8 Questions with The Black Angels

In anticipation of the Black Angels show this Wednedsay at the Gypsy Tea Room, we asked guitarist Christian Bland some questions about his band, life in Austin, Anton Newcomb, The Strange Boys and Texas Psychedelic rock. What I find most interesting about many of his responses is the way he talks about musical influences and drawing from the past. Critics of the band often dismiss them as a throw back act, but the self awareness with which they approach their 60's influences makes the whole thing a bit more complicated than their detractors would like it to be. It also helps that they write great psychedelic rock songs that often don't really sound like the 1960's at all. Here are our questions:

It seems that a lot of people in the media refer to you as a "revival" band, claiming that you look backward to 60's psychedelic rock not only for musical inspiration but for looks, attitude and quite a bit more. Do these kinds of statements bother you? Do you think there is anything wrong, per se, with a band that looks to the past openly and often?

We draw our inspiration from the Creative Revolution that occured in the 1960's. In our opinion, theres been no other time in history where music was so central and involved in social and political change. We hope to continue the tradition of Psychedelic music that was born here in 1966 with the the 13th Floor Elevators. I think its our duty to keep the spirit alive by paying homage to our forefathers, but by also pushing it into new territory. Our second album will put the revivalist talk to rest, but overall, we're proud to represent the 60's sound in a modern context.

Another thing the music press loves discussing in relation to your band is drug use. Do drugs play a role in either the band's social life or in the actual creative process? If not, do you think they could or should?

I think that drugs have been made a scapegoat. Anything that is used in excess will cause harm. Eat too much brocolli, and you might get cancer. When drugs are used properly they can open new doorways. When they are used unintelligently they will cause harm.. I think society has made taking drugs seem evil. As a kid we were made to take our DARE classes. Its good to learn about what drug abuse can lead to, but what about learning how drugs might facilitate the creative process? By no means do we condone taking any drugs (unless theres enough for everyone).

What is it with Texas and psychedelic rock? I read an interview with Secret Machines recently in which they claimed that the hot, muggy Texas weather is the perfect breeding ground for spaced out stoner rock. I'm not sure if I think its entirely true, but Texas sure seems to have its fair share of psychedelic rock bands, and I think its been pretty constant since the mid 60s. Any thoughts on why that is? Does it have something to do with escapism perhaps?

Well, like i said earlier. The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators were born in 1966 in Austin, TX. Psychedelic music was started in Austin, so its only right that the tradition be kept alive. (Another late 60's band from Houston to check out is The Red Crayola. Get the first album, "Parable of Arabel Land'. ) I think all our songs are about some form of Escapism. Thats a central theme to our music. The conservative environemnt that hovers over our State can create a feeling of distrust, and a desire to leave altogether. We make music to cope with this.

Do you enjoy living in Austin? Do you find it conducive to creativity, or do you find that it merely has that reputation? It seems that Austin is just as much about Starbucks and yuppies as it is about anything else these days, and I wonder how the artistic community has responded to Austin's growth over the past decade. Could you tell us about some of the good and bad things happening in Austin music and art these days?

The reason Austin has a reputation as being a creative environment is because its true. Austin isnt like the rest of Texas. However, we purposely stay away from the yuppie/starbucks side of Austin. Thats fake living. We live in the 'Real' section of town, on the east side, with the real people. Many artisits are migrating to East Austin because its cheaper to live here. Soon the city will see this, and taxes will go up over here (as they already are). The goal of the city planners is to make Austin a center for the Capitalist Republicans. Poor folks aren't desired. As for the music scene here, no Austin band has really blown us away. The only other Texas band we really like is The Strange Boys. They draw from all the right influences.

I've noticed that you guys seem to have some sort of relationship with Anton Newcomb. Could you tell us how you met, what you think of him as a person, and what you think of BJM as a band?

Antion Newcombe is a genius. He's the modern day BobDylan/John Lennon/ Syd Barrett wrapped into one. We met Anton during the 2004 SXSW. BJM is the perfect example of a band that draws inspiration from the Creative Revolution in the 1960's, but has brought it into a modern day context. Our favorite story about him is when we got to play with him this past SXSW. The rest of his band was stranded in Phoenix and they were suppsed to play the festival. Instead, we took the BJM slot and learned a Jonestown song right before we went on. Anton played with us as his backing band for about 15 minutes. Hes an awesome person, Dont let the movie DIG! fool you.

Could you tell us a bit about your songwriting process? How does the band go about writing songs, and what are some of the things that inspire you musically and lyrically?

A lot of the time i'll come in with a new riff and we'll build around it. Alex writes most of the lyrics, but he and I collaborate just as often. Sometimes we just start to jam in practice and then all of a sudden a song is born. I think the thing that inspires us most is seeking the Truth and telling people about it.

It seems that you guys are quite good at building and manipulating moods through repetition and simple, minimal song structures much like electronic dance music often does. Do you see any relationship between the music you make and some forms of dance music?

Yeah for sure. We're all about the minimalist, repetitve drone. We make music to groove to. Our music is Hypno-drone. Check out the Silver Apples & Psychic Ills; masters of drone n roll.

You guys have a pretty good relationship with one of Dallas' better bands, the Strange Boys. Could you tell us how you met, what you think of their music, and what your impressions are of Dallas' musical community?

The Strange Boys are our favorite band in Texas. Theres no one else that gets it like they do. We met them at a show at the Avenue Arts Venue in Dallas. Ryan was in the front row with an old tape recorder capturing the show. I thought that was cool, because i would have been doing the same thing. They all draw from the right inspirations (plus anyone who knows 'The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll' by heart is a friend of mine) and I think/hope they are the future of the Dallas music scene. I dont really know many other Dallas bands. They stand out above the rest.