Sunday, June 28, 2009

Another Day, Another Apologie

Sigh. I should just create a label for "apologies" at the rate I am posting these. Ok, for the next 14 days I am going on trip that will leave me pretty much removed from a computer. I know this probably very annoying to the (few) people who read me blog, and trust me I don't mean to leave during this time either. However, I can't do anything about. But I promise to make as many posts as I can and when I get back I will have tons of CD reviews, live shows reviews with pictures, and (hopefully) an interview. So stay tuned and I will see you soon.

P.S. I will also be gone the last week of July as well, so I apologies in advance for how sporadic my posts will be for the next month.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Help Support the Firewall of Sound


The Firewall of Sound is a documentary in the making of about the indepent music scene and its realationship with the digital age. It is being directed by Devin DiMattia. And it needs your help! By going to their Kickstarter account and donating even one dollar, you can help this film become a reality. Okay, I know I sound like one of those people on PBS, but really this is for a good cause to help a great movie be made. Plus it has both Julian Koster and Superchunk frontman and Merge founder Mac MaCaughan, and if you donate you will get bonus videos of an 2 hour interview with Julian Koster, so good things are bond to happen.





Thursday, June 25, 2009

News: Nobunny Signs to New Label (Again), Plans New Relase and Huge Tour

Fuzzy, scuzzy, punk rock, poppy, and general nut (in a good way) Nobunny is very busy. As reported by Exclaim, Nobunny has signed to Memphis label Goner to release a new album tentatively titled Ono. Nobunny also announced plans to re-release the extremaly limited b-sides and outtakes cassette Raw Romance again. It is, however, unknown whether or not this will also be through Goner Records as well. The biggest news coming from Nobunny though, is the planned two month tour through the almost all of the United States and Canada. Someof the tour is still in the planing stage with clubs to be played at still TBA. However, if you ever wanted to see a drunken, almost naked puppet preform don't miss your chance now.

UPDATE: A confirmation from Goner records is that Nobunny is now signed to them and will be releasing his next album through them. However they have no idea on what the name of the album is or when it will be released. They also have no plans to reissue the Raw Romance cassette (this does not mean it wil not be reissued however).

Nobunny-I Am A Girlfrined (via of The Great Pumpkin)




Nobunny Tour Dates
7/4 San Francisco, CA – The Knockout
7/15 Los Angeles, CA – 5 Star Bar
7/17 San Diego, CA – Johnny Rad Fest
7/18 Los Angeles, CA – 5 Star Bar
7/23 Portland, OR – Work/Sound Gallery
7/24 Olympia, WA – TBA
7/26 Seattle, WA - Funhouse
7/27 Victoria, BC - Logans Pub
7/28 Vancouver, BC - Pats Pub
7/29 Kamloops, BC - TBA
7/30 Edmonton, Alberta - New City Lounge
7/31 Calgary, Alberta - Broken City
8/1 Regina, Saskatchenwan – TBA
8/2 Winnipeg, Manitoba - TBA
8/4 Thunder Bay, Ontario - TBA
8/6 Sudbury, Ontario – TBA
8/7 Toronto, Ontario - Silver Dollar
8/8 Ottawa, Ontario - Polish Palace
8/9 Montreal - TBA
8/10 Hamilton, ON - TBA
8/11 Detroit, MI – Painted Lady
8/13 Lafayette, IN - Zooleggers
8/14 Milwaukee, WI – The Valte
8/15 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
8/17 Green Bay, WI - TBA
8/18 Minneapolis, MI – TBA
8/19 Omaha, NB - TBA
8/20 Lawrence, KA – TBA
8/21 Denver, CO - TBA
8/22 Provo, UT - The Compound
8/23 Reno, NV - TBA
9/2 San Francisco, CA – The Parkside
9/4 Brentwood, CA – house show
9/17 Las Vegas, NV – TBA
9/18 Flagstaff, AZ - TBA
9/19 Phoenix, AZ - Trunkspace
9/20 Tucson, AZ – TBA
9/21 New Mexico – TBA
9/22 Austin, TX – Beerland
9/23 Denton, TX – TBA
9/24 Memphis, TN – Gonerfestr Dates
10/11 Valencia , Valencia-Funtastic Dracula Carnival

