TBTCI is on Vacations....see you in 2011....Happy New Year

Black Candy with Girls Names

Uma das coisas mais excitantes que ouvi nos ultimos tempos, sem exageros meus caros, estou excitadissimo em dividir isso com todos, Girls Names é o nome e You Should Know By Now é o nome do album, sinceramente é fantastico ou fodastico, só para começar, esses irlandeses de Belfast que foram de cabeça para NY e estam sendo adotados pela espertissima Slumberland, também pudera, saca só o que você encontrara diluido nas 6 canções destruidoras deste 12´´, Suicide, Cramps, J&MC, Crystal Stilts, Beat Happening e VU, o primitivismo sonoro do Girls Names impressiona, imaginem o Mighty Lemon Drops fazendo uma jam session com Lux Interior e Poison Ivy, ou se a galera do Crystal Stilts fossem remixados pelo Alan Vega e Martin Rev, é bem por ai, rock primitivo, lo fi, dark, escuro e esfumaçado, vocalização forte noise e wall of sound dosamente desleixados, o Girls Names seriam a banda predileta do Espaço Retro na epoca aurea, não perca tempo, coloque o Girls Names como sua nova banda predileta, aumente o som no talo e literalmente bote para foder, porque isso é do caralho!!!!!!

Girls Names - You Should Know By Now

One More Trip with Singapore Sling

Uma das mais perfeitas simbioses entre garage rock, J&MC, surf songs, noise e VU, chega destruindo tudo novamente com seu novissimo Must be Destroyed, trata-se da instituição Singapore Sling, os inslandeses são absolutamente freaks e vivem o legado Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll, barulhento, perigoso, inflamavel, como toda obra prima do rock, assim é Must Be Destroyed, canções como Noth, You Can Never Changed Your Heart induzem o ouvinte a aumentar gradativamente o som e pegar uma guitarra, sua bebida predileta e o que estiver por perto e começar uma revolução particular, tipo o seguinte, se vire compre o album, alias compre tudo que estiver disponivel do Singapore Sling porque isso aqui meu chapa é para quem vive pelo rock and roll e foda-se o mainstream, parafraseando o titulo do album Singapore Sling MUST BE ADORED!!!

Singapore Sling - retirado

Ghosts of Christmas Past with Minks

Brooklyn, New York strikes again...pois é, a cidade tem nos ofertado talvez os melhores sons dos ultimos tempos e não há como não concordar com isso, afinal 10 entre 10 bandas que saem de NY são espetaculares, e novamente algo soberbo chega ao TBTCI, trata-se do debut do Minks, que haviam lançado dois 7´´ durante o ano que haviam deixado que Vinny Reilly e Robert Smith poderiam sorrir pois Ophelia e Funeral Song são canções absolutamente perfeitas com apelo pos punk e contornos de dreampop, a critica e os aficcionados curvaram-se perante a perfeição do Minks, não contentes com tudo isso, By the Edge e o nome do album que chegara as lojas em 11 de janeiro do proximo ano que alias já da indicios de como sera, vide o novissimo do Asobi Seksu que já esta rolando pela rede e é lindissimo, mas o Minks e seu By the Edge trazem no minimo mais 6 canções para virarem hits facilmente Kusmi, Cemetary Rain, Bruises, Juniper e Out of Tune são o que há de mais perfeito atualmente no dreampop além das influências já citadas coloque ai pitadas de Mazzy Star, Galaxie 500, Slowdive. By the Edge é para seguir como album de cabeceira durante um bom tempo, e depois que você ouvir outros tantos e pega-lo novamente certamente o ouvira com o mesmo frescor e durante um novo bom tempo Essencial.

Minks - By The Edge

Slowgaze in Bedroom with Deep Sht

Tom Watson atende pela alcunha de Deep Sht, e seu debut é daqueles pegajosos, infestado por uma ambientação lo fi espacial um shoegazer lento aos moldes do Procedure Club, este Weird You foi indicação de meu brother skater Henrique e que dica, de cara Hector deixa claro o que o Deep Sht tem a a nos oferecer e vamos indo com Other People Lives, Loose Lips Sink, Weird You e No No Mr Greenspan segue a cartilha de gente do mais alto calibre como Astrobrite que é fonte para essa novissima safra lo fi noise gazer, altamente recomendado para amantes de barulhinhos bons e siga a recomendação; escute alto, bem alto.

PS - procure por ai Sidetripping novissima viagem do Deep Sht...

Deep Sht - Weird You

Everything´s Alright Forever with 93MMFTS

Srs, desculpem pela ausência, mas vida academica as vezes destroi você, vide TCC´s e afins, sequestros relampagos e outras cositas mais, porém tudo passado, paginas viradas, e segue a vida, logicamente estridente e cheia de barulhos e sons absurdamente essenciais, muita coisa a ser comentada aqui no TBTCI, pencas de arquivos que preciso dividir com vocês, de pos punk a noise a lo-fi a shoegazer a dreampop passando por class of 86 enfim, vem coisa fina pela frente, podem ficar espertos.

Para iniciar, a banda que estampa meu antebraço 93MMFTS e seus dois novissimos EP´s totalmente gratuitos que podem ser adquiridos nos links no final do post, mas vamos ao que interessa, 93MMFTS é sinonimo de shoegazer classicos e estridente na concepção de Boo Radleys primeira fase, Ride primeira fase ou seja, guitarras, guitarras, wall of sound desconcertante vocais soterradissimos como fluindo e exalando uma nova guitarra em forma de delay, reverb ou o efeito que você mais idolatrar, é fato que o EP de natal The Upper Hand of Christmas C*** é deliciosamente deglutido por inumeras vezes White Christmas é absurdamente viciante tão quanto a angustiante Upper Hand of Christmas C*** um deleite completo.


Agora, o EP1 é algo digno de curvar-se e chegar, CARALHO, isso é FODA!! When I Look Up, I See Nothing é clássica, sem maiores comentarios, clássico é assim algo acima de tudo e todos, dai a sequencia do EP é covardia, cover magistral da imortal Never Understanding dos irmão Reid e fecha a parte que cabe ao 93MMFTS com Hide, falar o que, escute e tire suas conclusões. O EP ainda conta com duas versões arrasa quarteirão do The Falling Spikes Emily e Shiva, viagens obrigatorias de uma banda logo mais o TBTCI tecera maiores comentários.

Se você ainda não ouviu 93MMFTS, sinceramente me preocupa muitissimo em saber em qual planeta você vive, mas tranquilo, nunca é tarde, tai os links.

93MMFTS
http://93millionmilesfromthesun.bandcamp.com/
www.93millionmilesfromthesun.co.uk/

Psychedelic Sounds of White Noise Sound - An Interview

White Noise Sound, nome perfeito para algo sublimemente perfeito, como o TBTCI colocou um dos albuns do ano sem sombra de duvida, hipnotico, repetitivo, kraut ate dizer chega, reverberação dos deuses, assim é WNS, e para elucidar mais sobre esse cataclisma psicodelico em forma de feedback, leia atentamente o que move os galeses.

***** Interview with White Noise Sound *****

Q. When did WNS form, tell us about the beginning…
A. Griff - We started in 2006. We were all in different bands where we're from but we all knew each other - it's hard not to here. It just made sense to join up.

