Revenant with The Common Men - An Interview

Um incrível, poderosa, dissonante e intensa mistura de pós punk, shoegaze e art noise é a proposta sonora que o The Common Men, quarteto de San Francisco oferta.

Revenant o último ep dos caras é um tapa bem no meio da cara. Esqueça os revivalistas de Joy Division, o The Common ataca mais profundamente e com extrema intensidade, coloca na receita sonora algo como um cruzamento em The Sound e Skywave, ou algo do gênero.

Recomendado ouvir no máximo volume.

***** Interview with The Common Men *****

Q. When did The Common Men start? Tell us about the history...
KI: The band officially got its start around 2005 when I was recording demos by myself. We started gigging heavily as a band in 2007. We have had multiple personnel changes since then, and we have taken a couple of "breaks" due to life events. Our story is one of starts and stops--sometimes planned, sometimes not.

The band as it is now has existed since late 2014. It is Kevin Ian on Guitar/Vocals, Josh on Bass, Kevin Rollis on Guitar/Keyboards and Christian on Drums.

Q: Who are your influences?
KR: The Chameleons, Bowie, Interpol, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, A Place To Bury Strangers, BRMC, Ultravox (both with and without the '!'), Covenant (the Futurepop one), The Twilight Sad, Manic Street Preachers, The Editors, Suede, Bauhaus...

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
KR: got a few off the top of my head:

Top 5 Night Drive albums
5) Veil Veil Vanish - Change In The Neon Light
4) Chameleons - What Does Anything Mean, Basically?
3) The Editors - The Weight Of Your Love
2) Simple Minds - Sons & Fascination
1) Repeater - Iron Flowers

Top 5 80's albums
5)Sparks - Angst In My Pants
4)The Smiths - Hateful Of Hollow
3)Duran Duran - Rio
2)Ultravox - Rage In Eden
1) ABC - The Lexicon Of Love

Top 5 albums that you've probably never heard
5)Beach Boys - Holland
4)Sad Lovers & Giants - Feeding the Flame
3)David J. - Etiquette of Violence
2)Sleaford Mods - Divide & Exit
1)The Sound - From The Lion's Mouth

KI:
5) David Bowie - Station to Station
4) The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead
3) Luna Sea - Mother
2) Glay - Review
1) Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights

Q. How do you feel playing live?
KR: After the inevitable pre-gig tensions; like directing a riot. Kevin and Josh like to get their fuzzbox on a lot, Christian seems to have been personally wronged by his kit judging by the force he uses on it! I'm usually busy switching back n fourth from the guitar to the synths (or sometimes playing the synths WITH the guitar). Plenty of energy, noise, & a little bit of ridiculous.

KI: As clichéd as it sounds, playing live and feeding off the energy of the crowd is incredibly cathartic.

Q. How do you describe The Common Men sounds?
KR: I like to use the term 'Kraken Lullabies' a lot. We're very good at hiding a pop song under oceans of reverb, echo, & distortion or; sneaking oceans of reverb, echo, & distortion into a pop song depending on your point of view.

KI: I'm a very harsh noise/dissonant guitarist... and my vocals are an acquired taste. KR is incredibly melodic. Josh is a driving punk bassist at heart and Christian is an all-around thunderous drummer. Somehow, it all manages to work in a strange and sometimes beautiful noise.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the album?
KR: Generally, we record about 80% at our rehearsal stuido in San Francisco, CA with the rest in KI's bathroom (always great ambiance!) or my garage. We usually start recording when we have a good handful of songs written that have been "road tested" in front of an audience. I like to leave a space for happy accidents when recording, so there's always a little something extra going on in the song that you might not pick up the first couple of times you hear it. I'm also a bit prone to insisting "we should have a grand piano at the end of this" or "yeah we could end it here....or we could challenge the gods a little...".

Q. Which new bands do you recommended
KR: The Twilight Sad, In Letter Form, Crushed Beaks, & Sleaford Mods

KI: The Twilight Sad, Weekend, Astral, The Prids, Repeater

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
KR: Hard to say really, I'd love to take a 70's pop song and run it thru the murk, as it were.

KI: I'd absolutely love to do a "cover-exchange" with many of the local bands we know... or any other international bands.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
KR: Promoting our new EP with shows and writing/recording our next album. we're also trying to get some videos made for a few songs and talking to some fellows about ideas n such.

KI: We are a highly prolific band--always has been. We are currently writing an album. The saddest thing about this is we never have enough time on stage to play all the songs we want. We'd play for two hours if we could!

Q: Any parting words?
"For the world to be interesting, you have to be manipulating it all the time" - Brian Eno
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Thanks

https://thecommonmen.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/thecommonmen
http://thecommonmen.webstarts.com

Monday Mourning with All About Rockets - An Interview

E a sina do TBTCI continua, dessa vez apresentando o quinteto de Sacramento na Califórnia, All About Rockets.

Ainda sem absolutamente nada oficial lançado, mas com um potencial pequeno clássico, Monday Mourning é o nome da pérola em formato de canção. Atmosférica, psicodélica, hipnótica, que me remeteu aos melhores momentos do Verve no clássico A Stormy in Heaven, simplesmente fantástica.

O TBTCI aguarda ansiosamente por mais material do All About Rockets, porque pelos aperitivos que estão na página deles no Soundcloud, vem algo grandioso e precioso pela frente.

***** Interview with All About Rockets *****

Q: When did All About Rockets start? Tell us about your history.
John: I think we started around three or four years ago. Our history... well, I married Joe's sister. Then when he moved back here from Utah he said, hey, let's start a band. And I said, that sounds cool.

Joe: And we did. I'd had the idea in my head for this band, and I'd had a few aborted attempts to make it work prior to saying, hey, why not do this with John? And then finally we got together, and it worked. We've gone through a couple of lineups so far, but...

John: We're good now.

Joe: I think we're solid.

Q: Who are your influences?
John: The usual suspects. I mean, we're pretty big into the original shoegazer stuff... My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, Lush, Swervedriver, all that. And then we like some of the new stuff too. I'm big into The Warlocks. But everyone in the band has pretty eclectic tastes. I think it covers everything.

Joe: We have some very differing opinions on music in this band, that's for sure. I do like a lot of the '90s college rock/indie rock stuff, though.

John: We're influenced by a whole bunch of stuff, but I think most of what pertains to the band is from the '90s.

Q: Make a list of your top 5 albums of all time.
John:
The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
Velvet Underground & Nico
The Cult – Love
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
The Verve – A Storm in Heaven

Joe:
Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman
John Denver – Back Home Again
The Beatles – Revolver
They Might Be Giants – Flood
Sonic Youth – Dirty

Kyle:
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti or IV... I can't decide.
Turing Machine – A New Machine for Living
Bowery Electric – s/t
Stereolab – Mars Audiac Quintet
Unwound – Leaves Turn Inside You

Jason:
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Methodrone
Acid King – Busse Woods
Ravi Shankar – Three Ragas
Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed
The Who Sell Out

Q: How do you feel about playing live?
John: It always sounds like a great idea until about five minutes before I go on stage, and then I want to have a panic attack. Sometimes it's great and I have a lot of fun, and sometimes I'm just glad when it's over.

