Pipeline Instrumental Review issue #74 Summer 2007 Review of “Dance Til’ Dawn”

Guitar four-peice The All-Nighters offer a lively set of 13 originals on Dance ‘til Dawn. Accomplished lead guitar player Jimmy Kastelic throws out a series of tasty flying licks with a clean and nicely echoed sound and is not afraid to use his whammy bar. Brother Jeff offers something that many American bands are prone to overlook, genuine rhythm guitar, while Bobby Lind and Gabe Taylor underpin everything tastefully on bass and drums.


The All-Nighters also distinguish themselves from the run of American three-piece outfits by ensuring that each number has a discernable melody. The variety that they bring to the album is another significant factor in its success. Escape From the Nuthouse makes a furious double-picked opener, Swingers Club has a jerky electric rhythm and a slightly exotic eastern feel and the fast flowing Cruisin’ & Rockin’ and N20 keep the tempo high. By track 5 its time to ease back jus a little for the exotic melody and lively latin rhythms of Crackerjack, a hypnotic minimasterpiece of an instrumental.

Things slow right down as James Taylor joins the band to add some background slide guitar for the second highlight Riding With Outlaws which is a moody theme full of western promise. Showdown is a fast East European hoedown while on Sex Maniac Jimmy shows he can hammer and widdle with a fuzzy tone if he has to. Starfish Lagoon is a smooth slowie, Glory Boy a catchy and unusual piano rocker, Surf Detective is a blend of twang and surf guitar and Drink The Night bounces along neatly with its punchy drum fills. The six minute Oceans of Time rounds off this satisfying and entertaining collection nicely with its smoothly shifting tempos and fine use of dynamics.

"New" Gandy Dancer (British instrumental rock magazine) #81 - review of "Dance 'til Dawn"

Jimmy and Jeff Kastelic (guitars and keys), Bobby Lind(bass) and Gabe Taylor (drums) are The All Nighters, punk by image and punk by excitement and enthusiasm but not in the music which is very bright and refreshing today instrumental sound. Opener (with great siren!) is a corker, uptempo, rocking and melodic while "Swingers Club" is almost rockabilly. "Cruisin' & Rockin" has that Ventures twang with a country rock guitar sound. Great rhythm section by the way, rhythm and bass are rock solid as are the driving drums behind from Gabe. I've been racking my brain cell (?) to think who these guys remind me of and the answer is Canada's Falcons but maybe a tadge wilder. This is a very inspiring original album (all 13 cuts are band compositions) and its not the run of the mill '60's sound or the aggressive thrash of some of today's bands. The All Nighters balance the excitement with a high dose of memorable melody in the songs. Like any new music, you'll need to give it a few plays since the boys have dared to be different (like the frenetic "Showdown" - Russian vodka with more attitude!) And I tell you something, they've succeeded. Great set and listening to it in January, what a start for 2007! **** (4 stars) (Davy)

Pipeline Instrumental Review - Winter 2005 - Review of "Drink the Night" by Alan Taylor

The All-Nightesr are a young American instrumental guitar band with a lively modern approach, but the differ from many in haveing a rhythm guitar in addition to lead, bass and drums. With their dynamic playing and equally dynamic punkabilly looks I've no doubt they rock up a storm onstate, and the presence of a second guitar certainly gives them an edge on record. They play principally original material with a surprisingly clean guitar sound. The result is a set of strikingly idividual modern guitar instrumentals with influences ranging through surf, country, Hawaiian, rockabilly, light jazz, and even classical with a cello on Opium Den.

Their intertwining arrangement of sounds demands that you actually listen for best effect, the album certainly works better at home than in the car. Here the input of rhythm guitarist Jeff Kastelic can be better appreciated - how refreshing to find a US band with someone not only prepared to play that role but also happy to use that title. Guitarest Jimmy Kastelic, bassist Bobby Lind and drummer Gabe Taylor are also clearly talented and work their socks off, all they need is a bunch of classic tunes to make a memorable impact.

