Indie Rock Band Edelweiss is the Next Generation by Terri Caputo

Foals, Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Phoenix, Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse; if you don’t know any of these bands, you haven’t been paying attention to the rise of indie rock in the music industry. As of late, more and more indie bands are making their way into mainstream music.  Just this year, Arcade Fire won a Grammy for Album of the Year and two other prestigious awards. Other bands such as The Walkmen, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, Spoon, MGMT, and The National have also created a buzz recently. What used to be a sub-genre of alternative rock in the 1980s has turned into a worldwide phenomenon.

One of the bands trying to break this same mold is Edelweiss, an indie rock band from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Don’t be discouraged by the name, there aren’t any Sound of Music references in their songs.

The band has only been together for a year and they’re already taking Northeastern Pennsylvania by storm. Ranging in age from 14 to 17 years old, just take a listen to two of the tracks on their Bandcamp or Facebook page, and what you’ll hear is tight, mature music. “We play music that you don't hear every day,” the band said collectively. “It’s unlike anything you hear on mainstream radio, and it's a lot of fun.” 

The four-piece recently recorded two songs, “(No)” and “Fiasco,” with Jeremy Sklarsky at Threshold Records in New York City--their client list includes Collective Soul, Jónsi (Sigur Rós), and The Morning Benders. If you know what’s good for you, go see these guys headline the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on February 26th before they start selling out stadiums.

According to Edelweiss, “[they] are the next generation.”

Check these guys out on Facebook or buy their EP for two dollars here.

The Interview

Your music has a great indie vibe—reminds me a lot of Foals and Mike Snow. How do people respond to your style of music, especially since it isn’t incredibly popular in the US? 

Our style of music really sticks out from the other bands we typically play with in Northeast PA. People are usually surprised when we first start playing because the music is so different but end up coming up after the shows to tell us how much they liked it.

Because you are so young, is there a certain expectation for you guys when you jump on stage? People probably expect something much different from what we end up playing when we get going. Perhaps they don't expect much because of our ages so most of the time we end up surprising people. 

How did you come up with the name Edelweiss? 
Niko, Coby and their dad actually came up with the name randomly on a cross-country vacation a few years back in the very early days of Edelweiss; it was just a name that came into our heads randomly.

If there were a crowd of 20,000 people screaming your name, waiting for you to appear on stage, what would your initial reaction be? 

We would probably all smile and look at each other saying, "can you believe this?!"

If you could play any venue in the world, what would it be? Glastonbury Festival. Does that count?

What do you bring to the table that no other band does?

We play music that you don't hear every day. It’s unlike anything you hear on mainstream radio, and it's a lot of fun.

Alter the Ending Interview- By Terri Caputo

If you think sixteen-year-old Justin Bieber has a lot of talent for his young age, maybe you should brush up on your music history. Björk began studying classical music at age five and released an album at eleven. Nathan Young, drummer of rock group, Anberlin, and Zac Farro, ex-drummer of Paramore, both joined their bands at age twelve. And who could forget Michael Jackson at the tender age of five? He was already in the big leagues with his older brothers and sisters in The Jackson Five. He had his first song reach number one as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 at age eleven and another song as a solo artist at age thirteen.

Just like the other young prodigies, thirteen-year-old pop punk group, Alter The Ending, are working their way into the industry, and kicking butt  while doing so. The four young gentlemen from Berkeley Heights, NJ, have only been playing together for a year and have already established more than a lot of people their age. They’ve played at well-known venues such as Starland Ballroom, The Stony Pony, and plenty of music festivals in the local New Jersey area.  “I think it's awesome how we've been able to do that after just a year of being a band,” says guitarist Billy Manning on playing at venues where his favorite bands have performed. They’ve also recorded with Jon Santos, former singer/guitarist of Seven Wiser and owner of 1176 Studios in Whitestone Queens. “Jon is an amazing guy to work with,” says Andrew Pacheco, lead vocalist and guitarist. “He really brought the best out of our music.”  The band recorded two tracks with Santos, and will be recording a few more to complete the Gone Again EP, which will be released in mid-2011. Until then, you can catch the young lads at The Break Contest, in which they will be competing with many bands for a spot on Bamboozle 2011’s main stage.