Everything I Missed: Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavilion

In the six months I have been running this blog. I have only posted to music reviews. So in order to make up for this I will be posting reviews of everything I have not covered. Now chanches are you have already made your opinion these albums months ago and I am about 3 million years to late with these. But who knows, I may make you give it another chance/hate it. Plus I desperately need to up my post output and improve my writing, so deal with it. And enjoy. Oh, and don't confuse these reviews with the more current album reviews I will be posting as well.
Now in the debate of overhyped bands, Animal Collective have reached the forefront, with many declaring Merriweather Post Pavilion either the best or worst album of the year without even hearing it. After actually listening to it, it must be said that this album is a grower. By just looking at the cover art (a trippy optical illusion) of the sound of the album. The music of Merriweather are much more drawn out in the vain of Panda Bear’s Person Pitch album or Strawberry Jam’s #1. At times this works wonderfully. Brothersport comes off as a demented Beach Boys song with the vinyl caught in a loop while My Girls takes everything Fireworks did and Turns it into an insanely mutant and catchy pop song. Summertime Clothes could be the catchiest song Animal Collective have done. Then there are the "other tracks". Track like Daily Routine which comes off as a mindless drone while No More Runnin tries to take the wonderful repetition of Brotherspot and make it beautiful, but fails, badly. However, that is the point of the album. Animal Collective tried to a beautiful, lush album. And they almost entirely succeed. Lion in a Coma, built around the best jug harp sample ever, starts simple and grows before smashing with the keyboards at the end. Bluish achieves the style perfectly, balancing beauty with pop drone. If only they had cut tracks like Also Frightened, they might have a perfect album.

Animal Collective-My Girls (courtasy of Pop Tarts Suck Toasted)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

News: Matador Records Releases the Details of Spiral Stairs' New Album

5 years of being completely removed from music (besides does great Pavement reissues) Spirals Stairs AKA Scott Kannberg, has announced the details of his upcoming third solo album. And it’s under the Spiral Stairs moniker! The album, titled The Real Feel, is due out on October 20 and has been produced by the Posies' Jon Auer. Plus about 3 million guests artists helped make/preformed the album. The official Matador info about the record can be read here along with a download of the first single "Maltese Terrier", which compared to his other stuff is pretty good. Also, the album art work is also a top contended for the "Worst/Most Ridiculous Album Artwork of the Year" award.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sonic Youth Videos

In a desprite attempt to bring more posts to you and to to catch up on everything else, I bring you two great Sonic Youth videos. The first is a video for their first single "Sacred Trickster". The second a live (and if I say steller) rendition of "No Way" on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon. Enjoy.




Friday, June 19, 2009

Lost Gems: Music Tapes-1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad

In the musical world, so much is released only to disappear without a trace. Creative, experimental, boundary pushing, great music is lost without a notice or second glance. In order to fix this I shall go, one by one, to bring to light all that I can... if I find them.

One of the first things that grabs you about The 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad is not the album, but what comes with it. A pop-up of a smiling cloud and a comic telling the story of the imaginary symphony. A story of inventors, youth, and alien televisions. Then you enter mind of Julian Koster through the CD. A world of eternal youth, were Superman is worshiped and the singing saw is honored as the greatest of instruments. Youth and imagination are the keys to the songs of the album. These are stories that Julian Koster has been forming since his birth and spent 4 years making on everything from wax cylinders to four-tracks. All the records were even sent all the way to Abby Road Studios in England just be mastered on that specific sound deck. And the sounds of the album are just as interesting and incredible as the lyrics behind them. Guitars and drums are almost gone from the album, in their place are piano and singing saws. Everything from a ball to a singing television are used to bring this album to life. While at some points the album may appear dark or scary, a twisted man in his own world of marching fists and lost sailors, the truth is this is an album of childhood and celebrating all its joy and whimsy.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Bands to Care About: iji

