Cassette Review: Couples-S/T EP

In the small little blurb description for Couples S/T cassette, comparrisions were made to Guided By Voices. That can be heard but, I think Sebadoh is a much better musical reference point for the band. Couples are a newly formed band out of Canada have produced some of the best '90s style indie rock I have heard in a while. I want to apply the "slacker" term here, mostly because if I were to use the term "laid black" Wavves would come to mind.

Couples are making music purely for themeselves and the people around them. It's insanely simple and barebones indie rock, but seeing as so much in the indie world is based around electronics and drone these days, or layed in three different types of distortion (which can be grating even to me sometimes). And while the Guided by Voices comparision might not be perfect, as the songs are not spaztic enough and the Canadian indie style seeps through (once again, this is not a bad thing) the byproduct of Couples would probably put a simile on the faces of the members of GBV anyway. The ruckes, ramshakleness, and sutble joy produced by this tape put a simple on my face at least. There's no genre or pretense the band is tyring to subscribe to.

(mp3) Couples-Blued and Black

Links:

Couples on Bandcamp
Buy the S/T cassette her, from Scotch Tapes

Earth Girl Helen Brown Announces 10" EP

Earth Girl Helen Brown, for those who don't remember, is a side project started by Sonny Smith and Heidi Alexander of the Sandwiches (not to be confused with the recent new band Sonny and The Sandwiches), first showcased on Sonny's 100 Records project. Thankfully, both people decided to countinue the project, turning the fake band into a real one, and now Earth Girl Helen Brown will be releasing their debut 10" EP Story of an Earth Girl on Gorilla vs. Bear and Weekly Tape Deck run label Forest Family. They have also released the first song of it as well, "Hit After Hit", and much more lo-fi and jazz influenced track then what was heard last time. Very anticipated release by me.

(mp3) Earth Girl Helen Brown-Hit After Hit

Links:

Pre-order Story of an Earth Girl here, from Forest Family Records

Year End List: #1 Album I Should Have Coverd This Year-Big Troubles's Worry

There were mountains of great, no, incredible albums that I missed this year. Right at the beginning Spoon released another sublime of their minimalist indie/garage rock. LCD Soundsystem left the world on the greatest high note with This is Happening. My personal favorite and buds Titus Andronicus, while I did post some mp3s never got the album review The Monitor deserved (newsflash: it's fucking incredible). One of my favorite bands of all time, Arcade Fire, released their rightfully massive third album The Suburbs which has held a very special place next my heart and ear buds. However, all those albums were massively covered, so I don't feel like too bad they didn't lose another good review. There was though, one band that released a particularly excellent album that should have gotten more coverage from me but didn't. There name is Big Troubles and their album Worry is a mini shoegaze masterpiece.

I honestly wish I had some valid excuse as to why I did not pick up on Worry sooner, but I don't. I had gotten several tracks from comps and mp3s that made me like the band, but for some reason I didn't give the band the attention they deserved. Now as I sit here typing this, listening to it through my headphones I can see how wrong I am. It's hard exactly to explain why the shoegaze that Big Trouble do rises higher than the current excess of shoegaze that surrounds it in the indie scene. I think it's do to the fact that the has heavily evident pop hooks and melodies, plus a sense of fun built into them before the band bathes them in that warm layer of fuzz and distortion. "Video Rock", the track that opens the album could very well be a My Bloody Valentine track before the band derezzes the guitar line and puts it back together. "Bite Yr Tongue" and "Freudelin Ships" have a nice surf rock backdrop to them, though not in a way that ruins the songs. It's a wonderful swirl (an adjective that should describe any good shoegaze album) of metaphorical color exploding around your head, almost as if No Age had decided to eat a bunch of candy and decided to make twee and jangle pop album.

Worry is just an exceptional album, and Big Troubles is an exceptional band. I promise to myself and all reads of this blog, I will not pass them over the next these guys decided to release anything.



