Local q&a-- Dharma

Although I no longer live in the area and its obviously become more difficult for me to catch new Dallas/Denton groups perform, several recommendations from WeShotJr writers and other Texas friends that I respect have pointed me in the direction of Kevyn Green, aka Dharma. Her music, which has already attracted the attention of at least one European tape label as well as the highly respected 20 Jazz Funk Greats, is a brand of strange, hypnotic electronic daze that often utilizes the minimalism of cold wave and mixes it with the kind of warped pop sensibility that makes her songs much easier to digest than they should be. Swing by her Myspace page (we'll add a free Mp3 download a bit later) and read what she had to say about her music, which happens to be some of the most interesting stuff I've heard come out of Denton or Dallas for a while now:

Could you tell us some basic info about you-- your name, what you do when you're not making music, how long Dharma has been a project, how long you've been making music, and any other kind of music or art you produce, etc?

My name is Kevyn Green. I just graduated from UT Austin in May. When I'm not making music I'm at my job. I'm a debt collector in Dallas, but we prefer to be called Recovery Analysts. Dharma has been a project for about 3 years but the first 2 were just playing around in my bedroom and not releasing anything or playing shows. I used to play in a band with my old roommate before Dharma for about 2 years. I don't really do much else. I used to make collage art when I had more free time for CD and tape covers but that's about it.

Unfortunately debt collection seems like it has to be one of the fastest growing industries in the country right now. Does your job have any impact on the rest of your life, or are you good at ignoring it? How much do you think the harsh economy and larger social problems affect your music making and listening habits, if at all?

Yeah our company is growing really fast. I'm pretty good at ignoring the job. I really don't have a lot of sympathy for the people I deal with because I hear the same shit all day long. I try not to let anything really impact making music. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating not having nice equipment or trying to record in my bedroom, but that all just adds to the way the music sounds and I deal with it.

Describe how Dharma started as a project.

Dharma started because my old band mate was lame and we really didn't work well together. I was living in Austin and didn't have a lot of friends and spent most of my time alone so I started recording music by myself and realized I was much more comfortable doing that then trying to work with other people. It took me a while to start putting songs together that I actually liked. Most of the really early material is wild and noisy but as time went on they started sounding more like actual songs. As far as my drive to create.. I don't think life is very enjoyable if all you do is work or go to school so to have some sort of creative outlet is really important to me.

Whats the most difficult part about working on music with other people for you? Do you imagine yourself trying it again in the future?

I'm just really impatient and kind of picky about the way things sound. I wouldn't really mind working with other people again it would just have to be a completely different project. I don't want a backing band for Dharma or anything like that. I need all the attention.

Can you tell us about your creative process-- what kind of equipment you use and the method you employ to put songs together?

I don't have any cool equipment. I just use some mini synths and casios, a sequencer, a vocal processor, and some other things I use to make noise. I just record it all into my computer and hope they sound okay.

Your lyrical style seems at times loose, and at other times has an almost mantra like quality. Can you tell us about your lyrics-- how you write them, and maybe some of the things that inspire you to write them?

Lyrics are usually the last thing I write. I'll have an idea for a song and a title then write all the music and record it then I'll write lyrics. For some reason almost every song I write is about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have several about philosophy. Others are just about whatever I'm thinking about or reading or watching at the time.

So then are lyrics not all that important to you then? Do they serve more as an additional instrument than as a way to convey a narrative or express something directly with language?

Yeah I'm more interested in the way it sounds then anything else. Most of the lyrics are just completely ridiculous.

Can you tell us about some of Dharma's music influences?

I listen to a lot of different music. I like Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and Fad Gadget and Arab on Radar and I listen to a lot of 90s hip hop and some pop. I guess Dharma is a big mess of all those different genres.

I know that most any artist I have ever spoke with hates being lumped in with a "genre," so i have to ask-- someone in one of our comments sections the other day asked, probably half jokingly, if "Dharma is 'witchhouse?'" what would be your answer to that?

Dharma is BITCHhouse.

So how did you end up on 20 jazzfunk greats?

A small label in Denmark has released a Dharma cassette tape and they're doing an LP and they sent out a bunch of stuff to 20JFG. I guess they liked Dharma and wrote a really strange review about me. They said I was like a satanic aerobics instructor or something.

Could you tell us a little bit about the label and how you connected?

It's just two Danish guys who like a lot of weird noisy music. They've put out some cassette tapes, a few 7" and I think I'll be the first LP. They just emailed me one day because they heard my music on the internets and wanted to put out a tape.

What are some of your favorite bands in Denton and Dallas right now? Favorite place to play?

I really like Cuckoo Byrds and Orange Coax. I played a show with Darktown Strutters and they were really great. I'm friends with Florene and they're pretty good too. I think there's a lot of good music in Denton and Dallas right now, but there's also plenty of terrible bands too. My favorite place to play was DOOM but I guess it shut down after that show we played. I played Dan's Silverleaf a few times but wasn't very well received. I prefer house shows where everyone is crowed around me then playing on a stage though.

What do you think the general quality of the scene, bands and venues here is like compared to austin, or compared to a few years ago?

I definitely prefer to Denton's music scene to Austin. There's an overwhelming number of trashy garage shit punk bands in Austin who play almost every night. However, I think the Denton scene has really died down compared to a few years ago. A few years ago it just seemed a lot more exciting and there were good shows almost every night. Now there's not as much going on. There haven't even been any good touring bands coming to the big venues in town lately. It just seems kind of dead.

Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices

Wow. When Guided By Voices was my favorite band back in the early/mid 90's, there's absolutely no way my teenage self could have ever guessed that I would be asking Bob Pollard questions about his band via email 15 years later (not sure if I even knew what email was at that point), but look at me now! As you probably already know, a reunited Guided by Voices will be coming through Dallas next Wednesday, September 29th (at Palladium) as part of their "classic line up" tour, featuring legendary early members Tobin Sprout, Charles Mitchell, Greg Demos and Kevin Fennel, and in anticipation for this show, we were lucky enough to get a chance to ask founder and lead singer Robert Pollard a few questions about the tour via email. I would have preferred a long phone interview, of course, but the fact that we were able to interview Pollard at all, especially in the last few weeks of our existence, is a huge thrill for me and quite an honor for all of us here at WSJR. Here it is:

One of the reasons you always gave for your home recording practices, was that studios couldn't quite capture the vocal quality you were going for. With all the changes in recording habits and studio technique over the years, has this situation improved? What actual studio was your favorite to record in, or what engineer did you prefer?

I only record with Todd Tobias in his home studio. I like the consistency and familiarity. I don't like a real slick sound and don't want it to sound too primitive. I prefer a middle ground. Todd gets me that, because that's what he likes. I used to enjoy recording with John Shough at Cro-Mag Studios in Dayton. They shut down about 6 or 7 years ago.

Whats your personal favorite GBV album and why? Do you have maybe a couple of favorite songs?

It's a toss up between "Bee Thousand" and "Universal Truths and Cycles". Both of them are very diverse records, full of a lot of, in my opinion, very good songs. Some of them being, "Tractor Rape Chain", "I am a Scientist", "Cheyenne" and "Back to the Lake".

What's the difference to you between a lo-fi record in 2010 and one in 1993? There seems to be a wider acceptance of these sounds in the mainstream than there was at that time. How do you feel about that?

Well, I'd like to think that we had some influence and if we did that's good. The stuff I've hears seems to be much more abrasive than what we did in '93. I was not aware that lo-fi was being incorporated into the mainstream. I'm out of touch. We were all about doing lots of songs very quickly. Economy.

You guys are beloved for your live shows, of course, but could you tell us the funniest thing that's ever happened to you while you were onstage with GBV?

I once stumbled backwards into the drum kit 5 or 6 consecutive times. I had simply inebriated myself to the point that I couldn't stand up. We had just signed to TVT and they didn't think it was too funny. It was actually pitiful and you'll probably not see that happen again.

The lineup that you're touring with is considered the "classic GBV lineup," and they tend to play it less flashy than some of the later backing musicians you toured with. Without forcing you to play favorites, how does the experience differ between lineups? Did it get annoying for people to refer to the older guys as the "classic" lineup? Or is it still flattering anyway?

You know, actually the "classic line-up" played it much more flashy. We wore flashier clothes and we moved around a lot more. There was much more energy. That it's still referred to as "classic" is an honor, but I never really bought into that tag. I understand it being used again. It's a good way to bill this tour. The classic line-up playing the songs from that era. I say it's a reason to get excited.

Maria Bamford

By Rick V.

Maria Bamford is probably one of my favorite comedians right now, and her album "Unwanted Thought Syndrome" was one of my favorite things that came out last year. Last night I found out she was doing three performances over the course of two days at the Sander Theater at the Fort Worth Community Arts center. This was put together by a group called No 2 Drink Minimum which tries to pull comedians outside of the comedy clubs. That's pretty cool, right?

