December 11, 2004 - Gorehound #3

Gorehound #3

Mockingbird Lane
2003 Demo

OK, we have a five song demo here that is pretty damned cool. My favorite track is probably Wolfshead but they are all good. I could have done without the acoustic version of Taken Under, but that's just a matter of taste, I'm just not a fan of acoustic songs, if you are then you'll probably like it. The singer has a good voice and the songs while not studio quality are very listenable (I actually prefer to listen to stuff of this level of recording quality, makes it sound more raw). I understand that these guys are working on thier first release and I'll look forward to hearing it. I think most horror fans would probably get really into this, so I would try to get yourself a copy of this demo or ML's upcoming release. Really like the name too, it's obvious these guys have their heart in the right place (a jar in thier laboratory).


December 9, 2004 - Finding Datura #3

Finding Datura #3

Mockingbird Lane - 2003 Demo 

Horror punk is quickly becoming my newest guilty pleasure. But there is nothing to feel bad about in digging Mockingbird Lane. Unlike other horror punk bands, MBL is much less aggressive and considerably more melodic. While purist may not like their lack of violent trashing, it would be a crime to waste Christophe’s fantastic voice on undecipherable screams. There is an undeniable goth-rock influence on MBL and I think this only makes them more interesting and unique. It also makes their songwriting much more accessible to those of us who don’t really care for the Misfits. Oh, but if you like Glen and the boys, MBL dish up a pretty sweet cover of “She.” But the real treat on this demo is the acoustic version of “Taken Under.” The distorted guitars and drums are replaced by acoustic guitar and the most perfectly subdued keyboards EVER. While I want MBL to keep rocking, I would kill to hear an all acoustic album from Christophe and company. (RM)


July 21, 2004 - Rock Fiend International

Rock Fiend International 7-21-04

MOCKINGBIRD LANE
2003 Demo
(Self Released)
Rating: 3.5

 Few things frustrate me more than great songs not given the treatment they deserve. And the first song on this cd, "Taken Under" is indeed a great song. The problem is that I have a hard time listening to it on this demo because I'm torn between taking simple pleasure in how good the song is and being frustrated by what the song isn't. What it is is a fantastically catchy and infectious Goth-Rock song which unfortunately sounds as though it was recorded on a cheap boombox at the bottom of a swamp. OK, I realize the word, "demo" is printed prominently on the cover and have taken that into consideration. The fact of the matter is this is the kind of song that would benefit greatly from some bombastic over-production. The other songs on the CD "I...Vampire" and "Wolfshead" are pretty straight forward, run-of-the-mill Goth-tinged Horror Rock. That kind of stuff generally sounds OK when recorded on substandard equipment. Obviously, any song can benefit from better production but there's really no point in putting a flea market velvet Elvis painting in a gold-encrusted frame. There's also a cover of "She" on here in case there's anybody out there who hasn't heard enough Misfits covers.

-Big Tony O'Farrell


June 5, 2004 - Midnight Calling E-Zine

Midnight Calling 6-5-04

Mockingbird Lane - Demo

This demo by Oklahoma’s deathrock band Mockingbird Lane starts with their single “Taken Under” (along with an excellent acoustic version) and then launches into a rousing cover of the Misfit’s “She”. The hard driving “I Vampire” and “Wolfshead” are soon to be released on a upcoming compilation. We hope we can soon hear a full length release from Mockingbird Lane. This is some good stuff! Enoughsaid!


April 15, 2004 - Urotsukidoji's Pad

Urotsukidoji's Pad 4-15-04

MOCKINGBIRD LANE :
2003 DEMO

 

Straight outta OKC (that's Oklahoma City) comes the Death-Rock / Horror-Punk band known as Mockingbird Lane. The band, fronted by Christophe, has been around in one form or another since the early to mid 90's, but never got serious until 2002. The band has had more line up changes than the Misfits, with reportedly almost no two shows ever having the same members on stage. At the moment, the group is: main man Christophe - vocals, guitar, bass, & synths; Blizzard (a bona fide Satanist) - drums, bass, programming, & backing vocals; Doruinn Flur - guitar, synths, & backing vocals; BJ - backing vocals, guitar, bass, & drums. This of course will probably change any second. These guys seem to be the real deal, gothic and horror influences abound. At one point the band was even using a supposedly haunted funeral chapel in the town of Noble as a practice space! Sometimes even having to practice around the dead body that was on display earlier in the evening! To date, the band only has two releases to their credit, a CD single, and this five-track demo. What we have here is the song "Taken Under" (both plugged and unplugged versions), a cover of the Misfit's classic "She", and two more originals ("I... Vampire" and "Wolfshead"). The best of the bunch is Taken Under, which is why I guess we're treated to two versions. I'm not sure which I like best, "rockin' out" is always a plus, but the acoustic take on the song is pretty cool. In any regards, this is the most Goth-esque of the bunch. Once we reach the familiar sounds of She, it seems like the Misfits influence sinks its teeth into the band for the remainder of the disc. The production here is pretty lo-fi (read crappy), with odd sounding guitar and bass tones that one usually finds associated with outer fringe Stoner-Rock bands. But somehow, it helps, sort of adding an aura of street-level authenticity to the whole affair. What's the bottom line you ask? Well, it's very enjoyable stuff, especially if like me, you have a taste for horror-tinged Punk and all things dark. The real only problem is that this is not much more than a tease, come on Christophe, give us a full-length to sink our fangs into. For more info, you can check out the band's official page.
RATING = 7 Death-Rock / Horror-Punk (Released 2003)


