with their guitar case open."
Bands like Jagged Spiral and Nine Inch Nails giving music away for free not only fueled the buzz surrounding their releases, but also fueled the fire between the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and the entire independent artist movement.
"We gave them years to come up with something, and you can't possibly feel sorry for them. The RIAA hung themselves every day that they resisted the internet. They pulled the same bullshit when Dolby "C" and HX-Pro noise reduction got built into tape decks. It's too late for them now, but they struggle to keep afloat with DRM infected songs on I-Tunes. Bands like Jagged Spiral and Nine Inch Nails are showing the rest of the world how the new system works. The record industry has just been outsourced by the internet."
Labels: Days From Evil, Press Release
Friday, February 29, 2008
metal sucks
www.myspace.com/atthegatess
(in case anyone forgot what real music sounds like, and where all the bands YOU like got their sound...)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Vote For Jagged Spiral at Alpine.com
Fortunately, Alpine has agreed to give Colin a brand-spanking-new EX-10! FOR FREE! Well, not exactly free, he just needs you to click on the link below, which will take you to Alpine's website showcasing their new gear, then cast your vote for either of your favorite Jagged Spiral songs: "Let It Out" or "Not Enough Bullets". Hey, vote for both! Come back and vote every day until the end of May! If Jagged Spiral is in the top 5, BAM! Colin has a new car stereo, and our weekly trips to Chipole can be uninterrupted by CD disk changes!

Labels: Call to Action, Contest
Jagged Spiral Releases New Promotional Campaign
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Sunday, February 17, 2008
emo, etc.
And Adam Carson remains a pretty big drumming influence.
randomness at 2 am
Friday, February 15, 2008
A Hypothetical Exchange
Josh: Which one was Ill-Gotten?
Colin: Exactly.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Battle of the Bands Winner Is...
The win was handed to a band called Ill-Gotten
I can't say I'm surprised or disappointed. Although I don't care for Ill-Gotten's genre of music, they were as professional, tight, talented and energetic as any other band at the event...
...but they had more fans.
Nothing against the production company, but when all other factors are balanced out, the Battle of the Bands turns from a Talent Contest into a Popularity Contest, and that's something Jagged Spiral simply can't win. At least, not at this early stage of our musical career. Let's be honest, the people who came to see us play were friends and family, not fans.
Looking on the bright side, we got one more live show notch in our bullet-belt, and we got to play out to a crowded house of people on a weekend, and Colin was in bed by a reasonable hour. Jam Solid Productions has us on their list to contact for future promotions. We got some video that we can review and use to critique our live performance. (Unfortunately, nothing useful enough to post to the web due to technical difficulties...) We also met up with a local band called S.B.I. who enjoyed hearing us and want to set up another show with us in the near future.
I'll post pix of the event, as soon as I can find the USB cable for my camera...
-Zero
Labels: As the Jagged Spirals, Jagged Live
Monday, February 11, 2008
Jagged Show Review - Battle of the Bands 10 Feb 08
Once again, my fret markers completely disappeared in the dim stage lighting, and several songs suffered because of it. This will need to be addressed before the next live show.
The stage at the Dinkytowner was pretty small, but aparently not small enough, so someone thoughtfully hung a giant stage monitor about 4 feet off the ground, so inattentive bass players would hit their heads on it. It doubled as protective cover from gunfire and audience line-of-sight. The stage also had notches in the front for what looked like monitors, but were actually cleverly disguised traps, so that if inattentive lead singers tried to look cool and put their foot up on the monitor, they would certainly tumble to an un-cool pile on the dance floor. Since we only had three people, there was plenty of room for us to move around, oh, about five or six inches in any direction. The other bands with more people (all of them except The Blood Shot, in fact) had band members performing on the dance floor, because there wasn't room on the stage for all of them.
I announced that this was our third live public performance, more as bragging rights than anything else. Initially, I thought the contest wasn't very fair because there were other bands that had been playing out for some time now, and already had a fan base. But after watching some other bands that had been together for a while and still weren't very polished, I decided we at least have a shot at winning.
Few bands did "Thank You"s to the Dinkytowner and Jam Solid Produtions, and I was told after the show that doing so made us sound very professional. To be honest, I scripted the thank-yous into the set list so I wouldn't forget them.