For those who don't know who Maria Bamford is, look her up immediately. I would write something about her but you guys probably know how bad I am at explaining anything. And frankly, I'm pretty tired.

Here is an email Q&A I did via email with Maria Bamford:

Would you like to answer some non threatening questions so we can put them up on the website as to get people to come out to the shows on Friday and Saturday night?

Yes, I would! Non-threatening, supportive, body-hugging questions that skim the profile.

I personally am very excited that you are coming to Fort Worth. I am even more excited that you are not playing a bar venue/comedy club but a community arts center instead! How did you end up getting hooked up with the (as far as I can tell) nice people at No 2 drink minimum?

They, in fact, hooked up with me- through a great community arts network called The Book of Faces. I am supremely grateful for Carly to make the effort to track me down and poke me.

Any thoughts on comedians playing big chain venues like House of Blues?

The House of Blues is a grassroots-generated folk revival that a couple of old-time-y Bluesmen- Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi and River Phoenix- decided to open a little hole in the wall diner that would feed the soul. The then sold it to a younger generation of musicians and percussive players and it's just a one-man operation owned by this guy/corporate entity, Live Nation. It's nice to perform anywhere. And get paid for gas.

You've been doing voice work for cartoons for years including the blasphemous Charlottes Web 2. And you've probably been approached about doing voice work more since the popularity of your newest album "Unwanted Thought Syndrome" or the fine programming of "Comedians of Comedy" and "The Maria Bamford Show". Has anybody offered any starring roles?

Not yet, but check out ADVENTURETIME on the Cartoon Network or WORDGIRL on PBS, or, on second thought, lie down and read.

You were on an episode of Mystery Science 3000 playing a violin. Do you know those guys? And what happened to the violin?

Violin let go with burnt sage and given to children who want to jam. I know only TV's Frank and writer Mary Jo Pehl (Austin resident- who is a hilarious stand up and should be booked in Fort Worth).

Whenever I asked around about what kind of questions does one ask Maria Bamford, the most common question was "Will she marry me?". Do you get a lot of marriage proposals from strangers?

Well, this, of course, will change as I age, I'm fairly certain (My mom says - once you turn 50 - I'll get the power of Invisibility!!), but I think marriage is something that you need to think about and really prepare for together, as a couple. Let's say my beloved is 15-20 years younger than me and we have almost nothing in common except a similar sense of humor- it's going to take mutual commitment to get past our differences-that they live in a railroad car outside of Salinas and I'm not high. I think it's easy to "fall in love" with somebody who is amplified, well-lit and mostly scripted. But as a person who has asked my hardworking, warm, stylish, helpful clothes dryer to go out on a date- you've got to wonder if it's just infatuation, not a realistic interest based in compatibility.

What comedians have you come across in your travels that you would recommend to legion of people who think Dane Cook is very unfunny?

Well, I like Dane Cook- he has a nice face- but I would like to recommend the following in no particular order: Jackie Kashian, Jen Kirkman, Mike Birbiglia, Jimmy Pardo, Chris Hardwick, Hard and Phirm, Garfunkel and Oates, Jimmy Dore, Brent Weinbach, David Huntsberger, Marc Maron, Louis CK, Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, Susan Rice, Bobbie Oliver, Charleyne Yi and there are thousands more- GO SEE LIVE COMEDY IN YOUR COMMUNITY!!!!!

And as a final stupid question. You have a dog named "Bert" and Brian Posehn has a dog named "Ernie". Any relation?

Bert is a doctor and designer of menswear. Blossom is Catholic and walks around nude in a harness. They have not met "Ernie", but have seen photos and are open to contact.

Would you rather do a phone interview? Because I sure would. It would be a lot more fun, personal and not as awkward. I usually post the audio up on the site as well.

Oof. Rick. I can't talk on the phone anymore. I really, really can't. Well, maybe later. Could you call me at like- 4 PM (my time, pacific). Here's my home phone number which isn't for print but you can pretend it is and print something else other than 555-555-5751. I really hate talking on the phone and talking about myself. I'll interview you. Be ready for my questions. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST AND THOUGHTFUL PREGUNTAS!!!

Maria


We actually did do a phone interview! Sort of. I was overly nervous and gave Maria a lot of wrong information about the city I live in. It's not so much an interview as just a conversation. You can enjoy it here.

And you know what? I really like what Carly from No 2 Drink Minimum is doing and I interviewed her to!

Carly, why did you move to Fort Worth?

I moved to Fort Worth because my apartment lease in New York was up and my sister invited me down here to get an apartment with her. I took her up on it because the New York market is so saturated with this amazing comedy scene, it’s really hard to get started there. Even though I only wanted to produce, almost every comedian there has their own show that they put on and it’s impossible to compete with shows whose bookers have amazing connections, like friends from SNL doing their shows for free. It also takes a lot of work to get shows up and running in NYC.

How long have you been doing No 2 drink Minimum? And is this your first event? if so, it's a pretty intense one.

No 2 Drink Minimum is just a bay-bay. About 3 months old. And this is its first event, yes. We go big or go home here at No 2 Drink Minimum. Most of the time we go home.

What are your goals with N2DM (ooh catchy) and plans for the future?

The initial goal for us was to create a live comedy resource for the NY and LA comedy scenes. There is just so much amazing stuff going on in these shows that have this sort of cult following, but it takes awhile to navigate and figure out what‘s going on and where, so I thought I could help speed up the process. Plus, I hate wasting money on ridiculously expensive covers and drink minimums.

Plans for the future include expanding the cities that we cover (cities we plan to add include Austin, Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Atlanta). Also, as far as the production side of No 2 Drink Minimum, we hope to bring more comedians to alternative spaces as often as time and resources allow.

Ga'an (Chicago)

Apparently, according to the other members of the band, this interview was conducted, unknown to us at the time, with Jason Sublette, who is now the former bass player of Ga'an. The other members of the band plan to continue making music as Ga'an without Jason Sublette, and just wanted to clarify in case there was any confusion. The link below has been switched to their new Myspace, and we're going to be talking to the rest of the band soon concerning their new music and plans for the future as a group. Sorry for the confusion.--SR

I'm going to be writing more about Chicago from now on. This is an interview with a band from Chicago (Ga'an shared two MP3s with us and we've added them below):



Since we're new to covering the city, we'd like to get a little bit of background information on the band: your names, how long you've been together, and previous and other current projects you guys are and/or have been involved with aside from Ga'an.

Jeremiah Fisher, Seth Sher, Jason Sublette, Lindasy Powell. Jeremy and Seth helped out in Panicsville, and Oakeater. Seth did that load thing. We've all been in bands, here and there.

Could you briefly discuss how Ga'an came to be a band, and what it was about the project that made you want to pursue it in the first place?

The core of the band came together about 4 years ago as vigilante. Vigilante was louder, and more chaotic, a real mess. It was heavy on the noise side of some sort of "noise rock/prog" thing, a real beast. One third of the band, Jason/Bass/Keys, moved to St. Louis, the remaining two thirds of Vigilante helped form Oakeater. Roughly 2 years ago all of the thirds converged on the windy city, reforming Vigilante as Ga'an. Our inspiration was to try our hand at making the sort of music we were digging from old prog records, and 70's horror soundtracks. As best as we could filter it, and reform it in our own way, that is.

The music I've heard on your self titled cassette sounds like it has very little to do with Western music at all, much less pop or rock n roll, other than small traces of things here and there. Can you tell us about some of the music that inspires your group collectively, and what it was about the sound you eventually ended up developing that made you want to play this kind of music in the first place? Essentially, what attracts you to the sounds you make?

Rock and pop have little to add to our deep pool of influences. Collectively things that have influenced us have always been sounds and music that are somewhat on the fringe. Prog and Krautrock, for sure, but what are the difficult albums, what are the dark, strange bands from these genres? That's one thing for sure. There is a sort of drone, minimal side of things as well that comes out, naturally, perhaps. The attraction is certainly giving sound and shape to these dark things lurking behind the veil.

On the flip side of the coin, can you talk about some of the more traditional rock/prog/electronic music that might have inspired you when crafting Ga'an's music? I've read your mentions of groups like US Maple and Chicago no wave stuff in previous interviews.

Kultivator. Goblin. Grand Funk? Classic rock and Prog, Metal, all sorts of stuff. Yeah, Chicago music has also shaped some of our sound, for better or for worse.

In what ways better AND worse, would you say?

Well on the plus side of things, a lot of great music has come out of chicago, and we sort of grew up listening to it in one form or another. One the minus side, well we don't want to be labeled as a sounding like we are from Chicago, or anything close to ugh, postrock, or "chicago sound."

I really enjoy the way your self titled cassette sounds-- sort of hazy and dense, but much clearer and less gimmicky than what many people think of as "lo fi" these days. Can you tell us about how you went about recording it and some of the equipment/techniques you employed to get the sound you got?