February 9, 2004 - OklahomaRock.com

OklahomaRock.com 2-9-04

Mockingbird Lane

2003 Demo


The blandly-titled five-song 2003 Demo from Mockingbird Lane is a good listen for fans of death-rock and horror-punk. The recording quality is minimal at best and the tracks are muffled throughout. Christophe's dark and low vocals lend way to screeching, trebly and seemingly never-ending guitars. Most of the drum recordings on the disc are drowned out by the guitars. Bringing the drums up in the mix would benefit many of these songs.

The opening track "Taken Under" is a tale of heartbreak and worthlessness with a good hook. The disc also includes an acoustic version of the same song, which is about a minute longer than it should be. I wish other local bands would take a cue from this and add an acoustic track to some of their releases. "She" is a Misfits cover and is pulled off pretty well.  Nothing too over the top and stays pretty much to form of the original. "I...Vampire" is the fastest moving original track of the bunch. Christophe's vocals sound like something out a B-movie horror flick. "Wolfshead" could be pulled off better with a higher quality recording. The backup "woah-oh-ohs" are ill-timed and just don't fit. However, the guitar work on this track is commendable.

From what I can gather, Mockingbird Lane has gone through numerous changes and is probably still trying to evolve as a band. If they stick to their d-rock, horror-punk style, this quality of recording will do just fine. Minimalism has always been a streamline for this style.

Ryan La Croix, 02/09/04


January 24, 2004 - Black Angel Promotions

Black Angel Promotions 1-23-04

MOCKINGBIRD LANE - 2003 Demo

 Mockingbird Lane are a death/horror rock band based out of Oklahoma … and I'll be reviewing their five tracks "2003 Demo". Two versions of the love lost song "Taken Under", the "single mix" and an "acoustic mix". I guess it's good in that it shows another side of the band, but the acoustic mix didn't do much for me, I prefer the single version. They do a cover of The Misfits "She"… one thing about covers is that I like to hear a band do something different with the original and make it their own rather than just a carbon copy, which is the case with Mockingbird Lane's version. The last two songs are what make the demo sustainable, "I … Vampire" and "Wolfshead" are great songs.Not bad at all for a fairly new band. I look forward to hearing this band grow in the coming years and progress. The 2003 Demo is available on their site. (Bobby)


January 24, 2004 - OklahomaPunkScene.com

Oklahoma Punk Scene Dot Com #6

Mockingbird Lane is a goth punk/horror rock/death rock band from the Oklahoma City 
metro area. The band has a new CD available entitled "2003 Demo." This interview was 
conducted with lead singer/guitarist Christophe via email Oct. – Nov. 2003. 

--Dave Brown




Dave: How did Mockingbird Lane get together? How has the band changed since 
forming?

Christophe: Well, Mockingbird Lane has sort of been around off and on since the mid 
90's. Never anything serious until I put it together again in May 2002. In the beginning it 
was always just me, now it is Blizzard too. The current version of M.L. formed shortly 
after the demise of Therogy. I was having my birthday party up at 66 Bowl and needed 
another band to play. So I grabbed John & Brooke from Therogy probably less than a 
week before the gig and taught them some songs. After the show I decided to keep doing 
it. No more playing around in other people's bands. This is what I always wanted, and I 
was more confident in myself as a songwriter to do it now. As for the band changing 
since then... It's changed in a lot of ways. For one, we had a different line-up almost 
every show because no one wanted to do it. They either hated the music, hated me, or 
hated anything that resembled work. lol. I have so many stories I could tell about these 
people, but I think it would be better left unsaid. There were a few who just couldn't do it 
though. Like John, for a while he was touring with The Mimsies on the Warped Tour 
and then he also moved to L.A. Over time some of the songs have changed a bit, 
depending on the skill level of who was in the band at the time. We also got faster and 
heavier there for a while because of certain metalheads that were filling in. Other than 
that it has not been much else. 

Dave: Your music seems to pull a lot from Goth influences. Do you consider 
Mockingbird Lane a Goth band?

Christophe: I guess so. I consider it more Death-rock than goth, but they are basically 
the same thing. All of the bands I have loved since I was a kid pulled a darker influence 
into their songs. I was raised on pre-metal Alice Cooper. Songs like "Dead Babies" & "I 
Love The Dead". I also remember wanting to be just like Ian Astbury from The Cult. I 
listen to a lot more Goth bands from the 80's than any of the punk. So yeah, I guess we 
are, I have a lot of gothic influences.

Dave: According to your web site you have done some music for and work with a 
couple of independent films. How did you become involved with these projects? What 
films have you worked with and how is the Oklahoma independent film scene (for lack 
of a better term)?