Links:

Big Troubles on Myspace
Buy Worry here, from Olde English Spelling Bee

Honorable Mentions for Albums I Should Have Covered:

Arcade Fire-The Suburbs

Deerhunter-Halcyon Digest

Titus Andronicus-The Monitor

LCD Soundsystem-This Is Happening

Spoon-Transference

Of Montreal-False Priest

Broken Bells-S/T

Magic Kids-Summer

Broken Water-Whet

Xiu Xiu-Dear God, I Hate Myself

Tyvek-Nothing Fits

Cinema Red and Blue-S/T

Gobble Gobble-(OK, I don't think he did release an official album, but I should have covered him period)

Brown Recluse-Impressions of a City Morning

While I patiently wait for Pet Milk to release any form of new music (seriously, what's taking them?!), I found out recently that Pet Milk is actually a side project for the band Brown Recluse. Brown Recluse have been kicking around for a while, having released their a few singles and EPs here and there, mainly for the quiet possible the best indie pop label around, Slumberland. After all this time Brown Recluse are prepping for their debut album Evening Tapestry to be released on... Slumberland. And while Pet Milk favored a much louder and Pains of Being Pure At Heart sound to their music, Brown Recluse are much more in debt to the sound of Belle and Sebastien. Next to The Crayon Fields, this is one band truly trying to recapture the subtle pop tones of B&S, with pitch perfect vocal harmonies and organ sound as proof.



Links:

Brown Recluse on myspace
Pre-Order Evening Tapestry here, at Slumberland Records

The Mountain Goats-Damn These Vampires

After a lot of nudging from a friend and being blown away by them when they performed at Austin City Limits last year, I have started to fall in love with The Mountain Goats, something everyone else experienced about 15 years ago. Thankfully, this new love of The Mountain Goats has fallen nicely on the news of a new album from the band, the new highly metal influenced All Eternal Deck, and as if if to match the tone of the album, "Damn These Vampires" was released as the first single thanks to the good folks at Stereogum. While the song is probably metaphorical, with the song's narrator using vampires as a description to the draining feeling that surrounds his life and world around him, I can pretend that it is a critique on the new media frenzy of vampires and the way they drain from the media they are a party of.

(mp3) The Mountain Goats-Damn These Vampires

Links:

The Mountain Goat's Website
Pre-order All Eternal Deck here, from Merge Records

Guest Year End List: Andrew Cedermark

If there was one artist I wish had gotten more attention in 2010, hands down it should have been Andrew Cedermark. Having released some wonderful songs in 2009, the build up should have been massive for Moon Deluxe. It got great reviews from Pitchfork, bloggers loved him, and he even wound up on Stereogum's Top 20 Most Overlooked LPs of 2010 for Christ's sake! I can only hope that 2011 get's him the explosive attention he deserves. Mr. Cedermark was kind enough to do a guest year end list, and ever the originalist, sent over his top 8 "music related things" of 2010.

--------------------------------------------

Weezer—Pinkerton (Reissue) This is the single most important album of my youth, and in its day was widely dismissed. Now with a perfect 100 rating on Metacritic it seems that all the fat high school kids who learned from Rivers Cuomo that plastic glasses were cool (I'm talking about me) have finally stormed the establishment—or have at least themselves assumed their rightful roles as poorly-paid music critics.

WTJU 91.1FM—I cover local arts for a newspaper here, and one of the big stories of the year was about how the University of Virginia was trying to increase listenership at our community radio station by basically turning it into any other adult contemporary frequency—of which there are already several here. It just so happens that this local radio station rarest of beasts in that it is free form, like WFMU, and counts among its alumni people like Stephen Malkmus and David Berman. The listening community rose up in glorious disgust, started throwing support (and money) at the station and eventually saved it from being sucked into whatever that thing is that is constantly making everything in the world the same. There are some times of the day when nobody is listening to this station, and times when nearly everyone is—the only constant is that whatever is on the station is really, really great. It's a very special privilege to have access to its airwaves.

Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan—I requested this book from my ma for xmas, and I can't wait to read it. It's more than 700 pages—and only the first part in a two-part project. Apparently a lot of what they say in there isn't strictly true, but plays to our desire to have all of our favorite Frank mythologies tied together. I'm going to eat it up like Nerds Rope.

D.B.B. Plays Cups—Eau de Toilette des Etoile
My friend David is a teacher and makes this music here in Charlottesville. He doesn't distribute it and doesn't play all that often. To my knowledge he has produced three EPs: Cups, Sequel to Cups and this, Eau de Toilette des Etoile. On each he creates a very strange narrative (examples include a teenage boy who finds solace in the bathtub, and another a woman whose life changes after doing an advertisement for expensive champagne) that leave you with a hole in your heart the way a good short story can, wishing you knew more about whatever it is he's talking about. And the melodies are amazing too. I think this guy is a bona fide genius.

David Hajdu's "Famous Door" blog at the New Republic—I learned a lot about music this year on this blog.

