Premarital Hex with Foxxxy Mulder - An Interview

Mais de 2 mil milhas separam hoje David e Kori, que um dia moraram no Alabama, mas por conta da vida, Kori mudou-se para Fairbanks no Alaska e David vive em Seattle, mas por uma obra dos deuses da música uma curiosa história aconteceu.

Em 2016 Kori visitou Seattle e os amigos resolveram ouvir uns discos, entre eles estava "Eyes Without a Face" clássico de Billy Idol, e por brincadeira eles resolveram desacelerar a canção e a ouviram em 45 rotações, e ai meus caros, estava formado o embrião do Foxxxy Mulder, que iniciou suas atividades justamente com uma versão da citada canção.

Mas o melhor estaria por vir, em fins de Junho veio ao mundo "Premarital Hex" primeiro trabalho do duo, uma devastação hipnótica e barulhenta, com ecos de MBV, Curve, Zola Jesus, Bjork, e mais uma infinidade de referências, o que apena enrique o resultado final.

Sem soar shoegaze, sem soar eletrônico, sem soar dark, o Foxxxy Mulder soa exatamente como um híbrido musculoso de todas as influências de Kori e David.

"Premarital Hex" tem sido escutado continuamente aqui no TBTCI e a tendência e permanecer por muito mais tempo....como eu costumo dizer, Foxxxy Mulder é ACIMA.

***** Interview with Foxxxy Mulder *****

Q. When did Foxxxy Mulder start? Tell us about the history...
David: Well, Kori and I used to live in Alabama, which is where we met. But a few years ago Kori moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, and I moved to Seattle, Washington. Anyway, Kori ended up coming to Seattle for a visit in 2016, and during the visit we bought a bunch of 45 rpm records so that we could listen to them on 33 (because, you know, vaporwave or whatever). We fell in love with the sound of Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without a Face” slowed to 33 and decided to record a cover of the slowed down version. So, Kori went back to Alaska and we recorded the cover over the internet, just sharing tracks back and forth. The initial recordings sounded like Billy Idol slowed down (with the same arrangements and everything), but by the end we had brought in a bunch of fuzzed-out, MBV-inspired guitars and turned to the song into a sludgy, droney shoegaze track. We ended up releasing it and, surprisingly to us, a couple of blogs picked it up and it was received pretty positively. So we figured, why not do a record? I had been toying with some horror-inspired shoegaze songs for a few years, so we started from there and worked our way out. We spent a few months writing Premarital Hex and released that last June. Right now we’re looking forward to some more releases next year.

Kori: Yeah, you can blame it all on Billy Idol.

Q: Who are your influences?
Kori: Goodness, there are so many. Who immediately comes to mind is Nico. The deep, clear tone of her voice is something I'm always after in my own performance. I also really admire Jarboe from Swans for the same reason. Jarboe has more violence to her voice though; it's guttural. Some of the compositions David and I have put together require that almost scary quality of voice to them, and it's usually Jarboe I'm invoking if I'm doing vocals. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to be a female powerhouse in the experimental music scene, so I typically look up to the women who have made a real place for themselves, including Nina Simone, Ruth Radelet from The Chromatics, Poison Ivy Rorschach from The Cramps, Fiona Apple, Laura Jane Grace from Against Me!, Erykah Badu, Joni Mitchell, Molly Nilsson, and Björk. There are countless more, and I certainly have all the musical nostalgia of a swooning fangirl, which influences what I seek out in the music I listen to day-to-day. But when it comes to who I want to be as a musical performer, I look up to the powerful women taking big risks in their music.

David: My gut reaction is to name every single band that I love, but I know I need to be more discriminating than that. Really, my influences shift around a lot, depending on what I’m obsessing over at the moment or the types of songs I’m trying to write, but lately, particularly in terms of my songwriting, my biggest influences have probably been Trentemøller, Tropic of Cancer, Zola Jesus, and Total Control. As a guitarist, Rex Shelverton’s work on the first two Tamaryn records has been hugely inspirational. Also, My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain, specifically in terms of how they use distortion to create textures and dynamics. In terms of percussion/beats, j.Faraday, Trentemøller, and Blanck Mass have been pretty influential lately. You’ll definitely hear that on the new recordings, but not so much on Premarital Hex. I’m also just generally obsessed with everything that Sacred Bones Records puts out… Exploded View, Zola Jesus, Lust for Youth, Blanck Mass, Pharmakon… they’ve all had a big influence on how I think about writing and making music. That influence has pushed me towards a lot of electronic experimentation lately. I expect you’ll hear a lot of that on our next record as well.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
David: Or maybe I could make a list of the 5 hardest questions of all time? But, okay, let’s see, going from the gut: Total Control’s Typical System; Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality; John Maus’s We Must Become Pitiless Censors of Ourselves; Zola Jesus’s Stridulum (although her new record is really amazing, too) and, I don’t know, maybe a Bad Brains record, but I’m not sure if it would be I Against I or their self-titled. Of course, if you asked me again in six months, that list would probably be very different and would maybe include My Blood Valentine, Pavement, Sleep ∞ Over, Raveonettes, Elliott Smith, the Cure, David Bowie. I might even put some Steely Dan on there, to be honest. Actually, funny story, when we were trying to come up with a name for Premarital Hex, I kind of wanted to call it Reelin’ In the Tears for a little bit. It’s probably a good thing we didn’t choose that. Sorry, I cheated on this question.