The band as is started proper in 2008 though - after some line-up changes.

Q. What are the band’s influences?
A. Griff - MBV, VU, Neu!

Rhys - BJM, The Fall, Spacemen 3 / Spiritualized

Dan - Suicide, The Stooges, JAMC

Q. Make a list of your 5 seminal albums of all time.
A. Griff - The Band - Music From the Big Pink, My Bloody Valentine - Loveless, Velvet Underground - VU & Nico, Beatles - White Album, Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk

Rhys - Blonde on Blonde, Songs of Leonard Cohen, Let Love In - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Rings Around The World - SFA & White Noise Sound - WNS

Dan - Suicide - Suicide, Iggy and the Stooges - Raw Power, Aphrodite's Child - 666, The Gun Club - Fire of Love, Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Q. Tell us about the recording process for the debut album?
A. Griff - The album was, in the main, recorded in an old Hotel / come 24 hour drinking den in Swansea – it was a case of stepping over the bodies and setting everything up.

Dan - We were conscious that we didn’t want to stray too far from what we could produce live. After that, it was a case of working it through with Cian.

Q, Tell us about playing live.
A. Griff - We love it.

Dan - Yeah, it gives you freedom to explore the songs a lot more - and to do it with fewer db restrictions!
Q. How did last years gigs go?
A. Griff - The gig with SFA last year was pretty special for us.

Dan - This years have been great too, touring with the Warlocks in France and Switzerland was definitely a highlight - great people and great shows.

Q. Which songs by other bands would you like to do cover versions of?
A. Griff - The Emperors - Karate

Rhys - The medley from Abbey Road

Dan - I'd love to merge Psychic TV's - Are You Experienced with Delia Derbyshire's - Ziwzih Ziwzih oo-oo-oo and then cover what came out.


Q. Which new bands you recommended?
A. Griff - El Goodo, The Keys, Koolaid Electric Company.

Rhys - Moloko Velocet

Dan - Yeah, Moloko Velocet are a French band that played with us in Switzerland - really, really good. The Meek too - think there from LA, but I'm guessing you've heard of them already.

Q. What are the plans for the future / Any important news to tell us…?
A. Griff - Play more shows. We'll be touring Europe in February to coincide with the official UK release of the album...

Dan - ... and the second album will be finished by the end of next year
*
*
*
Thanks WNS....

www.whitenoisesound.net/
www.myspace.com/whitenoisesound

Playing with Fire with Will Carruthers - An Interview

Data absolutamente historica este 29/11/2010 para o TBTCI, em primeira mão, uma entrevista com o ex Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, atual Freelovebabies e atuante em inumeros projetos dentre eles o bacanerrimo e cultuado Brian Jonestown Massacre, estamos falando do Sr. Will Carruthers baixista nascido em 9 de novembro de 1967 em Chesterfield, Inglaterra e que em 1977 mudou-se para Rugby fazendo parte da então nascente cena local, cena esta que continha o então emergente Spacemen 3, a partir dai meus amigos, é pura historia, e esta história sera contada pelo proprio, como tudo começou, sua entrada para o Spacemen 3, a gravação do classico Playing With Fire, seu convivio com os personagens Sonic Boom e Jason Pierce, o pós Spacemen 3/Spiritualized, o retorno com o Spectrum, o Freelovebabies, enfim, simplesmente imperdivel para os admiradores da historia da musica. Srªs e Srs, com grande orgulho o TBTCI apresenta Will Carruthers.

Ps. Se você não conhece o Freelovebabies, pegue o album e entretenha-se com a entrevista.

***** Interview with Will Carruthers (Spacemen 3/Spiritualized/Freelovebabies/BJM *****

Q. When you star to play music?tell us the beggining...
A. I got my first guitar when I was about sixteen . I played the theme from batman, with no key changes for about six months until my neighbours went crazy . They were so pleased when I learned another song . The first band I played bass in never really had a name and never did any gigs . We just used to play one riff for a very long time . Natty , played drums, and Roscoe , Steve Evans and Darren Wissen played guitar . I played bass because nobody else wanted to . We were all part of the same little scene in Rugby ...probably about fifteen musicians, including the various members of Spacemen3 ,( who were recording perfect prescription at the time). I was hanging out at Natty's house quite a bit . He lived with Jason and Roscoe and the house was , I suppose, Spacemen3 headquarters …

From there I joined a garage punk band called The Cogs of Tyme , who were also part of the same scene .I played two shows with them …..

Q. When you joined to Spacemen 3?
A. It was the spring of 1988 I think . Pete Kember asked me if I wanted to join the band .Being a mercenary opportunist , I said yes . He and Jason had just started recording playing with fire. I was working in a factory that made bolts for the space shuttle so it was a natural progression .


Q How was the process to recording the classic Playing with Fire?
A. Well ,as I mentioned , I was working in the factory , and I had begun to take more and more time off for our trips to Cornwall for the recording sessions . Eventually they fired me , but I didn't really care because I got to do some recording for the first time and I was in Spacemen3, which was pretty exciting . .It was basically a sixteen track recording studio set up in somebodies living room in a house in the woods . When I got there I heard the initial tracks that had been laid down for the album and they sounded great. I think the first track I played on was Che .

hey just sat me down and said "what you got " and I kind of soloed over it because I was still a frustrated lead guitarist . Jason and Pete seemed to like what I did and they mixed out my mistakes with manual crossfades . I really enjoyed making that album . I just remember it as being sunny days in beautiful countryside making great music . Jason and Pete were still getting on ok and they were still working together to a certain extent . We smoked a lot of hash . Pete was driving back and forwards from Rugby and I would sometimes go with him …We would listen to Smile by the beach boys and he would drive like a fucking maniac . I accepted certain death many times on those journeys .

It wasn't a luxury recording studio by any means . We were sleeping on the floor in a studio run by hippies . The album was mixed at VHF in Rugby , where Perfect Prescription was recorded .

Q. How was your remembrance of Spacemen 3´s gigs?
A. I remember a lot of Spacemen 3 gigs , from the very early days when most of the five people who were there would just kind of ignore them, to the time around the first single when it all seemed to fall into place .

Then they got very powerful indeed . I saw them at Dingwalls in London shortly before I joined and they were absolutely awesome . Blew my mind .

As far as the gigs I was involved with ….I remember the first one . My third ever gig was with Spacemen3 , with My Bloody Valentine as support . I was a bit nervous .

I can't tell you what we got up to on tour . I'd get arrested .


Q. You worked with Peter with Spectrum and Jason with Spiritualized, in your opinion, what´s the difference to work with each other?
A. Well they are both different in similar ways …so its hard to say .

Q. The 1st Spiritualized album Lazer Guided Melodies is a classic too, why you drop out the band after the realease?
A. I had a brief glimpse into the future and decided to go for a long walk .

Q. You play with 'The Guaranteed Ugly' and play some gigs Theee Headcoats, how was it?
A. Well , I came back from my long walk after about four years and my friend Gavin Wissen who had been in the Cogs of Tyme asked me if I would replace Natty ,who had just left the band. Billy Childish really like the Guaranteed Ugly and had recorded a couple of albums for them .Thee Headcoats and the Headcoatees did a regular monthly show down at the Dirty Water club in London and they always had us down to support . It was great fun , really interesting crowd , great people , great music .We played with them once month for about a year , in 1996 I think .