The best way to look at iji (pronounced ee-hee) is a combination of Guided by Voices and Wavves. I know that with all the backlash hitting Wavves right now that might not be the best way to introduce a band, but trust me when I say that iji is the best of both worlds. Iji is the mutant baby and greatest creation of Zach Burba (formally of now gone Seashell) a man who since starting the band in 2007 has made 5 releases and has remained hidden by releasing 2 on cassette label Lost Sound Tapes and the newest one on his own. However, do what you can to track these down because it is some of the best Tobin Sprout/Guided By Voices songs out their. While these were made entirely on four tracks and recorded all on his own, none of the standard lo-fi hiss and fuzz leaks through, actually good in this case because while most bands use it to cover up unfully formed songs, iji’s songs shine right through in all their power popinfluenced indie rock glory.


iji-Long Branches and Roots



Also iji will be doing their largest tour ever starting on July 4th. It will start in Settale and all dates will be with label mates Watercolor Paintings. Also half the dates will be with friends Math the Band and the other half with Fishboy.

July 4th Seattle, WA @ DANCLEVANIA
July 5th Victoria, BC @ BAYANIHAN COMMUNITY CENTER
July 6th Vancouver, BC @ THE SHED
July 7th Whidbey Island, WA @ ELI + ASHLEY'S HOUSE
July 8th Spokane, WA @ The EMPEREAN
July 9th Missoula, MT @ THE ZACC GALERY
July 13th Omaha, NB @ THE PIZZA SHOPPE COLLECTIVE
July 14th Des Moines, IA @ VAUDVILLE MEWS
July 16th Milwaukee, WI @ THE CHICKEN HOLE
July 18th Chicago, IL @ THE FUNHOUSE
July 20th Bloomington, IN @ RACHEL'S CAFE
July 21st Grand Rappids, MI @ THE DAAC
July 22nd Ferndale, MI @ LEROY ST. RECORDS
July 23rd Toledo, OH @ THE BLACK CHERRY
July 24th Cleveland, OH @ BELLA DUBY
July 27th Burlington, VT @ 242 MAIN
July 28th Providence, RI @ THE SWEAT SHOP
July 31st Brooklyn, NY @ DEATH BY AUDIO
Aug 1st Haverton, PA @ HAVORFORD FREE LIBRARY
Aug 2nd Baltimore MY @ CHARM CITY ART SPACE
Aug 3rd Richmond Va @ THE TINDERBOX
Aug 4th Greensboro, NC @ MAYA GALLARY
Aug 7th Gainesville, FL @ WAYWARD COUNCIL
Aug 10th Knoxville, TN @ THE BISCUIT HOUSE
Aug 16th Austin, TX @ HOLE IN THE WALL
Aug 17th Houstin, TX @ SUPER HAPPY FUN LAND
Aug 20th Tucson, AZ @ DRY RIVER
Aug 21st Phoenix, AZ @ THE TRUNKSPACE
Aug 24th Santa Barbera, CA @ BIKO GARAGE
Aug 30th Seattle, WA @ CAROUSEL FEST

(Other planned shows in Athens, Washington DC, Tronto, and more have yet to be booked and thoes dates will be posted in a latter post)

iji myspace
iji store set up by their current label Lost Sound Tapes

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart to Tour With Cymbals Eat Guitars

In an era known as 1991, rising stars Dinosaur Jr toured with a little know bandcalled My Bloody Valentine. Now, it might be saying too much this tour will equal that on, there are few times this buzzed about (and loud, and fuzzy) get togther, so don't rule anything out.

09-05 Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
09-06 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
09-07 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
09-08 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium
09-09 Madison, WI - Stage Door at the Orpheum
09-10 Omaha, NE - The Slowdown
09-12 Morrison, CO - Monolith Festival
09-13 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
09-14 Boise, ID - Neurolux
09-17 Portland, OR - MFNW/Doug Fir
09-21 San Diego, CA - Casbah
09-22 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
09-24 Fort Worth, TX - Lola's
09-25 Austin, TX - The Mohawk
09-26 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
09-27 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
09-28 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
09-29 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
09-30 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-01 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
10-05 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church