Kori: Same here. This list would totally change if you asked me next week. Today, it's The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground and Nico; James Brown's Live at the Apollo; Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water; and I'm going to agree with David, Black Sabbath's Master of Reality changed my life. God this question is hard. Someone is definitely going to make fun of me for my unironic adoration of Simon and Garfunkel. I really love Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92 too. And Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... by Raekwon. I'm all over the place, I'm sorry. Wait, no. I choose Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. That album is a fucking miracle.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Kori: We have never played live, actually. We live in two different states, so we've never had the chance to perform for a real audience. I'm hoping we get to one day, but that depends on where our professional lives take us in the future. We used to jam out (have we expired the phrase "jam out" yet, because I'm really looking forward to terminology that doesn't sound so lame) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but that was just good ol' drunken fun. Where do you think we should play first? I hear Brazil is really nice.

David: The sort of crazy thing is that, as Foxxxy Mulder, we’ve never actually played music together, period. Like at the same time and in the same place. It’s all been a back and forth exchange over the internet. But I really hope we’ll be able to play some shows at some point. And I think it will happen, but it may just be a one-off, spur of the moment thing. We’ll see.

Q. How do you describe Foxxxy Mulder sounds?
David: I don’t know for sure. One of the things I’ve really liked about this project is the variety of sounds we’ve been able to produce and bring together. I’ve never been very good at finding a sound and sticking with it. So, for instance, we’ve got fuzzy, noise pop songs like “Tonight” alongside more brooding songs like “Dark Creeper” and even songs like “Heaven Waits for You,” which lean a little dancy. I do think there’s an overall tone we’re going for, which I might describe as dark and melancholic, but also antagonistic in a sense. But how tone that expresses itself has so far been pretty diverse. The newer stuff we’ve been working on, for instance, ranges from really atmospheric electronic stuff to driving, in-your-face post punk songs, but it’s all got a degree of, I don’t know, melancholic angst beneath it. It’s my hope that we’ll continue to pull from a diverse range of sounds and genres. Total Control, in my view, is a band that does this really well, bringing together New Order-esque dance tunes and really intense punk songs, all in the same record. Their ability to touch on such a range of styles while remaining coherent is really cool to me.

Kori: I like to think of our sound as pretty eclectic. I think there is something for everyone on our EP, whether it's fuzzy, dissonant harshness or upbeat pop-punk or melancholic ballad. We were playing with a lot of different kinds of sounds with Premarital Hex, because we were having so much fun with it; it was alchemy for us. The one abstract quality that ties it all together, though, is the deep feeling of dissatisfaction. I can't even imagine writing a song in which a sense of satisfaction was the key takeaway. We're definitely working on a more coherent sound with our newer work, but I think you can expect some variety.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Kori: Typically, David will have been messing around with a particular sound, and that turns into a small file, a demo, that he'll shoot over to me. I add my spin on things, providing vocals, a horn track, or other supplemental noise to texturize the basic structure of the composition, which is already pretty complex once David sends it to me. I like to push the weirdness further on my end, and from that we just trade the file back and forth using LogicPro to build it up. Once we have something that resembles a track, we strip down all the excess and try to make it as perfect as possible before sending it to the mixing stage. The greatest thing about our process is that we both are super supportive of each other's ideas, and when something isn't working, we typically agree on that. It's easy to work with David, because we have a really similar musical aesthetic and similar preferences for where we think the song wants to go. Sometimes he will do something that blows my damn mind, and that makes it super easy to get excited about the process. It doesn't get boring or stale for me, because every time I get an updated track from his end, the light bulb flicks on, and I have to follow where the song wants me to take it. It's almost as if the song has a mind of its own with its own will. It tells us where it wants to go, and we obey.

David: I would also add that I tend to write as I record and vice versa. Nothing is really planned out in advance and songs tend to take shape in unexpected ways. So I’ll have a beat or something, and then just start noodling on guitar until something cool emerges, and then I’ll cut and paste different fragments so that there’s a structure to the song. The last part tends to be lyrics, where I’ll just sing gibberish and then figure out what words could replace the gibberish. Then it all gets reworked, polished, etc. That tends to work well for collaboration, too, because we can trade off at any point in that process. Lately I’ve been recording songs in dark rooms with sunglasses on, so that I can’t see anything. I highly recommend trying it.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
David: I generally discover bands at least 5 years too late, so most of the bands I think of as new have been around for a while. But in terms of actually new bands, I’ve been listening to this post punk band called False Brother a lot lately. They’re from Kansas City, and they’re super rad. I think their first record came out in 2016. I definitely recommend checking them out.