What's Up Magazine - October 2006 - Interview by Stephanie Ashton

Though it seems obvious that coming to understand the sounds and style of a band rests upon coming to understand the people behind it, it's rather rare to find an exact match. The four members of The All-Nighters, however, almost seem to encompass something like a lifestyle brand: they perfectly embody, in personality, what they offer artistically to their audience-an affable smoothness with a subtle punch. Just as their music swirls and builds, so do their individual personalities; just as one is drawn into the deeper implications of what transpires in their sound arrangements, it's obvious that a brief exchange with the band only skims the surface of the energy and depth they bring to the table. And it's blatant that they're gifted with energy.

Consistently faced with being referred to as "that surf-rock band," the All Nighters are working hard to disassociate from labels, "Because we rely so heavily on instrumental guitars, it's just so easy for our stuff to be pigeonholed as 'surf rock,'" rhythm guitarist Jeff Kastelic says, "but really, there's a lot more going on."

He sites gypsy and folk music as major stylistic influences for the band, though he readily discusses how the specific parameters of the surf-rock genre were a stepping stone for song-writing when the group was first conceived in 2003. Although it's not immediately apparent during their live shows that they're making a conscious effort to break completely away from the stereotypes surrounding them, a careful listener does discern what's underneath the surface. "We love all different kinds of music," Kastelic explains, "and we're trying to move away from what's established us."

Each of the foursome also plays in the metal-influenced, Full Frontal Assault, a far cry from the melodic richness of the All Nighters. "We were playing in FFA," the band's lead guitarist, Jimmy Kastelic says, "and just decided to break off and do something different,. We all had other types of songs that we wanted to write."

Bob Lind on bass thinks, "FFA is a more serious band, an The All Nighters are a bit more fun. We specifically sit down and write songs for each band, although they are starting to blend a bit more into each other."

Practices are completely separate, too, though drummer Gabe Taylor agrees with Lind that the more they play, the more the bands seem to mesh. And if writing music for two incredibly disparate, though equally fantastic endeavors wasn't enough to attest to the sheer talent of the musicians at hand, Jimmy points out that, "If we had more time, we'd really want to start a punk band, too... We're very diverse," he explains, and then tells me, "in face, 'diversity' should be your angle for the article."

When asked if their on-stage personas change at all depending on what band their playing with, each of the members aren't sure how to answer. "We like to dress up for shows," Jeff says, "but I don't think that our style changes at all. We just like to bring something interesting, for the audience, to our appearance on-stage." And while the idea of musicians that "dress up" might be off-putting in the sense that it suggests novelty, the All Nighters' reach extends far past their scope in every area-as they definitely know how to put on a show. The power of their live performance is now buttressed by a new album (Dance Til' Dawn)- which each of the members wholeheartedly state is a huge step up from the last, and cite Paul Turpin at Bayside as a incredible help in getting out. "Our sound has really matured," Jeff says. "Our song writing isn't as poppy, and it has a deeper mood to it," Jimmy explains, at which point Jeff declares, "it's kind of more like a soundscape-we brought in a lot of new instruments, and are really turning into a gypsy band." As well, the band cites having a major backer for the album, which brought a lot of freedom. "We were really able to just do what we wanted, without a lot of restraint," Taylor says, "and that helped out a lot."

In light of the excitement for the new album, The All Nighters are about to embark on a West Coast tour that will take them through California and Arizona; in addition, they will be playing several shows as Full Frontal Assault.

"We love touring," Lind says, "we're really excited to be heading out."

And though they generally avoid playing as both bands on the same night, there are a few venues where they will be doing so. A few weeks on the road, however, hasn't kept them from booking shows in Bellingham. Catch them on October 5 at the Wild Buffalo and November 11 at Chiribin's. If you've missed The All Nighters before, it's time to get out there; they're definitely as fun, and as awesome, as it gets.