Friday, June 12, 2009

CD Review: Sonic Youth-The Eternal

The first person who says "This is a good album, but not as good as Daydream Nation" or "Their best album’s are behind them", gets a baseball bat to the head. I don’t care if it’s your grandmother, they deserve it for spreading such lies! See, the problem that will affect reviewers and hardcore Sonic Youth fans about this album is the desire to compare it to their old albums. Claims will be made about how it isn’t as noisy or experimental as they want it to be, and thus not as great as it could be. However, it is failed to be seen is the fact that after almost 30 years of challenging and innovating, it is nearly impossible to find a new direction. Sonic Youth realized this and, instead of trying something new just for the sake of it and failing, they embrace limitation and actually find innovation.

This is the first album with all three singers singing at once and it pays off on tracks like "Poison Arrow" were a great sense of paranoia is created or "Anti-Orgasm" were sexual intensity is created by truly rocking music to contrast with the lyrics. And this is a rock album through and through. "Antenna" could be their catchiest song since "Teenage Riot"; the yelps and power of Kim Gordon on opener "Sacred Trickster" are kind of scary, and "Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn", truly, pardon the pun, thunders like no tomorrow. Now, this isn’t the album for everybody. Anyone who have problems with "Rather Ripped" will probably have problems with this one as well due to John Agnello producing both. However, if Sonic Youth simply want to rock out, I have no problem with that, mainly because if people listened, they would hear the Sonic Youth they love in every track, just as loud and noisy as ever.

Small Nana Grizol Tour Happening Right Now


The rising and newest members of the Elephant 6 collective have started a tour of mideastern (or is it westeren?) United States. The tour is a small one, but if you have never seen them, sure to catch them now before Pitchfork makes them super popular and then destroys them when they release their thrid album.

06/11/09 Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia
06/12/09 Dowelltown, TN @ Ida (Idapalooza festival)
06/13/09 Bloomington, IN @ Joel’s House
06/14/09 Chicago, IL @ The Grand Manor
06/15/09 Detroit, MI @ The Trumbullplex
06/16/09 Lexington, KY @ Gumbo Ya Ya
06/19/09 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club

Friday, June 5, 2009

Ponytail Interview

Ponytail are making some most experiemental and creative music right now. A fusion math rock, art rock, impromtu, and insane vocals. So of all the things that could possibly come up in an interview with them, every band memeber saying how great Fleetwood Mac is not the first thing you would think of. But if their music is based on having no idea what will come next, I guess a deep love of 60's music should not be surpising.
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David Glickman (Me): So you formed in college, for a college class were your professor grouped you together and said form a band. What class was that?

Dustin Wong: It was this class called parapainting.

DG: So that was part of the class, making a band?

DW: Yeah, that was part of the class. We kind of knew from the beginning what we were getting into. I think we all went into the class thinking we were going to start a band.

DG: So what made you want to continue preforming after the class had ended?

DW: It was just really fun. We had to preform a show at the very end of the semester and it was such a blast that we decided to keep going.

Ken Seeno: It didn’t feel like their was another choice, it was just like natural. It was just ‘let’s keep going.’ I feel that’s what happened to Michael. We was probably just like surprised, because we were like "So when do you guys want to practice next"? It was like there wasn't any talk about stopping and we just got caught up in it, our ex-keyboard player.

Molly Siegal: We kinda knew that it was something that had gotten beyond the class like we practiced a lot and we kind of were all excited about it.

DG: How did you decide on your sound? Was there a decision to be so experimental?

DW: I think it was already experimental, because we all did really know each other you know. But really didn’t kind of it, like we weren’t like let’s make this experimental, more like lets make this work.

Jeremy Hyman: Yea, in the beginning we weren’t really thinking about music as much as we were art just because where we were in our lives, our education. So that kind of has experimental leanings from the beginning, I mean that added to it. Plus our tastes are all so different that you really couldn’t have a unified sound from all these people.

DG: Right, you’ve been compared sonicly to Deerhoof and vocally to Yoko Ono. Are these actual influences of yours, or... I mean I’m suspecting (there is) other stuff.