Invisible Hand—Invisible Hand (Funny/Not Funny)
This is the best band in Charlottesville, and kudos to the Creative Intersection for covering their music. The Hand has lots of songs, all very good, but the best one for my money is the first on their new record: "Two Chords," a songwriter's fond farewell—or is it a fuck you?—to the I-IV progression. The rest of that album eschews the progression entirely, which kind of stinks (there is a reason it is very popular), but songs like "The Future of Music" show that, if there isn't another road to take, even a low one, they'll pave through a strange wilderness to get wherever it is that they're going. Caution: this album sounds really, really professional, and rocks.

Liquor Store—S/t

Liquor Store is fronted by my good friend Sarim, who was the original drummer for Titus Andronicus and a graduate of Glen Rock High School, like me, and who, unlike me, has a reputation for turning up in strange places. (Jay Reatard's final tweet, which you can still read, says: "I will give anyone a hundred bucks per tire that they pop on the band liquor stores van ! Yes I'm serious.") I don't think Liquor Store's album is out yet, and when it does come out I'm curious to see what will happen. Sarim's lyrical style can be so absurd that it borders on comedy, but in a Weird Al kind of way, more of a hash-hazy biblical kind of way. And like D.B.B., Sarim is a for real intellect, and it shows in his music.

Titus Andronicus—The Monitor
Patrick Stickles takes his music more seriously than anyone I know, it is in applying that selfless conviction to his own vision, which happens to be really good, that makes his music better than that of any other band going. It has been equally sad and nice over the past year and a half to watch this band continue its ascent to hights that are probably higher than any of us dreamed were possible as young idiots with broken equipment. I'm looking forward to seeing this album on many other year end lists.

Cassette Review: Myelin Sheaths-Dead Things

Pure and simple, this is why I am glad cassettes are making a come back as a standard release for bands. The sense of being disposable and cheap that the tapes have gives the music that is placed on them a certain quality of being forgotten or lost gems by the band that put them on there. That at least is the case with Myelin Sheath's Dead Things cassette.

Dead Things is a sort of odds-and-ends style release for the band. Made up of various takes and songs that didn't make it onto their under appreciated Get On My Nerves LP, along with earlier tracks that they have done and a few cover to round out the cassette. What comes out off all this is a picture of Myelin Sheaths that is a lot rawer then what their vinyl would have you believe. While a sense of strong melody or jangle is usually present in Myelin Sheaths songs, the dirty and rough edge that is also present goes into overdrive on these tracks. This might be due simply to lack of studio polish, but it definitely shows what the creative process of the band is as well. So here are ten tracks of stellar punk garage that would not have been out of place in the early '90s scene. In fact, almost as if to drive the point home even more, the band does pitch perfect covers of both "Haizman's Brain is Calling" by Angry Samoans and "Sooprize Package for Mr. Mineo by Supercharger, in a completely falling apart at the seams, not perfect way.

(mp3) Myelin Sheaths-Wakeups!
(mp3) Myelin Sheaths-Sooprize Package for Mr. Mineo (Supercharger)

Links:

Myelin Sheaths on Myspace
Buy Dead Things here, from Scotch Tapes

Guest Year End List: Sparky Deathcap

It's time consuming to be in a band. You have to write the songs, record, tour, do interviews you don't want to do, and then come back and work at a day job because you don't have enough money after all that work. Rob Taylor AKA Sparky Deathcap, doesn't only have to do this with one band, his absolutely wonderful and heart wrenching solo project, but also now with my beloved Los Campesinos! Not to mention he takes out time to work on his art as well. Since discovering Rob's music early this year it has been pouring endlessly out of my iPod and I was honored when he agreed to do a year end list for me.

------------------------------------------------
I’m probably the worst person to ask for an end of the year list, I usually run at least 18 months behind everyone else in the high speed taste marathon that is life with a broadband connection. That year and a half window gives me the chance to sample half a song from a hot new band, loudly deride it along with the wanton industry that spawned it, before accidentally watching them play live at some European festival and decide I actually rather like them after all. By then they’re old news, woefully uncool and even my Dad will throw me a horrified “really?” when he sees their one and only chart success on the track listing of a mix CD. So, with that in mind probably best not to read any of the following. Particularly as, 18 months behind as I am, I give my tips for the year ahead. Kind of like watching The Lake House; just go with it, lock all sharps away in a cabinet and keep critical analysis to a minimum.

Records of 2010

White Hinterland- Kairos

I first came across White Hinterland at a festival in Manchester that we played. I was blown away and promptly bought their record in the car park as they we loading out. Got a free badge too!