We recorded digitally, then mixed down to VHS tape, no shit. After that it was mastered digitally, and then put back on to cassette tape. So the recordings bounced back and forth between the analog and digital realms a few times. As far as equipment used, nothing incredibly out of the ordinary. We weren't honestly trying to go for any certain sound, maybe just some forgotten tape...

Do you find it difficult to replicate this sound live, or are you even interested in sounding like your records in a live setting?

Our concern at the time was making the recording sound like our songs live! There are so many factors when playing live you have to take into account... It takes a hell of a long time to set up 5 synthesizers, that's for sure.

Ok, so are you happy with your records' ability to capture some of the energy and/or experience of your live shows?

Yes, and no, as it can just get to a point of being some sort of weird loop. Trying to have the recordings have the energy of playing live, but alternatively trying to play the songs live the way they were recorded. It's not necessarily (impossible), it's just not always going to happen. There needs to be some sort of balance between the two. Whether we pulled that off is debatable.

Some of the press I've read on Ga'an has been very heavy with metaphors involving shamans, ritualistic sounds and vague notions of spiritualism in general, I suppose because your name, according to one article, comes from the name of an Apache ritual dance. Does any of this stuff interested you as a group and does it have any impact on or importance in relation to how you go about developing your music?

We admire peoples and cultures who are, and were, more in touch with nature, and spirituality in general, but it's not like we're sitting around a room pouring over some ancient texts to get ideas. It's bullshit. It's more about certain sounds, choir sounds, chanting, or repetitions...

Is this in part because you feel too detached from such cultures to truly parallel these kind of mystic or spiritual experiences, or are you simply not interested in them, at least when it comes to Ga'an's music?

To say that we are some how attached to these cultures would be arrogant, or perhaps misguided. We simply wanted to convey some elements of it in our music. We certainly are interested in various forms of human spirituality, but it may be more of an afterthought than the music implies.

Can you tell us about some of your favorite new bands and venues in Chicago right now?

The Mopery is a great venue, the Viaduct Theatre, also there is a great new spacerock/CCR mutation of a band called "ET Habit" that we are excited about.

How do you think the contemporary underground music scene in Chicago compares to what its been like in the recent past?

It's all the same people, just in new bands! No, really, new ideas get circulated through, it's exciting to see it first hand.

Could you please list all of Ga'an's releases so far, and tell us about any new releases you have coming up any time soon, and any shows you might be playing in the Chicago area in the near future?

So far there are 2 cassette tapes, one is the proper studio recording, the other is our "jam" tape, just edited down improv. Nothing new as of now, the band is in flux.

"Blackened Phasium" (download)

"Vultures of the Horn II" (download)

Photo by Miles Raymer, Chicago Reader

Local q&a : Final Club

It must be refreshing for Brendon and Austin, one half of Denton's latest musical upstarts Final Club, to play a show that is not in their basement. Now this may seem like a simple deduction, but my friends, this is no ordinary basement. That is unless for the past couple of months your basement has been bleeping brightly on the radar of both the indie cultural elite and, unfortunately, the Denton County Sheriff's dept. In case you are not in the know, I am speaking of The Lion's Den, one of Denton's latest and most notorious house venues, and also the place Brendon and Austin's call home. Along with buds and band mates Bryan and Anthony, Denton's latest DIY impresarios are making a stab at the other side of the microphone.

The band is called Final Club and they have recently been featured on some bills which have produced some pretty large draws-- both shows played this past week saw around 150 people. Undoubtedly a great way to get the feet wet. But is the water too deep? I had a chance to see Final Club last night at Rubber Gloves and I'll throw out some thoughts later. But for now let's get to the interview.

Frank Phosphate: How did the show Wednesday come about?

Final Club: I know the guys from Weekly Tape Deck pretty well, so I've sent them demos of the songs from the EP, some shitty demos of us practicing in my basement. But the guys really liked it and they had this date set for Rubber Gloves. We're also good friends with Wild Harem, the band from Austin that is also on the bill. So it'll be a fun night.

How was the show at Dan's?

The show at Dan's couldn't have gone better. I know Joey (Yeahdef) and he knew I was starting a band, so he asked us to play a show at Dan's. We really lucked out by getting to play our first shows at the best venues in town (with some great bands too). Anyway, Joey had promoted the show as a show for new acts around Denton, and I guess that's how most people found out about it. So we opened the show at about 10:40 and by 10:45 it was sold out. Most of us were really nervous about playing to a 150 person crowd the very first time we went on stage, but the set went fine and earned us compliments from a lot of people whom I respect as musicians.

Are members involved in any other projects?

Brendon, who sings and plays guitar, also plays in the local party-punk band Dark Forces. They're a lot of fun. And our drummer Anthony plays in the River Mouth, also great. We're playing a show with the River Mouth at Hailey's next month, so Anthony gets to pull double duty that night.

Is the EP all songs you have played live?

The Hot Gaze EP is everything we've played live up to this point. Six songs, runs about 20 minutes. We're working on some new stuff, but we all wanted the live show to really catch people's attention. There are some other people who we'd like to record some new songs with.

How long have you been "together"?

Well, Brendon and I started playing together right about when we moved into the Lions Den together. I think he came up to my room and saw I had a guitar and a keyboard and realized that I could play music. So we jammed a couple times and it clicked. I guess you could say we've been together for about five months.

The demos we have heard so far have all been instrumentals. How are the vocals being handled on the EP?

There are vocals on the EP, yes. Brendon sang at the shows too. The lyrics and vocals are usually one of the last things written in our songs, just kind of happens that way.

What kind of guitars/equipment are you using?

We really don't have that much gear, which makes hauling our shit from place to place a lot easier. We all play Fender guitars. I use quite a bit of delay on my guitar, and Bryan uses a fuzz pedal on his bass sometimes. Other than that, no effects are used other than how weird we can make our amps sound naturally.

Do you guys smoke weed?

Yes. We also encourage it.

What demographic are you reaching for here?

See the question above.

You claim the Lion Den as your home. Show there soon maybe?

Brendon and I live at the Lions Den, and the band uses the basement as its practice space. We actually recorded the Hot Gaze EP on the ground floor of my house. So it's definitely home for us. We'd love to have more shows here, but the Denton Police Department (namely one very rude officer) crippled us financially after the last two shows we had. Such a sad thing because the place is honestly the ideal spot for having a house show. Maybe a daytime show in the spring, we've talked about that.

How is it being a new band in the area?

It really feels fantastic to be in a new band, at least for me. I played in bands in high school, but quit playing music a couple years ago. So it's a lot of fun to be doing something I enjoy. And it also helps that people are liking it. I love playing with these guys and this band sounds exactly how we all wanted it to.

Nobody in the area sound like you guys, where does your influences come from and how did your music become what it is?

As for influences, it's really hard to pinpoint one particular artist or group or album that all four of us totally geek out on. Bryan and Anthony listen to a lot harder stuff than I do, but anything that is loud we all usually loud. Personally in my guitar playing, I'm influenced a lot by stuff like My Bloody Valentine, Deerhunter, the Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Like I said: loud. The sound pretty much came about naturally. I'm not a very technical guitar player, so I've always used delay to beef up my tone. But yeah, this is just the way we wanted to sound.

How do you think said sound fits in with other acts in the area?

We don't really sound like any other bands I know of around here. But the shows we've played and the ones we have lined up next month are with a lot of very different bands, so hopefully we'll kind of find our niche in Denton.

Your set last night was very tight and well rehearsed. Have you just been focusing strictly on these six songs or is there other material you are working on that you scrapped or intended for polish later?

We've played the six songs from the EP a shit ton, so the sets have gone really well. And recording also helped us solidify the songs. We're working on some new stuff, but we wanted to make sure the first two shows were on point.

There was a decent size crowd last night. What has been the general reactions from people hearing your music for the first time?

Everyone I've played the music for or I've seen at one of our shows seems to like our sound. At the first show, I looked to my left and two of the guys from Record Hop were maybe five feet away from me. And those guys know their shit on guitar. They approached me after our set and liked it. Best compliment ever. And the crowds have been nice too, we've got a lot of friends in Denton who would come to our shows even if we weren't any good.

How do you feel about being photographed on stage?

Being photographed on stage...they're usually not great photos. But whatever, publicity is publicity.

What is the best and worst thing you can see happening to the band right now?

Best thing that could happen for us would be to join Young Money after Lil Wayne gets out of jail. Odds are against us. Worst case scenario, our gear starts falling apart and we can't play anymore. Weird question.
-----

As I mentioned in the interview, FC's sound is rather unique in the current wave of guitar centered music being made. The music has a hazy feel to it, but the drums and guitars are very structured and direct despite the apparent haze they might have been created in. Their sound is familiar and the roots can be found in the bands they mentioned. Unlike certain acts such as Pains of Being Pure of Heart, Final Club seem to be exploring new ground as opposed to polishing the established diamonds. At the moment the music can be a bit one note, but the hints of directions to come can be found underneath the mighty distortion. The result is a breath of fresh air in the local music scene. But as I am sure the guys know, the air isn't stagnant here.