What really made the show was the audience response. One thing we certainly aren't used to is having the entire house explode in applause at the end of every song. (Especially "God Hates Emo" which historically has gotten more quizzical looks than applause.)
Thanks to everyone who bought their tix in advance (Extra-Special thanks to those who bought tickets to support us even though they couldn't make the show!) Thanks to James for taking some killer pix, (which will be posted here soon...) and to Tyler for videotaping the event. Thanks to all of you who came out in the bitter cold to support us and local music!
-Zero
Labels: Concert, Jagged Live
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Jagged Spiral Live - Sunday 10 Feb 2008
In an astonishing and completely unexpected career move, local "Northern Rock" band, Jagged Spiral (www.jaggedspiral.com) will be competing in Jam Productions 'Battle of the Bands' Competition at the Dinkytowner Cafe. This Sunday Feb 10th, between 4 and 10PM. Eight bands are on the ballot, and a panel of experts will vote on the winner. Factors affecting the voting include:
- professionalism
- pre-concert ticket sales
- vocal and instrumental performance
- audience response
- the ability to appear to answer questions without really answering them
The winning band will move on to the finals, to compete for a grand prize promotional package including studio recording time, CD duplication, T-Shirts, Posters, etc...
The Minneapolis music scene is in shock, many of them outraged at this underdog joining the race so late in the game. While the other candidates scramble to defend their platforms, Jagged Spiral...doesn't seem to have one. Guitarist Colin Mallon and Percussionist Josh Kattelman could not be reached for comment. Bass Player and Vocalist, Conrad Zero, only responded using sign language indicating disapproval.
The only significant communication from the band has come from Jagged Spiral's manager, a mysterious female voice on the phone going by the name 'Sugar'. We were able to get this statement from her:
"The People have had enough. Enough of Emo. Enough of DJs. Enough Gangsa Rap. Enough Bad Music. Jagged Spiral aren't here to upset the apple cart of the Minneapolis music scene, they're here to burn it, and use the ashes as warpaint when they go onstage."
Jagged Spiral has already caused waves in 2007 when they released the first chapter of their manifesto: a concept album called "Days From Evil". All the songs from the album are free to download from their website, with a link for accepting donations, basically allowing fans to set the price for themselves. Other bands, notably Radiohead and Atmosphere have since followed suit, much to the chagrin of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
A member of one competing band (who wished to remain anonymous) said, "Jagged Spiral? They can't possibly win, so why are they even on the ballot? They're no threat to us."
Concerned citizens who wish to influence the course of Minneapolis Music History should plan to attend the event and make their opinions heard. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased by contacting conradzero@gmail.com or calling 612-216-8602.
[END OF MESSAGE]
-Z
Labels: As the Jagged Spirals, Concert, Jagged Live
Friday, February 1, 2008
Jagged Show Review - Club Underground 31 Jan 08
The show started around 9:30. "The Blood Shot" opened up, and the crowd was still a little scarce. My experience is that the first act of the show is like that. Play and they will come. People filtered in as the night progressed, dropping a $5-er to get a look.
32nd Day was in the middle slot, starting around 10:30, and pulled off a great show. They've been playing out a lot more than Jagged Spiral, and it showed. A large group of fans came down to hear them play...
...and a handful left around 11:30, as soon as Jagged Spiral started up. Not surprising, since we are quite different than 32nd day. I like to think we're quite different from everyone, and I don't take offense to anyone leaving. I give bands a '3-song rule' myslef, because I think it takes that long for a band to warm up. By the middle of the third song, you know if you like them or not.
My one-word review of Jagged Spiral's performance is "Ruff". Not Rough, but Ruff like a dog barking.
For those who want to have the audio experience of the event: the bootleg of the show is here, courtesy of Reid Rejsa.
The visual experience is here:
The emotional experience would be like getting your hand caught in a blender, then realizing it wasn't as bad as you imagined it would be. I could feel every screwup echoing out across Minneapolis, and making even people in Golden Valley shudder.
Listening to the audio, it sounds Nowhere Near as bad as it sounded on stage.
We got off to a bad start when I hit the wrong note starting into Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave". Ick. My only excuse was that I really couldn't see my fret markers onstage. Once the song got going, it pulled together nicely.