Joe: I have a lot of nervous energy. I love playing live, and once we get up there I'm like, alright, I'm comfortable. But making sure that everything is where it's supposed to be before we get on stage, and that all the gear is there and everything is working, that's where I get really stressed out.

Q: How would you describe All About Rockets' sound?
John: That's a tough one... I think that's something for someone else to say. I don't like trying to describe what we sound like.

Joe: I think it's nontraditional shoegaze. We've got some pop, some noise rock, and some psychedelic influence. And, at least in my reading of things, there's a lot of soul in there.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording your songs.
John: Oh, man... trial, and error, and DIY. We're definitely hoping to do something more recording-wise, but the three songs we recorded were a bit of a mess. I mean, we threw a bunch of mics on our gear in the middle of a garage and tried to learn how to record songs by ourselves.

Kyle: Lots of overdubs were put down and blended in to build on what we recorded at first.

John: The three that we put on Soundcloud are the three that turned out the best, and then there's some that didn't turn out so good that no one will ever hear. But we've learned a lot, and the next time it'll be much better.

Joe: Basically it's just time, and time, and time.

Q: Which new bands would you recommend?
Joe: Tender Age. We played with them recently. I really, really love everything they've done.

John: I'm really digging this band from Toronto called Vallens. I like the new Maria False album. Also Wildhoney, La Casa al Mare, Highlands, Trementina, Dissolve, and Presents for Sally.

Kyle: I think one of the coolest, newish bands out there is Flavor Crystals.

Joe: We just listened to the new Flavor Crystals record and it was really good. They're a band I don't have a lot of experience with, but I liked it a lot.

Jason: Introducing Night Sounds by Giöbia.

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
John: I’m terrible at doing covers.

Kyle: I'd like to cover “Jenny's Theme” by Folk Implosion.

John: The Misfits... we want to do a shoegaze version of the Misfits.

Joe: I think “Where Eagles Dare” would be a really fun song to cover.

John: I wanna do “Die, Die My Darling” with just noise. Or “London Dungeon” all slowed down and sludgy.

Joe: Or to go with the theme of the band... “I Turned Into a Martian.”

Q: What's your plan for the future?
John: To try and record an album, or at least an EP or something, and maybe play some more shows out of town.

Joe: Yeah, we want to try and get something recorded and pressed, and then go out and make noise elsewhere.

Q: Any parting words?
John: Just that Sacramento has a bunch more really good bands right now that have either just released new material or will soon... Soft Science, Desario, ghostplay, Electro Group, Fleeting Joys. People should check them out.
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Thanks

https://soundcloud.com/allaboutrockets
https://www.facebook.com/AllAboutRockets/

Treasures In The Heavens with Winter Of Our Faith - An Interview

O duo Winter Of Our Faith esta no início, bem no início de sua jornada no submundo dos bons sons, mas desde já acertaram em cheio, principalmente pala belíssima Treasures In The Heavens, uma celestial canção remetendo a sonoridades clássicas da 4AD, o que logicamente gostamos muito.

O futuro abre-se ao Winter Of Our Faith, que venham mais especiárias deste quilate.

***** Interview with Winter Of Our Faith *****

Q. When did Winter of Our Faith start? Tell us about the history...
MARIO and HEATHER: Winter of Our Faith came about in 2014 as a music project that we decided to start. Both of us were lead vocalists in the past for other band projects that we had separately, and Mario wrote the music and played guitar for the bands he was in prior.

Q: Who are your influences?
MARIO: Soda Stereo, Jamiroquai, Sisters of Mercy, and The Church.

HEATHER: There are so many, honestly! I guess my main influences would be The Cocteau Twins (Liz Fraser), Dead Can Dance (Lisa Gerrard), This Mortal Coil, (Liz Fraser, Lisa Gerrard, Louise and Deirdre Rutkowski), Everything But the Girl (Tracey Thorn), Karen Carpenter, Billie Holliday, Etta James, Enya, Tracy Chapman, Soda Stereo (Gustavo Cerati)…there are so many more…too many to mention, but these are in my top choices. We also love classical music and jazz/smooth jazz/blues. Both of us have very diverse tastes in music.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
MARIO: Soda Stereo – Cancion Animal, The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead, Ekhymosis – Ekhymosis (Self titled album)

HEATHER: The Cocteau Twins – Victorialand, Treasure, Blue Bell Knoll, and The Moon and the Melodies compilation with Harold Budd; all three This Mortal Coil compilations; Soda Stereo – Cancion Animal, Sueño Stereo, New Order – Low-Life

Q. How do you feel playing live?
MARIO: I love it, it’s definitely a rush! I do enjoy playing live even more so than recording in the studio.

HEATHER: I love playing live…it is a major adrenaline rush from beginning to end. I love performing, it takes me to another place when I am on stage, and I love the feeling… We have not played live together as Winter of Our Faith, but we have played live in separate projects years ago…

Q. How do you describe Winter of Our Faith sounds?
HEATHER: Although our influences in genres range from Shoegaze, Ethereal, Ambient, Dreampop, Classical, Jazz, Blues, Spanish Rock, to even a little bit of newer Country music, I don’t know that we have a specific sound to speak of. Our music is really written and recorded depending on where we are at emotionally in our lives at the moment we write it…I guess you could say it is just from the heart and with feeling…

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
MARIO: Basically the way I start writing a song is by playing around on the guitar, and once I find a hook or a guitar line that I like I use that as my beginning progression, which develops into the intro, verses, choruses, etc., but I never know where it is going to end up until I get there. Then I texturize it with bass and keyboards.

HEATHER: After Mario does his recording of the music we decide who is going to do the vocals…we never know who will do that until we get to the end of the recording. It really depends on which one of us is inspired by the song more I guess, or which one of us hears something that we can put to the music. There are occasions where Mario will record music specifically for me to lay vocals to, or specifically for himself, but as of late we just go with it and see what happens.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
HEATHER: I really don’t get to hear a lot of new music. Mario listens to the radio more than I do, but there aren’t any new bands that either one of us could think of at the moment to recommend off hand. I do find new things I haven’t heard of because of people on Facebook, Soundcloud, etc., but I don’t listen to the radio much. If I do, it is to listen to classical music or jazz.

Q: Which band would you love to make a cover version of?
MARIO: Covers are great, but it can be difficult to capture the essence of what the original artist was trying to convey, so doing a cover is not something I would really choose to do often.