Kori: Since I've been in Alaska, I've been exposed to the local music scene in Fairbanks, and let me tell you, there is some weird stuff up here that I am loving. Check out Harm. They just put out a new album, Mother Carries, and it is AMAZING. I also saw Grandad, a local punk band, play a while back and loved them. Outside of the immediate local sphere, I've really been into this not-new-but-new-to-me musician out of Scranton, PA, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal. I bump that in my car and it highly satisfying.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Kori: I love this question, because we seriously have a document containing all the covers we fantasize about eventually making. I'm dying to do a cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying," because Rebekah Del Rio's Spanish cover of the song in Mulholland Drive moves me to tears every time. I want to drone it out and make it in our image, so to speak. "Venus in Furs" by Velvet Underground is also something I'd love to cover, because it's already pretty heavy, and I think we could make it HEVVY. Make it bottom out with heaviness. I also want to pay tribute to one of my all-time favorite musicians, Leonard Cohen, by covering "You Want It Darker." That would be a dream.

David: I’ve always thought it would be fun to cover Lou Reed’s “Waves of Fear.” I would probably slow it down a lot and record it with way too many guitar tracks all layered on top of each other. Ideally, I’d turn it into a really sludgy doom metal song. Also, a cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” would also be fun to do, though I would probably give it a very stripped down, atmospheric treatment. “In Heaven” from Eraserhead would be awesome to cover, just because there’s so much room for experimentation. And, like Kori, I’d also love to do an Orbison cover. There are so many good ones to choose from.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
David: We will certainly be releasing some new music before too long. We’ve recorded a number of demos over the last few months, and we’re mostly deciding what to do with them at this point. You can probably expect another EP, maybe even a full-length, sometime next year.

Kori: Yeah, we're in the middle of shaping up some new songs, so keep your eye out. I'll be visiting David this winter, and we're going to crank out some new crisp vocals with some fancy equipment. Who knows what strange new experiments develop from it! We don't typically plan for the oddities; they just seem to keep happening, lucky for us. I'm real excited about what's to come.

Q: Any parting words?
Kori: First of all, thank you so much for giving us this interview. It's always really exciting for David and I to get to talk about our music and our influences, particularly the latter, because we would not be a band without being influenced by some external factor. I've talked about the larger, more well-known influences, but it's really important to me to speak to how crucial supporting your local music scene is. There have always been so many incredible, eclectic bands within a 25 mile radius of me, and that scene has made me appreciate whatever city I've been in. Put on for your city; contribute to your local music scene. Go to shows. Talk to the bands putting their hearts into their craft and into their city because of it. If you dig the music they're making, buy it and share it however you can. If you support your local music scene, it's going to make your city so much cooler, and in that way it will give back to you. It's a totally symbiotic relationship, and I owe a large debt of gratitude to any local musicians that are generous enough to put it all out there.

David: Yeah, what Kori said.
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Thanks

https://foxxxymulder.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/fmnoise/

Facade with Facial - An Interview

Um esporro estridente vem do trio de Los Angeles, Facial, sob o nome de "Facade", segundo álbum dos caras que veio ao mundo no final de Setembro.

Uma marretada bem no centro do crânio, unindo todo tipo de barulho e anarquias concebidas durante décadas de boa música, passando por PIL, Fugazi, Big Black, entre outros, tudo serve de combustível para o caldeirão que explode para todo e qualquer lado sem deixar nada imune.

Berrado, barulhento, rápido, cru, sem fírulas, "Facade" é uma bordoada desenfreada que resume o sentimento de inconformismo recatado que rege os dias atuais.

Visceral resume o Facial.

***** Interview with Facial *****

Q. When did Facial start? Tell us about the history...
Facial was formed out of a void that need filling. a need for cathartic visceral release. Midnight noise.

Q: Who are your influences?
Weed, fugazi, food, nietzsche, the weather

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Cam: varies from member to member but i'd say Kid A, Moon & Antartica, In Utero, Loveless, i really like Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only (mad underrated)

Sam; I'd throw Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here into that mix.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Cam: Scrumtrelescent
Jay: taut
Sam: moist

Q. How do you describe Facial sounds?
It's tough we aren't straight punk but too brash to be alternative rock. I guess Post Punk is a confusing enough term to work for now.. I think our sound extends to different styles because the 3 of us all switch up instruments song by song. There's this stale banality to having a defined "role" (I.e the guitar player, the drummer) within a band, we don't need to be assigned roles, the 3 of us together is FACIAL.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
We write together for the most part, any ideas get the ol phone memo treatment, then we listen thru the horrid static of the recording and decide if there's a song in there somewhere. Sometimes there is, a lot of times there isn't. It's best to jot down all ideas, just in case there's one worth chasing.
As far as the actual album recording...I don't know, it was hot, there was a lot of weed...