It was nice to be able to play early , get drunk and enjoy the bands .

Q. when you come back to work with Peter Kember?
A. Playing with the Guaranteed Ugly kind of got me back into making music in public . Pete Kember approached me after a show we played in Rugby and asked me if I'd join Spectrum for a US tour to promote Forever Alien , which they had just made . So I did .

Q. Explain when did Freelovebabies starts?Whats the idea behind band?
A. I had been playing a lot with Kevin Cowen and I'd had a little fourtrack when I went for my long walk so we had some songs. I bought a digital eight track recorder and made an album in my bedroom Then put it our myself over the internet in 2001 .We never played any shows really .I made the second one pretty much by myself in an abandoned office block in Leicester after my life fell apart .That one came out in 2006 …We did a few shows afterwards , mainly after encouragement from Ricky Maymi of the Bjm . I don't think there are any ideas behind it , just feelings .

Q. How was the feeling to reunion Spacemen 3 to Natty Brooker's art?there are plans to play again?
A. Well , it wasn't really a complete reunion because Jason wasn't there .Almost everyone else showed up though .

For me personally it was a pretty hectic night , I had a lot to do and I didn't want to let anyone down .

We didn't really soundcheck and we hadn't played those songs together for twenty years ..Kevin Shields had never played them with us . In the end I thought we sounded pretty good . For me personally , It was a massive relief just to be on stage and not have to do anything but play music . We had a full crowd in and raised the profile of Natty's art which, I think, is great . Everybody was so cool about the whole night and loads of people pitched in and helped .It was heartwarming . There are no plans to do it again ,but I do have some other Natty Brooker shows planned ….I just book a venue and try and find some people who like Spacemen3 to help out with the entertainment .

I have done them in Los Angeles , Glasgow , Copenhagen, Berlin ,Sheffield and London .Each one has been different and cool in it's own way. The next one is in Toronto in December . More details are available here http://www.nattybrooker.co.uk/gallery.html


Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
A. I like Die Die Die from New Zealand , Chrome Hoof from London are amazing live , I like the Blue Angel Lounge from Germany , Kool aid electric company from fucking Leighton Buzzard , Sunsplit , Dead Skeletons , Singapore Sling …. , but to be honest ,I mainly listen to scratchy old blues songs and sixties soul ….

Q. Whats the plans for future?
A. Assess the situation and continue on a broad front . I have been working on the new Brian Jonestown Massacre album with Anton Newcombe , so I will continue with that . We are building a studio here in Berlin . the Natty Brooker shows are ongoing , I have been writing a few short stories and poems and a couple of them got published, so , maybe a book , I suppose I will do another Freelovebabies album eventually as I have a few songs to get out , erm …I'm in this band with two German women which is a lot of fun …I do a bit of construction work now and again . Mainly , I want to go fishing and do a bit of gardening.

Q. Any parting words....
A. No . I think I used enough already .
Maybe ,"Goodbye and don't let the fuckers get you
*

*

*

Thanks Will....

www.myspace.com/freelovebabies

Freelovebabies - Home Improvement for Condemned Buildings

Horror Head with Love Culture

Love Culture é o nome da banda, Aquamarine o nome do EP que você deve pegar diretamente no link no final do post, lançado de forma digital, o debut desses americanos de Columbus Ohio impressiona pela coesão das guitarras altissimas que tem como matriz o elo perdido entre J&MC e MBV com doses de americanização 90´s leia-se Smashing Pumpkins fase Gish, vocalização forte lembrando Tonni Holliday do Curve e dai é quase covardia não se encantar com Future Halos, Karolyne, Ocean Ocean. Para se ouvir em alto e bom som.

Love Culture - Aquamarine

Dreams Burn Down with Nothing - An Interview

Novissimo petardo da cena shoegazer atual diretamente da Philadelphia, Michael Bachich, bateria, Joshua Jancewicz, baixo, Ryan Grotz, guitarra, Brandon Setta, guitarra e Domenic Palermo, vocais e guitarras formam o Nothing, que de imediato torna-se uma das grandes revelações do ano através de seu EP пошлость (poshlost), lançado digitalmente de forma gratuita na rede contendo 3 exemplos belissimos do mais puro cruzamento do classic shoegazer com o revival pos punk da atualidade, um mix de Interpol e Ride, assim soam Last Day In Bouville, B&E e Phantom.

O TBTCI tomou conhecimento do Nothing através de contato imediato via email e ai foi admiração a primeira vista, logicamente o TBTCI e o Nothing armaram a entrevista que segue abaixo, dando pistas e indicios do que a banda prepara para o futuro breve que vem pela frente, não hesite, corra até o link no fim do post e delicie-se com o Nothing

***** Interview with Nothing *****

Q. When did We are Nothing form, tell us about the beginning
A. Nothing formed in mid 2010, I was living in Los Angeles at the time, writing music to pass hours. I decided after a revelation I would go back to my native Philadelphia and gather a group of people to breathe life into the project.

Q. What are the band’s influences?
A. Our biggest influences come from our lives in general I think. What drives this band the most is the emotions we have from what life has presented us with. It's the passing of childhood friends, abnormalities of family, the shitty areas we were born into... I'd say thats what influences us most. Obviously you were talking about music. We like a lot of that as well.

Q. Tell us about the recording process for the debut EPEP album?
A. We had the pleasure of working with Julian Grefe and Justin Gellar, from the group Pink Skull http://www.myspace.com/pinkskulltheband. It was great to work with such a knowledgeable duo.


Q. Tell us about playing live.
A. Playing live is always an obstacle when you have 6 members, but it's easily our favorite thing about being a part of a project of this nature.

Q. What do you think about the classic shoegaze era?
A. It's been a huge part in each of our lives in some significant way. I remember when I was just a small boy my brother would play Loveless and I just didn't understand it at all. My mom was playing me The Cocteau Twins at the same time and it actually used to frighten me. It eventually made sense and it's been with me through the good and not so good times. It must have been great to experience it at its peak. Catch early Pale Saints and Ride gigs. The whole era was so unique, I honestly think it's still overlooked.

Q. Tell us about bands in the current shoegaze scene. Q. Which new bands you recommended?
A. Over here in the states there are so many new things going on it's really hard to tell whats going on. So many new bands and different Indie scenes colliding into each other. We play with a band from here in Philadelphia, called Pet Milk ( http://petmilk.bandcamp.com/ )that are very cool.

Q. Which songs by other bands would you like to do cover versions of?
A. We haven't begun to dive into that realm yet. We toyed with idea of covering The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, but we are far away from entertaining that idea.


Q. What are the plans for the future?
A. We are recording for a 7" EP December 9th with JG and Julian again. We booked a well known Church sanctuary here in Philadelphia, for the recording space. No plans of who will be releasing it, but it should be out by January sometime.