HEATHER: If I could do a cover of any band, I would probably choose a song or two by The Cocteau Twins or Everything But the Girl, maybe even a Carpenter’s song…although, not sure I could do any of them justice! I agree with Mario, it is very hard to capture that essence of the original song…

Q: What are your plans for the future?
MARIO and HEATHER: We’re not really sure. We are just taking things as they come. We will probably continue to write and record music, but no plans on playing live or anything further than that.

Q: Any parting words?
MARIO and HEATHER: We just want to say thank you for giving us this interview!
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Thanks

https://soundcloud.com/winter-of-our-faith
https://www.facebook.com/WinterOfOurFaithMusic/

Sick Mouths with The Savage Blush - An Interview

Vamos começar da seguinte forma, vá até o link do segundo álbum do estadunidenses do The Savage Blush e dê play, feito isso retorne pra cá.

Já nos primeiros acordes dá pra sentir que algo perigoso e excitante começou a acontecer e definitivamente não há melhor descrição da banda do que a que eles mesmos se auto definem: Imaginem Link Wray, Grace Slick, The Seeds e Billy Childish criando uma criança musical em um numa banheira dentro de um porão, ou algo que isso o valha.

É meus caro, surf freak psych com letras maiúsculas.

Que disco, que disco.

***** Interview with The Savage Blush *****

Q. When did The Savage Blush start? Tell us about the history...
A. We started about a year ago now. I (Rebecca) had just broken up with a band and started writing the material for this one immediately. I brought my brother in to play drums. We've played in bands and just music in general together since we were kids. We played in our Dad's church from a young age as well. It was all Spanish music which has stuck with me. I found Brandon (THE bassist) after searching for someone who was a good fit. Initially the plan was to just hire a bassist on for gigs and tours, but it became apparent very quickly that Brandon has a lot to offer and is willing to do what it takes to move forward, so he's become a great asset to the project. We've been going strong from the get go. We haven't stopped at all. We went on an "adventure tour" in February for a month, at that point we had been at it for four months. It was an adventure because we went West had some shows booked, and booked others along the way, not really knowing how long we would be out or what would happen. The point of it was to start buiding the fan base. We quit our jobs and all three lived in the van. Not just out of it. It was our home. It's mine full time. I'm a "vanimal". We came back to Colorado to cut the next album and make some money to get a new van and do other things we need to do to get back out again. Since then we have toured The South and East a bit and want to make it back to both coasts in the next few months.

Q: Who are your influences?
A. We all listen to a lot of things musically. It's all over the board when it comes to that. That list would go on forever. We all listen to music ranging from Bluegrass to Latin music and Psych to Punk. I would say inspiration changes and all depends on what point you happen to find yourself in your life. Right now I would say maybe some sense of desperation to get to the point where all we're doing is music is the real inspiration.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
A. This is a tough one.
Black Flag, Nervous Breakdown (Joshua),
13th Floor Elevators, Psychedelic Sounds - (Rebecca),
Y La Bamba- Court The Storm (Brandon)

There's way too much good music out there. We decided those were the only ones our brains could handle before changing the answer a thousand times. Which we definitely started to do.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
A. Playing live is where the magic happens. Nothing can quite compare to being on a stage and sharing this thing that means so much to you and having the crowd feel something through that. Listening to live music is where you get to feel the energy from the songs in their purest form. It's a beautiful thing.

Q. How do you describe The Savage Blush sounds?
A. Reverb drenched, heartfelt. There's a feeling of old music mixed with new. My feeling is the music is a direct manifestation of what is going on inside, so I don't like to put us in a box and say, Well we are this and only this. There are some Latin vibes that come out. Garage, Surf, of course Psych. I would describe the way I write, and the lyrics especially, as some kind of storm of thought. A lot of times the songs aren't about one specific thing. That's how my brain works. A tornado of everything.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
A. The process is always different. With the writing as well as the recordings themselves. Sometimes one part of a song is written before any of the others (bass line, guitar riff or rhythm part or vocal/lyrics). Those pieces are always fluid and changing. I do however like recording live much more than tracking. The first album we recorded before we found Brandon, so I didn't have anyone to play the bass parts while we played the rest. I tracked those in after the rest was recorded live. We did that one in a few sessions. The second album we recorded all live in one seven hour session. I like to think I write very honest music, so in my mind live recording captures that feeling more than tracking everything in. I'm not opposed to trying new things recording wise, but definitely for the first two albums that is how it needed to be done.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended
A. There is a band called Oh Rose that I have been digging on lately. Benjamin Booker is someone Brandon has been into lately as well. Josh has been listening to a lot of Together Pangea.

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
A. White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane. But really who could ever do that justice. Also Poor way faring stranger.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A. We are in the process of finishing up the material for the next E.P. which sounds a little crazy. It will have been the 3rd album released by us in the year we have been together. But I believe music is an evolution of mind and body, so if that is constantly changing and evolving I want to put out what is relevant at that time. I don't want to wait for a year to release something when the songs and our state of being will be different. We want to tour Europe as soon as possible, and are putting our feelers out for labels we want to work with.

Q: Any parting words?
A. By Grapthars hammer, I shall avenge you. Live long and Prosper. Never give up. Never surrender. Also live your dreams. Life is too short. It's not easy. Some people won't understand you. Don't let those people get you down. Work hard and feel fulfilled within yourself. Never do things solely for others, but remember we live on a planet of humans and we must tolerate, respect, and appreciate each other to the best of our ability.
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Thanks

https://thesavageblush.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thesavageblush

Goodbye Stars (Daylight is Coming) with Seven Tin Stars - An Interview

Quando se dá o play no belíssimo álbum lançado em agosto desse ano dos espanhóis do Seven Tin Stars a primeira coisa que me veio na cabeça foi o Pia Fraus, não especificamente a banda sonoramente mas aquela atmosfera que eles eram mestres em criam.

E em Goodbye Stars (Daylight is Coming) o 7TS atinge a mesma excelência, guitarras suaves com doces pitadas de barulhos sem soar jamais estridente, vocais evocando sonhos, um mix perfeito entre shoegaze e dreampop.

Um álbum que quando menos se espera esta lá pela quarta audição seguida e ainda se faz necessário mais e mais vezes. Lindo.

***** Interview with Seven Tin Stars *****

Q. When did Seven Tin Stars start? tell us about the history...
I remember it was one night at "Pains of Being Pure at Heart" concert at "El Circulo del Arte", in Toledo (Spain) that Fernando de la Flor, my partner in "Gente Joven" our other band (now in 7TS too) suggested I could write some songs. Then I rescued an old project to form Seven Tin Stars.