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Anything on Chain Letter Collective, FACIAL.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
We've done a shitload of covers, usually one offs live, here's some examples and a brief review of how it went:

Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately (it was terrible)
The Unicorns - Tuff Ghost (something was there)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero (crushed it)
Tears For Fears - Mad World (well interpreted)
Minor Threat - In My Eyes (punk as fuck)
The Boss - Dancing In The Dark (with Travis of Piebald on vox)
Blur - Song 2 (good not great)

Q: What are your plans for the future?
More albums, touring, and eventually, unavoidable world domination.  Also a good breakfast.

Q: Any parting words?
Cam: Sorry about our president

Jay: Keep it between the ditches

Sam: Milkshakes
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Thanks

https://facialtheband.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/pg/facialtheband
http://fuckfacial.org/

Thanks For Your Kind Words with Spectrums - An Interview

"Thanks For your Kind Words" é o debute do trio de Washington DC, Spectrums. Lançado há exatos vintes dias atrás, os veteranos de cena, David Barker (guitarras, e sintetizadores), Simon Ley (bateria) e David Nicholas (guitarras), criaram um intrínseco emaranhado instrumental que pode ser perfeitamente direcionado em post rock, prog, experimental, ambiente, ou simplesmente todos os rótulos unificados.

Diferentemente da receita comum das bandas de post rock, que criam suas ambientações em variáveis entre crescendos, o Spectrums conduz linearmente suas estruturas, de forma matemática, se aproximam muito mais de estruturas entre o kraut e o pós punk do que o post rock propriamente dito.

Um trabalho para ser degustado com calma e diversas vezes, só assim é possível apreciar todas as nuances que o Spectrums pode ofertar.

***** Interview with Spectrums *****

Q. When did Spectrums start? Tell us about the history...
Spectrums began as a guitar duo project. In late 2016, we started to write songs that seemed would work with drums. Simon Ley and David Barker had played together in previous bands so we evolved the material as a trio and the songs started to really build through this year. And we continue to write constantly; every week there's at least one new idea in development so that keeps things fresh.

Q: Who are your influences?
It's pretty diverse individually and then we converge on a lot too. Simon likes 70s/80s hip hop so you'll hear that element work its way in. We love Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and onward to post-punk guitarists like John McGeoch and Geordie Walker. Bands that know how to intertwine two guitar are naturally something we're into. We've seen Luna many times and just last night we saw The Church here in DC. Lately we've been introducing keyboards into the songs and Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter's soundtracks were some immediate references for us.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time...
Rubber Soul,
Paul's Boutique,
The Stone Roses,
Unknown Pleasures,
and Meddle by Pink Floyd.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
It forces us to focus and decide what is going to work in that setting - so it's a good way to edit the songs since we keep stockpiling so many. Performing can be fun and nerve-wracking all at the same time!

Q. How do you describe Spectrums sounds?
With two guitars and drums, there is still lots of space and room to play with dynamics, so we try to exploit that in a good way. At the same time, we're not interested in some of the more indulgent aspects of instrumental music. We want to get to the hooks pretty quickly and have more than just textures and moods. Playing for the song is important to us.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
We did it live - no overdubs on Thanks For Your Kind Words. We worked with Mike Reina and just set up mics, got sounds that we all liked very quickly and knocked out three songs, ate some really good barbecue chicken, knocked out two more songs, and called it an evening. Mike did a great job on the mix and the result is very true to what we do live. That was good feeling to capture on a debut recording. We're really happy with the artwork and layout by Christian Baldo as well.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
A few months ago we all went to see Tycho and while they have been around for some time, that was an amazing show. The way they blend guitars with keyboards is fantastic and made us want to explore that direction. Similarly with Washed Out and LCD Soundsystem too.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
We toy with this idea all the time! Current contender seems to be Jimi Hendrix. Making it work with two guitars is an interesting challenge so we've not settled on which song to do but it's fun to take a run at his work.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Definitely more integration of the keyboards and drum machines with the guitar compositions. We're amassing more technology all the time too, so it's not out of the question that we'll try some keyboard duos and try to make that work with transitions to guitars. Arranging for that kind of dynamic has been a fun new element that we started as soon as we finished our recording. We'll release Thanks For Your Kind Words on October 10 and from there we've got some shows booked in the DC/VA area so we're looking forward to that.

Q: Any parting words?
Thanks for what you do with TBTCI and for continuing to bring new music to us!
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Thanks

http://www.spectrumsdc.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SpectrumsDC/
https://spectrumsdc.bandcamp.com/releases

Just To Be Away with Walking Misery - An Interview

Um crossover entre a recente avalanche de bandas que pegam o shoegaze e o fundem com o post hardcore com fortes elementos de art punk, mais ou menos assim pode ser descrito "Just To Be Away", novo trabalho do quarteto, Walking Misery.