Q. Any important news to tell us…
A. Obrigado, Ate logo!
*
*
*
Thanks guys!!

www.myspace.com/weareonlynothing
www.wearenothing.bandcamp.com/

Truth is by The Sky Drops - An Interview

Concedido a partir das cinzas de um dos originais shoegazers americanos, mais precisamente Mr. Rob Montejo e seu Smashing Orange, o duo The Sky Drops que além de Rob conta com a grandiosa companhia de Monika Bulette, onde a formula é simples, Rob x Monika = Sky Drops que significa na concepção da mais pura canção perfeita unindo nuances de shoegazer, dreampop, psicodelismo 60´s assim é o debut Bourgeois Beat lançado no ano passado que é uma verdadeiro preciosidade vide maravilhosas do quilate de Heavy Penny, Stone White, Hang On, Truth, ou como o mestre Kramer coloca: "i fucking LOVE it!"

Basicamente não há necessidade de maiores comentarios após a colocação, a não ser que os comentários venham diretamente de Rob & Monika, ai logicamente devemos para e ler com atenção para conhecer a historia por detrás dos Sky Drops ou se preferir Rob & Monika.

***** Interview with The Sky Drops *****

Q. When did Sky Drops form, tell us about the beginning…
R: At the end of 2005, after a year of playing acoustic guitar on my own, I realized I missed plugging into my jazzmaster and stomping on a big muff. I wanted to start a band that had a big sound and was heavy on harmonies. I had produced a song on Monika’s solo record and seen her play drums with Licorice Roots. The fact that she could sing and play drums seemed ideal, so I gave her call and asked if she was interested. Initially, there was a bass player in the picture, but she never showed up. We decided to work on songs anyway and realized soon after it sounded pretty good without a bass player. Why not continue as a duo, see what happens?

Q. What are the band’s influences?
R: Great melodies and sonic mischief.

Q. About Smashing Orange, what´s the best remembrance?
R: Sometime in the early 90s, we played an underground show in an abandoned monastery in Paris. The sound system and gear were a bit on the primitive side, but the atmosphere was electrifying. The place was packed with a few hundred people and cases of wine and beer were stacked to the ceiling. When we started playing, the audience went nuts and a wonderful mayhem ensued. After the last song of our set, we proceeded to destroy everything that was on the stage. Members of the audience quickly joined us and picked up amps and drums and smashed them to the ground. The energy created that night was a once in a lifetime experience. All was one and beautifully chaotic.


Q. Tell us about the recording process for Bourgeois Beat?
R: About a week into recording, I was struck with an unknown painful nerve condition that prohibited me from playing guitar. The pain got much worse before it got manageable. It was several months later I was able only to track a take or two a day. At times, I felt the completion of Bourgeois Beat was beyond reach. It cost us a year and a half, but I’m glad we pulled through and got it done. It’s good to be back.

Q, Tell us about playing live.
R: We enjoy playing live. It’s amusing how many people are generally bewildered when we show up at a gig as a two-piece. However, once we start playing, all preconceived notions are blown out the window. We’ll frequently hear someone comment after the show, “it sounds like they’re four people on stage. How do you do that?”

Q. How did last years gigs go?
R: Other than some clubs trying to rip us off, very well, thank you.

Q. What do you think about the classic shoegaze era?
R: Clearly, MBV rules. But oddly, there were a lot of exciting and promising bands back then that had amazing debut releases followed by disappointing records.

Q. Tell us about bands in the current shoegaze scene…
R: Most of the new bands I’ve seen and heard are way too focused on being a retread or tribute band. I wish more bands wielding the “shoegaze” and/or “noise pop” sound would find their own voice and create something unique. How many more times can we hear the next Loveless or Psychocandy?

Q. Which new bands you recommended?
R: At the moment, I’m really digging this band called Feather Drum. Their music has an interesting mix of Eno-esque otherworldly dissonance and Salem 66 raggedness. Sort of what Lush sounded like before they met Robin Guthrie.

Q. Which songs by other bands would you like to do cover versions of?
R: We were recently tossing around the idea of covering “Colder” by Throwing Muses, but it hasn’t quite work out yet. Monika really wants to play “Your Mouth is a Train Wreck” by the Constant Signs…we’ll see.

M: OK, I was content to let Rob handle this interview before this bold-faced lie… I detest the Constant Signs. My vote is for “Surfin’ Bird” by The Trashmen.


Q. What are the plans for the future?
R: We’re releasing a new single on iTunes later this month: “If You Can” b/w “Christmas Feels Like Halloween.” A new vinyl EP “Making Mountains” will be released Spring ’11.

M: Let us entertain you. Let us make you smile. Let us do a few tricks, some old and some new tricks. We’re very versatile.
*
*
*
Thanks Rob & Monika!!!!!!

www.theskydrops.com/
www.myspace.com/theskydrops

The Sky Drops - Bourgeois Beat

Cigarette in Your Bed with Young Prisms

Cacofonia estilhaçada pelos alto falantes, guitarras estridentes, J&MC fase Psychocandy, MBV fase Ins´t Anything, vocal menino/menina ora gritado, ora sussurante, perfeita simetria de wall of sound, esta é uma breve introdução do que é o debut dos californianos do Young Prisms, Friends for Now é o nome da esbornia em forma de distorção, pegue If You Want To, Eleni ou Breathless e aumente o volume, se seu som não estiver preparado as caixas irão pedir socorro, sem contar nos vizinhos que não entenderam de onde o ataque esta vindo. Simplesmente fenomenal a estreia do Young Prisms, indicado para shoegazers radicais e saudosos. Detalhe o album vai ser lançado em 2011 porque se fosse em 2010 facilmente entraria na famosa lista dos melhores do ano, meus caros tem que ter o artefato, um album que já nasce classico.

Young Prisms - Friends for Now

A Love from Outer Space by A.R. Kane - An Interview with Rudy

Londres, 1986 era formado um duo que faria parte de uma das historias mais importantes da musica, formado por Rudy Tambala e Alex Ayuli o A.R. Kane estava literalmente a frente de seu tempo, mesclando influencias do pos punk, jazz, new wave, soul, funk, disco e basicamente todos os estilos até a epoca em voga e muito Cocteau Twins, Rudy e Alex foram responsaveis diretos pela criação do trip hop, shoegazer, dreampop, post rock e acid house tamanha o caleidoscopio sonoro do qual a dupla ousada perpetuar em sua existencia, adjetivos são pequenos para qualificar o quão importante, seminal, fundamental seus albuns "i" e "69" são, ou seus Eps com destaque para When You´re Sad, Lolita e Up, todos absolutamente essenciais em qualquer coleção de quem gosta de musica.

Com imenso prazer e orgulho o TBTCI traz a todos uma entrevista absolutamente historica com Rudy Tambala, envolvendo os early years e toda a trajetoria deste prediletissimo de todos os tempos, A.R. Kane.

***** Interview with Rudy Tambala - A.R. Kane *****

Q. About the early years, When A.R. Kane formed? Tell us the history.
A. The Ark, arcane, Citizen Kane, the Mark of Cain, A for Alex, R for Rudy - all these contributed to the name - a very English propensity for wordplay.