Q: Who are your influences?
SHOULD, SPACEMEN 3, SECRET SHINE, AIR FORMATION, JESSICA BAILIFF, MY BLLODY VALENTINE, RINGO DEATHSTARR, BARDO POND, FLYING SAUCER ATTACK,
WINDY AND CARL, PIA FRAUS, BOWERY ELECTRIC,A PLACE TO BUTY STRANGERS, DROP NINETEENS, MEETING PLACES, DESOLATION WILDERNESS, REAL ESTATE, LOTUS PLAZA, ATLAS SOUND, DEERHUNTER, WILD NOTHING, BEACH HOUSE, THE CHERRY WAVE, ULTIMATE PAINTING, ASALTO AL PARQUE ZOOLOGICO to name a few...

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Under a shoegaze sky...uhmmmm, I say these for instance:

Loveless - My bloody valentine (91)
In the presence of nothing - LILYS (92)
Alone I Admire - Auburn Lull (99)
When the Sky Comes Down It Comes Down on Your Head - The Zephyrs (01)
After summer - Pia Fraus (08)

Each of these LPs meant something very special to me at the time.

However, it's true that there is life beyond shoegaze and I like many other very different albums.

How do you feel playing live?
Rather nervous and alert until you check that everything is working. Then I relax and let myself go. It is as if I were floating on air.

Anyway, when you become aware, it's over. And with any luck you may have even enjoyed a little (haha)

Q. How do you describe Seven Tin Stars sounds?
Well, I can't answer this question. Please, could you do it for me? I only could try to explain what it means for me.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Well, this is just another room project, so we haven't got either much possibilities or infrastructure. We only try to sound as best as possible with very limited resources. For this reason the song never turns out like it was in our minds.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
DORIAS BARACCA, lA CASA AL MARE,EVERYONE BUT ME, IMANDRA LAKE and many others. There are a lot of good bands today.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Any track of Slowdive's Souvlaki album would be nice. "40 days or "Machine Gun.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Dave Allison from Custom Made Music (CMM Label) is supporting and helping us with "Goodbye stars (daylight is coming)" nowadays, but we should work hard and try to finish a good album in 2016. We don´t care much about what is coming afterwards: we just enjoy the process of creation.

Q: Any parting words?
Nice to meet you,  This is 7TS and we hope to see you all at Sao Paolo

Thank you for reading us and above all, listening to us.
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Thanks

https://seventinstars.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/SevenTinStars/

The Future You Know with Black is Bright - An Interview

A receita de mesclar pós punk, shoegaze e guitarras barulhentas era 90´s tem nos ofertado uma penca de belas bandas e álbuns, um novo exemplo de crossover são os estadunidenses de Portland, Black is Bright.

The Future You Know lançado no início de outubro pega Bowie, Pixies, MBV, Cure e os joga em um triturador sonoro até chegar ao que é o EP.

A predileta por aqui é Endless Sky, simplesmente matadora.

***** Interview with Black is Bright *****

Q. When did Black is Bright start? Tell us about the history…
I started Black is Bright after one of my last bands ended (the silent numbers). I already had some songs that I had written / recorded on my own that I really wanted to release as an E.P., and it was a good opportunity to just start over.

The E.P. got some press, some friends actually wanted to be in the band with me, and we started getting show offers. The latest recording is more of a full-band effort, and the result of playing a dozen or so shows over the past year while writing new material. It’s officially not just my solo project anymore.

Q: Who are your influences?
Stereolab, Boards of Canada, the Cure, Kraftwerk, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Elliott Smith, Bauhaus, Joy Division, New Order, Blonde Redhead, Enon, Unwound, David Bowie, Queen, Broadcast, Bjork, Motown…

Q. Make a list of 10 albums of all time…
Slowdive - Souvlaki
the Pixies - Trompe Le Monde
the Breeders - Pod
London Suede - Stay Together
Etta James - At Last
Stereolab - Peng!
Bjork -Vespertine
Sonic Youth - Goo
Low - I could live in hope
Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Playing live allows me to turn off the world for a night. I love it.

Q. How do you describe Black is Bright sounds?
Fuzzy.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
Well, we’d always talked about going into a studio to track live for this one. We’d all heard great things about Revolver Studios in Portland. Jef, June and I went in and tracked 5 songs in 4 or 5 hours. I ended up playing bass on everything, because our last bass player was moving on to play with another Portland band called Jackson Boone. So, that was the easy part. I tracked all the vocals in my home studio, and also did some guitar and keys/noise overdubs.

Afterwards I really wanted to get someone else to mix it, so I contacted a recording engineer friend of mine from back in Detroit (Adam Cox) and just let him do his thing. He did an awesome job.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended
Total Control
Vice Device
Disappears
Creepoid
Diiv

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
We were thinking of covering Toto - Africa… but I’d still like to do a Motown song our own way. I love doing Bauhaus and Brian Eno covers. One NYE some friends of mine and I had a cure/bauhaus cover show.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Right now we’re getting the new bass player up to speed and will be playing our first show back Oct. 23 at the Know in Portland with some friends, Merengue. Beyond that… more shows, with a possible short west-coast tour. We plan on writing / recording songs as often as possible.

Q: Any parting words?
Thank You!
Nick
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Thanks

https://blackisbright.bandcamp.com

Deadline with The Last Hour - An Interview

Roberto Del Vecchio é o The Last Hour e vice e versa.

Não precisa se esmerar tanto para já nos primeiros momentos de Deadline, álbum lançado no ano passado entender qual é a proposta do The Last Hour, dark wave eletrônica, e ponto final.

Mescla ao na receita as referências óbvias, e inclua a modernidade de um Soft Moon e afins, e você terá o exato entendimento do The Last Hour.

Recomendando para criaturas noturnas.

***** Interview with The Last Hour *****

 

Q. When did The Last Hour start? tell us about the history...
In 2004, after Gothica’s split, I created The Last Hour. “Into Empty Depth” was the first song and it appeared on “Flowers Made of Snow”, a Cold Meat Industry sampler. In December 2008, debut CD of the same name came out on Other Voices Records. In December 2014, the new album "Deadline" came out on Seventh Crow Records and The White Room Netlabel.

Q: Who are your influences?
My music comes from the depth of my soul. I pour my feelings, my visions, each experience that I have, the universe and the art that surround me into my music.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Depeche Mode - Violator
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of the Dying Sun
Einstürzende Neubauten - Silence Is Sexy
Bjork - Homogenic

Q. How do you feel playing live?
It’s an adrenalized experience. I lose myself into darkness and I star to dream. At the moment, The Last Hour is a studio project only. I play live with my side project Les Jumeaux Discordants.

Q. How do you describe The Last Hour sounds?
The Last Hour’s music is post-cold dark wave with the extensive use of synthesizers. The new album “Deadline” sounds more electronic and groovy than in the past, but with dark mood as always.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
I compose music using synthesizers and programming in my The White Room studio. There is a long process of experiments and research to find the best sounds for the songs. On “Deadline”, I collaborated with Carlo Baldini. He recorded bass in “Winning”, composed music of the song “Falling Away”, mixed and mastered the album. Other guest musicians was: Claudio Carluccio, guitarist in “Utopia” and Rossano Fortunali, guitarist in “Winning”.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
The Soft Moon, Opium Dream Estate, Vostok Station, Stellaria Fennica.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
At the moment, I don’t feel the need to make new covers. I already made some Joy Division’s covers (“New Dawn Fades”, “Atmosphere”, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”) and The Sound’s cover “Winning”.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
I’m mixing the songs of the second album of Les Jumeaux Discordants. The new album will be out soon on French label Athanor Records.

