Railings, Bueno

Railings is the brainchild of Alex Smith, who I replaced as drummer in Ava Luna a bunch of years ago (coming full circle, I played drums on this recording). Post Ava Luna, he fronted the thrashy trio Casiorossi (RIP) for a few years before dissolving that band and starting Railings.

This recording was extremely challenging to work on in the best possible way. Alex is quite demanding of himself but to very good ends…”Slantstep” was probably the most difficult drum take I’ve ever successfully recorded — note how the downbeat isn’t at all where you think it is! Alex is an insane genius and I’m really honored that he let us work on his EP with him.

-Julian, Ava Luna & Gravesend Recordings


A lot of artists write records dedicated to where they come from; it's inevitable that in some way music will end up paying homage to the roots of its practitioners. It can serve as both dedication and personal therapy--which is exactly what vocalist Luke Chiaruttini channels in his five-piece rock ensemble Bueno. Bristling with grungy swagger and some killer sax playing, the guys in Bueno flick a tip of the musical hat to growing up in Staten Island. It's a salute to the good stuff, the not-so good parts, and the downright "fuck-ups" that make music like this both possible and worth it. -Zach Schepis