DW: I mean there are definitely other stuff, but Yoko Ono and Deerhoof are, I mean really love their music, it’s definitely in their. I’m not denying any sort of, were not influenced by these people.

KS: I mean everybody has different influences because everybody listens to different things. I mean we can list some if you like.

DG: Sure, why not.

KW: Well, Molly’s into Minnie Riperton.

(Molly Laughs)

DG: Into what?

MS: Well right now, sort of, I’m sort of getting into Minnie Riperton, who’s like this crazy vocalist. She can just sing in like nine octaves, (or what’s ever a lot, 12 or something). I don’t know, I would say my influences, my direct influences are Pixies and their vocals and...

DG: Kim Deal or Frank Black?

(Smiles and Laughs) MS: Both, I would say definitely both. I mean Kim Deal, is awesome and I like the other bands she’s been in to. But I would say both of them, the way the vocals work with the music and also The Silts, Kathleen Hanna from Le Tigre.

DG: Anyone else want to go?

DW: I really like the Beach Boys.

JH: Some big for me were the Police. They were a huge influence on me. But even newer ones. When we were in school, Lighting Bolt were a huge influence, seeing them. Even bands that are our contemporizes like, seeing a band like Japanther and wanting to start a band. You know, just the live performance aspect.

KS: Yea, I just recently got into The Police too. I don’t know. Just like really recently I just been getting back into jazz and stuff. I was even thinking about earlier today, when I used to be in jazz band. I been really into Sunny Sherlock for a while, he’s like a really noisy electric guitar jazz guy. I see things going that way. I mean I see my tastes going more into jazz.

DW: If I could continue from Jeremy, the Providence music scene was definitely huge influence.

DG: As oppose to the Baltimore one?

DW: Yea definitely. It was definitely that scene really made me want to be in a band. Like Lighting Bolt and the whole Port Thunder music.

DG: So nothing truly that experimental. I mean, you don’t blast Frank Zappa or Captain Beefheart through your speakers...

Everybody At the Same Time: Oh no, yea!

DW: I mean that’s like... when I was in like 5th grade I was blasting Frank Zappa. I thought you were going to say something like Sun O))).

KS: I mean I really like Captain Beefheart. I got into a later record recently, Ice Cream for Crow. That record is pretty cool. I think it’s from the 80's. It’s pretty sweet. I like Zappa too. I mean, I don’t even need to mention them because they are so natrual or something. I thought you were going to say Deathstorm or something. I like nosie too.

DG: So this has been asked a million times, so I am going to make it a million and one. What lead to Molly’s vocals? How did you decided to do screeches and yells and noises or traditional vocals?

MS: Well, when we started, obviously, none of us new each other very well and I didn’t know what I was going to play in the band. They all played their instruments and I didn’t play any instruments, so it was one practice were I didn’t know what I was doing and I mentioned that I might want to sing, and so Dustin, he kind of heard that and was like ‘why don’t we practice alone, just me and you’. I actually knew Dustin before a little bit, the most out of anyone. So we got together and jammed and came up with... I feel it was a combination of not really thinking I could sing traditionally at all and also just... I don’t know, I knew I didn’t want to do... I just knew there a lot of vocals I wasn’t interested in. I feel I just found a way that worked, you know, it was the only thing that worked for me really. I couldn’t imagine singing really like, normally; so that’s how it happened. And then it just developed (and it’s still developing) , but it developed over years to be less crazy, more actual singing.

DG: Right because on Ice Scream Spiritual you actually sing some tangible English.

MS: Definitely. Yea actually... on Kamehameha I was saying words too. I think that with Kamehameha it was just different because we recorded, I feel we recorded that like kind of early or something. Right after we wrote everything and I feel like I was still unsure about some of things I was doing and I was actually really sick during the recording. Just like, I feel like... just the way I, for example we still do Bermuda Triangle, which is a song from Kamehameha, and we do it sometimes with cassettes, and I do it completely differently that the recording. Well not completely different, but to me, it’s really different. Anyway, I feel for Kamehameha there were words, but you can’t really hear them because of the way I was doing them was more screaming.
KS: And through a telephone.