Q: Any parting words?
‘Such men are like clockwork, which is wound up, and goes it knows not why. Every time a man is begotten and born, the clock of human life is wound up anew to repeat once more its same old tune that has already been played innumerable times, movement by movement and measure by measure, with insignificant variations’ (Arthur Schopenhauer).
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Thanks

https://thelasthour.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/thelasthour04/

I Want to Hide My Face and Die with Acid Ghost - An Interview

Ace Barcelon e Mikey Mendoza formam o Acid Ghost que debutou em julho desse ano com o pegajoso Vacation e já prepara o sucessor com data marcada, I Want to Hide My Face and Die sai dia 26 de novembro.

O que os une além do ano de lançamento é a fórmula que o duo encontrou pra criar suas pop songs em formato lo-fi, cheias de melancolia e delicadeza e dubiedade, mas com aquele ar de certa maneira desleixado, o que torna o Acid Ghost mais atraente ainda, ah doses de BJM aparecem insistentemente. 

Se soa inovador? Óbvio que não, precisa mesmo? Como dizem Ace e Mikey, tudo é por pura diversão, E é bem por aí.

***** Interview with Acid Ghost *****

 

Q. When did Acid Ghost start? tell us about the history...
-Acid ghost is a band that my friend Mikey Mendoza and I made to just have fun and write music on our free time. A month ago Mikey moved to Idaho so I've been running acid ghost by myself for now until he comes back.

Q: Who are your influences?
-Diiv, Tame impala, Ty Segall, Michael Jackson

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
- I don't know about Mikey, but my list would be
1. Tame impala- Lonerism
2. The Velvet Underground and Nico
3. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
4. The Jesus and Mary Chain- Psychocandy
5. Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison

Q. How do you feel playing live?
- playing live was always kind of hard for us since we're both busy. But whenever we have the time we try to play a couple of shows. One day when we're out of school, we'd want to just tour the states and open for Mac Demarco or something.

Q. How do you describe Acid Ghost sounds?
- acid ghost songs sound very random. Usually I write the songs, and whatever I've been recently listening to lately is what I incorporate into the music, whether it's lofi or psychedelic sounding, I'll make whatever I feel in the moment.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
- when a girl leaves me heartbroken, I start playing my guitar and my tears fall down on the strings and plays beautiful melodies

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
- recently I've been into black metal and noise. For people who have never listened to black metal, I suggest starting off with darkthrone's "A Blaze in the Northern Sky." It's such a great album. People try to stray away from black metal because of the satanic image they portray but it's just music man. Whatever sounds good sounds good. Oh, also there's this band called Warm Soda who plays really short and catchy indie pop songs. They're amazing.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
- I've been wanting to cover FKA Twig's "two weeks" and Dear Nora's "Up on a Roof"

Q: What are your plans for the future?
- since Mikey's gone, I've been working on this album called "I Want to Hide My Face and Die" which releases November 26. This is an album that I'm actually taking seriously and an album that I've been working hard on. So yeah, expect a more serious album about depression and heartache, and less about summer time and the beach.

Q: Any parting words
- Everyone send Anthony Fantano my music so he can review my upcoming album. Him reviewing my music has been my lifetime dream. Thanks for the support, and this interview was fun to do!
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Thanks

https://acidghostsf.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AcidGhostSF

Peaked with Sunshine Faces - An Interview

Noah Rawlings é a mente por trás do combo indiepop lo fi noise bubblegum, ou chame-se como quiser, Sunshine Faces.

Peaked é o último trabalho de uma longa discografia toda fincada em criar pérolas pop perfeitas, sempre com aquela atmosfera com os dois pés nos sonhos adolescentes. 

Conexões e referências sonoras daquelas melhores possíveis, Black Tambourine, Aislers Set, e por aí vai...

Sempre é bom saber que existem bandas como o Sunshine Faces, porque a pureza sonora sempre vai estar guardada e bem guardada.

***** Interview with Sunshine Faces ******

Q. When did Sunshine Faces start? Tell us about the history...
1. Sunshine Faces I guess really started in 2012, when I was formulating and demoing songs which would make their way onto the first record. I didn't know precisely what I wanted to do/what I would call myself until spring 2014, when I released "TEENAGE PRAYER," which i'd recorded as my senior year of high school was ending. After that, after filming the music video, people started asking us to play shows with them, so I was like "heck dude I have to get a live band together." I then got a bunch of friends from high school to join. The rest is history baby !

Q: Who are your influences?
2. My influences are...a lot of my friends or internet friends who make music: Cat Be Damned, The Grapes, Emily Yacina; my best friend Erin's visual art; runescape and talking to people on the Internet; dogs; Like plates that Grandmas would have in their cupboards; swimming; holidays.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
3. These records changed my life: Seeing Little Ghosts Everywhere By Rick Eat Acid,I Think I'll Smoke Cigarettes So I Can Be Skinny by the Grapes, Everything by Animal Collective (it's a cop out but w/e) of Montreal's Early Four Track Recordings, most recently Daytime Viewing by Jacqueline Humbert and David Rosenboom.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
4. I like it but playing live scares me. I get nervous and I want it to sound lush and textural like it does on the records but I can't afford pedals. But it is also really fun to be playing music with your friends, and when people get into it and sing the words and get a freaky look in their eyes it feels sort of magical.

Q. How do you describe Sunshine Faces sounds?
5. I don't really know. I feel like it has been mainly called dream pop or bedroom pop which I am comfortable with. I think it's funny when artists get mad about being called bedroom pop and whine about being labeled. Obviously it's a silly blanket term, but like, if someone says bedroom pop I have a more specific idea of what that is than if someone labeled it metal. Labels aren't important but everything in language is a "label." That's the point of language, even if it's inexact. Haha I sound didactic.

But I don't try to think about our sound with words. I guess I would like to sound colorful and textural and pretty and inviting.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
6. It really changes drastically each time I set out to record. Usually I... Hum to myself or goof around on guitar/piano. I think about what tones and effects id like to implement, I think about the specific levels and equalization of drums and guitars and synths, and then I slowly layer everything in an order that is forever being altered.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
7. Cat Be Damned, Bulldog Eyes, Beverly Tender, The Grapes, Reynolds, JC GRAVES, Emily Yacina.

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
8. Elliott Smith, Girlpool, Six Pence None the Richer, Tom Petty.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
9. We're going to play a lot of shows in support of the new record. I think we're going on tour with Cat Be Damned in the winter. Maybe we will get signed so I can drop out of school.