I was hesitant opening the interview with the Lion's Den anecdote, fearful of being that person at the party who believes preferences must come prefaced with a credibility rap sheet. Given that this is a tight knit community, one could be led to believe that this group has a pre-installed fan based which they would in turn cater to, hungry for a taste of life on the other side. But after seeing the performance last night, any misgivings I may have had about why these guys are in the game were quickly dispelled.

The band had a great chemistry on stage, not just amongst the band members but with the friendly audience in attendance that night as well. It was obvious that these guys have some fans already, and you would have needed two butterfly nets to catch all the in jokes that were flying around the room. Not all audiences are going to be as friendly, but I think Final Club will easily win any patron over with their heavy but easy to digest brand of indie rock. All four are natural performers, each one bringing something unique, and what they have brought to the table so far, especially this early on, is pretty impressive. I am excited to see what the future has in store.

Thanks to Final Club for taking the time to answer my questions and giving us the music to share. And thanks for making me feel a little better about getting high before writing this.

Final Club - Last World

Final Club - Wizard Wells

Interview: Mary Anne Hobbs

Email interview conducted by Josephine Tempongko (DJ Pandai'a).

Mary Anne Hobbs is arguably experimental music's most seminal figurehead- having hosted BBC Radio 1's Experimental Show (formerly called Breezeblock) for over 10 years, her relentless pursuit of the electronic underground's most ground-breaking and elemental sounds continues to reward the world with an opportunity to hear something that they've never heard before. From her beginnings covering rock music for the NME and Loaded magazine, to her third compilation of future sounds on Planet Mu, Wild Angels, she has made a life of sharing her insatiable passion for music.

This Friday at the Green Elephant, Dallas has the incredible honor of presenting Mary, who will be DJ-ing her incredible arsenal of new music, and she has taken a moment out of her busy tour to answer a few quick questions.


How would you describe the premise of your show in a few words, to anyone who were to ask what it was like? What would someone expect to hear, listening to it for the first time?

The future sound of electronic music.

You've no doubt met people along the way who have influenced or inspired you in one way or another- can you name the people who influenced you at the most pivotal moments in your life and what they taught you?

John Peel is my greatest inspiration...he taught me never to sell out anything you believe in.. trust your instincts, charge at your dreams and never look back..

Every extraordinary life has met with some adversity- and sometimes the worst times in our lives lead us to the most unanticipated successes- what is the best 'worst' thing that ever happened to you? Something that was very challenging at the time, but was a crucial moment in your life?

Running out of knickers on my US tour in September.. lol!! ;) this seems to be a common problem on the road.. I met up with Skream to play in Denver and he was 'commando' (ie without pants) too!

How do you go about choosing the music that you share on your show? Is there always a certain quality that you are looking for, that reflects a general idea or vibe that it is your intention to convey?

It's impossible to put into words.. it's a quality that is embedded deep within the DNA of a tune.. and it touches the very core of your soul.

Since the airing of your 2-hour special Dubstep Warz in January 2006, you have been a champion advocate of the sound ever since. What is it that drew you to dubstep in the first place, and how do you feel about the way the sound and the definition of the word have evolved in the past three and a half years?

It's a music that moves me physically, spiritually and emotionally. It's a sound that moves forward in thousands of scattered steps every day drawing in every conceivable influence.. so it's endlessly inspiring.

You seem to always be digging for the most extraordinary underground electronic music you can find- what does the idea of 'underground music' mean to you in a time when music is so extremely accessible through the internet?

It's a spirit, a freedom, and the signature of an artist who really is the master of his own destiny.

Earlier this Fall you had your first official US tour as a performing DJ. What's the greatest thing you've discovered while touring the US?

The energy and the hunger and the ambition of the American audiences is phenomenal.. it's such a pleasure and a privilege to play here.

What are your top 5 most exciting artists at the moment?

today:

Flying Lotus
Joy Orbison
Sigha
Blue Daisy
James Blake & Airhead

You're about to bring something totally new to Dallas this Friday. What will the crowd experience when MAH steps behind the decks?

A rainbow spectrum of sounds and textures that will lift people to a beautiful space.. I hope.. :)







Both Mary Anne Hobbs and Pandai’a perform at the Green Elephant tonight, along with Blixaboy, VJ S, and Royal Highnuss.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self titled debut full length kind of snuck up on me when it was released at the beginning of this year. For a good few years before it, I had been re-discovering bands like Orange Juice, The Pastels, The Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub and Shop Assistants (along with a lot of other C86 stuff), and it was quite thrilling to me on a personal level to hear an indie pop record like Pains' debut-- one that certainly looked backwards while somehow managing to sound fresh and exciting, almost like rebellion against a lot of the sounds coming out of the world of "indie rock" over the past few years. It was difficult to tell whether I derived my enjoyment of this record from fetishizing the past or because it seemed like a very bold break from the present, but it has become one of my favorite straight-up rock records of the year either way.

Our own Frank Phosphate was lucky enough to speak with Pains lead singer and primary songwriter Kip Berman after their performance in Fort Worth last week about his band, the history of indie pop, and the inspiration behind their music. Here are the results (SR):

So this is your first major tour, right? How is it going so far?

This is our first full US tour. This is our 17th show, I counted them before the tape started rolling so I didn't just know them off the top of my head. It's been great because this is the first time we have gotten to go to alot of places that we have never been before, especially in the south and south west. It' really been an experience, driving through New Meixco and seeing the Lights of (couldn't understand). Getting an idea of the hugeness of Texas when we have entered Texas and we still had nine hours to get into the middle of it. You don't see that in other states.

What has the response been in these other places?

its been great and it's really heartening to know that there are people out there who have been hearing our record in places really far away from where we are from. Coming from New York it's really easy to get trapped in a bubble, but to get to go to places like Salt Lake City and have kids that are really psyched about the music, it's great to see that response in people who aren't our friends back home. It's a really cool feeling, and definitely one that we don't take for granted.

How did you hook up with Slumberland records? What was the transition like from doing the CD-R with Cloudberry to the full length with Slumberland?

It was really natural but almost kind of accidental, but also an ideal fit for the kind of music we play. Slumberland was a label we grew up listening to. It was one of the big independent pop labels, it was important to us. There were other ones like K, March records for awhile, Merge and Magic Marker. There are alot of great American independent record labels but Slumberland was one that really combined sense of straight up pop music with the noiser elements. Bands like The Ailsers Set, Rocketship, Stereloab, The Lilly's and obviously Black Tamborine. The guy that runs it was in Black Tamborine. It was a label that historically meant alot to us as nerdy kids who liked records more than we should have for our social lives. It was a dream come true. The other cool thing about the label was it wasn't just for nostalgia sake, they were releasing albums from a lot of bands that we admire now like Crystal Stilts and Cause Commotion, and they are continuing their seven inch series searching for the now, like they did one recently with Sunny Day in Glasgow. We played with them a couple times in NY and Philly and they are really nice people. Long story short i was ordering a BT vinyl reissue from them and sort of struck up a conversation, I dont know if he got a lot of requests for that at the time. Peggy had recommended them and I had never heard them before. I must have let on in a very subtle way that I play music in a band, so I just sent him some demos and he was really supportive. When another band he was putting out called the Lodger was playing in NY he asked us to open. He ended up coming out all the way from Oakland for that show which was amazing. I dont if he was overly intoxicated or what but he was really enthused about the show. I guess the really important thing about that show is it was the first show we played with Kirk as our drummer, before then we had been using a drum machine. Beside his role in indie pop history he just knows alot music. We went over to his house after the last tour and he has everything! I think I am pretty nedry about music, but he is knowledgeable in ways far beyond me. He said if we ever got our record together that he would love to put it out. We didnt immediately put it out, we took some time to record it. it was definitely a dream come true to have a record on Slumberland.

And what a great way to get there, very organic.

I want to make clear that at the time, and up until last february, we had been a band for a couple of years but no one outside of this sort of fetish indie pop community were interested in what we are doing, which was fine because that is the way of things with indie pop music. 12 people will care about your band and those people will care alot. but it is not somehting that has been historically appreciated. It has a small but very devoted group. Of all the great indie pop bands that were influential for us, none of them really reached beyond that core. I mean Belle and Sebastian obviously got bigger but even they are not that big.

There is no Radiohead of indie pop.

Yeah exactly. you would think like Rocket Ship would have been big. I guess Velocity Girl had a song on the Clueless soundtrack and they were on Sub Pop which is sorta the biggest indie pop got in the 90s. Aisler Set were pretty well accepted. Hefner were big in England. There isnt alot of precendent for indie pop getting any bigger than basement shows.