During "Horrorcloud" Colin and I both got lost and stopped at the exact same point in the song. Had either one of us known which way to go, we could have recovered fine, but we both completely stopped. Then we both tried to recover at the same time, each of us playing something different. Not good. I decided to wait and let Colin get the car back on the road, and I caught up with him eventually, although I was completely lost for a while afterward, and stopped singing because I wasn't sure what part to sing.
Although there's been a few explanations/excuses for that micro-disaster, the root cause was that the song was changed too many times in the past month, and wasn't practiced enough to be played out of habit. I don't know if it's this way for other people, but if my hands 'know' the song, then my mind is free to focus on other things; the upcoming change, moving around on stage, the lesbians making out on the dance floor, did I leave the hair-straightener on at home... But for Horrorcloud, I still have to focus 100% on the playing, my hands simply don't know it yet. The song is WICKED hard to play; strange, stuttering timing shifts that defy the laws of Physics, yet Colin makes them look quite simple, and if *he* got it mixed up, I didn't stand a chance.
What kept the boat from sinking was Josh. He kept playing throughout, like an oarman on a viking longship, he kept rowing right through the chaos, and pulled us through to the other side. My philosophy is that screwing up the song isn't quite as bad as stopping altogether, so kudos to J-Man for pulling us out of the maelstrom.
The rest of the set was better. Even through I couldn't really hear my vocals during the Sisters of Mercy cover, "Temple of Love" it sounded OK on the recording.
Thanks to Reid for coming out and shooting some pix, and getting the bootleg of the show. The guys in The Blood Shot got some video of the event, and if they send some my way, I'll be sure to post it.
Labels: Concert, Jagged Live
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Jagged Spiral Live Tonight!
Come see Jagged Spiral perform LIVE tonight at Club Underground! Doors open at 9PM and music starts at 9:30. Opening acts are The Blood Shot and 32nd Day. We also have an important announcement to make regarding the upcoming presidental election that you certainly won't want to miss!
-Zero
Labels: Concert, Jagged Live
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Jagged Spiral Concert - 31 Jan 2008 at Club Underground

There's plenty of other press about this event swirling about the interwebs:
Vita.mn
darktwincities.com
conradzero.com
garageband.com
myspace.com
Hope to see you there! Pix and blog posts are sure to follow, so even if you can't make it to the show, check back for the scoop!
-Zero
Labels: Concert, Jagged Live
Monday, January 21, 2008
Jagged Spiral - The Day the Music Stopped
You might have heard this story before. Well, here is the proof:
-Zero
Labels: As the Jagged Spirals, Jagged Live, Video
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
New Jagged Spiral Wallpaper!
If you click over to the merch page, you will find a new wallpaper has been added! My friend James created this demon-skull for us, exclusively for the Days From Evil album cover. James also designed the Jagged Spiral Logo based off the band name, the triangular version you see in the uppper-left corner of this website.
I tossed James a pre-production copy of Days From Evil, and explained the concept in a nutshell; a person being chased by some kind of demon, or monster. The band discussed what we wanted from the cover art; something dark and sinister, to fit the tone of the album. Then we set James loose, and he came back to us with a handful of sketched-out ideas. The band mused over the sketches, and with a little direction ("Horns," we agreed, "It has to have horns, probably curly ones, like a ram or something...") he came back with this amazingly rendered demon skull.
So the cover for Days From Evil is finished, and the band is laying out the liner notes and credits. Once that's done, it's off to the printers. Of course the art will be available on jaggedspiral.com for free download.
Our thanks to James for the fantastic work on both the band logo, and the Days From Evil album cover. (...and I'm not supposed to tell you that he's already concocted a rough layout for the next Jagged Spiral album, so I won't.) But, if you need any graphics work done, website programming, or anything set up to send to a professional printer, James doesn't mind a little moonlighting here and there, so give him a yell at jstuartj@jstuartj.com.
Labels: Days From Evil, Pix, Website Update
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Gospel According To Jagged Spiral: (7:1-20) The Death of Emo
"What the hell is this?" The Lord yelled in a voice loud enough to...well, to shake the heavens, "What is this abomination?"
"It is called Dashboard Confessional, Oh Most Merciful and Joyous Lord."
"I find it difficult to be Joyous," the Lord snapped, "listening to that pitiful wailing! Pete, pull up skype and get me Lucifer on the webcam. Now!"
"At once, my Lord," St Peter murmured.
