71/2 Questions with Voxtrot

We recently communicated with Voxtrot lead singer Ramesh Srivastava via the world wide web of internet communications, and asked him some questions about music and shit. His band is playing at Hailey's tonight on the second to last date of a tour on which they have sold out two shows at New York's Mercury Lounge and another one in Toronto. During the tour, they also received a very strong Pitchfork review, instantly placing them in that "internet buzz band" group that you know you all get excited about. They are one of the Austin bands that everyone is raving about these days, and probably the best of that bunch. Here we go:

We recently read the Pitchfork review, which seems pretty important considering that Pitchfork (not to mention almost everyone else) makes a pretty big deal about their role as Kingmakers in the indie world. Was this review exciting for you? Do you think it had any immediate impact on your career, considering that your two EPs recently charted at numbers 5 and 8 on the Insound bestseller list (as of April17th)? Do you a see a real cause and effect relationship between Pitchfork praise and greater commercial success?

I am very thankful that Pitchfork gave us a positive review, as I understand their sphere of influence is great. I normally do not read Pitchfork (or any similar website, likely because I don't have the internet in the house), but thought that our review was intelligently
written. There probably has been an immediate impact, but I suppose it will be a little while longer before we know exactly what that impact is. It seems positive thus far so let's hope that sustains. Either way, I hope people who feel connected to the music would feel
so in any circumstance, positive review or otherwise.

You've also received quite a bit of buzz on some of the tastemaker music blogs. What do you think of this new phenomenon in music, i.e. the fact that there are a handful of blogs (most of which are operated by one person) that can have a pretty serious impact on the industry?

I love blogs. They're delicious. Just kidding. I think blogs are brilliant because it's a totally subversive form of media. The primary catalyst is passion for music, as opposed to commercial gain.

We hear a lot of twee influences in your music, as well as brit pop and sixties pop. What would you say are some of your bigger influences as a band?

Belle and Sebastian and Whitehouse.

We recently read on the Voxtrot Kid blog about your optimism concerning the Austin music scene. Why do you think things are going so well down there now as opposed to several years ago? What are some of the more interesting new bands and venues that you like in Austin?

I'm not sure why Austin is so great these days; it's hard to determine what gets the cultural wave going. My first guess was the internet, but I'd like to believe the force is of a more 'cosmic persuasion.'My favorite bands in Austin? Cry Blood Apache, Peel, Sound Team,Tacks! The Boy Disaster, The Carrots, and I've heard stuff from a band called Magic Surprise recently, which I thought was quite good.

What new music are you guys listening to these days?

New Things I have bought and liked in the last wee while include: Modeselektor, Hot Chip, Luciano, Nathan Fake, Electrelane, Scout Niblett, Royksopp.

We also read that you guys consider dance music to be a big influence, especially the kind coming out of Optimo in Glasgow (where Srivastava lived for a period of time). Do you think indie dance or dancerock is a fad that will pass (or has passed) in the US, or is it the first sign that dance music is becoming more accepted in the U.S., like it is in England and Europe, amongst people that primarily listen to rock music?

I am still a big proponent of Optimo and hope to do stuff with them in the future. we brought Optimo to Austin a few months ago and it was quite successful, which is a good sign. Dance music will probably continue to have waves in the States, but I seriously doubt that you will ever have a room full of twenty-somethings jumping off the walls and pumping their fists to Green Velvet. The culture just doesn't lend itself.

Any plans for recording new material any time soon?

This summer we should be recording our first full length album.

While it is true that people are people, there is much disagreement as to whether people are in fact strange when you're a stranger. Why is this?

The stranger wants others to be strange, thus releasing him/her from the burden of being singularly estranged.

Irving opens tonight @ Hailey's

"Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives" MP3