Beach House- Teen Dream

At the same festival we shared a dressing room for three days with Beach House. So it was pretty awkward for the remaining time after I acted like a massive fanboy on the first day and asked them for their autographs. Anyway, this record’s awesome.

Women- Public Strain

I liked their first record, but this is inspired. Quite retro sounding, can’t put my
finger on what it reminds me of. The Yardbirds, maybe? Cool.

Best Coast- Crazy for You

I probably preferred the earlier EPs on balance, but with highlights like “Our Deal” this is impossible to ignore. So well done there, Best Coast.

Inlets- Inter Arbiter

Inlets, the project of one Sebastian Kruger, are one of the most incredible bands I’ve heard in a long time and it always baffles me how they remain almost entirely unknown, at least in the UK. I have it on good authority that Sebastian played on Sufjan’s new album, which is a pretty good endorsement for both parties.

Sky Larkin- Kaleide

I recently visited the room in Cardiff where Katy from Sky Larkin apparently wrote much of Kaleide. There was excrement all over the walls and there were still fragments of fingernail in the shredded carpet. And her torment was not in vain, for this is an exceptional album.

Mat Riviere- Follow Your Heart

Mat Riviere is a real talent, a really cerebral modern musician. A real force in the making, and this record is testament.

Islet- Wimmy

We got to tour with Islet for a month last spring and they’re the only live band I can watch over and over again and still find utterly exhilarating. Luckily they’re just as awesome on record, so you can listen in the comfort of your own home without that strange BO smell that pervades all UK venues since the smoking ban.

Laboratory Noise -When Sound Generates Light

This is my cousin’s band. He was probably my biggest influence in getting into music in the first place. This record was a long time in the making but the results are utterly breathtaking. Flavours of Spacemen 3 and Mercury Rev; awesome.

Perfume Genius- Learning

When we were in Philadelphia on our last US tour we went to see Perfume Genius play his new record in a small chapel. A mighty thunderstorm raged around the building

Grass Widow- Past Time

Bought this on the back of a Columbo hunch after liking the cover art, and I always trust my hunches. And once again my hunch didn’t let me down; it’s excellent.

Jam On Bread- A Railcard Adventure

I was lucky enough to be allowed to draw the cover art for this and it’s a wonderful record, which goes some way to recreate Steve’s vibrant live set.

Bands of 2011

And here are some bands that I think deserve to be BIG in 2011. Await them at a stadium near you soon.

Copy Haho

Planet Earth

Them Squirrels

Tisso Lake

King And The Olive Fields

Extradition Order

Summer Camp

Slow Club

The Middle Ones

Ben and Bruno

Lake

Internet Forever

Guest Year End List: Cloud Nothings

Constantly if there has been one artist I have blogged more about in 2010, it was Cloud Nothings. OK true, this was mostly due to the fact that band mastermind Dylan Baldi happened to be so prolific that he wound up releasing a new 7" or mp3 every other week. But the main reason he got so much blog attention, and not only from me, was due to the fact that whenever he released some new music it was good. I am highly addictive, melodies shoved in your ears for weeks at end good. And for all his work, Baldi has been signed to Carpark, who not only released the comp album Turning On, but will be releasing the band's self titled debut in only a few weeks. Thankfully Dylan hasn't gotten so busy that he hasn't been able to answer emails, and was kind of enough to do a quick little year end list for The Creative Intersection. What a cool dude.

----------------------------------------------------------------
List of my favorite 2010 discoveries (not released in 2010)

5: Yamasuki Singers - Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki
4: Neon Pearl - Neon Pearl
3: Louie And The Lovers - Rise
2: Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head
1: Automatics - Walking With The Radio On

Parenthetical Girls-The Common Touch

A near single shot video for the increasingly more loved by me Parenthetical Girls' "The Common Touch", off one of my favorite releases period of last year Privilege, pt. II: The Past, Imperfect. A simple, eloquent video bring the poeticness of the song to life visually. I don't post a lot of videos, but when it's for band this good (that I think defines what it means to be an under appreciated band) and perfectly captures such a great song, I think I can make an exception. Also being brought with this video is the news that Parenthetical Girls have started work on their next 12", dubbed Privilege, pt. III: Mend & Make Do.

Links:

Parenthetical Girls' Website

Harpoon Forever

What we have here is another 2 song "digital single" from the formally one man project, now band Harpoon Forever. Even better with this release, we have two songs that are a nice forward step and in my mind even better than his last two songs. These are based upon some very nice power-pop riffs, as well melodies straight from the Robert Pollard school of music, actually more drawing from his current, under appreciated musical endeavors than his lo-fi Guided by Voices days though that influence present as well. In fact both songs, especially "Creedence Pattern", remind me a lot of the music of the '90s, though for some reason not a specific band. I think it just might be me hearing Pavement's "Cut Your Hair" in the songs as well. And for the record, any form of a Pavement comparison is a good thing in my book.