And lo, the face of That Accursed Fiend; Lucifer, appeared on the computer screen. Her eyes flashed a caustic black, her red lips pulled back in a sharp sneer.
"What do you want now?" she growled.
"What in Hades is going on?" The Lord winced, "What is this sound I hear rising up from the world? Music, if it can be called such, which makes even the tortured souls of the damned sound pleasant in comparison? What have you done to Chris Carrabba? What have you done to Spider-Man 3?"
"You old Wanker!" Lucifer interrupted, "It's called EMO, and it's a device of mankind's own free will, and none of my doing!"
"Ha, as if I would believe the Princess of Lies! Only someone as sick and evil as yourself could come up with such an atrocity to music, that it makes those who listen to it cry and cut themselves..."
"Alright," Lucifer snapped, "That's it! You just called me on the Wrong day. I have a hangover like you wouldn't believe, and I've been on the rag for three fucking days, and now you call to bitch about a musical genre that's been old news for months, and you wanna blame that pansy-rock on me? You want a musical atrocity? You fucking got it. I've got something I've been waiting to release; a weapon that's going to decimate Emo, Alternative AND Indie Rock! By the time I'm done, you'll be begging me to play you some Fall Out Boy!"
"You wouldn't *dare* bring back Black Sabbath!" the Lord turned a shade pale.
"Worse." Lucifer smiled sweetly.
The Lord's mind reeled at the possibilities.
"Blow me," he said, "Thou art bluffing."
"Swear to God," the Old She-Satan spat, and hung up on the No-Longer-Joyous Lord.
Lucifer spun, and stormed off, her heels clicking echoes down the dreary black marble halls, and a robe of smoke fluttering around her.
"Who does he think he is?" she said to herself as she picked up her i-phone and dialed a number from memory.
"Sugar here," a voice answered through a haze of bad cellular reception.
"Sugar, dahling," Lucifer drawled, as her face lit up with pleasure, "I have some openings for Jagged Spiral to play, do you think they might be interested dear?"
[...to be continued.]
Labels: As the Jagged Spirals
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Days From Evil - Track Nine "The Last Song" is Available Now!
Labels: Audio, Days From Evil, Website Update
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Days From Evil Track Eight - I Am Death
You should know the drill by now: download and share the hate; all the songs off Days From Evil are free to download and share. In fact, if you are looking for a really cheap Christmas gift, feel free to download and burn the first 8 songs from Days From Evil to a CD and give it away for Christmas! Then, take the cash you would have spent on a gift, and use it for yourself! Because that's what (American) Christmas is all about; yourself!
And hey, if ever a song was written to be played around the Christmas Dinner Table, it's "I Am Death". This song will scare your parents, small children, and kill small animals. In fact, "I Am Death" has the same biological effects on organic material as ethyl-diisopropylaminoethyl-methylphosphonothiolate. So enjoy!
-Zer0
Labels: Audio, Days From Evil, Website Update
Friday, December 14, 2007
Deflowered
And one day there is a turning point in the relationship where you do something together that changes everything. You know of what I speak.
For a band, one of those turning points would be playing a live show at a public venue. Buried in your practice space, safe from the world, you can make all the shit-rock you want, but the minute you expose yourselves to public scrutiny, the possibility is opened that people you don't know and who have no vested interest in your happiness can critique your work, or your performance, or both, and they have no reason to be dishonest with you.
And so it comes to pass that Jagged Spiral has taken the next step on the path, and played together live on stage, opening up their work for criticism. After the show at Staisu's, I chatted with a handful of people, trying to get a feel for how the show went, and trying to read through the platitudes and compliments. Not that I wasn't thankful for the praise, but I wanted someone to tell me we sucked, or at least tell me we did something wrong, something we could use to make our future shows better. That information came, but not until the remaining handful of us were kicked out at 2AM.
I trudged out to the parking lot steeping in about 16 be-fucking-low zero.
"You guys were great!"
I recognized him right away. It was the guy who went up to Colin during the show, between songs and gave him some kind of advice. Later Colin told me the guy said Colin should turn down the low end on his guitar. I think the real problem was that I didn't have my bass amp up loud enough, but either way, the guy was drunk, and for sound problems, you complain to the guy at the sound board, not the band.
"You think so?" I responded.