Algo como se John Lydon, circa PIL resolvesse se juntar aos caras do Nothing e mandarem uma jam estridentemente barulhenta e freak. Uma chinelada bem no meio dos tímpanos, sem a menor chance de não haver sequelas.

A música do Walking Misery tem que obrigatoriamente ser escutada no volume máximo.

***** Interview with Walking Misery *****

Q. When did Walking Misery start? Tell us about the history...
started in the spring of 2015 in an attempt to make shoegaze my own way. Luckily my homies Cam, Christian, and Brian were down to help make my dream come alive. two singles and a demo later, we finally have an LP to showcase our take on the genre.

Q: Who are your influences?
As far as shoegaze, MBV and the Jesus Mary are the Bible. any time I write a song, I'm trying to make something as good as the You Made Me Realise ep. I love David Bowie and the Clash as well. I love the Stooges.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
1. Low- David Bowie
2. London Calling- The Clash
3. You made me realise - MBV
4. You're living all over me- Dino jr.
5. Funhouse- Iggy and the stooges

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I love playing live, it's a total and complete release from the cold realities of the world.

Q. How do you describe Walking Misery sounds?
One of our good friends in Aquatic(a) described us as sounding like Nothing with Protomartyr vocals. so loud ass post punk.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
For the new record I tried to do everything as live as possible with our longtime friend Phil Odom, over at Bad Wolf Studios in Austin, TX. I already had the whole LP written, all we had to do was record it and make it sound huge, and that is exactly what we did. Brian, our drummer ended up being stoned off edibles, which to my surprise made him drum even harder. the drums really make the album. it took about three sessions spanning from January to about may, but it ended up all coming together.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
I been jammin a lot of oldies, but Big Bite seems to do the trick. Still waiting for new bedroom eyes. The band Weed fucks.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Oh boy i know I want to cover spanish bombs or train in vain by the clash. I'd love to one day cover a Bowie joint. It'd be badass to cover his version of Stay off of station to station lol.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
keep making music. maybe move to a poppin ass city. I plan on finally smokin a backwood one of these days as well.

Q: Any parting words?
We have our first LP "Just To Be Away" coming out this Friday the 13th. 10/13/2017 baby !!
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Thanks

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

Walk Onto Sun, "Grow Static" - Track by Track

A one man band, Walk Onto Sun, é Benjamin Engebretson, e para quem acompanha as páginas do TBTCI não se trata de nenhuma novidade.

O Walk Onto Sun retorna ao TBTCI por conta do novo EP, "Grow Static", ainda mais obscuro e industrial do que o anterior, "In The Inside" do ano passado.

Evocando SPK, Klinik, Test Dept., entre outros mestres do do caos industrial eletrônico, Ben teceu um trabalho sombrio, sem o menor vestígio de luz sequer, a atmosfera é de apocalipse.

O Walk Onto Sun cria peças de autodestruição sonora para notívagos. Aos aficionados, uma palavra define, essencial.

 ***** Grow Static - Track by Track *****

by Benjamin Engebretson

Isn’t Real

I wanted to get the feel of this rhythmic machinery just pummeling you because I was trying depict a character that is being obscured by the bombardment of propaganda and the modern news cycle of global crises. It’s this idea of constantly questioning yourself and being unsure of what is happening around you. In the middle of the song the line is, “Will you fall in line?” which could be translated as “Will you accept the new normal?” As an ‘animal with pride’ in his country, he definitely will. I was attempting to get to this idea of compliance with the powers that be due to not being able to determine what your reality consists of. I used a lot of pitch shifting effects and pedals to try to distort the song to leave the listener somewhat disoriented.

Hollowed Out

This song is from the point of view of the characters conscious, telling him that in order to solve your problems, you can just take the ‘hollow’ route. Now that you are disoriented and can’t really determine what your reality consists of, it is time to follow directions, follow orders, and completely sell out your values. This means a life dedicated to the chasing of money and capital. Greed dominates and you lose empathy for others. The ads worked, the powers that be have controlled your decision making. You may even skip voting because that doesn’t matter anymore. I wanted this song to shift parts seamlessly but not have any chorus to sort of amp up the bleak path he has chosen. He may even be dancing at the end, in some sort of dark joy at his new life choice.

Feral Plains

This song was inspired by that moment when you start to figure out all of those political factors that you didn’t quite understand before and you are sort of in shock. The burden of being conscious so to speak. What this character figures out is that his voice and words are meaningless and his pursuit of capital was just a way for the powerful to screw him over. I wanted this path towards realization to be dark, but also with some beauty intertwined. At the end of the song, the ‘higher power’ comes in to tell him that he has stolen his possessions and it is no longer his. This, of course, leaves him disenfranchised, angry, and beaten down.