Christophe: Well, both films are from local director Shawn Lealos 
(http://www.starvingdogs.biz/). I became involved with him through his girlfriend at the 
time. I used to work with her and she introduced us and had him listen to my songs. That 
is how "Taken Under" got chosen to be on "I Know What You Need." Then when he 
started on "The Devil's Playground" he just called me up because I was big, I think. lol. 
As for the Oklahoma independent film scene, I don't really know other than that. All of 
the other films I know are from the 80's. There was "Terror At Tenkiller" which was so 
bad I loved it, and one with Tom Savini in it about Jack The Ripper. Oh, and Weird Al's 
"UHF" was filmed in Oklahoma too. Sadly, that is my knowledge of Oklahoma films.

Dave: You use a lot of dark imagery in your music and on your web site. Are you fans 
of the science fiction/horror genre? If so, what are some of your favorite books, films, 
and television shows?

Christophe: My life revolves around it. My favorites for TV are "The Munsters" (kind of 
obvious isn't it) and "Rod Serling's Night Gallery." Books, would be anything by H.P. 
Lovecraft, "Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin, Clive Barker, Poppy Brite. A couple films 
are George Romero's "Martin" & Craven's 1st "Nightmare On Elm Street." There are so 
many more on all three mediums. I just grabbed a few from the top of my head. I could 
go on for days.

Dave: How many releases does Mockingbird Lane have out? Do you have any plans for 
a full-length album?

Christophe: So far, there are two releases. The "Taken Under" limited single and the 
"2003 Demo." I think we are planning on maybe doing a short 6-song EP first and maybe 
doing a full album later. I have not really put too much thought into it. I have not found 
the members to complete the line-up as of yet and have been to busy teaching new people 
to really work on all of that type of thing.

Dave: Not to ask a stupid question, but what exactly is death-rock? I've always thought 
that was a form of heavy metal.

Christophe: No, it's not. Death-rock is basically, in simplest terms, goth-punk. Before 
everyone started throwing the term "Gothic" around that is what they called the music. 
Although, the bands at the time rocked a lot harder than all of the whiny goth bands of 
today. Then you had bands like 45 Grave, Souxsie & The Banshees, The Damned, Eva O, 
etc., etc. The bands had come from the punk scene of the time. I could give a history 
lesson but it would be better to just go to http://www.deathrock.com/ for a good listing of 
bands old and new.

Dave: Please forgive my barrage of questions about your band and the goth & punk 
scenes but I have been reading up on goth recently and dying for someone to talk to about 
it. Anywho... I found a pretty good site called A History of Goth 
(http://www.scathe.demon.co.uk/histgoth.htm). The site goes through a fairly detailed 
history of the goth scene and how it was born out of the punk scene. To me goth is a part 
of punk (like hardcore, emo, and oi), but at some point there was a real break between the 
two scenes. Now there seem to be a group of bands that are (whether it is intentional or 
not) breaking down the barrier between the two scenes. Bands like The Undead, The 
Independents, Mockingbird Lane, The Staggers, psychobilly bands like Tiger Army and 
The Nekromantics, and the re-formed Misfits seem to appeal to punks and Goths alike. 
Do you think this is a result of people disaffected with the goth and punk scenes or is this 
something different altogether?

Christophe: I really don't know what to tell you. I've never really been "in" on the scene. 
I do not know if people have become disaffected. I live in my bubble away from the 
world. I have never even heard The Staggers, Tiger Army, or The Nekromantics. lol. I've 
never paid much attention to anything outside of my direct line of vision. 

Dave: What is your favorite movie to watch on Halloween?

Christophe: I've never had a favorite one to watch at a particular moment. It all just 
depends on my mood or who I am with. Hell, I never even get to stay home to watch 
movies on Halloween anymore. I am always playing a concert.

Dave: You recently performed an acoustic show at the Book Beat. How did that go? 
What have been some of your favorite shows?

Christophe: Actually the Book Beat show is not until the 29th of this month. I have yet 
to see how it will go. It is not my first acoustic show, but it is my first since Mockingbird 
Lane started playing shows. I do my version of the singer/songwriter thing. I will 
probably be doing only a couple M.L. songs. As for my favorite shows, right off the bat I 
can say Lawton. They treat us well there. The kids are fun. The last show we played there 
on Samhain, Dammit from Day Of The Sick sat in on bass and Corey from Eerie Ln. 
sang on a song. It was a lot of fun. The girls don't get mad when I tie them up in that 
town. So that is always a plus. Plus I got punched twice in one night. Once by a little girl 
and once by Dammit, before he tried to stab me. It was definitely a fun time. One of the 
funnest I have ever had.

Dave: Any final thoughts?

Christophe: Yeah, everyone should come out to our shows sometime. All the people 
complaining that we never play anywhere near them need to talk to their local clubs and 
get them to book us. We will play anywhere. And there have been a lot of people talking 
shit as well. My suggestion to everyone who has not heard us, see for yourself what you 
think. Don't be part of the herd, form your own fucking opinion. You can download 
mp3's at our site and try to make it out to a show. Don't forget to check out our website 
(http://mockingbirdlane.bravepages.com) and to shoot us an e-mail and let us know what 
you think of everything.


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