The interview:

AP= Andrew Pacheco (Vocals, Guitar)

BM= Billy Manning (Guitar)

DQ= Dylan Quesada (Bass)

LB= Luke Blecker (Drums)

How did the four of you meet?

AP: Billy and I were playing at a talent show in the 5th grade and Luke happened to be in the same show, [only he was] playing guitar at the time. We started taking and he mentioned that he played the drums, so we got together and started our first band, which [consisted of] me, Billy, and Luke [called Toxic Sludge].  …a few years later [when] I was ready to switch to guitar, we started looking for a bass player and pretty soon after that, I got a message from Dylan saying he'd like to join the band. …we knew it was the perfect lineup right away.

How long have you all been playing your instruments?

LB: I've been playing drums for five years, but at the time it wasn't my main instrument. Now it has become my favorite interest and such a big part of my life.

DQ: I've been playing bass for five years as well, but once I joined the band I got a lot more serious about it.

BM: I began playing guitar when I was seven, but when I was nine, I started working a lot more towards it and started to improve my performance.

AP: I had tried to teach myself guitar up until when I was about ten, [which was] when I started taking lessons. I've been singing since I was really young, but I've never actually taken singing lessons.

Because you are so young, is there a certain expectation for you guys when you jump on stage?

AP: Definitely.  People are usually surprised, but I don't think there's any extra pressure on us, we just jump on stage and do our thing, and hopefully the crowd likes it.

What is your biggest accomplishment as a musician? As a band?

BM: Playing venues that some of our favorite bands and influences have performed at, such as Starland Ballroom and The Stone Pony. I think it's awesome how we've been able to do that after just a year of being a band.

LB: I think just being able to have people listen to the music that we've written ourselves is an accomplishment to me.

DQ: Kind of like what Billy said, being able to play on the same stage as the bands that we love have played on is really cool.

AP: I agree with Billy, Luke, and Dylan. The fact that we've been able to play the songs that we've written at these cool and legendary venues is awesome. Especially when the crowd is into it, it's an amazing experience.

How did you wind up working with singer/songwriter/producer Jon Santos? Will you be releasing an album anytime soon?

AP: My cousin and her band Stelladeora had been working with Jon. We were looking for a studio to record in and she recommended his place, 1176 Studios. Jon is an amazing guy to work with and he really brought the best out of our music. As for an album, we released two songs "Tear Me Down" and "Gone Again" for free online, and we're working on getting a few more done so we can release the "Gone Again" EP.

Where can you see ATE in a year from now?

DQ: I see us improving and hopefully getting some more fans.

LB: Hopefully we can play some bigger shows, getting a larger fan base, and having a larger selection of songs to play.

AP: Right now we're trying to get ourselves out there, so I see us hopefully getting as good and tight as we can be, and bigger and better.

BM: Hopefully we'll be playing some more shows and have a full-length album out around then.

What does Alter The Ending bring to the table that no other band does?

BM: We play a wide variety of music, from our calmer songs, to our punk and heavier side, we cover basically every genre of rock and alternative. We think that’s important so we can reach out to different audiences.

Anything you’d like to plug or tell people who have never heard of you before?

Everyone: Search us on Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter so you can stay updated with the latest Alter The Ending news and download our songs. Hopefully you can follow us through an exciting journey.

Guest Blog by Terri Caputo, Interview with Apocalyptica

*This article will be featured in next month's edition of Broken Records Magazine.

Apocalyptica: Taking Over the Globe, One Cello At a Time

Countless mainstream metal bands such as All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Bullet For My Valentine, and August Burns Red usually consist of fast paced drummers, a bassist, two guitarists, a singer or screamer, and the occasional keyboard or synth player. As far as conventional bands go, Apocalyptica is far from the norm.

Cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, Max Lilja, and Antero Manninen formed Apocalyptica in Helsinki, Finland in 1993 with the original intent to be a Metallica tribute band. After their first public appearance in 1994, the media convinced the band to do an album with the cover songs they played live, and they succeeded; over one million copies of Plays Metallica by Four Cellos were sold.

Since then, Apocalyptica has written original songs and LPs and has featured many guest musicians on them. They’ve worked with Ville Valo of HIM, Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, and Dave Lombardo of Slayer. Whether these appearances were what drove the band to fame, no one knows. “[We had] no idea,” current drummer Mikko Sirén said about the ever-growing popularity of Apocalyptica across the globe. “We didn’t plan it.” Most of the musicians that the Finnish guys have worked with came up to them at festivals or contacted them personally, saying they liked the band and wanted to collaborate.


On their latest effort, 7th Symphony, Gavin Rossdale of Bush, Joseph Duplantier of Gojira, Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf and Brent Smith of Shinedown were all featured. When asked about the newest album, Sirén spoke about how the writing of this album was different than their past albums. Before Symphony’s release, the band was on a two and a half yearlong tour and was not very prepared; most of the tracks were arranged during recording. When talking about the album artwork, Sirén said he wanted it to be “dark, dangerous, but [also] beautiful, fragile and romantic.”

Recently the band has canceled all shows in the United States, because one of the members was really sick. All shows will be postponed, including a show at Starland Ballroom on March 17th, 2011 with opening act, Process of Fusion. Mikko hopes to see more of a response to Apocalyptica’s music in the states, because “[most people have] no idea what the band is about. [Hopefully they will think] we’re something good to see.”

- Blog by Terri Caputo, check out hers here

The Girls of Process of Fusion

(The following article will be in Broken Records Magazine in a special feature entitled "Girls that Rock".)

L to R- Rose and Terri
Photo Cred: Alexa DiMaio

Terri Caputo and Rose Couchon are making headway not because they are in up and coming band rock/rap Process of Fusion, but because they are two girls who simply rock!

Couchon is the crafty lefty guitar player in the band whose influences range from classical Bach to Between the Buried and Me. At just 18 years old, she is also an aspiring mezzo-soprano opera singer and has recently been performing in churches across Staten Island.

Rose attributes her time in POF as, “…a genre of music that I would have never seen myself playing... I love that I'm challenged to make music that blends so many elements together, and above all I love that I'm forced to be creative.”

When asked what it’s like to be a girl in a band she said, “It's pretty awesome, but it's got its negatives. I feel like girls are judged much quicker than guys are, especially if they're playing anything other than pop music. There is a little bit of pressure, but I set high standards for myself because I don't want to be another girl who just strums open chords… I want to inspire people, especially other females.”

Caputo is a multi talented musician, playing guitar, bass, and drums, but in POF her claim to fame is the tempo.

Having been in bands ranging from metal to indie pop, Terri’s experience is as vast as her influences, which include the punky sounds of Relient K to soaring guitars and aggressive vocals of Thrice.

Terri names POF as “The best thing that ever happened to me,” and her favorite moment occurred when Process of Fusion won their first Battle of the Bands.

“Life experiences, my friends and family, and emotion, lots of emotions,” are what inspires her to make music. And speaking of inspiration, she wants to spread this to other girls saying

“There's no pressure, but most people expect you to suck if you're a girl. I love proving them wrong. It gives me satisfaction.”

So the message here, prove the boys wrong and be a girl that rocks! You can hear Rose and Terri in action by going to Myspace.com/processoffusion


(This is the original Q&A the article was based on)

Terri Caputo, 19, drummer of Process of Fusion.

Photo Cred: Alexa DiMaio

What instruments do you play, and how long?
I play guitar, bass, and drums. Drums for about three and a half years.

When did you start playing/making music?
I started making my own music when I was thirteen, but nothing too serious. I've been making songs ever since.

How many bands have you been in? What kind were they?
I've been in seven bands all together, including POF. I've been in two metal bands, two pop-punk bands, an experimental band and am currently in a indie band.

What's your musical style?
I have a weird style, it depends on what instrument I'm playing. With drums I'm a bit funky at times, but mostly I'm rock/hardcore influenced.