Grow Static

This song was special to me because after I recorded it, I was terrified. It literally scared me. I knew that had to be the title track after that. It was inspired by a moment in my life when I was asked to take communion in church when I was 11 years old. They said you have to confess and give your life to God, and if you take the communion without doing this, it is some sort of grave sin. I knowingly didn’t confess and ate it anyway in an act of defiance. I remember it vividly because I was terrified of displeasing everyone, but I knew I had to do it. This is a cathartic song where the unnamed character it calling out everyone, including himself, in a full realization that he has been manipulated, though it sort of feels like a weird dream. This is close to how I felt in church. He exposes the powers that be as a fraud and self-serving. The idea to ‘grow static’ and ‘know static’ is to understand what is happening around you, but to also pursue your own truth. Create art, speak out, pursue your goals, trust your conscious and intellect, and fight back with knowledge. I used the bells as a way to remind me of the church incident and how it was a turning point for me.
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Thanks

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

Shutting Down with Tombstones In Their Eyes - An Interview

Photography by Cathryn Farnsworth

Quando os primeiros momentos de "Shutting Down" novo trabalho do Tombstones In Their Eyes começa, o colapso tem seu início.

Esqueça a psicodelia flower power colorida dos 60´s, os caras apenas se alimentam dos elementos lisérgicos daquela geração e os fundem com o pós punk em formas de blues garageiro do Gun Club aliados a repetição de feeedback do Spacemen 3 e criam a trilha sonora perfeita para o caos dos nossos tempos.

Psicodelismo negro, beirando a demência, com bad trips eminentes, assim é a receita do Tombstones In Their Eyes.

Pega seu ticket e tente ter uma boa viagem.

***** Interview with Tombstones In Their Eyes *****

Photography by Cathryn Farnsworth

Q. When did Tombstones In Their Eyes start? Tell us about the history...

It's a strange beginning, since it goes back to childhood. James Cooper and I were friends in San Diego when we were kids. After we turned 18, I moved back to Los Angeles and we lost touch. We both lived lives centered around rock and roll, punk rock, and debauchery. Many years later, after we both had cleaned up and became semi-responsible adults, we were re-introduced. James was living in New York and I was in Los Angeles. We decided to try to write some songs together using Garageband and Dropbox. The first song was not that great, but it showed us that we could do it and have fun. The songs started to get better. I would write the guitar parts and vocals, James would add the drums and sometimes guitar, bass or keyboards. While this was going on, I began experiencing anxiety and depression, and the songs became my therapy. I could write about what I was feeling and I was obsessed with songwriting. At a certain point, I came up with the name of the band. Then I made the decision to take the demos and try to record them with other people in a real studio, just for fun. That's how the first record, Sleep Forever, came about. The two people that helped with that record were Josh Drew on bass and Samuel Sherwood on drums. Since then, some of the band members have changed and we now have Josh Drew switching to guitar, Stephen Striegel on drums and Mike Mason on bass. It's now a real band, with stable members. The latest single, Shutting Down, was much more collaborative, rather than just me in the basement.

Q: Who are your influences?
Spacemen 3, Rolling Stones, Butthole Surfers, the Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Love, The Dandy Warhols, Electric Wizard, Built to Spill, The Cramps, Elliott Smith, Germs, Type O Negative, The Black Angels. I could go on and on.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
No way to really do this, of course, but here's what came out.

1. Germs - GI
2. Cramps - Songs The Lord Taught Us
3. Spacemen 3 - Sound of Confusion
4. The Gun Club - The Fire of Love
5. Melvins - Stoner Witch

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I love playing live. It is a high. The nervousness and the butterflies. Sweat. Time slows down and speeds up at the same time.

Q. How do you describe Tombstones In Their Eyes sounds?
Fuzz, reverb and layering. A blend of darkness, rock, psychedelia, doom and helplessness. We probably fit into what is now called psych rock.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
With the last single, it was different than normal. Usually, the demos are made by James and I, and then we try to recreate them in the studio. This time, I didn't write the 2nd guitar part, Jose wrote his own parts and they took the songs somewhere else great. Mike came in and added his own bass lines. So we had a demo with the other members on it and went to the studio with that. Stephen is such a great drummer - he played along to the demo and made his parts that way. We always record at Kitten Robot Studios with Paul Roessler. It is such a great environment. I go in there a lot after the basic tracks are done and add little parts and we mix as we go along.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
I recommend an old band that I found a while back. They are called Guitaro and have some beautiful songs, especially "Find You Out (Part 4)".

Another band I love is called Quest For Fire. They're not so new, but people should check them out, too.

I guess I don't listen to enough new stuff, haha!

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Right now it is "Melody Day" by Caribou. I don't know if we could do it justice, but it would be fun to try to make it in our own style.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
We hope to start playing some shows, now that we have a stable lineup. And definitely more recording!