(mp3) Harpoon Forever-Creedence Pattern
(mp3) Harpoon Forever-Maya Angelou

Links:

Harpoon Forever on Myspace

All Liver, No Onion-Dolphin Dreamz Demo

I always wondered how massive bands like All Liver, No Onion work. At 15 members you would think that the whole creative process would be a gigantic mess, with everyone trying to know their ideas into the proverbial music pot, shoving all their ideas into it and the result being too much to handle (look at Dead Meat for the best example for this). But sometimes it just all works out and the end result winds up being something like their band new four track Dolphin Dreamz Demo. A thick gooey mixture of Foot Ox ramshackleness and Nana Grizol horns and guitar riffs with various string players added for flavor. It's cute, creative, exactly how a demo should be in every way, plus it's cover art looks like it was drawn by a five year old. The band has posted the demo in it's entirety on a "pay what you want method", so please give some if you can: a fifteen piece band needs to eat!

(mp3) All Liver, No Onions-Plans for The Future

Links:

All Liver, No Onions on Facebook

Download Dolphin Dreamz Demo here, from Bandcamp

Catwalk-One By Words

Captured Tracks is amping up to release a new 7" by California band Catwalk. Like an increasing majority of Captured Tracks' bands, Catwalk is the one man project of Nick Hessler, who crafts shoegaze type riffs over non shoegaze dream pop. Trust me, it makes sense when you hear it. Anyway, Catwalk have released the A-side to their new single, "One By Words" which is a swirling yet up-beat indie pop tune to wrap around your ears in utter bliss. Kind of what a Comet Gain single would sound like slowed to 33 rpm and coated it in a layer of Big Troubles.

(mp3) Catwalk-One By Words

Links:

Catwalk on Myspace

Pre-order the single here, from Captured Tracks

Chelsea Wolfe

Chelsea Wolfe and her absolutely wonderfully depressing music had been completely unknown to me until a few hours ago. Now thanks to the always great Get Off The Coast I may have found my first new musical love of 2010. The first thing that springs to mind with Chelsea Wolfe's music is the easy comparisons to Zola Jesus which is not at all a bad thing. Both bands have the same tones emanating from their music, but Wolfe's music is based more on a juxtaposition of harsh near industrial music coupled with her silky voice. Though on "Bounce House Demons this style comes off as much more tribal with the repeated jagged guitar line and the punchy, almost stuttering vocal delivery of the song.

(mp3) Chelsea Wolfe-Bounce House Demons

"Moses" is where Wolfe descends into the more siren aspect of her music. Painful vocals easily conveying the agony of the song, along with dissonant bass and drum beats that wouldn't be out of place at a funeral. But for all the soul crushing darkness that is churned out from the music, it amounts to something quite beautiful. A dark, eerie beauty, but a beauty none the less. Both songs are off Wolfe's new aptly titled album The Grime and The Glow, which if I wasn't so strapped for cash would buy in an instant.

(mp3) Chelsea Wolfe-Moses

Links:

Chelsea Wolfe's Website
Buy The Grime and The Glow here, from Pendu Sound

Ty Segall at Daytrotter

Like most people, the music world decided to take a nice little break over the holidays. However, if you are the ever prolific Ty Segall and you don't quite understand the meaning of the word break, then you decided to do a Daytrotter session, doing no less than 4 brand new, never released tracks that show the Segall once again going into brand new musical direction and still sounding just as creative as when you heard him what seems so long ago on his self titled album. Not to mention Segall went and covered the immortal punk tune "Don't Talk to Me" by GG Allin, who seems these days to be quite an inspiration for guitar bands these days. The cover along with the rest of the Daytrotter songs, has more of an "old school" garage sound to it then the psych heavy stuff the Segall tends to play.

(mp3) Ty Segall-Don't Talk To Me (GG Allin cover) (via Weekly Tape Deck)

Also for whatever this seemed to get ignored, but it was announced that Ty Segall's first live album Live at Ailse Five is going to be released later this month by the awesome Southpaw Records. Recorded live for the label's birthday bash, it includes 10 of Ty's old jams, plus a new one and two covers. Southpaw released two two songs from the LP for stream, so act fast because it is a limited press, with an even more limited color press as well.