MS: Yea and I was singing through a telephone actually. Like, a microphone that was made from a telephone speaker...

(I laugh and butt in) DG: Really?

MS: Yea, so that also contributed to the sound. Which I liked the distortion at the time a lot, but now I really won’t want that.

KS: Another Japanther influence. They influenced us.

DG: The lo-finess?

KS: Just the idea, straight up was cool. Yeah I guess the lo-finess, but just the way it sounded, using a telephone as a microphone.

DW: It was just this telephone we found in the trash. We didn’t need to buy a microphone.

MS: Yeah, I had never been in a band before and this was a class project so I wasn’t spending a lot of money on the project. So, they had all been in bands before and they all had equipment already and I was just starting from scratch. So Jeremy just took this telephone, this plastic telephone...

JH: It was a really weird looking phone.

MS: It was weird, actually.

DW: A cordless phone...

KS: Without any second guessing, it was just ‘Yea, Molly gets to use that’.

(Molly bursts into laughter)

KS: Never a question or an issue.

DW: We were ‘We had a microphone’ lets...

(Still laughing) MS: I was never like, ‘Oh, we could do this differently.’

KS: It was never a specific idea or a specific not idea.

MS: I was never really thinking about, I was just doing it. We were all really distracted by school too. We had a lot going on, so it was this other thing we were doing. And now it’s like, center of our lives.

DG: Speaking of, Ice Cream Spiritual was a big jump from Kamehameha. Kamehameha was these 10 super sonic bursts of sound and energy. But with Ice Cream Spiritual you draw out the sound and build it and build it and exploded it and build it again. What lead to this shift? Was it because J. Robbins was producing or was it just the musical direction you were going in?

DW: No, we had written all the songs before we had gotten into J’s studio. I mean, all the songs on Kamehameha were pre-written pretty quickly I feel. I think we all knew we wanted to challenge ourselves. We took a long time writing and I think it took a lot more refinance.

KS: It’s like natural, I think with art, the way that we did it. It’s just like paintings. You start on one theme and you keep trying to stretch it and work it to its essences. Jay just helped us capture the sound...all of it was written. I mean, he had some great ideas but...

MS: Well I was just going to say that, I feel like the first album, for me, was more cathartic. I was screaming a lot, there was a lot more anger. I just feel we got a lot out of our system. It was a maturing thing. We wanted to slow down a bit and become a bit more reflective.

JH: It was like you (Molly) was saying. The first album was more escapist and now this is our lives and we’re trying to grow up and be in a band.

DG: So how a Ponytail song made? Is it instrumentation first and Molly adds vocals or is it Molly creates the vocals and you add instrumentation to match it or is it improved and made on the spot?

DW: It depends on the song too. Like some songs were written where Jeremy and I, like Celebrate the Body Electric started with Jeremy and I. We emailed it to Ken. Ken wrote on top of it and that became the central part of the song. And then we got together as a band and then started with the beginning. It’s a very non-linear way of writing and when we put it all together it just comes together.

MS: I usually do stuff after. I would say most of my parts become solidified like after the music is written and after we’ve played it a little bit.

KS: There’s definitely an element of repetition; then it gets to the point were we want to introduce it to a live setting ,but that doesn’t mean the song is necessarily finished, because the more we play it, the more we fine tune it. And then it... you know what I mean...

DG: It evolves?

KS: Yea, it kind of, sometimes evolves a little bit. So yeah, there’s no like set writting.

DG: So you made video’s for some of your songs and ... you can really tell you came from art college. Why do these types of videos over traditional, like you preforming the song and it’s recorded in some odd way, and why are you trying to induce seizures?

(Everybody Laughs)

DW: I never thought we were trying to induce seizures. Were we?

KS: Not as much as the band we played with in Phoenix. They were really trying to induce seizures. Just straight up strobe light sludge metal.(Pause) I mean to be perfectly honest, as much as we like to curate certain elements of the "Ponytail Ascetic" or whatever, we usually just ask our friends that we know our great artists and we believe in them, if they would be interest in doing something and then it’s kind of like their interpretation of us and then we get it back and we laugh and say its cool. (Laughs)

DG: So you basically just had it over to them and say "Go nuts."