Q: Any parting words?
Thank you very much for including us!
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/TombstonesInTheirEyes/
https://tombstonesintheireyes.bandcamp.com/releases

Recover with Motorcade - An Interview

James Henderson, Andrew Huffstetler, John Dufilho e Jeff Ryan já participaram de inúmeras bandas, leia-se, St. Vincent, The Apples in Stereo, The War on Drugs, The Deathray Davies, Baboon e com Mr. Daniel Johnston, e agora decidiram se juntar e formar um supergrupo chamado Motorcade.

O debute deles lançado ano passadoa é um mix de psicodelismo sessentista e melodias melancólicas dos 80´s, ou o pós punk clássico revivendo os gloriosos anos sessenta, tudo isso teletransportado para os nossos dias.

"Recover" é pegajosa, viciante e deliciosamente envolvente. Quando se menos espera vocês esta cantarolando junto com o Motorcade. "Walk With Me", outro ponto alto do álbum, parece ser uma pérola perdida do clássico Script of the Bridge dos Chameleons.

Se houvesse justiça na música, o Motorcade deveria ser headliner de grandes festivais, simples assim.

Épico.

***** Interview with Motorcade *****

Q. When did Motorcade start? Tell us about the history...
Motorcade initially started with James, Andrew and myself a few years ago, wanting to do a new project. We’d all been friends for a really long time, went to college together and have continued to be friends for many years. So having this history between us we know our likes and dislikes and thought it would be a good idea to put something together.

Things progressed kind of slowly at first between us just hashing out a few ideas and then we decided to get pretty serious about it. James started sending out pretty fleshed out mixes of songs and/or ideas and we started chiming in opinions and eventually made our way into the studio to start cutting drum tracks and vocal tracks. Around this same time, is when we pulled in John who is also one of our very close friends and my neighbor, and he’s also been in bands for years as well, like the Deathray Davies and Apples in Stereo. We knew he’d be a perfect fit being a solid player and an all around great guy.

Both he and James are sound engineers and work in their own respective studios here in Dallas. So having access to the studios we were able to track drums and vocals at our leisure and then James just mixed everything.

So even though Motorcade is a relatively new band, it feels like we’ve been doing this for quite awhile now, but in a good way. Basically, just because we’ve been chipping away at this record for a long time and now we’re ecstatic that it’s finally coming out.

Q. Who are your influences?
Joy Division/New Order, Bunnymen, Wire, Banshees

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Ocean Rain-EATB
Stranded-Roxy Music
Stone Roses - Stone Roses
The Cure - Faith
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Anxious

Q. How do you describe Motorcade sounds?
The best bits of the late 60s and early 80s all mixed up and recorded well.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
James: I would do a very fleshed-out, glorified “demo” of a song which would cover all the instruments plus a programmed beat. Then we’d record drums for it, then vocals.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Motorcade

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Magazine-The Light Pours Out Of Me

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Promote the record to the best of our ability, expand the live show with visuals and that. See if anyone wants a follow-up record and start on that.

Q: Any parting words
Is your daddy home?
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Thanks

https://soundcloud.com/user-268884959
https://www.facebook.com/motorcade63/

The Only Boy On The Planet by Zombie Girlfriend - Interview and Video Premiere

Com quatro discos no currículo, os hungaros do Zombie Girlfriend são daqueles preciosidades escondidas no submundo dos bons e que fazem jus ao jargão do TBTCI, "uma viagem ao submundo dos bons sons".

Psicodélicos, sonhadores e melódicos, os caras seguem criando suas pérolas com dois lados distintos, inspirados na psicodelia freak do Dandy Warhols e no frescor melancólico de gente como The Chills e Magnetic Fields o Zombie Girlfriend chega as páginas do TBTCI, tardiamente, diga-se de passagem, pelo intermédio do comparsa dos bons sons, Ansel Garcia, ou "psychogazer", ativista dos bons sons através tanto do "psychogazer como de sua página "Indie in Red". Ansel fez a ponte entre o Zombie Girlfriend e o TBTCI para além de desvendarmos mais a fundo quem são os caras, mas também pela premiere do novo single/vídeo dos caras, a viciante "The Only Boy On The Planet", que gera uma conexão ainda mais efetiva com heróis chamados The Only Ones.

Se por ventura você não conhece o Zombie Girlfriend, chegou o momento de você se redimir..

***** Interview with Zombie Girlfriend *****

Q. When did Zombie Girlfriend start? Tell us about the history...
A: It all started in a children's library in my hometown. That's where I started recording with the help of a friend. I was writing songs in my bedroom - I guess my story is not that special, huh,,, I soon moved to Budapest, assembled a band, played a few gigs home and abroad, then moved on to pursue other projects. It took me four years to realize that I can't live without this band, so here we are now, starting all over again.