Describe your experiences in POF in a sentence?
The best thing that has ever happened to me.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself on a tour bus with four of my band-mates and our street team. I think we have the ability to get there.

What do you enjoy most about drumming? Drumming in POF?
I enjoy putting the final layer onto the music, bringing it to life. What can sound one way with guitars can sound so much more powerful with the right drumming. I love drumming in POF, it challenges me in so many ways and I love the music we play.

Biggest rockstar moment? Biggest failure moment?
My biggest rockstar moment was when we won a Battle of the Bands at Edgewater Hall. A giant crowd of our fans and friends were there and screamed so loudly for us after each song. It was an incredible feeling to have that much support. I've never really had a huge failure moment, but I've had moments where I've said "I could've played so much better at this show" or "I screwed that part up so much." I'm sure I'll have some in the future!

Photo Cred: Alexa DiMaio

Top 5 fav bands.
Relient K, Underoath, The Rescues, Thrice, and Rise Against.

What/who inspires you to make music?
Life experiences, my friends and family, and emotions. Lots of emotions.


What's it liking being a girl who rocks? Any pressure, expectations, is it better?
There's no pressure, but most people expect you to suck if you're a girl. I love proving them wrong, it gives me satisfaction.


Anything else you want to add?
Check Process of Fusion out on Facebook, Myspace, and follow us on Twitter. And come join us at Starland Ballroom in March when we play with Apocalyptica.

Q&A With Rose Couchon, 18, guitarist

Photo Cred: Alexa DiMaio

What instruments do you play, and how long?

I play guitar and sing. I've been playing guitar for about 5 years and I have been singing classically for about 4.

When did you start playing/making music?

I started playing guitar when I was about 13, but I didn't start writing anything on my own until I was about 16. I would just write bits and pieces here & there for fun.

What musical things do you do on the side?
Guitar is my passion, but on the side I am a mezzo-soprano opera singer. I have years of choral experience and am now professionally performing at churches throughout Staten Island. I play keyboard/piano and am studying music at Brooklyn College's Conservatory of Music.

What's your musical style?

My musical style kind of doesn't exist...If it does then it's a mix of literally everything. I love everything from Bach to Between the Buried and Me. I like to try to incorporate a little bit of everything in what I write. When I'm writing for guitar my style usually stays on the heavier side, but when I'm writing on the keyboard I tend to go for dissonance.

Describe your experiences in POF in a sentence?
Serious shows, fun band practices, and better friends than anyone could ask for; everything I ever hoped for in a band.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I have absolutely no idea were I'll be in 5 years. That's A LOT of time. I could see myself being married and teaching music at a high school level while working towards my masters or I could see myself doing even greater things like performing on stage at the Met or touring world wide with Process of Fusion. I still have a lot of doors to open, but hey, things happen.

What do you enjoy most about playing guitar? Guitaring in POF?

I like that it's a genre of music that I would have never seen myself playing before I joined the band. I love that I'm challenged to make music that blends so many elements together, and above all I love that I'm forced to be creative.

Biggest rockstar moment? Biggest failure moment?

Biggest rock star moment: Stage diving/crowd surfing at the last show at The Cup. It was glorious. My biggest failure moment was during another show that we played at the cup prior to that one. We covered a Linkin Park song and lets just say it didn't go very well.

Photo Cred: Alexa DiMaio

Top 5 fav bands.
No specific order:

Between the Buried and Me
Steve Vai
Iron Maiden
Led Zeppelin
Coheed and Cambria

What/who inspires you to make music?
Happiness, sadness, love, hate, birds, trees, hope, the subway station, ferry rides, life. Anything & everything.

What's it liking being a girl who rocks? Any pressure, expectations, is it better?
It's pretty awesome, but it's got its negatives. I feel like girls are judged much quicker than guys are, especially if they're playing anything other than pop music. There is a little bit of pressure, but I set high standards for myself because I don't want to be another girl who just strums open chords and sings pop songs. I want to inspire people, especially other females.