Everybody: Yeah

KS: We like that.

DW: I mean they definitely have to like the song. They have to enjoy the music. If we gave it to someone who doesn’t like the music, I don’t think we could trust them.

KS: Our friends are really supportive, it’s cool. We want to be supportive of them; we try.

DG: So were do you see Ponytail moving sonicly? Back to Kamehameha style or more of an expansion of Ice Cream Spiritual?

DW: I don’t know. I don’t think we’re going to go back.

(Everybody chuckles and agrees)

KS: I don’t think we’ll ever go back. I just think we’ll keep moving in whatever why we go.

DG: So 15 minute prog songs.

(Everybody laughs)

DW: Well, maybe not that direction. There’s just of branching out I guess we can do.

KS: I mean we all want to try new things. It’s always the most exciting when we do something unexpected. We want to keep it that way.

MS: I mean, I keep getting excited because one of our newer songs starts really slow and I keeping about doing something slower. Just more different sounds we’ve used and samples.

DG: Because there’s a build to it?

MS: Just because I was want to do new stuff and I feel like I just want to do new stuff. To me it feels like an expansion to Ice Cream Spiritual.

DG: This could just be based on Molly, and this is the final question, do really, honestly like Fleetwood Mac?

KS: Yes

DW: We do.

MS: Hell yeah.

DG: Honestly?

DW: Yea, have you listened to them?

DG: Uh, no.

(Ken laughs)

DW: Why, you should give it a shot. Get Rumors.

KS: Start with Rumors.

DG: Not Tusks?

DW: Tusks is cool but is much harder to get into.

KS: Yeah, yeah. Start with Rumors, Tusks later, Garage later.

DW: Like the clean sound maybe apprehensive at first, but just give into it.

KS: You might even want to start with The Best of Fleetwood Mac. That’s how I started it. It
was just so good, one after another. Then I got into Rumors. I listen to it all the time, it’s so good.
MS: It’s just like the best pop music ever. It’s...

(Butting in and sarcastically) DG: How dare you defy The Beatles! They’re the pop masters!

(Everybody laughs)

MS: Not for me.

KS: Not for me either. There good, their great.

DW: The Beach Boys for me just go up and beyond. I was a Beatles fan due.

KS: Just like the sounds of Fleetwood Mac are so harmonies when you listen to it. Just the way it works when it is mixed and comes together just... washes you know.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Los Campesinos News: Lost A Band Memeber, Going on Tour, Did an Interview (Not with Me)

As anyone who has read my blog can testify, I REALLY like Los Campesinos! They are the one of the greatest self deprecating indie- twee pop bands of today. And that is why this news comes as so sad. Aleks, keyboardist extraordinaire and secondary singer, is leaving the band to go back to her studies in college. She was Gareth’s savior angle, singing her lyrics to save him before he threw himself into a total pit of unescapable despair. She will be missed, and the Creative Interesction wishes her the best of luck and the band in how ever they will survive. Read the farewell from the band here and Aleks farewell here.

In better Los Campesinos! news, they have announced an August tour of the United States, hopefully debuting songs from their new album, due to come out in 2010. This tour will be Aleks’ final, so be sure to see it. Also Gareth did an interview with Pitchfork (rising the love aspect of our love-hate relationship I and everyone else has with Pitchfork), were he reveals details of said upcoming album. Read here.

August
04 New York, NY Webster Hall
05 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
06 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
07 Indianapolis, IN Spin Nightclub
08 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza
11 St. Louis, MO Firebird
12 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
14 Austin, TX Emos Outside
15 Dallas, TX Granada Theatre
16 Houston, TX Warehouse (Studio)
19 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
20 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
22 Pomona, CA Glass House
23 Costa Mesa, CA Detroit Bar
25 Las Vegas, Nevada Beauty Bar
28 San Francisco, CA Outside Lands Festival
29 San Diego, CA Street Scene

P.S. In quick non Los Campesinos! news, I am working on my interview with Ponytail. I am still working on finals, but I will have it up as soon as I can. Thanks for waiting.