What is it about indie pop that inspires such a rabid fan base? Looking at feedback fans have for you, its always a "this band is my life" mentality. Like you were saying, there is this inclination for a certain sub set of music fans.

Indie pop generally appeals to people like myself who maybe don't have alot of social skills or a lot of friends. Not like total losers, but people who are a little disconnected from whats going on with the cool kids in school.

Spend alot of time reading books.

It's easy to fetishsixe these things "oh Im so persecuted for my inellect" but I think of myself as a pretty normal person. I only had a couple friends but were really intense friends. I think this music for whatever reason speaks to people who are slightly... the underdogs. Maybe mainstream doesnt encompass their world view. But there is this music that connects people and their worldviews. Peggy has a lot of stories of being pen pals with people and making mixtapes. Now technology has changed and things move alot faster. Indie pop has always appealed to the fringes of society. Not in the "I'm going to shoot this place up" way, not a crazy loner, just kids that maybe dont totally fit, and this music kind of gives them hope and a sense of belonging. I always based my idenity growing up on the type of music I liked. That was always a part of who I was. Not saying that is the only way to define yourself. I love this music so much and I wanted to know other people that did too. That to me was the ideal "what if there was a girl who liked indie pop bands as much I do." That is obviously far fetched and didnt exist, but it was the ulitmate fantasy. Meeting people who liked the same music you do. I know that it is easy to see that as shallow or superficial because there are cool people who like other stuff. And there are a lot of lame people that like the same people you do and you wouldnt be friends otherwise. I don't know what it is that spawns this fandom, but I'm glad it exists. It's nice to have people to geek out with. Talking about shows we saw, it's a wonderful community and I am glad to be a part of it.

Has being a player in that world changed your outlook in any way? The way you perceive it? Do you enjoy it the same as you did before?

To be quite honest I haven't socially progressed since high school. I'm not sure if other people do, but I still feel very much the same now. People ask me what my other hobbies are besides playing in Pains. "I like playing this music and I guess maybe video games?" It's always hard to think of other intrest in life, I know that sounds kinda boring and one dimensional. I just think music is great thing.

No I see where you are coming from.

No it's bad. maybe other people are like "I really like cooking" "I have been taking Tango lessons" not me. I like to listen to loud wussy music and hang out with my friends who are also in my band. If they ever kick me out of the band...

What are you going to do?

I don't know, I don't have any other skills. I'm not even sure if this is a skill yet.

I'd say it's a little more than a skill. How are the song writing duties handled? What is the creation process like for you?

The thing that I want to make clear is the songs are as good as they are because everyone contributes. They would not be good songs if I just wrote them in my bedroom with the one drumbeat on the drum machine I knew how to play and played bass horribly and my one note on the keyboard. Even though that is probablly how most of them sound. The chords and prgoressions are what I write. When the song becomes developed and fully realized as a Pain's song it is because Kurt's drum ideas are there and Alex with his bass and Peggy with the keyboard. I kinda do the Skeleton I guess. The thing I care the most about are the lyrics. I have never been the type of person to say "Hey guys what should I rhyme with fucking right...fucking tight?" Everyone does their part. And the quality of the demos on my computer at home can attest to that.

This new Pains EP just came out. How did that come about so soon after the album was released and how do you see it difer from the album?

Well we finished the album last summer, it was all mixed and done and I had it on my ipod. i could listen to it if I wanted to, I could play it for my mom. then it ended up that it was going to be like 6 months before it would get released. So we had a bit of down time. We couldn't tour because we didnt really have anything to tour behind. We did get to go on a support tour for the Wedding Present. It was areally big deal last december and a really cool experince. I guess in that time we continued writing songs. they were songs that we played live in our sets we just didnt have them recorded. They were either written after the album or during and we just didnt feel like they fit. In fact I was kind of paranoid that the album was going to fail, and that september I started writting the next album. I was like "oh if this album doesnt turn out good, if everyone hates it" then I wanted to have an album to release right after it. Kind of like a make up album. So I started writing songs pretty feverishly. Im really excited about these songs, even though people did end up liking the album, that was pretty cool. What were the chances? People would like indie-pop? It was one of those things where I though my children might see it, and I dont even have children.

The one song that stands out is "Higher than the Stars," its what I thought would be track one of the next album. We started plaing it live and we really like it. It's different from the album, I think people, rightfully so, heard a lot of fuzz pop on the album. Ideally a Pains of Being Pure at Heart song is a pop song, it doesnt have to be alot of fuzz or be a certain length. We just want it to be a good pop song. So its kind of an example of writing a Pains song that probablly didnt sound a lot like what people thought of as a Pains songs up to that point. I think even more so with "Falling Over." It rips off a band...I don't know how to say this. There are bands that we love that we dont sound anything like. I love Orange Juice and The Wake, alot of those Scotish bands of that era, Aztec Camera. Those are bands that are influential to us, but you wouldn't know it from listening to our album. We like a lot of stuff from the same zip code.

I always see the Smiths refrenced to your music, but I have always seen a closer connection with a band like Orange Juice, as far as the pop sensibilities.

Yeah! When people say the Smiths its like...

It's the easiest thing to say , it's what people know.

Oh an indie band that has over the top lyrics, it's very flattering to be compared to them. We arent even 1/8th as cool as the Smiths. I think people that are more aware of the music we like would see more of the Orange Juice than Morrisey. We would happy to be half as good as either of those bands.

Interview: Neon Indian

Interview conducted by Frank Phosphate. Introduction by Stoned Ranger. Photography by Stephie Ya Know.

Whether it can be attributed to the nature of blog driven "indie rock" buzz or simply to Alan Palomo's own PR savvy, the fact that Pitchfork interviewed Palomo about his Neon Indian project before anyone in the local media had a chance to speak with him about it surely says something about the speed of ascension in pop music today. Months before they'd even booked their first show, let alone played it, Neon Indian was preparing for an international tour and a full length record release that is quickly becoming one of the most highly anticipated events on the 2009 release calendar, thanks in no small part to the mass amounts of praise the band has received from around the blogosphere.

Of course, with this kind of quick acquisition of accolades comes the inevitable skepticism in which fans wonder aloud whether a particular band is "overrated" or "deserving" of the kind of attention they are receiving, and truth be told, you can hardly blame anyone for being skeptical about the groups that American and European "tastemakers" have been crowning as the "next big thing" over the past several years. Ever since Arcade Fire wowed us with mediocrity and Sufjan Stevens showed the world just how conservative most indie rockers can really be, underground music has seen a parade of buzzed about acts that seem to offer little more than good manners and obvious influences.

Fortunately for Palomo and Neon Indian, however, the group's debut release mostly lives up to the hype surrounding it. Sure, the record might not change your life, and it'll certainly have its detractors, but Alan Palomo has demonstrated, at a very young age, that his songwriting skills can transcend the genres and fads with which he's been associated, and with the eclectic influences scattered throughout Neon Indian's debut (everything from Yellow Magic Orchestra to 60's psyche pop), its hard to imagine that this record won't appeal to a fairly large cross section of discerning music consumers. Our very own Frank Phosphates sat down with Alan to discuss Neon Indian and the upcoming tour, and here's what they talked about:(SR)

Why start the tour in Denton?

I have always tried to make it a point of testing things in an audience that I am comfortable with, and I feel like Denton is predominately just friends and allies and, even a few enemies now and then, which I always thinks makes things a little more interesting when you are trying something new but... well maybe not rivals, maybe just Rival Gang...LEANNE.

Yeah they'll fight ya!

I think there is something comforting on this occasion. For example for the Vega show we we..(at this point some adoring fans come and Alan is really nice to them and stuff) haha, the difference between this and the Vega show was that the Vega show was testing it out without and set itinerary, more just a labor of love really just trying things out...

Where was the Vega show at?

It was at Hailey's on New Year's. The way the stakes have changed now were literally on the cusp of (I offer him a cigarette) sure...If this was a Vega show I would not smoke this, but Neon Indian does not demand too much of my vocal range, so...you don't have to write that down...I feel like being on the cusp of a tour, and given that immediately three days after the show we're gonna be at Monolith Festival, Denton is the perfect environment to try it out because I can expect nothing but honest feedback, and use this as an opportunity to sort a few things out. And even then just put on a really good show for my friends. That's what I'm doing this for.

What kind of preparation have you done for the tour?

Most of the preparation has been adjusting to tour life in to begin with. I'm a pretty social guy, I move around a lot but I always do crave quite a bit of stability and this tour is literally the first time in my life where I have no set junction or time or anything. Our booking agent tells us when a show is coming up, or a string of shows or a tour for that matter, and we just have to prepare for it. What I have been trying to adjust to is things like sleeping habits, eating, trying to find the time to exercise, and feel like a normal human being in this really unusual context of constantly being on your feet.