"Feh," he slurred, "Who are you fucking kidding? You guys blew those other bands away! You're gonna be famous!"
I laughed.
"But you should stop whispering," he said, shaking his head, "Between the songs when you were talking to the audience. It don't matter if there's only a couple people here, you gotta talk to them like there's ten thousand!"
"Really," I stopped laughing.
"Hell yeah, cus' that's what you're gonna have. Ten thousand people, and you're gonna have to speak up. You can't whisper like that."
"Hey, thanks for the advice."
And so, some useful advice, and enough money to buy each band member an imported beer at the next practice, and Jagged Spiral walks away from Stasiu's paid, sweaty, and deflowered, but still wanting more...
-Z
Labels: As the Jagged Spirals, Feedback
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Jagged Review - Stasiu's Gig 11 Dec 2007
Stasiu's is a cross between country and punk, which means they are pretty open-minded. The bar itself is fairly small, and the men's bathroom looks like a set from the movie Alien. In other words, it was a perfect place for us to play. We loaded in the gear, and the next band (32nd day) showed up. We chatted with them for a bit, and of course the only person who knew what the hell was going on was Christy, who wasn't there. Josh arrived, fresh from a performance exam at school, and slowly others arrived, James, Jess, Xtina, Sarah, Kerri, "The Bri", and Reid.
The bartender drew a Cock (er, sorry, I meant to say Penis) on the back of all the band member's hands, which allowed them $2 off their drinks. I thought of it this way: If someone came up to you and wanted to draw a cock on the back of your hand in black Sharpie, how much would you charge them? I don't know about the other guys, but mine was worth $10 by the end of the night. (I also pointed out repeatedly that it was larger than theirs.)
So we sat and chatted with 32nd day, nice folks, and we even talked about playing together at future shows. Rumors of the third band (Sirens of Titan) cancelling proved to be true, as a band called Aquafox arrived, quickly set up and played a short set to start the evening off. Christy informed us that Jagged Spiral would go on at 11, and 32nd Day would start at midnight.
Although I haven't played a real gig in years, I remember only getting really nervous during the equipment setup, and tonight was no different. I informed the audience that since we couldn't be better than Aquafox, we would be louder, and we launched in to "Bad Kitty".
The set list played well, as well as our better-than-average practice sessions. That is to say, there were mistakes, and outright flubs, but we quickly recovered and never stopped. Nor did I forget any words. I like to think that any lacking performance was made up for with a shitload of energy and passion.
Since time didn't seem to be such an issue, we left out the optional songs "Forced Entry" and "Hallowed Ground" since in practice sessions they sounded a little rough. (On the setlist I put questions marks near the songs which could be dumped if we were running long on time.) We knocked the cover "Temple of Love" off the set list on the fly, since it seemed we had plenty of time. I still don't know how long we actually played, none of us thought to bring a watch, and there wasn't a clock visible from the stage.
For the Stasiu's gig, Josh had changed to a new and untested configuration of the click track, and it turned out that he couldn't hear it, so that got ditched about halfway through the set. I couldn't even tell. Since that happened, we've been discussing ditching the click for live shows, but Colin and I can recall in great detail what happened at the 2007 Halloween party when we 'let the dog off the leash'. Let's put it this way - Josh Plus Beer Minus Click Equals Warp Factor Nine, if you know what I mean.
Pictures of the gig are loaded in the player on the band page, or you can poke around here.
Thanks much to those of you who braved the freezing cold on a ridiculously late Tuesday night in December to come see our first show. It was a blast, and we're looking forward to more...
-Zero
Labels: Concert
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Days From Evil Track 7 - Not Enough Bullets
Till then, enjoy "Not Enough Bullets". It's a simple song, and should easily replace "Smoke On The Water" as the first song you figure out on the guitar by yourself.
Next week, "I Am Death" will be released, followed by "The Last Song" the week after that. Artwork is nearly finished for Days From Evil, and will be available for download from the website. Come to the show tonight, and we might have some roughs printed.
Hope to see you-all at Stasiu's tonight. Don't have a time locked in yet, could be as early as 10 or as late as midnight. If you come down to see us, I promise we will play "Not Enough Bullets" for you.
-Zero
Labels: Concert, Days From Evil, Website Update
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Jagged Spiral Live at Stasiu's - 11 Dec 2007

More than this, we don't know yet. Our time is not locked down, and beyond our control, but updates will be passed along through this blog.