Ty Segall - Skin

Ty Segall - California Commercial

Links:

Ty Segall's Website
Pre-order Live at Aisle Five here, from Southpaw

Sunshine and Memory: An Interview with Magic Kids

As anyone who reads my blog can see, my Fun Fun Fun Fest experience this year was frantic to say the least, and that didn't leave a lot of time for me to do much else while I was there. However, I made sure to factor in some time to do a quick interview with the Magic Kids.

After catching their set at SXSW and falling in love with them and their Memphis LP last year (which I unjustly failed to cover at length), there was no way I could pass up asking them a few questions. Band master mind Will McElroy was kind enough to sit down with me impromptu and explain the shift from their garage sound and why they needed to rush through the making of the album.

The Creative Intersection: OK, so you started out in the Memphis scene with your bands The Barbras right?

Will McElroy: Yeah, that was my first band that actually released a record and actually had songs that I wrote good portions of it. It was the first band were me and Alex (Gates, current Magic Kid) wrote songs.

TCI: So how did you go from the really garage punk sound of that band to the sunshine pop of The Magic Kids?

WM: Well, with The Barbras a lot of the fun of it was figuring out all the things we could add to our songs through multi tracking on the computer and Magic Kids is just an extension of that. With The Barbras we would usually record our songs in just a couple of nights or maybe even one night. So the original idea behind Magic Kids was trying to do the same things as The Barbras, except taking as long as necessary to make all the songs turn out exactly how we wanted them to and not rely on the muddieness of the recording as much and stage antics. Just trying to make songs...

TCI: As perfect as possible?

WM: Yeah as perfect as possible.

TCI: So you hear the Magic Kids as just another garage band?

WM: Well I don’t think a lot of garage bands are doing what we’re doing.

TCI: When you released your debut singe “Hey Boy”, were you prepared for the amount of exposure and press it got. Rough Trade called it the number one single of last year.

WM: Yeah, I don’t think I was expecting that, although I had a feeling that it was really good and we had never done anything that good before. So I was a little nervous having no idea how people would react to that.

TCI: Was it any different recording that single to recording Memphis? Was there any pressure or expectations while it was being recorded?

WM: Well there was a lot less time to record the album because we spent seven months on “Hey Boy” and we knew if we recorded the whole album the same way it would take us years. We had really wanted to put these songs on an album soon because we had been working on them for years; just with acoustic guitars in are bedrooms at least. So we knew we would have to go into a really studio and have an engineer to make all our ideas come about fast enough. Then we got to the point that we had time and money constraints and there was a lot more pressure to get it out quickly.

TCI: Did it come out the way you wanted it though?

WM: Well there are always things we would change if we had unlimited time to work on it, but we are really happy with it and glad it came out so well in the time that we had and glad to be done with it. We can clear our slates and start on other things.

TCI: You got to tour with Puro Instinico and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti earlier this year. How was that and was it a bit weird touring with those bands considering how different in spectrum our music is?

WM: We’re...all three bands are doing something pretty different, but we all really, really care about our music and it’s coming from an honest place. I think the bands made sense together. We had a bit in common in terms of how much we care about the quality of our music, are love of pop, and appreciate the weirdness in all of it.

TCI: Especially in Ariel Pink.

WM: (Smiling) Well, in all three bands I think.

TCI: Well yeah. I mean our music is very ‘60s influenced and I know that’s been made a big deal out of, but that’s because so many of the current trends these days is very lo-fi, or you have the chillwave scene which is very laptop induced. And your music comes off as very ‘60s analog. Is it a bit weird playing that style in contradiction to what’s popular?

WM: Well...it was a really natural thing to make because we’ve been playing in guitar bands as long as we’ve been playing in bands. So everything we’ve added to it has been natural. The important thing to come through is the songs and there’s always an audience for songs if they are good. So in that sense I don’t feel out of step with music today.

TCI: There is also a heavy layer of nostalgia with the band, lyrically especially, and how the album really comes off as a summer album. You even released the album on cassette. What brings that out, you trying to match the music, or an actually sense of nostalgia for things past?

WM: I think part of it is that in trying to make the songs as big as possible we tend to tap into...things with a lot of residence in people’s minds. Almost like artificial memories that everyone shares of times that they were too young to remember. So it’s a collective conscience fantasy world that we tend to tap into because... it seems big enough to go along with the music.

TCI: If you hit something big enough, it will just connect with everyone.

WM: (Smiling) Yeah, exactly.