Alex and I were friends from the age of 8. We were influenced by music and London culture, eclectic music fans covering UK Pop, jazz, Dub reggae, Punk and new wave, 70’s soul, funk and disco, Warehouse parties, garage and psychedelic rock, progressive rock, hip hop, classical, and on and on. We both read books without pause – JG Ballard, Horror and Sci-Fi, philosophy and mysticism. One evening we saw a new band on TV called the Cocteau Twins, and we were inspired; the next week we bought a drum machine, an electric guitar, and a digital delay – and we started making sounds and writing songs. We had a recording date with One little Indian within a month of starting the band. We then jumped to 4AD, Rough Trade, David Byrne’s Luaka Bop in NYC.

Q. How do you describe A.R. Kane sounds?
A. Essentially it’s a form of pop music, but deconstructed, or reversed – as McLuhan would say, flipped – we shift the emphasis, play with the form, and turn it on its head – for no other reason than the pure pleasure of ‘play’. We both dreamed music in those days, and we would write the tunes and try to recover the feeling with sounds and words, hence we labelled some of our music ‘Dreampop’. We approached studio technology with an untrained, unspoiled attitude, and so that too become a toy, something for creating surprises.


Q. How was your experience to work with Robin Guthrie?
A. Robin is unique; he is both a hard bastard, with such high standards that he could break your heart if you did not deliver, but also, gentle, kind and generous – a BIG heart. In those days there was The Smiths, New Order, and The Cocteau Twins. The Twins had the sound, Robin created it – we wanted it. The Lolita EP produced by Robin was near perfect. It was an enormous education working with him, especially discovering the Indian eateries of Acton.

Q. What´s your influences?
A. I named some general influences above, but there are too many to list them all. At the start we were listening to a lot of Cocteaus, Sonic Youth, Syd Barret, Studio One dub sessions, PiL, Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Nick Cave, Prince, Velvet Underground.

Q. About the gigs, what do you remember?
A. They were noisy and disorienting for the audience, but we often used that to open them up, and then deliver the killer blow. We had no spaces between the songs, we would drift from outro into feedback and noise then intro, then song, and so on. When it worked it was transcendent. It did not always work.

Q. Too many people consider A.R. Kane "arguably the most criminally under-recognized band of their era"...whats your opinion about it?
A. We were not user-friendly. We did our own thing, and we believed in testing people, challenging their expectations – this is threatening and does not lead to popularity. We were well recognised by those that ‘got it’ – and they are the people we played for. We never did real ‘pop’, and hence could not cross over easily into main stream. This was not contrived, it was a life-long attitude – and still is.

Q. The first record When You're Sad 12´´ is a mark in Shoegazer history, what’s the concept behind the sounds?
A. We wrote a very simple song called ‘You push a knife into my womb’ that sounded like a Jesus and Mary Chain tune – so we said let’s give it a JAMC treatment, but then gave it a twist. We deliberately removed the ‘human factor’ from the songs production – no Rock-n-Roll riffs, no funky bass, no syncopation – and replaced these with pure sound, layers of feedback and echo, rolling bass, reverb’d, disembodied vocals. �Rough Trade refused to distribute the song and so we had to rename – Our first experience of moral censorship. Oh, we never gazed at our shoes.

Q. What´s the process to record the albums "69" and "i", and what´s the biggest difference between theirs?
A. ‘69’ was a fresh, raw and immediate experience. We built a studio in a basement; taught ourselves how to operate the various parts, and just made every sound we wanted too – no external interference. We were spiritually, culturally, and literally ‘underground’ at that time. We were isolated, communicated without words, just with a nod and a smile and followed the feeling. A very special time.

‘i’ was a luxurious experience; big studios, producers, star treatment. It gave us the opportunity to go way beyond our own technical limitations, and to push at the boundaries; we were sitting somewhere between the avant garde and pop culture. We touched on several emerging genre, drawing also from the wealth of the past, and utilising computer and digital technologies.
‘69’ was iconoclastic.
‘i ‘was influential.


Q. Many Shoe gazer bands includes A.R. Kane in a great influence on their works, what you think about shoe gazing sounds?
A. When I am in a particular mood, I like to ‘get lost’ in huge, ambient sounds, but I am still very critical, and i always see the holes and the imitation. I think in a sense, I still place ‘the song’ as important, and I listen for it in the sounds, regardless of how abstracted or deconstructed, or stretched over time, that song may be. If I do not sense the presence of the song, then I am dismissive, and I label it pretentious.

Q. Which new bands you recommended?
A. I don’t recommend bands unless I know the person very well.

Q. What are the plans for the future?
A. A.R.Kane have not recorded together since 1995, and there are no plans to re-unite. Post A.R.Kane I recorded two albums as SUFi, and Alex recorded as Alex!

One Little Indian planned a retrospective release of all the A.R.Kane singles as a compilation album this year but they seem to have lost the desire.

I now switched most of my creative drive to oil painting (see www.myspace.com/rudytambala), and I have several tracks that need completing in a semi-decent studio, but I have not got around to it... we’ll see – maybe someone out there wants to help? I do not know whether Alex is working on music.

Q. Any important news to tell us
A. In the spirit of independence and experimentation I have just launched a software start-up where musicians can build their own site, sell music, and create a fan club, and so on. It’s called ‘d2mondo’ – it is part of the emerging music scene, go check it at http://www.d2mondo.com/.
*
*
*
Thanks Rudy....this is a special moment to me, best Renato

A.R. Kane
http://www.myspace.com/arkaneuk

A.R. Kane - EPs (Lolita / Up / When You´re Sad)

Black Metallic with Fjord Rowboat

Toronto, Canada, nos presenteia com uma preciosidade magnifica, o segundo album do Fjord Rowboat intitulado Under Cover of Brightness, um album absolutamente grandioso, no que diz respeito a musicalidade, conceito, inspiração, os canadenses simplesmente conceberam algo sublime, não, não estou exagerando, realmente esta obra prima atinge picos de emoções que poucas obras conseguem atingir. Os contrastes do album tem tonalidades escuras, cinzas ou no maximo brancas, aqui não há cores, o album caminha densamente entre a angustia do Joy Division e o shoegazer melancolico da primeira fase do Catherine Wheel, e é exatamente neste mix que o Fjord Rowboat seduz por completo a cada musica do album, não há momentos maiores ou menores, simplesmente a obra é linear e coesa, daqueles discos que deve-se ouvir como que ler um conto. Um dos albuns dos ano.

Fjord Rowboat - Under Cover of Brightness Part I / Under Cover of Brightness Part II

European Son with Spotlight Kid - An Interview with Chris Davis

Formada por ex membros de bandaças como Six by Seven, Echoboy, Model Morning e Bent, o Spotlight Kid já tem em seu curriculo um album fantastico intitulado Departure, um EP sensacional que atende por Crystal Dreams e agora jogam no mercado o novissimo 7´´ All is Real/April, ao melhor estilo shoegazer classico, com sonicas guitarras, vocais soterradissimos e uma verve eletronica dando um ar atual ao som da banda, texturas de kraut rock são delineadas em conjunto com a massa dissonante das canções, assim são All is Real e April que deixam clarissimo que o proximo album certamente promete ser no minimo fantastico.

Aproveitando o contato com a banda fechamos uma entrevista par ao TBTCI através do grande Chris Davis e todas as informações possiveis e necessarias para estarmos plenamente ao lado da banda estão decodificadas abaixo, pegue All is Real e aumenta o som no talo para sentir o quão espetacular é o Spotlight Kid.

