Critical Acclaim: March 2012

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/First-Class-Trash/183021845126996

http://www.reverbnation.com/firstclasstrash

Rising from the ashes of Florida's Stained Angel and Las Vegas' iDivide, FIRST CLASS TRASH is a band on a mission....a mission to take rock music to places never heard before. The combined strengths of lead vocalist/ guitarist Eli Chandler, bassist Kyle 'El Guapo' Meade, guitarist J. Boynton and drummer Chris Gentry have unleashed a force that is sure to turn heads everywhere. Critical Acclaim was lucky enough to get to know the guys behind FIRST CLASS TRASH and what follows is your exclusive sneak preview of the band that intends to shake up the Vegas scene in a big way!

1. The Las Vegas scene is jam packed with bands from every genre, what can you tell us about First Class Trash that sets you apart from the pack?

Eli- All I have to say is come to a live show and you'll see for yourself. We put a lot of effort into performance and image. The music will cross genres. You'll hear a lot of different elements from us on stage.

　

　

　
2. Eli & Kyle, you guys came out of Florida looking for a fresh start, while still keeping the Stained Angel moniker alive. What do you think FCT can accomplish that SA did not?

Kyle- Everything that we didn't before. This is a much better scene than Florida, for sure, so I think it'll be a little easier to make our mark and make some noise. We're definitely gonna turn heads, love us or hate us you will take notice.

　

　

3. Eli, you’ve mentioned Oz Fox (Stryper) as an influence on your guitar playing…what other artists have helped you develop as a guitarist, as well as a lead vocalist?

Eli- As far as guitarists go, that'd be Jerry Cantrell, Reb Beach, Zakk Wylde, John 5, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Vocalists would be Layne Staley from Alice In Chains, Ryan Clark from Demon Hunter, and Sebastian Bach from Skid Row

　

　

4. Kyle, you and Eli have been a team for over a decade, as friends and as bandmates…..what can you tell us about Eli that makes him tick? Eli, I pose the same question to you about Kyle?

Kyle- Eli is built for music and is not happy doing anything else, always trying to think one step ahead.

Eli - Kyle is driven by being who he wants to be and not giving a fuck what people think. Just being his own person.

　

　

　
5. J., you’ve been a lead vocalist yourself in fronting iDivide…..what made you want to be a part of an established duo, rather than keep going with iDivide?

J- I've been in bands around the Vegas scene since i was 15 but a huge problem for me was, it was always my band. i wrote, sang, booked, advertised, ect. I always wondered why members would leave and the bands would just fall apart until I realized I have never been in a BAND before. I've always just tried to do my own thing. I wanted to find something else other than idivide. did a couple bands for fun but when I heard the song "Outcast" by stained angel my jaw dropped and I knew I wanted to be apart of a band with those guys. They were my favorite band before I was even in it. Eli is a huge influence on me and it would have been ignorant to not try to be apart of FCT.

　

　

6. Now that the Stained Angel legacy has been put to rest, do you find it easier to start fresh without the constraints of a “sound” or “style” that came with the name?

Kyle- For sure, but not as much as you'd expect. The transition stylistically and image wise was the same we planned to do with Stained Angel, but the lineup may change. Looking for a female vocalist and wanting to see how that works.

　

　

7. You are in the midst of creating your debut album as First Class Trash….what can you tell us about the album and your plans to support it?

Eli-Its gonna be extremely diverse. All over the board. We're really taking the chance of just doing whatever we see fit, I'm really trying to cover different territories with the lyrics and production. Trying to not have some sort of "formulated, been done a thousand times before but we call it a unique sound" kind of thing. Lyrics range in a pretty broad range of topics, politics, sex, empowerment, refusal to compromise, and a few songs about just throwing down and getting nuts. We'll just be playing our asses off once its out. Whenever, however we can. It's gonna be a while before its out, as we're not exactly sure which producer we're gonna work with or if I am gonna produce this one myself. Thankfully there's a lot of options, so that's a great thing.

　

　

8. The great drummer dilemma: where are you in your search for the perfect skin basher?

We'll be having Chris Gentry, the drummer from Stained Angel behind the kit.

　

　

　
9. Vegas can be a tough city to break into….what will First Class Trash do to make a name for themselves and make sure you don’t get lost in the shuffle?

Eli- Just be ourselves, man. All I have to say to reiterate, come to a show and that question should be answered. That and we'll work our asses off. We'll do whatever's necessary. We'll hit the bricks and promote ourselves on the streets every day.

　

　

10. On that note, since you’ve lived in the city for a little while, what local bands have made an impact on you? Are there any local groups you look forward to playing with?

Eli- Haven't had a chance to see many yet. We'll prolly tear up some stages with American Monster for sure. We love everyone man, I just can't wait to get out and get active in this town.

　

　

　
11. Ok guys, favorite band ever? You each get one pick and tell us why said band is so great.

Kyle- No favorite band, nor style. I listen to what happens to float my boat. One second it's Exodus, next might be Brahms. Any band that gives me goosebumps or clicks with my mood is my "favorite".

Eli- Alice In Chains for sure. White Zombie, Manson, Megadeth, Winger, and Pantera need to be on that list too.

J- Sevendust is my favorite band of all time and will always be. their music got me through the toughest times and they are a huuuge inspiration to me!

　

　

12. When can we expect the debut album from First Class Trash? Is a full length in the cards or do you think releasing singles on a regular basis is the way to go?

Eli-We're gonna drop a single, maybe two and then yea, its gonna be a full length. Got way too much material to not do one at this point, plus I kinna wanna show people exactly how diverse this is gonna be. Kinna make it clear right out the gate that you can't pigeon hole us or know what to expect. Labeling ourselves is something we have absolutely no interest in. Whenever I hear something I like I'm gonna try to incorporate it into our sound. I'd really like to drop a full length then immediately do an acoustic EP to further drive that point home. As to when.. that's an answer I can't give yet.

　

　

13. Las Vegas is a make or break kind of city…..what made you choose Vegas as your new home base?

Eli- I heard cigarettes were really cheap here. The proximity to different markets. LA, Denver, etc.

　

　

14. ‘Outcast’, one of Stained Angel’s final tracks featured a heavier use of electronics compared to your earlier material. Do you plan on incorporating heavy electro into FCT’s new music? How do you plan on bringing this sound to the stage?

Eli- Definitely. We've always played with backing tracks. We'll continue to do so. We'll sound bigger and louder than the record. People have given us shit for it before. I don't understand it personally. I did everything on the record, and traveling with a 9 person band really isn't a reality. You have to step up your game to play with tracks, there's absolutely no room to fuck up.

　

　

15. Eli, you’ve been known to rock the wireless headset on stage….will you continue this when FCT rocks the Vegas stage or will you go “old school”?

Eli- No. Hopefully I won't continue to be the lead vocalist so it'll free me to go nuts on stage more, but the headset is long since been put to bed. I enjoyed it tho, you don't see many lead singers bitch tossing their guitar why they sing, and it was pretty cool. We're always trying new things. I'm building my own microphone, so lets say.. "new school"

　

　
16. I want to thank you guys for taking the time to answer these questions and giving us a peak into the world of First Class Trash. Do you have any parting words for the readers who might not be familiar with the band?

Don't judge till you listen, I promise there'll be something in there for everybody. At the end of the day, we love music, of all times and just want to push to do something a little different and perform our asses off.

Press Contact	firstclasstrashband@gmail.com

Critical Acclaim

Volume 11 Music

Thursday, March 22, 2012

UPDATE!!!!! Extreme Thing 2012 stage schedule!!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Exclusive interview with FIRST CLASS TRASH!!