Q: Any parting words?
10. To the youths; It is cooler to be kind than it is to be cool!
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Thanks

https://sunshinefaces.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/toomuchsunshine

Regeneration with INHEAVEN - An Interview

Quando Regeneration o primeiro single do INHEAVEN saiu gerou um burburinho em torno da banda até o Sr. Strokes Mr. Julian Casablancas se rendeu ao shoegazer pegajoso com cheio de 90´s e vocal lembrando o próprio Casablancas.

Mas o lado b do single, Slow é que realmente chama a atenção, sai o vocal menino, e entra uma guitarrada e uma garota com vocal arrastado, um tanto rouco e ai é que o INHEAVEN mostra realmente sua faceta. 

Referências das melhores possíveis, leia-se Pixies, Throwing Muses e segue a lista.

Pena que desde que saiu o single não tem nada de novo deles, mas em breve isso mudará. E aguardamos quais serão os caminhos que o INHEAVEN seguirá.

***** Interview with INHEAVEN *****

@. When did INHEAVEN start? Tell us about the history...
-It all started about 18 months with Regeneration and then the band quickly fell into place. We'd be frustrated for a while with the lack of interesting artists out there, so we decided to try and make our dream band.

Q: Who are your influences?
-50s Americana
-Fuzz
-Movies

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
-Surfer Rosa
-Siamese Dream
-Disintegration
-Loveless
-London Calling

Q. How do you feel playing live?
-We love it. That's why most people start bands is to tour and play to people every night. It's still very early for us on the live front since we've only played a few shows, but we are absolutely loving it.

Q. How do you describe INHEAVEN sounds?
-Sensitive noise

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
-It's been pretty DIY so far with it all being recorded at our flat in Forest Hill.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended
-Vant and The Big Moon obviously..

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
-Elvis 'Blue Moon'

Q: What´s the plan for the future....
-Lots more shows and putting out our first album

Q: Any parting words?
-See you on the road
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/INHEAVENBAND
https://b3scirecords.bandcamp.com/album/inheaven-regeneration-slow-single
http://www.inheaven.co/

Change The Skyline with Brave New Void - An Interview

O recém lançado BNV, debute dos neo zelandeses do Brave New Void é um verdadeiro caldeirão de referências e sonoridades condensadas nas oito poderosas canções do álbum. 

Pós punk, class of 86, shoegaze, madchester, psicodelismo 60´s, modernidade e altas doses de Bowie, tudo envolto à aquela atmosfera tipicamente das bandas da Flying Nun.

E com essa receita sonora, os caras debutaram em grande estilo. BNV é um discaço.

***** Interview with Brave New Void *****

Q. When did BNV start? tell us about the history...
BNV started around the beginning of 2014, Carl had recently moved to New Zealand from UK with his fiancée, a handful of songs and a guitar. He was introduced to Matthew Coplon (Bass) and found both Joe Harrison (Vocals) and Chris Hart (Drums) via a musicians classified site. Carl & Joe initially got together to bash around Carl's song ideas and then started rehearsing regularly with Matt. It took quite a few auditions with drummers before we finally found Chris, but we all knew within 30secs of playing with him that he was the right drummer. He had that Keith Moon (The Who), Loz Colbert (Ride) approach, an awesome groove and really hit the drums hard. It was about two months after we started rehearsing with Chris that we were able to start gigging.

Q: Who are your influences?
Too many to mention, but these ingredients would definitely have played some part in our musical cake...The Stone Roses, Ride, Loop, Catherine Wheel, The House of Love, Interpol, Teenage Fanclub, Wilco, Sparklehorse, Chapterhouse, Blur, MBV, SFA, Deerhunter, DIIV, Spoon, Real Estate, Suede, The National, The Flaming Lips, Pavement, The Besnard Lakes, BRMC, Smashing Pumpkins, Pulp, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Velvet Underground, The Kinks, The Creation, The Prisoners, The Charlatans, Allah-Las, Jesus & Mary Chain, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Smiths, The Cure, The High, Lower Dens, Beach House, Merchandise, BJM............

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
This is quite impossible to answer as it would change everyday, but today our personal choices would be...
Carl (Guitar)
1. Ride – Nowhere
2. Sparklehorse – vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
3. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
4. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
5. Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque

Joe (Vocals)
1. David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. Suede - Suede
3. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At The Feast
4. Prince – Sign O' The Times
5. Fields of the Nephilim - Elizium

Matt (Bass)
1. Sigur Ros - ()
2. Causa Sui – Euphorie Tide
3. Kyuss – Blues For The Red Sun
4. Smashing Pumpkins – Any of their first 3 albums
5. James Brown – In The Jungle Groove

Chris (Drums)
1. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – BRMC
2. Arctic Monkeys – AM
3. Queens of The Stone Age – Rated R
4. The Strokes – Is This It
5. The Strokes – Room on Fire

Q. How do you feel playing live?
We love the buzz and spontaneity of playing live, it's also when our music feels most powerful. There is nothing like the feeling of when we're all locked in together on the groove and zoned out in the music. It carries us to another place, a euphoric place.

Q. How do you describe BNV sounds?
Haunting harmonious vocals with swirling, jangly, echoing shoegaze guitar melodies over a thundering, powerhouse of drums and bass in the rhythm section. …...is what other people have said!!

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
From start to finish the whole process probably took around a year due to life commitments getting in the way here and there. We recorded the album after a good period of gigging the songs live so we were really tight. At the studio we set up for recording as we would for a gig and captured the drums/bass and some guitar for all the songs on the album. Most of them were the first takes for drums and bass. After we had captured these we spent some time at Carl's house layering up guitars and recording the vocals. The last thing to go on was a bit of percussion and some keyboards here and there. Carl then disappeared off the radar and went underground to mix the album and capture the BNV sound. A couple of the tracks (Stay Up & The Flesh is Wiling) were mixed by James Goldsmith at Blue Room studios.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Kid Wave, DIIV, Oliver Wilde, Merchandise, Lower Dens, Lorelle, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Wolf Alice.

Q: Which song would you love to make a cover version of?
I guess we should all choose one... again this choice could change daily.

Carl – The House of Love – Christine
Joe – Suede – The Wild Ones
Matt – Metallica – Battery (a Dream Pop version)
Chris – Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way

Q: What are your plans for the future?
We hope to tour the album around New Zealand early next year and play a couple of festivals, and generally spread the album and our music as far and wide as possible. Carl is currently working on/demoing lots of new song ideas to bash out and jam with the band. Joe is working on lyrical angles for our next batch of material. We would like to shoot a music video and release another single off the album as well. This would hopefully be accompanied by a new song or two on an EP.