For the Neon Indian show in particular, much of the preparation has gone into how we can differentiate a Vega show and a Neon Indian show given the vibe or presentation or something as simple as Theatrics. I recently came to the conclusion that it is something that will come with time, once we sort of feel out the audience. Our first take was all the ideas; like we walk up stage in a cloak and right before the first guitar lick starts, we just like remove them and just start playing our instruments, which we would have done if we had just made it to a Michael's and found some black bed sheets to do this with.

How did the tour come about?

It started with a few consistent show offers we started getting. I definitely had plans to do Neon Indian live and had plans of touring right around the time of the record release. It all kind of happened at once. We heard the album was coming out on October 13th, and then immediately after that we put up a link for our booking agent; we got about seventy inquiries in the US. A little overwhelming but we tried to do as many of them as we could, some of them fell through due to scheduling conflicts and all that, but the way it has worked up to this point is that we got all these dates and mapped it out to this logistical nightmare of how we'll get from one place to the next, which is it's own fun little ride to begin with. Even within these Neon Indian shows there are some Vega shows sprinkled in here and there. Up until this point cutting our teeth has all been done predominately through Vega shows, and the shows our booking agent has gotten us, and they have kind of been all over the place.

One thing I have had to learn is how to play to different audiences. You might play a bill where no one knows who you are and you just have to go in there and give it your all. It's pretty long and arduous, but the fact that so much preparation has gone into it, I feel confident. The most ridiculous shift we have to do is one night we are in Mexico City and then we fly up to Seattle and then continue to tour as if nothing had happened. It's pretty... well actually we fly out from Boise, Idaho to Mexico City for two shows that that promoter set up ... and you know it's fucking weird.

I feel like the biggest thing that's making it... it's not overwhelming by any means, I'm very excited about it, but whats very taxing in terms of prep-work and mental preparation is the fact that both Vega and Neon Indian are taking off at the same time, you know, just got to keep up with the work flow.

Talk a little bit about the process of working with Neon Indian as opposed to the other projects you have worked with.

Vega has always been a project with a specific set of influences and very finite aesthetic, whereas Neon Indian started out more as a creative exercise. Try to write a new song everyday and we never spend more than 48 hours on it. Whatever the product turns out to be is whatever it is, and you can invest as much time as you want in it. I realized that really opened it up, especially when I wasn't concerned with "who's going to like this," or what is the sound it is trying to tap into, "Who would you associate with this?,"; I feel like that's when Neon Indian really became it's own thing. Before I knew it, in about a month I had an album. I realized that working in that way was so much more advantageous than the initial Vega work flow. Now I have modified Vega to be equally spontaneous in that sense. Especially now that sometime in January I have to start writing the Vega album. Definitely want to bring that to the table.

I want to talk a little bit about the music. Neon Indian has a very lo-fi, almost "druggie" sound to it. Yet the music still sounds rather positive, some almost like ballads.

Yeah, totally.

It's something we are not used to hearing from you. Did you go into the project wanting to channel something different; a different kind of outlet?

There is some irony to it all because of this contradiction where the songs sound generally upbeat. There are no dark, or unusual, dissonant songs on the album, but in terms of the lyrical content, it is very personal. It all derives from various heinous relationships. Not necessarily heinous but just specific relationships that I have revisited over time. Dissecting the moments when they have gone awry. They each have their own unusual kind of narrative.

So this is the first time you have tried that with your music, exploring those themes?

Yeah. It's funny because I would say eighty percent of the content, as far as lyrical fodder, definitely came from Denton. Most of those experiences were all very specific places in time. Looking back, I can say "Oh, this is where that happened," or "This happened over there."

Do you follow the press at all? Does it affect you? Does make any difference in what you do?

It never makes a difference in what I do. I am always interested in feedback. Music is still a very new thing for me. I'm still learning about the medium and every song is a testament to that progress. The purpose of Neon Indian was definitely to try out new production tricks. No idea is a bad idea, it's just a matter of what context you fit it in. It was definitely that kind of approach. I check blogs. I try to be an active participant in the online music culture. I think a lot of the bands that have come out of that culture have influenced what I do. I see it as a very objective thing, if you are not pissing somebody off, you're not doing something right. If you can elicit a response, whether it be positive or negative, means that you are trying to do something that isn't safe. I could speak about a lot about We Shot JR commenters. There is a very direct line in the sand. But I try not to address it, I don't let it affect me. It's whatever, you know?

Closing it up, is there anything you would like the world to know about Neon Indian? What can we expect?

I would like to eventually make it more of a multimedia project. I have thrown around the idea of a second album being the score to a screenplay I write. Music is a very interesting deviation, because I have always been a film guy. It affects the way I approach music. I would like to find a way to make an artistic project that is a conglomeration of those two ideas, and sort of do it from that perspective. I don't know if it will be the second or the third album; just depends on what time allows. You can also expect a Vega album in the upcoming future, by the way. The VEGA record will be a joint release through Fool's Gold and Downtown. And I'll just say, I can't say who it is just yet, but I will say it is a band of the last three years that has greatly influenced me, will be the ones producing the album.


















Neon Indian's next local appearance is a free show at The Granada on Halloween.

Nardwuar Interview

(The following interview was conducted and transcribed by Rick Vandeveerdonk of 1919 Hemphill)

Nardwuar the Human Serviette is a Canadian radio show host who has been interviewing bands and famous people for over twenty years. The amazing thing about him is he always knows wild obscure facts about whoever he's interviewing which usually shocks and/or over impresses the interviewee. He also brings them presents and incorperates different props with his questions. But not in that bad Carrot Top way. If you do a google search of "Nardwuar vs. _________", there's a 1 out of 5 chance he's interviewed whatever band you put in the ___________. He's been mocked up in a Korn video and theres a rumor that Heath Ledger studied Nardwuars interviews for his role in Dark Knight. Nardwuar also just did a split 7" with Andrew WK with his band The Evaporators.
I interviewed Nardwuar over the phone and I was horribly nervous. In my defense I was interviewing one of the most popular interviewers in the DIY universe. Feel free to listen to the forty minute extended interview where he also talks about Henry Rollins, Gene Simmons' love for Fresca, Alice Cooper, mor about Snoop Dogg and lots and lots of musical trivia. You can also hear me embarrassingly mumble out questions and try to be funny. The pitch is slightly fucked up which adds to the embarrassment. HERE

Who are you?

Nardwuar the Human Serviette from Vancouver British Columbia Canada.\par

Of What?

From CiTR UBC Radio and I also do freelance interviews for different publications like Razor Cake fanzine and Roctober Fanzine and Chart Magazine in Canada. And I also like videotaping interviews when I do them in person and I put them on my website or give them to various cable access sort of TV stations. And the word "sort of" is because there aren't too many left of the cable access variety. And also I play in a rock n roll band The Evaporators and in a mysterious band Thee Goblins.

Not to be confused with Goblin or the other The Goblins..

Interestingly enough there's a Goblin in every town. There's the legendary Italian band called Goblin, there's The Goblins from Chicago... Interestingly about that too, is that Jake from The Goblins in Chicago runs Roctober fanzine and that's how basically I met him. He came to a gig in Chicago to see a band and it turned out this band called Thee Goblins were opening and he was in a band called The Goblins and so he ended up befriended us and next thing you know we are doing an 8 track release with Jake from The Goblins. Then he invites me to write for Roctober Fanzine. So he's The Goblins from Chicago. We're Thee Goblins from Vancouver and there's also Goblin Cock and another band called Goblins. I just encourage the more Goblins the better. The more confusion the better.

So you've been interviewing people for how long?

The first interview I did was in high school on September the 26th 1985 and it was with a guy called Art Bergmann who played in a band at that time called Poisoned. Not Poison. Although Vancouver has had a great history of recording heavy metal from hair metal bands like Bon Jovi who recorded Slippery When Wet in Vancouver. And we recorded Motley Crue and Def Leopard as well. But Art Bergmann was in the band Poisoned at the time playing our high school but previously he played in a punk band in Vancouver called The Young Canadians. Who believe it or not had thanked our high school Hillside Secondary in Vacouver in the liner notes to their 12" record "This is Your Life". So when I got his band to play our high school, I negotiated the price of his band playing from $1,400 to $1,398. I was president of the student council so I was really good at negotiations then. I thought "They're playing our high school I gotta do an interview!" So that's captured on video. I have not uploaded that yet on youtube. But hopefully someday I will.

How long have you been doing things for CiTR?