***** Interview with Chris Davis / Spotlight Kid *****

Q. When did Sportlight Kid starts? Tell us about the beggining
A. Spotlight Kid began at the tail end of 2005. I had left Six By Seven and wanted to do something else. I went to the studio everyday and put together all these ideas that had been bubbling under for sometime. These ideas turned into finished recordings and landing in the hands of Robin at Club Ac30 records who put the 1st album out for me. No fuss, just a shared excitement for the music.

Q. Who are your heroes/influences?
A. Bands come and go but some bands stay with you forever. For me they are Swervedriver, the Cure, Can, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, Seefeel, Caribou and other bands beginning with either S or C

Q. Made a list of 5 albuns of all time.
A. 1.Ladies & Gentlemen - Spiritualized 2. You Forgot It In people - The Broken Social Scene 3. Tago Mago - Can 4. The Cure - Disintegration 5. The brown album - Orbital

Q: Tell us about the SK´s gigs... how do you fell playing alive?
A. Before the band became what it it is now ( six of us) the live thing was a problem! I could never recreate the sound of the record live. It was always a struggle and a compromise. The opposite is the case now. Trying to record what we do live is now the problem we have in the studio. I am blown away sometimes by the racket we create live...

Q. How do you describe SK´s sounds?
A. I have always been interested in marrying an electronic sound with the sonic noise of the guitar, digital with analogue. M83 in a tussle with Swervedriver...

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
A. This band is best recorded live. Stick us all in the same room, press record and you have the sound of Spotlight Kid. This is how we recorded the Crystal Dreams ep and this is how we will record the 2nd album.

Q. What´s represents the shoegazer classic era to SK?
A. There was a period in 1991 when in one week I saw Slowdive in Birmingham, supported by Revolver and the next day I saw Catherine Wheel supported by Edsel Auctioneer and to finish the week I saw Lush. That year I saw all these bands and more again.

Q: Which bands you love to made a cover version?
A. We did a track on a Clubac30 compilation called Never Lose That Feeling and we covered Sometimes Always By JAMC. We should do more covers...

Q. And about the new shoegazer scene all over the world,..which new bands you recommended?
A. Lanterns on the Lake - Lungs Quicken. Serena Manesh -Abyss in B minor. Exit Calm. Amusement Parks On Fire.

Q: What´s the plans for future....
A. Recording the album in Dec. Just had a single out on Club AC30. gigs, gigs,gigs...

Q: Any parting words?
A. Keep it sonic...

*
*
*
Thanks Chris...all the best...Renato

http://spotlightkidsound.wordpress.com/
http://www.myspace.com/spotlightkidsound

mp3 - All is Real

Lazer Guided Melodies with Electric Assembly

Eles se definem mais ou menos assim: "We describe our sound as -The Velvet Underground plays Boards of Canada produced by Kevin Shields arranged by Sun Ra listened to by Syd Barrett.", já passaram por aqui e cravaram uma belissima entrevista que pode ser revista aqui, eu particularmente considero o Electric Assembly muito mais um space shoegazer do que propriamente uma banda de post rock, as viagens são lisergicas, como um Spiritualized os devaneios são constantes, alguns vocais melancolicos te convidam para a introspecção plena, e agora acabam de colocar no mercado o novissimo EP Slow Exit, que já de cara coloca o ouvinte diante da excentrica e longa In Howls, facilmente a melhor do EP, mais de 15 minutos de devaneios psicodelicos que perpetuam a mente conforme o andamento da canção segue, um space shoegazer psych tipicamente floydiano, se Syd Barret ouvisse essa ode certamente poderia sofrer mais ainda com o efeitos das drogas. Son of Summer é exorcizamente caotica e lenta, como que se John Cale fizesse um dueto com Sonic Boom, e o ep caminha passando pela eterea Heading for a All, algo como se Jason Pierce e Robin Guthrie tocassem um dueto, Distant Airlines evoca Flying Saucer Attack e o grand finale com Films Out of Time transcende os limites do proprio ep, passeando entre Slowdive e FSA, um daqueles eps grandiosos e emocionantes.

Deixo a pedido de David, duas amostras do ep, se quiserem seguir meu conselho, adquira o artefato rapidamente pois a tiragem é limitada.

Electric Assembly
http://www.electricassembly.com/
http://www.myspace.com/electricassembly

Listen to Slow Exit EP here:
http://electricassembly.bandcamp.com/

mp3 - In Howls
mp3 - Son of Summer

Forbidden Kiss by Astral - An Interview with Dave Han

É fato consumado que o TBTCI é fascinado pelo Astral, desde o fora de catalogo Orchids, passando pelo denso Sleepwalker e chegando ao apice pleno com o magnifico Forever After, o mix de shoegazer com post punk seduz por completo este que vos escreve, e fica claramente evidenciado quando explicado pelo criador e mentor do Astral, Dave Han responsavel pelas guitarras e vocais em entrevista aguardadissima pelo TBTCI que enfim compartilho com voces com o maior prazer, amigos com a palavra Dave Han e o magnifico Astral.

***** Interview with Dave Han - Astral *****

Q. When did Astral form, tell us about the beginning…
A. Well, officially, Astral started in early 2001. The original band members included Shawn Poh, Amy Rosenoff, and myself. It was a very exciting time in music. I felt that the original, yet short-lived, shoegaze movement of the early 90’s had for the most part been forgotten and post-punk’s hey day had already almost 20 years behind it. I had a vision of blending these styles of music since I had not seen anyone doing this at that time. Remember this is at least a couple years before bands who claimed a stake in these genres had finally sprouted everywhere. By 2003, this sound was really catching on. We were even getting calls from Virgin and Atlantic Records A&R.

Q. What are the band’s influences?
A. The band’s influences had always been a cross pollenation of shoe gaze and post-punk (I’ve heard some reviewers refer to this as “Dream-pop“), so I’d have to say bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Wire, Echo & the Bunnymen, and the Cure were all big influences for us.

Q. Tell us about the recording process for Forever After?
A. Forever After is our first album recorded using digital media (ProTools). In the past, we had always prided ourselves in staying true to analog media, so all previous recordings had been done on analog tape (Orchids on 24 track, and Sleepwalker on 8 track). The decision to go with digital this time mainly came about because our bass player at the time happened to also be an employee of Digidesign, the company that makes ProTools, so how could we not take advantage of that? It took about 6 weeks to track the entire album, but almost 2 years to mix it! That’s the problem with digital music production. There are endless ways to continually mix and remix songs, so many options. If you explore the options too much, it can take forever. Maybe we should’ve titled the album After Forever, haha!

Q. What´s the most important difference between Orchids, Sleepwalker and Forever After?
A. Aside from the production quality, I feel that the songwriting is much more developed and somewhat more mature with Forever After. The musicians I have worked with on Forever After have also brought a little something to the table as well and keep in mind, Orchids and Sleepwalker were both written with the original band members so that songwriting has a common thread.

Q, Tell us about playing live.
A. This is one of my favorite things about being a musician. Being able to share the live experience and connect with people. Music is a form of communication and I get a lot of satisfaction in “communicating” with folks that can understand relate to my music.