Q: Any parting words?
Celebrate yourself and the music around you.
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Thanks

https://bravenewvoid.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/BNVMUSIC

Consequences with Since Always - An Interview

Diretamente de Houston, Estados Unidos, o trio Since Always soltou no início do ano seu primeiro álbum. Consequences é o nome do rebento.

Sonoramente o Since Always faz conexões com o predileto do TBTCI Thrushes, colocando as guitarras em primeiro plano, aliadas com o vocal de Laila, criando um entrelaçamento angustiante entre uma sonoridade com o pé nos 90´s e outro na atualidade, o Since Always amplia suas inspirações mais óbvias como os Smashing Pumpkins e as guitar bands dos 90´s como Velocity Girl por exemplo, e ateia uma aura shoegaze melancólica por cima de tudo.

Um grande disco.

***** Interview with Since Always *****

Q. When did Since Always start? tell us about the history...
Laila: A few years ago on April Fools I went to a show at the Jet Lounge and I saw Jonah in another band I thought he was great so I gave him a few of my demos that night. We just recorded my demo songs as a side project and that was our first EP Moxy Kid. Through a mutual friend we found David Michalak and he's a great drummer. He's loud and dynamic but also just a great talented person to work with and he understands the music. I feel lucky that he joined our band. It made a huge difference.

Q: Who are your influences?
Jonah: I really like movie scores. Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer are my main influences. Right now I'm listening to a lot of Caspian and M83.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
These are some of our favorite records. We just chose the ones we listen to the most and which we take the most influence from at the moment. But we always have a hard time agreeing on this! And it changes all the time.
Bloodflowers [The Cure]
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness [Smashing Pumpkins]
Digital Ash In A Digital Urn [Bright Eyes]
When The Pawn...[Fiona Apple]
Either/Or [Elliot Smith]

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Laila: For me it's nerve-racking but exciting and I try to incorporate that into the show. Once I get into the set it always changes. Most of the time we try to challenge each other on stage and it's really fun. If you ever see us live, the guys are very energetic and really get into it.

Q. How do you describe Since Always sounds?
Laila: I would say it's kind of dreamy and hazy with fuzzy guitars and distortion but we try to add emotional vulnerability and aggressiveness. We like that dichotomy between the two.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Jonah: Took us six months to write the songs and demo them. It then it took us another six months to record the project [Consequences] and I recorded and mixed the record myself. Most of the work was done in revisions.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
Jonah: I'm really getting into Deafheaven and No Devotion right now.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Laila: Actually we're about to record covers of a couple Blondie songs.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Jonah: We have lots of new songs and we're demoing them right now. We plan on touring very soon. We love meeting new people along the way. One of our favorite parts about playing live is all the cool people we've come into contact with.

Q: Any parting words?
Our record is called Consequences. It's available on Itunes, Bandcamp, Spotify and Amazon. You can follow us on any of the social media: facebook, twitter, instagram and you can check out our music videos and life performances on Youtube. Thanks for reading
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Thanks
http://www.sincealwaysband.com
http://www.twitter.com/sincealwaysband
http://www.facebook.com/sincealwaysband
http://www.instagram.com/sincealwaysband
http:/www.youtube.com/sincealwaysband
http://www.sincealwaysband.bandcamp.com
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/since-always/id1039585426

Light Years with Laura Palmer - An Interview

Light Years, segundo Ep dos holandeses do Laura Palmer, entrou diretamente para a lista das audições constantes aqui no TBTCI.

A receita das três poderosas canções do ep estão notadamente centradas na junção do hipnótica do shoegaze do Ride, era Nowhere  e a atmosfera pós punk clássica, leia-se Cure e Joy Division.

Parece mais do mesmo, mas a hipnótica, e por vezes ruidosa, combinação que o Laura Palmer impõe aplica a suas referências gerou um resultado empolgante.

Não deixe passar em branco.

***** Interview with Laura Palmer *****

Q. When did Laura Palmer start? tell us about the history...
Laura Palmer started as a one-man-project. The founding member bought a digital recorder and started recording news ideas in the year 2010. After he had finished some songs he started the band. In the year 2014 Laura Palmer was complete!

Q: Who are your influences?
Joy Division, New Order, The Cure, My bloody valentine, Slowdive, Ride and so on and so on

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Bullshit question haha. But I don’t want to be a spoil:
Loveless – My bloody valentine
Souvlaki – Slowdive
Pornography – The Cure
Nowhere – Ride
Come on die young – Mogwai
Unknown Pleasure & Closee - Joy Division

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I love it! It gives me a feeling compared to XTC without taking the drugs.

Q. How do you describe Laura Palmer sounds?
We categorized it as Nugaze. It’s a combination of New Wave en Shoegaze without an producing an old fashioned sound. It’s fresh but with the influences of the best New Wave bands of the 80-ties. Although, some people say The glow of television sounds like Editors. Judge by yourself: http://laurapalmermusic.bandcamp.com/track/glow-of-television

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
It all starts with a riff on guitar mostly. The riff always comes spontaneously. First we try some variations, but most of the time the first idea is the best…as always. After that we start rehearsing and Niek writes these beautiful lyrics as only he can. Just try to figure them out if you want to be linguistically challenged

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
Don’t know. There are too many bands to choose from. I like DIIVV a lot, but there not that new are they?

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
‘Murder on the dance floor’ by Sophie Ellis Baxtor

Q: What are your plans for the future?
To make a full length album, play at festivals and at respectable venues.

Q: Any parting words?
Just enjoy our music and if you’re in the mood, please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/laurapalmer.the.band

Thanks for your time! Love, Laura Palmer
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Thanks

https://laurapalmermusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laurapalmer.the.band
http://www.laurapalmer.nl/

Futourism with The Tomorrowmen - An Interview

Diretamente de São Francisco, o The Tomorrowmen parece ter saído de alguma capsula do tempo perdida, algo como a trilha sonora perfeita para qualquer filme do Tarantino, ou mais, perigas serem os descendentes direto de Link Wray ou do Dick Dale.

Surf sound freak para embalar os desejos mais insanos de qualquer fanático do gênero.

Futourism o segundo álbum dos caras é pra ser degustado em altíssimo som e preferencialmente chapado, lógico.

***** Interview with The Tomorrowmen *****

Q. When did The TomorrowMen start? Tell us about the history…
We got started as a full band in the fall of 2006. Prior to that Steve the bassist and I had joined Mel Waldorf's Meshugga Beach Party, and then we started working on creating the TomorrowMen by getting some songs together to present to a drummer and 2nd guitar once we found them. Fortunately it didn’t take long to find Tony and then he suggested his buddy Miles for guitar. Now Tony was only 20 at the time, and in fact he tried out for another surf band and was rejected, because he wasn’t old enough to play in bars. Well, when I heard how good he played I told him “we can wait the 6 months until you’re 21, you’re worth it” And he is, we still play together 9 years later, almost a 3rd of his life :) Eventually we went through a couple 2nd guitarists until we convinced Ferenc to join us. Ferenc, being an old surf music pro, really helped us step up our game. In the meantime we made 2 albums, played the SG101 convention twice and toured Italy in 2012 playing at Surfer Joe.