I got my show on CiTR UBC radio in October of 1987. But I joined CiTR Radio in September of 1986. So it took me about a year to get the courage to do a radio show. I was just happy to do announcements. We called them "carts" now I guess you play them off a computer. I remember doing one for Spike Lee's movie "She's Gotta Have It!" and we did public service announcements and ads for giving blood and that sort of stuff. And that was just awesome because you could make these announcements and they would be played at all times during the day and people would recognize you from the announcements. So that's what I did for one year and then eventually I decided "Hmm, well..I know how to use the equipment. Maybe I could do a radio show.". So originally they were gonna give me fifteen minutes but then they said you gotta have a minimum half an hour. So it was 2:30 to 3:00. Now it is 3:30 to 5:00. However I still only have a half hour interview so I fill the other stuff up with music or spoken word or something like that.
And who was the first band you interviewed? Was it DOA? Am I wrong?

Wow! Exactly you are right! That is the first band I interviewed with. I did not think I was going to do interviews on CiTR. I just thought I would be playing music. But because I got so crazy after my first show I had records everywhere I had to kill the time somehow with half an hour. So DOA were in the studio and I asked if I could do an interview with them and they said yes! And it was Dave Greg the bass player of DOA. What's weird about that show is that Randy of Mint Records in Vancouver said that was my best show and that's when I peaked and I should have quit right after then. Because it was really great that Dave Greg came into CiTR. And we had him playing a bass and I think he did a live Madonna song on the air and it sounded amazing. And Randy from Mint just thought that was the best thing ever and it's been downhill ever since then. So my first show, my best show. And that's the great thing about CiTR radio there's always people offering encouragement. That's basically what I think I sorta stand for. If this idiot can play in a band, if this idiot can do a radio show then anybody can do a radio show and that's what I really love about CiTR is that there's always people offering comments or listeners phoning in. Just a couple of weeks ago somebody was phoning in and said "When did you get a show on CiTR you suck!" I didn't say to the guy "22 years ago" because that was unfair. But that keeps you on your toes. I've been with some other commercial radio stations as a guest and I'm scared, I'm shaking because there might be someone phoning in to criticize me. I think people on commercial radio, they're too complex. They're not thinking about people criticizing because they cut them off. But we at not commercial campus radio we don't cut anybody off

Do you ever get nervous while interviewing people? Have you ever been terrified while interviewing somebody?

I'm nervous right now, Rick.

Yeah me too!

I'm nervous every time when I speak, when I interview, when I go to a store to buy milk I'm nervous. I'm just a constantly nervous person. I think sometimes it helps but sometimes it doesn't help. I guess it doesn't help when your in front of a cop and you've done nothing wrong and you start to sweat and they think you've done something wrong. Or it does help when your thinking of an interview or preparing for a gig or something like that. You think "Oh, we gotta have songs to play in a band!". Well that's obvious. Write the songs down. "I gotta question to ask". I think it kinda drives me in that way. I do drink chamomile tea to bring me down though to make me relax.

Well, you seem very chill in most your interviews. When Sonic Youth was beating up on you I was like "Wow, he's taking it very nicely"..

Well as long as the tape is recording the interview I'm happy. The tape is your friend. Thankfully my friend Scott who is the Evaporators drummer and also in Thee Goblins was recording that and did a great job of recording it so we were able to play it back to you. Sometimes tapes have been destroyed. Like when I interviewed heavy metal band Skid Row the tape was destroyed. When I interviewed Quiet Riot the tape was destroyed. When I interviewed Tom Green, he ordered the tape destroyed. All three of those people all at intervals of five years. So there has been quite a few things you haven't seen that have gone horribly wrong. I don't mean horribly wrong like being arrested. I just mean you don't see how it turns out.

So Quiet Riot physically destroyed your tape or just ordered it destroyed?

Yes, they physically destroyed it. They finished the interview and I did "Doot doola doot doo?...Doot Doo". And afterward they surrounded me in the club and said "We're calling the cops".
And I was like "Why you calling the cops!?"
"Because you're trespassing."
"Why am I trespassing?"
"Because you haven't handed over the tape"
"What tape?"
"The tape of the interview. Hand it over right now!"
"No, I don't hand over the tape!"
So they called the cops. And they called in a description of me. They said "There's a guy here dressed head to toe in plaid and he has this buddy with him filming wearing a Jason hockey mask here at Graceland Club in Vancouver come arrest them, they're trespassing".
And I'm like Oh god, I don't want to be involved with the cops. So I said "okay" and handed over the tape. And then they chased us down the street. They thought I was embarrassing them. I was just joking with the guy. Kevin Dubrow. And rest in peace because he's dead now.

Have people been this rude to you recently? Because I've watched your Welcome to My Castle DVD with some of the older interviews and everyone's a dick to you. Like Sonic Youth and Jello Biafra..

Yeah Jello is on there drawing with a black marker on my face and then years later we're on his record label. So I guess if you stay in the game long enough, you can work on these people. I guess I've had the luxury that it only took me about fifteen years to win over Jello Biafra.

It looks like you've won over alot of people. The people I've seen you interview back in the day are complete dicks to you. And now, like when you interviewed Jello Biafra and the Melvins. Jello's not doing anything to you. He's just looking at you. Did he just get old? And the newer interview with Sonic Youth they're being respectful to you. Have they grown to love you and respect you?

Well, I tried to interview Sonic Youth when they played the Virgin Music Festival in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago but they blew the interview off. So I said okay, what about doing a phoner the next week and they said it might be possible. Then they blew that off as well. So, I'm having trouble with them. But that's the great thing.I don't think they've changed. They're still the same people and I wouldn't want them to change. Chris Noveselic, I interviewed him on the phone a couple of months ago and he was exactly the same way he was years ago.

Did he rub pizza on the phone?

No, he didn't rub pizza. But he suddenly had to go and that sort of stuff. That sort of craziness. Which is something you should exactly expect. You kinda gotta understand what the situation is. So I'm glad people haven't changed. Plus remember those video interviews on the Welcome to My Castle DVD were just a little sampling. When you do your radio show every week like I have for 22 years. There's going to be some interviews that are crazy or a bit more rude. But generally it's pretty much just boring. That's why folks are calling in to complain. Not to complain because swearing, not to complain because it's too rowdy but to complain because it was boring.
What's neat though about what your saying about people being rude or different peoples reactions for everything. I posted an interview I did with Kathy Griffin and there's also an interview I did with Slipknot that's on the internet. And the Kathy Griffin fans hate me as much as the Slipknot fans. Which I think is amazing! Because do you think the Kathy Griffin fans think they have anything in common with the Slipknot fans? No way! Do you think the Slipknot fans have anything in common with the Kathy Griffin fans? No Way! So I'm uniting Kathy Griffin and Slipknot! So I think I must be doing something good there.

You've interviewed all these people. Have you ever turned down an interview? Because you've interviewed just about everybody. Every terrible band.

I learned this from the Canadian band Sloan who were signed around the same time Weezer was signed. They had that saying "G.G.B.B.". Good Guys, Bad Band. So if they are a bad band I'd probably interview them because they are good guys. I have missed out on different sort of stuff that's happening. I remember Alanis Morsette as a teenager was performing in Vancouver. I didn't wanna check that out.

What about You Can't Do that On Television!?

Yeah exactly. This was before she had the hits. It would have been good to talk to her about You Can't Do that On Television. But I was like nah, I don't wanna do that, that's silly. There's stuff I regret everyday that I could've done that was interesting. But there's always somebody new to interview so it's hard to have any regrets.

And when you do interview those people you find out stuff about them before you see them. Like when you interviewed that guy from Lord of the Rings and the Good Son.\

Elijah Wood?

How did you run into him and how did you know he likes sandwiches?

Well he was shooting a movie in Vancouver called "Try Seventeen". And a friend of mine was working on the movie and said "well, why not come town to the wrap party and talk to Elijah Wood?". I had actually dropped by a tape to Elijah Wood ahead of time at his Hotel wherever he was staying, So he had checked out my tape and at the cast party I went right up to him and he was totally into it. He had actually been familiar with a bit of my stuff and that sometimes helps... when someone at least approaches it with a positive attitude. Sometimes people are ticked off like "This guy's an asshole!". And if they're told that right before an interview its gonna make them clam up just a bit. It's pretty hilarious though. You can't tell like a gangster rapper such as Snoop Dog "Oh watch out for this guy. He's an asshole, he's really tough. He's gonna try to trick you!".
Gangster Rappers like Snoop will be like "C'mon bring it on!". So that's kinda funny.

Did Snoop Dog every give back the stuff he stole from you?

No and I'm quite upset about this. He just played in Vancouver two weeks ago and I went down the gate and they said he would do an interview. I came back later and he blew off the interview. I've tried to interview Snoop eight times and I've only gotten to him four times. This is especially disheartening because the last time I talked to him in 2007 he said "The next interview we were gonna do is at my house and you can have all your stuff back". Here we are in Vancouver and I can't get an interview set up with him. And the three interviews I've tried to do since then he blew me off. He has a Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali record of mine. And he also has a Whispers record and a Blowfly record too.

All the information you get before you talk to these people you get in an amazing short amount of time. Are you willing to mention how you get this information?

Usually through connections and stuff like that.