Q. How did last years gigs go?
A. Last year’s gigs were fantastic! We played only about 6 shows, but they were all fantastic and memorable. We had a great turnout at every show, played with fantastic bands, and met a lot of fantastic people. Definitely one for the record books!


Q. What do you think about the classic shoegaze era?
A. I think it’s a major contribution to music in general. There was a lot of ground breaking and rule bending that inspired many musicians around the world and gave birth to even more subgenres.

Q. Tell us about bands in the current shoegaze scene…
A. There are a lot of fantastic newer shoegaze bands out there these days. And I think they are always continually pushing the limits of the genre which I think is great.

Q. Which new bands you recommended?
A. My taste in music has changed quite a bit over the years and honestly I find myself listening to more older music than newer, so it I don’t have an new band recommendations. Lately, I’ve been listening to; Air, Massive Attack, Thievery Corporation, Dead Can Dance

Q. Which songs by other bands would you like to do cover versions of?
A. Good question! I have always thought it would be great to do an album of classic bossa nova songs with a shoe gaze twist.

Q. What are the plans for the future??
A. The 10 year anniversary of the release of Orchids is coming up in a few years and I have been digging up lost songs from the Orchids sessions, enough for another full length album. I would like release these to commemorate the anniversary, possibly with a reissue of Orchids since it‘s been so long out of print. These lost studio outtakes are original master recordings, recorded by the original lineup, and taken from the original tapes that the rest of the Orchids album was recorded on. They just didn’t make the cut at the time, but I think there are some real gems in there that fans will appreciate.


Q. Any important news to tell us
Lately I have been spending a lot of time with my side project, Foreign Cinema which I find is really inspiring. It challenges me to play differently. I think it’s important to always experiment with different things to keep your creative edge fresh. We are currently recording a full length album which should be ready sometime in 2011. Check it out, www.myspace.com/foreigncinemamusic
*
*
*
Thanks Dave.....it´s a pleasure to me....best, Renato

Astral
http://www.myspace.com/astral

You Made Me Realise with No Joy

Ibanez AD-9 Delay ; Z-Vex Seek Wah II; Danelectro Back Talk Reverse Delay pedal; Boss PN-2; Boss GE-7 Equalizer; Electro Harmonix Big Muff; Coloursound Fuzz; Boss SD-1; Boss Delay DD-3; Boss DD-20 Giga Delay; Coloursound Tremo, essa a descrição que consta como a sonoridade desta fantastica e dissonante revelação do ano chamada No Joy e seu debut Ghost Blonde, um mix espetacular do Ins´t Anything e do Gala que transcende os limites do wall of sound. O album é puro delirio sonoro, um extase total desde a vocalização até as guitarras, todas as canções seguem a cartilha do mais puro shoegazer em estado bruto, o negocio aqui é realmente serio, um dos melhores albuns concebidos neste ano, no quesito shoegazer como essencia certamente é o melhor, não me recordo de ter escutado nada similar este ano, o massacre das guitarras é assombrosamente sedutor, os vocais destas garotas excita este que vos escreve a cada audição, e olha, tenho escutado este album intensamente nas ultimas duas semanas e ainda não consegui compreender o estrago que esta sendo feito. Simplesmente indispensavel.

No Joy - Ghost Blonde

From Time to Time with Mono Stereo

Novamente por aqui, os suecos psicodelicos do Mono Stereo colocam no mercado seu novissimo 7´ intitulado Me And My Machine/You Gotta Take Me Home. Desde que obtive o primeiro contato com a banda, os caras tornaram-se socios de carteirinha por aqui, o Ep debut Space Out, passando pelo promo ao vivo que é vibrante até dizer chega e o ultimo 7´ On And On/A Matter Of Confusion produzido pelo mestre Krammer, leia-se Galaxie 500, o Mono Stereo carrega consigo a verve da psicodelia 60´s encharcada de doses de shoegazer melodico, leia-se Ride.

É exatamente através dessa espetacular combinação que Me And My Machine nasce, guitarras melodicas altamente 60´s evocando Byrds, Chocolate Watch Band, Standells e afins e aquela dose de Brian Jonestown Massacre e Ride dando ares modernos a canção que tem um potencial absurdo para virar hit, You Gotta Take Me Home segue a mesma linhagem porém desacelerada e em forma de balada psicodelica exorcizando Stones até o ultimo acorde. Pegue seu drink e delicie-se com o Mono Stereo.

Mono Stereo - Me And My Machine

Pet Sounds with Ghost Animal

Ah a California, pensar na California é algo mais ou menos assim, surf songs, o frescor do verão e tal, dai o seguinte pegue o debut deste absurdo chamado Ghost Animal intitulado Summertime in Heaven que só saiu em versão cassete, isso ai, cassete lembra??E ai meu chapa começa algo estrondosamente infernal, tipo o seguinte, imagine se o Darklands fosse um album lo fi, ou se o Pet Sounds fosse tocado pelo Woven Bones, deu para sacar o tamanho do estrago??Vai direto para Single Man e perceba que a matriz é J&MC e Beach Boys em estado brutissimo, tudo em nio perfeito caoa em combustão plena, ok, pule e pegue agora One Night e tenha em mãos alguns protetores auriculares porque a audição requer cuidado, garage 60´s com roupagem a mary chain e clima lo fi perverso, estupendo, a sequencia é a faixa titulo Summertime in Heaven, surfer song classica poderosa e barulhenta, e é ai que eu reitero o que coloquei, se o Darklands fosse um album lo fi ele seria Summertime in Heaven. Altamente indicado para adoradores de noise, shoegazer, bubblegum, garagem, 60´s, psicodelismo, punk, pos punk, new wave, ou simplesmente musica, cuidado porque o vicio é inevitavel.

Ghost Animal - Summertime in Heaven

Victorialand with Keith Canisius

This Time It's Our High titulo do terceiro album do genio Keith Canisius, um verdadeiro egocentrico e perfeccionista, caracteristicas tipicas para alguém que compõe a trilha sonora dos sonhos, desde o debut com o Rusmkib passeando pelos albuns solo é clarissimo que Mr. Canisius tem a cada trabalho buscado o aperfeiçoamento das tecnicas de estudio para conceber o melhor do dreampop atual aliado a sonoridade 80´s, leia-se 4AD sem deixar de lado a veia shoegazer, este This Time It´s Our High, demonstra uma gradativa distancia do shoegazer emparelhando-se muito mais ao drempop e aos sintetizadores.

O album é uma sequencia clara de Waves, porém como disse mais lento, climatico e doce, muitas vezes lembrando New Order, em outras Cocteau Twins, mas sempre com o padrão Canisius de qualidade. A sequencia de abertura com People´s Face e First Tambourine Love é deliciosamente dançante, e os caminhos até a derradeira Jimmy, passeiam pelos mundos dos sonhos e delirios de seu criador, o socio de carteirinha do TBTCI, Mr. Keith Canisius.

Keith Canisius - This Time It´s Our High

Loomer + Inverness + Single Parents

Imperdivel!!!!

Pictures of You with Ask for Joy - An Interview

O mundo dos sonhos de Aaron Rosseto ou melhor Ask for Joy é delirantemente melancolico e maravilhoso, os EP´s Swoon, Endless Space Unfurled e Life in Coma são obras maximas que primam pela excelencia, delicadeza e perfeccionismo de Aaron, se ainda não ouviu vá direto a biblia musical Amor Louco e delicie-se com Swoon e Endless Space Unfurled e para completar a trinca magica o TBTCI escreveu algo sobre o belissimo Life in Coma.