Q: Who are your influences?
I actually got into surf music kind of late in life, around the age of 38 or so. Prior to that I played power pop/punk and some experimental stuff. So I was really influenced by high energy bands like Buzzcocks, The Undertones, Dead Kennedys, The Damned, EC and the Attractions, Joe Jackson to name a few. As I entered into the world of surf music, my inspiration was drawn by bands like The Nebulas, Satan’s Pilgrims, Laika and the Cosmonauts, The Treblespankers, The Madeira, Slacktone, Jon and the Nightriders and Bambi Molesters.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Pass...

Q. How do you feel playing live?
For me it’s a mixed bag. When it goes well, that is when there’s some audience response, it’s the best feeling in the world. It doesn’t have to be a big audience, but it’s great when they’re standing up and feeling the music and expressing their pleasure. Also, it helps when my gear works well. It’s very challenging to get in the proper playing mood when there’s technical problems. What I don’t really enjoy is playing to people sitting down and far away from the stage. I understand that’s just a fact of life for a lot of surf shows, but for those kinds of gigs I remain a bit subdued myself.

Q. How do you describe The TomorrowMen sounds?
We stick to pretty traditional sounds. Fender guitars into Fender reverb tanks and Fender amps. I like a little overdrive to my sound, not a lot just enough to give it some character. The difference between us and most bands are in our songs and arrangements. I get bored easily, so I make sure there’s lots of bridges and variations and transitions and extra parts flying around in my songs. You could say they’re pretty dense. But that seems to work for people who like to listen to songs more than once, you’ll hear lots of different things the more times you listen to a TomorrowMen song.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
We’ve recorded our 2 albums at Rancho Cielo, which is Ferenc Dobronyi’s (Pollo Del Mar, Frankie and the Poolboy, The Tmen) home studio. We usually record the basic tracks - drums/bass/rh gtr (sometimes) and a scratch track of the lead. Then Ferenc and I will overdub all the various guitar tracks. I tend to go a little nuts, some songs can have a dozen layers of different guitar tracks going. Once it’s all recorded, we give it to our mixing engineer Gary Hobish, who is also a world class mastering engineer. But he’s a surf music fan and really knows what a good record should sound like and is a wizard at music editing software, so we use him for mixing and mastering. I usually sit there with Gary and we just mix that sucker. Takes forever and is very tedious, but it’s a necessary task. Good mixing is what separates the good albums from the great albums.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended
The Mystery Men from Atlanta GA, USA and Bevel Emboss from Amsterdam NL are 2 that come to mind. Like many people at this year’s SG101 convention I really liked Els A-Phonics too.

Q: Which bands would you love to make a cover version of?
We started out doing all covers and have since gone to all originals. So the answer is none. Now, which bands do I wish I could write a song as good as they can? Lots!

Q: What´s the plan for the future….
I’m hoping to work into the set an avant-garde mini-set of dark, minor key, guitar-driven swing music backing a Beat style poet - I’m not kidding. Look for it within a year.

Q: Any parting words?
For all you surf musicians out there I suggest you limit how much attention you pay to your gear, and instead put your effort into just playing. Some of the best music in the world has been played on very poor equipment. It’s all about the fingers, your head and your soul, baby!
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Thanks

https://thetomorrowmen.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/Tmensurf

Skin and Seeds with Stella - An Interview

Lançado no início de outubro Skin and Seeds o segundo álbum do dos estadunidenses do Stella pode ser que passe despercebido por muita gente mas aqui no TBTCI ele anda cotidianamente em alta rotação e muito bem cotado como um dos grandes álbuns shoegaze desse ano.

A receita não é lá muito desconhecida, paredes de guitarras como reza a cartilha do shoegazing mas os caras são mais soturnos, a vocalização é mais densa do que o usual, e o clima é pesado, conexões sonoras com o Weekend são sentidas por vezes.

Uma verdadeira aula de wall of sound. Indispensável em qualquer coleção de iniciados que se preze.

***** Interview with Stella *****

Q. When did Stella start? tell us about the history...
Stella started in 2011ish I believe. Our drummer and I just started jamming at my old house because he wanted to learn how to play drums better and I was looking for a new musical outlet that I had more creative control with. We sort of wrote the original songs out of a mess o jams, but most of those got trashed except for Old World. We added Kyle on bass before we played our first show and then added James shortly after.

Q: Who are your influences?
Our earliest influence was probably Deerhunter, more or less because we caught little mini tour they had with Dan Deacon and No Age before Lollapalooza. Then we discovered bands like Boris, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, etc. More recently though early Goth, Kraut Rock, and New Wave bands have been influencing our writing pretty heavily as well.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
The top 5 albums list will definitely vary from person to person, but since I (Kenny) am answering the questions I'll throw some out there.
Smile by Boris,
Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins,
Microcastle by Deerhunter,
The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths,
Monoliths and Dimensions by Sunn O)))

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I feel like our live experience is loud, expansive, and encompassing half of the time, and the other half is really dancey, driving, and fun. We're all huge gear nerds so we're all about tone.

Q. How do you describe Stella sounds?
Our sound is really shoegazey with a lot of distortion at times, and at other times really clean and spacey. More recently we've put a lot more focus on the rhythm section and pulled back on the vocals a bit though. We all come from a pretty wide variety of musical backgrounds so there are many different elements of many different genres at work in our sound.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
When we record it usually doesn't take more than a few days to get everything recorded, but on this last album we spent a little more time making sure everything was sounding the way we wanted it to in post production. We record with a really talented musician/sound engineer in our hometown of Evansville, IN named Brett Siler at his studio Motherbrain Sound Infrastructure. He always produces great work for us and everyone else who goes to him.

Q. Which new bands do you recommended?
As far as bands we love there are way too many to name them a here. Many of our friends bands we suggest are Thunder/Dreamer, Spandrels, Smallhouse, Wild Pink, Alone, Neiv, Aquarian Sun, and the list could go on forever. Also check out Melkbelly, The Daysleepers, LSD and The Search For God, CaveofswordS and Ninth Paradise.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
I would love to make a cover of any Beach Boys or Neil Young song ever, but again that list can go on forever since we're all huge music nerds.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Our plans for the current time are to keep touring, continue writing music for the next album, and to try and continue to progress our sound in whatever direction it goes. We should have a music video for the song Body of Water off of our new album Skin and Seeds coming out soon so keep your eyes peeled!

 Q: Any parting words?
Keeping making music and keeping making art! Make what you like, keep researching, keep growing, support those around you who are working hard, and just do what you have to do to make what you want to make, whatever that means to you!
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Thanks

https://stellaart.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/StellaBandOfficial