That's what I assumed. The DIY punk rock connection.

Totally! And that's usually what's the best! For instance, when I interviewed Glen Danzig. I was thinking how could I get some good questions for Glen Danzig? I talked to Mike LaVella from Gearhead Magazine. And he used to live in Pittsburg and he'd been a big Misfits fan. In fact he had been over at Glen's house. So he had tons of information. Then Mike LaVella said I should talk to Tim Kerr of the Big Boys.

From Austin.

Yes, and another connection actually regarding Texas and all that. When I interviewed Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols I found out through my friend Grant Lawrence from rock n roll band the Smugglers that when the Smugglers were on tour they played with a band called The Sons of Hercules from Texas! Whose lead singer Frank was in a band called The Vamps. Who actually opened up for the Sex Pistols! So I was able to ask Frank of the Sons of Hercules about the Sex Pistols show in America. So yes, it's just from the indy rock connections that exist.

That's what I actually hoped and figured. I actually asked somebody who did interviews how they prep and they told me just to check the interviewee's Wikipedia page. But your asking things people already know about!

Wikipedia is useful because it shows you what not to ask.

All your interviews usually end with the "Doot Doola Doot Doo" thingy. What is the weirdest reaction you've gotten with that? The Michael Moore one terrified me.

The best one was probably James Brown. Because I went "Doot doola doot doo" and he went "I'm not gonna go Wop Bobba Loo Bop a bim bam boom!". I was like "No. Doot doola doot doo.." and his back up singers went "Doo Doo.". But I was totally wrong because that was incredible. Because he totally did it! He basically did the best one. The worst one of all time pretty much was and the one that "got me" was Rob Zombie. At the end of the interview I went "Doot doola doot doo" and he just walked away from the speaker phone he was doing the interview on backstage at a giant Korn gig! He just walked out of the room and I kept going "Doot doola doot doo. Doot doola doot doo..." and seriously like twenty minutes later somebody came over and said "What going on there?"
"Well I'm waiting for Rob Zombie to go 'doot doo'."
"He left the room like twenty minutes ago"
"Well, can you go 'doot doo'?"
"Okay..doot doo."
And it ends right there.
So that was quite amazing, As much as that was kind of maddening it was kinda genius of him just to walk away and i just kept on going and going and going.

I guess I'm basically done. Unless there's anything you'd like to add.

Well, thanks so much for caring. I really appreciate the interest in all things Nardwuar the Human Serviette. And if people are interested and confused about what I said cause god knows I am, please check out Nardwuar.com also you can check out Nardwuar on Twitter and there's also clips on Youtube. But everything is linked from my own website there. And keep on rocking in the free world and doot doola doot doo...

...uhh doot doo?

For an audio recording of the interview featuring extra material, click here.

Vivian Girls

As most of you know, we typically don't post things on weekends, but we were fortunate enough to get a brief email interview with Vivian Girls, and since they just responded to it a couple hours ago, we figured it would be a good idea to post it before their show this evening with Ariel Pink and Fight Bite at Hailey's.  

As we noted in the Weekender yesterday, Vivian Girls have certainly received a lot of critical acclaim and a tremendous amount of hip buzz over the past year, but unlike a lot of similarly positioned groups, their work truly stands out and lives up to the hype as much as any group can be expected to these days.  We wanted a chance to talk with them about their newfound success, their musical influences, and a variety of other things.  Here is our brief discussion: 

Can you start off by telling our readers who you are and where you're from and something interesting about each of you personally?

We are Cassie, Katy, and Ali. Katy and I are from Ridgewood, NJ, and Ali is from Toms River, NJ, but we call Brooklyn our home base now. Katy used to steal forks from every diner she ate at. Ali is fluent in German and lived in Germany for 6 months. I chip my front tooth all the time.

When you first got together and started rehearsing as Vivian Girls, what kind of music did you start making, and how did it evolve into what you currently sound like? Were you aware that you all had decent singing voices that sounded good together? Did you intend to use this asset or was it discovered by happy accident?

Our first songs were "All The Time," "No" and "Never See Me Again." We wanted to make music in that vein - short, fast, melodic punk songs. It still sounds kind of like that but I think our songwriting is a little more diverse now, that was a natural evolution. We intended to have harmonies from the beginning. We could all "sing" and thought it would be a waste to be in a band with three girl singers and not utilize that.

People obviously talk a lot about 60s girl group pop and C86 and stuff like that when they talk about your influences, but I always read you guys citing the Wipers and Nirvana and various garage influences and stuff like that. What do you find yourselves listening to as individuals, and what were some of the important bands you guys shared in common starting out?

When we started playing music we were inspired by riot grrrl, unsurprisingly. When we started playing music in Vivian Girls we were mainly inspired by the Wipers, also by Dead Moon and 80's hardcore. However, as individuals, we have pretty wack tastes in music. I really like soft rock from the 70's and 80's. Katy only listens to modern Top 40 radio. Ali is really into pop punk and emo.

So obviously you guys have gone through some pretty big changes as a band since the band started in early 2007... what are some of the best things about your success, and what are some of the worst?

The best things are meeting rad people and getting to travel everywhere. The worst part is seeing sexism in action. I don't think we thought much about it until we started reading things like "One of them is hot, the other two are ugly" and "Why do girls think that just because they're pretty they can pick up instruments and be in a band?"

Do you still get to play house shows and DIY venues much anymore? Is that something you enjoy? I remember last time you came through town you played at Exploding House in Ft. Worth, and now of course you're playing at one of the larger "indie" venues in North Texas. It's not Carnegie Hall, but its certainly a change in scenery for you.

We like playing shows in all different kinds of venues. House shows are some of the funnest shows we play and we still play them every so often, and I think we will continue doing that no matter what.

I was doing some research and I caught the series of "uncensored interviews" you guys did last year. Obviously you caused some online blog comment controversy over your statements regarding "normal people" hanging out at TGI Friday's and stuff. People responded with a lot of hate and this kind of uniquely American "populist" rhetoric about how snobby you were, etc. Why do you think this made people so angry, and why did you feel the need to apologize for contrasting a particular subculture with mainstream culture? And whats up with all these self identified "normal" people getting pissed off? I bet people didn't get mad at Mike Judge for making basically the same critique in Office Space.

I think that with that interview, instead of thinking "They're making a joke that we can laugh at together" (which is what we actually were doing) people thought "They're attacking me." The way the blogs made it seem was that we hate anyone with a job, which is not the way we feel at all.

Tell us about some of the things you guys are interested in outside of the band and music.

Katy's into Hulu-ing, video games, and the internet. I like doing art when I'm not busy with music or the band, I also like cooking and collecting junk. Ali's interested in comedy and hanging out with her parents.

I know you live in Brooklyn. How long have you lived there? Does it still seem to have the vibrant underground culture it once did? As an occasional visitor over the years, I have seen Williamsburg change quite a bit, and there seem to be a lot more idiots walking the streets than there used to be. Is Brooklyn's "counter culture epicenter" status annoying? Is it taking something away from the place itself? I asked Japanther this question once and I think they got mad at me.

That's because Japanther are huge jerks. But to answer the question, I have lived in Brooklyn for almost 5 years. There have been a lot of changes, but the scene is so strong right now that it doesn't really matter. The culture is just as vibrant, now it's just in different zip codes and not as close to the main strip. Which is fine.

How has your tour with Ariel Pink been so far? Do you think his music was an important catalyst for this kind of revived "lo fi" aesthetic that has become so popular over the past year or two?

I'm sure it was. I've been a huge Ariel Pink fan for years, so this tour is basically a dream come true. It's a lot like summer camp. We get along with the guys in Haunted Graffiti really well and it's gonna be really sad when the time comes that we don't hang out every night.

Do you find it strange that the kind of music you make has come to be so in vogue lately, basically replacing blog house and nu rave and music that has nothing to do with what you do as the "next big thing" or whatever you want to call it amongst culture and music media types? Seems like the music press has really done a 180 in that respect.

Yeah, I do find it strange. Then again, popular music always goes in waves (pardon the pun) between being super-produced and not-as-produced. Maybe 2008 was just one of those years that people tired of slick production.

Any good tour stories?

In New Orleans we all went to a strip club with Haunted Graffiti and one member of the party was really, really into getting lap dances!

How was SXSW for you this year? Do you generally enjoy playing in Texas? You can say no if you want to.

We love Austin, but SXSW was a little too much this year. We played 18 shows, which was something like 10 shows too many. Some of the shows were great though, we played a house party for my birthday party and people were crowd surfing and I chipped my tooth on the mic!

Finally, what are your plans for releasing a second full length? Do you guys have anything else exciting coming up in the next few months either with Vivian Girls or another project?

We recorded our second album, Everything Goes Wrong, last month. It's gonna come out in September and we're all really excited about it. I think we're gonna have a few 7"s come out in the next few months too.