O Ask for Joy acaba de lançar o primeiro single Fentanyl do aguardado proximo ep intulado Keep the Euphoria Down e logicamente já dá para sentir que outro magico EP entrara delicadamente nas nossas mentes, aproveitando a ocasião o TBTCI conversou com Aaron e muitas coisas foram descobertas entre as respostas, então, escolha um dos EP´s e leia atentamente sonhando, cortesia de Aaron e seu Ask For Joy.

***** Interview with Ask For Joy *****

Q. When did Ask for Joy form, tell us about the beginning…
A. I've been playing music and writing songs since I was a kid, andthe summer I graduated from high school I got a cassette four-track recorder. I've been recording my songs since then, making tapes anddistributing them among friends and family. When I was in university,I saw an ad someone had pinned up on a bulletin board looking for aroommate and if interested, to call a certain telephone number and 'Ask For Joy'. And for some crazy reason, the name kind of stuck. Thestyles of music have changed quite a bit, and the technology I haveaccess to has gotten better, but it's still basically me in the basement bedroom writing, recording and producing my own music.

Q. What´s your influences?
A. That's a tough question because I legitimately have so many. I've loved Paul Simon and Simon and Garfunkel since I was a teenager, and I think that shows in my penchant for lots of sweet vocal harmonies. Ialso like the simplicity of 50s and 60s bubblegum pop. Brian Eno andDaniel Lanois were sort of my gateway to shoegaze: the ethereal,echoey sounds of the tracks they produced for bands like U2, Peter Gabriel and Emmylou Harris were huge influences on me. From there,when I first heard bands like Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, that was thetype of sound I was already striving to get in my own recordings. Iwas making dream pop and didn't even really realize it! Then I heardThe Jesus and Mary Chain, and it was like all the things I lovedmerged into one. But it's not just all that, it's things likeridiculously over the top 80s pop ballads from bands like Chicago and Air Supply and folk music with multipart harmonies that I genuinelylike and still listen to.

Q. Tell us about the recording process eps?
A. It's never the same way twice, but for each song I usually record aguitar track and guide vocal over a repetitive drum beat, which sometimes becomes the actual beat for the song (like 'Swoon'). ThenI'll record the rest of the rhythm parts to make up the base layers ofthe song, then I might overdub a few more guitars to thicken thesound. The vocals generally are done afterwards, and if the trackcalls for it, I'll add more keyboards or guitars. When I think I'msatisfied with the track, I listen to it over and over and make smallchanges to the mix over the course of a few weeks to months -sometimes it's hard to pick one mix over another. The art comes after I've settled on a number of songs and are finished with them (ornearly finished with them). Album titles usually come to me prettyearly on in the process, but at the earliest stages the album usually has a working title and even a theme to tie all the songs together insome way.

Q. Tell us about playing live.
A. I don't often play live, but I did play a couple of shows lastyear. I decided not to play with my backing tracks, but instead Irecruited a drummer while I played guitar and sang. It was aninteresting contrast to the recorded versions of the songs that Iplayed - played live, they sounded much more like raw, stripped downshoegaze, almost JAMC-style noise pop. I thought they turned out pretty well. I'd definitely be interested in playing more live shows,maybe one-off shows in other cities for music festivals.

Q. What do you think about the classic shoegaze era?
A. I came pretty late to the shoegaze party, but there's so much aboutit that appeals to me. I'm drawn to the DIY aspect and punk estheticof 80s shoegaze like My Bloody Valentine or early Cocteau Twins.Simple lyrics and melodies and pop songs. I just wish that I knewabout it sooner! I was really lucky to get to see MBV play in SantaMonica, California back in 2008 with my friend Fuchsia of Bella Lune(based out of Phoenix, Arizona) and then again last year when MBV played in Austin. I never thought I would get to ever see them live,so that was a treat. A very loud treat.

Q. Tell us about bands in the current shoegaze scene…
A. I'm really happy that there's an active scene with bands making great shoegaze and dream pop today. I'm a big fan of Daniel Land andthe Modern Painters - their recent CD is really great. On the electronica side of things, I love Ulrich Schnauss and M83. I think Schnauss' 'Shine' (from Goodbye) is one of the best recordings I'veheard in a long time. The South by Southwest festival in Austin occasionally features some great shoegazers - I saw Ulrich Schnauss,Glasvegas, and a bit of School of Seven Bells last year, and Resplandor this year. I also got to see The Raveonettes and Pains of Being Pure at Heart when they came through Austin this year. Thisreally is a great place to be when it comes to live seeing music, but unfortunately I am not aware of a shoegaze 'scene' in Austin (maybe Explosions In The Sky, but that's more post-rock than shoegaze, Ithink). Which is too bad, because there's some genuine talent here.

Q. Which new bands you recommended?
A. I usually hear about new bands through Strangeways Radio(http://www.strangewaysradio.com/), which has been a good friend to Ask For Joy over the years. DJs Zumby and Mikey have shows on Monday night where they spin a lot of new music, not just shoegaze and dream pop,but trip-hop, indie, electronica, darkwave, etc. I've been introduced to so much good music through the station. In no particular order, and not an exhaustive list: Daniel Land andthe Modern Painters, The Mary Onettes, Ulrich Schnauss, Jellybelly,Resplandor, Sad Day For Puppets, M83, Glasvegas, Raveonettes,Honeybreath, Bella Lune. Not all of these are shoegaze, but I first heard them all on Strangeways and they're all great.

Q. Which songs by other bands would you like to do cover versions of?
A. I actually have recorded a lot of covers over the years, but I tendnot to release them. They help me through those times when I'm feelingcreative and I want to record, but not creative enough to write a songof my own. The covers that I've done reflect my very wide range ofinfluences and interests - I've done covers of songs by Fleetwood Mac,Sinead O'Connor, Neil Diamond, Tommy James and the Shondells, The Beach Boys, Paul Simon, Guns 'n Roses (imagine 'November Rain' done ina Mojave 3 style, gorgeous!) and even Willie Nelson to name but a few.I've always had the idea to offer some of these covers as a special free download for people who purchase an album. Maybe I'll do that formy next release. I just read in your interview with The Butterfly Explosion that they might like to cover Foreigner's 'I Want To Know What Love Is'. I love that song! I would totally be interested in collaborating on that! :)

Q. What are the plans for the future?
A. The first single 'Fentanyl' from my forthcoming EP, called 'Keep The Euphoria Down' was just released. I thought I might be able torelease the new album before the end of 2010, but it's looking moreand more as if it will be released in 2011 since there's a lot of workyet to be done. I'm also working on an INCREDIBLE new track forinclusion on a compilation that is due to be released next nearsometime.

Q. Any important news to tell us
A. I encourage all fans of Ask For Joy to like the band on Facebook: http://facebook.com/askforjoy. Thanks guys, and keep listening andsupporting your local shoegazers! Muito obrigado!
*

*

*

Thanks Aaron.....Renato

http://www.askforjoy.com/
http://www.myspace.com/askforjoy