-Zero
Labels: Concert
"Days From Evil" Free Music Download - "Lament (Part ii)"
Listen up and stop back for the next three songs, available over the next three weeks of December!
-Zero
Labels: Audio, Days From Evil, Website Update
Thursday, November 29, 2007
New Jagged Spiral Desktop Wallpaper
If you click over to the merch page, you will find a new section of "Wallpaper" and the first of several wallpapers, which will all be free to download. [Author's note: Heh, like you would *pay* for them?]
...and don't give me any crap about how the first one I put out is numbered #3. Hell, next Wednesday we will be releasing the sixth track from "Days From Evil" titled "Lament (Part ii)" and Lament (Part i) isn't even recorded yet. We are artists, and we don't necessarily do things in order.
-Zero
Labels: Pix, Website Update
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
"Days From Evil" Free Music Download - "Let It Out"
Let It Out was one of the few tracks to have lyrics finished before the vampire movie "Pray For Daylight" was finished (the others that I remember being "Not Enough Bullets" and "I Am Death") An abbreviated version of "Let It Out" was used for the two trailers of the movie, the only vocals retained were the "Let It Out" grunts I did which gave the song its name.
For lyrics and more background info on "Let It Out" or any of the songs from "Days From Evil" check out this page.
-Zero
Labels: Audio, Days From Evil
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
New 'Days From Evil' Free Download - RUN
Believe it or not this song was finished on 26 Jan 2006, almost 2 years ago. For a long time it was called "Plung" which was the name of a sound effect loop that the song was based around. The sound effect was later removed, and the song was then titled "Creature Finds the Window". Later verse writing led to the chant "Run!" which became an obvious name for the song.
At one point we had agreed that when we played together live, Run was our most 'accurate' sounding song, meaning when we played it live it sounded the most like it did on the record. We weren't particularly proud or embarrassed about this fact.
Interesting that we should be practicing this very song tonight, on the night of it's release to the internet. Why, you ask? I'll tell you...later.
In the meantime, check out Run and the other songs, and let us know what you think. Then check back each week until the end of the year, and we will have plenty more audio for you.
-Zero
Labels: Audio, Days From Evil
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Days From Evil Free Track Three - Hallowed Ground
If you want the lyrics for Hallowed Ground, or if you want to know more about the making of any tracks on Days From Evil, go check out the Days From Evil album page.
If you have kept up with the free music downloads we have made available so far, we would love to hear your comments, criticisms or any feedback you have about the album. Shoot me an e-mail at conradzero at gmail dot com.
The next track we will release is called "Run" and will be available on 21 Nov 2007 (Thanksgiving Eve).
-Z
Labels: Audio, Days From Evil
Monday, November 12, 2007
Days From Sushi
I like sushi, but don't eat it often enough to know more than the difference between the dragon roll and a caterpillar roll. We ordered a smattering of everything, including a small whitefish, head and all, stuffed with rice and..well, himself. Once Vlad was et (we called him Vlad because he had a skewer though him, so obviously he was Vlad The Impaled) anyway, once he was emptied, the remains were taken by Janelle back to the chef, to be tossed into the deep fryer and then we had Vlad Round 2 (or Vlad The Deep-Fried). The eyes were said to be good luck, and Reid was given first pick, and he bravely chose the right eye, which he said had the consistency of a gummi-bear. Colin and Xtina had a Rock-Paper-Scissors contest for the other eye. Colin won...er, lost; depending on how you look at it. Either way, Colin ate the other eye. Our server said the eyes were supposed to be good luck.
All in all a great time, and it was good to sit back and celebrate two years of work.
-Z
Labels: As the Jagged Spirals, Days From Evil
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
V2 and Genre Bending
Although nine tracks from Days From Evil are now permanently etched in digital bits, don't you dare think we're out of ammunition. Not even close. In fact, we have enough raw material to finish up and make a second album! I actually have a CD pressed with all the rough track outlines, labeled mysteriously "V2".
Lyrics and structure are locked down for three of the songs (Lament Part One, Push Me, and God Hates Emo, all of which debuted at the Halloween Party on the 27th) and rough lyrics are done for three others (Dragonslayer, Bad Kitty, and Horrorcloud). A handful of other tracks ar




