Atualmente o TBTCI vem abordando cada vez mais a recente avalanche de bandas pós punk de altíssima qualidade que aparecem semanalmente, deixando o mundo caótico em que vivemos mais e mais soturno, angustiado e claustrofóbico.
A questão de semanas atrás, no TBTCI Radio Show apresentei um bloco inteiramente dedicado a cena de Portland, onde o Vacant Stares foi um dos destaques, e, não por menos, os caras lançaram no início de Julho o sombrio "M M X V I I".
Pós punk em sua estrutura vertebral, mas expandindo seus densos experimentos por entre a cold wave, minimal wave, passando também pela Neue Deutsche Welle.
Essa composição gélida e melancólica, transborda do disco em doses cavalares, deixando claro que não há esperança ou qualquer momento de luz.
Para amantes dos movimentos e desmembramentos do pós punk, o Vacant Stare é absolutamente necessário.
***** Interview with Vacant Stares *****
In early 2016 Stephanie (synths) and a couple other guys were writing songs as a band called Useless Prayers. It was kind of deathrocky, they had a demo that sounded like UK82goth and metal. It was cool, but very different from V S. Justin (vocals) had just returned from a long European tour with another band called Shadowhouse and was very poor, underemployed and bored. Stephanie asked Justin if he'd like to try out on guitar for Useless Prayers. Justin had never played guitar before and played kinda weird, which changed the songs. They became softer and more dancey.
Eventually the singer and bass player guys left and Justin moved to vocals. Stephanie brought in Loren to play bass and Josh from Shadowhouse joined on guitar. After that we wrote a bunch of songs and started playing out as Vacant Stares.
Q: Who are your influences?
New Order, Italo disco, old minimal wave compilations from around Europe, neue Deutsche welle stuff, early 80s dance music. East Europe post punk scene.
Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Cure - 17 Seconds/Faith cassette tape,
Stooges - Funhouse,
Prince - 1999,
Wire - Pink Flag,
New Order - Movement
Q. How do you feel playing live?
Awkward and self conscious, mostly. We get very high and drunk before we perform as means of coping with anxiety. It's a lot of fun though. We're getting more confident.
Q. How do you describe Vacant Stares sounds?
like you're in Miami, and it's beautiful, but you're sad
Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
We write and record simultaneously. Someone will come up with a phrase or riff, then we'll flesh that into a song. Usually bass or synthesizer comes first, we record scraps with our phones and work on them at home. The beats are written on a freeware drum machine. Once the bones are recorded we practice the song and it goes through countless changes, eventually becoming the song. Lyrics and vocals come last. Some songs took months to finish, working slowly.
We record everything ourselves, to a Tascam 8 track through a eurorack mixer, usually line-in, with the vocals and bass sometimes re-amped for echo. Some editing and panning with Audacity. It's simple and cheap.
Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Human Leather, Black Marble, Lunch, Shadowhouse (Josh plays drums for them), Sex Park (Justin also plays guitar for them), Voight, Утро, Terminal A, Techne, Girlfiends and Boyfriends, Chain of Flowers, Mode Moderne, She Past Away, Fearing, Draa, Lunacy, Motorama.
Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
maybe some songs by Iron Curtain, Solid Space, Au Pairs, Laura Branigan, Stacey Q, Sparks, SS Say, The Chills, but no one particular band
Q: What are your plans for the future?
We are recording a full length, if we finish soon it'll come out this winter. Our tentative goal is January 2018. Maybe tour sometime thenafter?
Q: Any parting words?
If you pour robitussin cough syrup on Dorito's and let it dry, you can smoke it with a hash pipe and stare into the urethra of God.
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Thanks
https://www.facebook.com/vapidglares/
https://vacantstares.bandcamp.com