Q: Who are your influences?
A: I used to be a music journalist and I still have the toxic habit of listening to hundreds of new records a year. I listen to all kinds of stuff but if you're interested in my all-time favorites who directly influenced the way Zombie Girlfriend sounds, I would say The Chills, The Clientele, The Magnteic Fields, Black Moth Super Rainbpw, early Dandy Warhols, children's songs and gregorian chants.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
A: That's impossible but I guess you know that so just for the fun of it...
The Clientele: Suburban Light
Black Moth Super Rainbow: Dandelion Gum
The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Dandy Warhols: Dandys Rule OK
The Chills: Submarine Bells

Q. How do you feel playing live? A:I love it, especially with Zombie Girlfriend. It's like being in a cartoon band, all the energy and the rush of adrenaline. Plus the people in the band are really great.

Q. How do you describe Zombie Girlfriend sounds?
A: At its best Zombie Girlfriend sounds like running through a vast green field in heavy wind with a storm brewing on the pink, blue and gray horizon. I always had this mental image of people singing wonderful three-part melodies while distorted guitars are being drenched in oceans of reverb. I hope we can be those people.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
A: Up until now it was mostly me in different home studios. Now we finally started recording our next LP with the whole band so I think this is the first time people can actually hear all of us.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
A: Ok, I'm going to mention a few Hungarian bands because they're wonderful. Gustave Tiger plays music that manages to be chaotic, raw and beautiful at the same time. It's like being run over by tanks while angels are singing christmas carols. Mayberian Sanskülotts is a really special band that merges dream pop, new wave á la The Cure circa 1984, coldwave and otherworldy, unbelievable melodies. The Somersault Boy is our bass player Laci's band. They play irresistible power pop with big hooks and you wouldn't believe they're not from the US.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
A: I think I've already made that one. I covered The Oncoming Day by The Chills in 2011. It's funny because I just posted that song on Facebook and Martin Phillips liked it so I guess I can die happily now, haha.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: I want to tour as much as possible with Zombie Girlfriend while being grateful to be in this band with all these great people.

Q: Any parting words?
A: There was a time when I thought there will be no more Zombie Girlfriend so this is like a dream for me. I try and enjoy it while it lasts. And I'd like to thank Ansel Garcia for directing me here. People of the world, I hope we'll meet as many of you as we can.
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Thanks

https://zombiegirlfriend.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zombie-Girlfriend/118406744890277

Lost Moon with Here Knows When - An Interview

Uma curiosa história onde três cientistas que estudavam na Universidade da Califórnia em Davis se cruzaram por um daqueles acasos, onde logicamente tem as mãos dos deuses da música, e assim surgiu o trio Here Knows When.

Charan Ranganath, Jeff Sherman e Danielle Stolzenberg, os cientistas, e agora juntos sob o espectro de influências tão dispares quanto Led Zeppelin, como Replacements, ou.... bem, a lista de referências deles é interminável, mesmo porque são décadas de boa música condensada numa sonoridade intensa, barulhenta, por vezes melancólica em outras raivosa.

Tudo isso, esta explicitado no primeiro EP deles, "Lost Moon", onde o Here Knows When tritura o pós punk sob uma visão dos subúrbios barulhentos e caóticos das cidades que cada um deles vem, leia-se Chicago, Boston e Califórnia, talvez por isso mesmo, em alguns momentos, ecos de Throwing Muses, Pixies, Jesus Lizard e outras barulheiras apareçam gritando durante as cinco canções do EP, com direito a uma releitura impagável de "Love Will Tear Us Apart".

O Here Know Whens é barulho de primeira grandeza.

***** Interview with To Here Knows When *****

Q. When did Here Knows When start? Tell us about the history…
CR: Danielle, Jeff, and I are all scientists at the University of California at Davis. Earlier, we had each played in bands in California, Chicago, and Boston, and I think we first got together about 2 years ago.

DS: Honestly, it seems like magic to me. Years prior, Jeff found out that I played music from a "google search of this new faculty member"... but never in a million years did I imagine that I would actually find musicians to play with in Davis, much less in my department! I don't think I had ever actually spoken to Charan until our first practice! In my memory it just fell together in this perfect way.

Q: Who are your influences?
DS: In no real order: Madonna, Tom Petty, Alice in Chains, American Analog Set, Death Cab for Cutie, Cat power, Heart, Smashing Pumpkins, Mariah Carey.. I could go on, but Im embarrassing my band mates.

JS: Dinosaur Jr., Replacements, Rolling Stones, REM, Minor Threat, Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychedelic Furs, Smiths

CR: So, so many. Led Zeppelin is probably the biggest influence, because their songs were so diverse, and they pushed the boundaries in so many ways. When I was growing up, I first got into hard rock and metal (Def Leppard, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth), then hip hop (Public Enemy, NWA, etc.) and then punk (Clash, Ramones, Black Flag, Descendants, Husker Du, and the Minutemen. And then bands that are harder to classify like fIREHOSE, the Cult, R.E.M., Iggy and the Stooges, MC5, Joy Division, Gang of Four, Bauhaus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Specials. In the 90's, I got into Sonic Youth, Archers of Loaf, Dinosaur, Mudhoney, PJ Harvey, Tad, Big Black, Tar, Jesus Lizard, Smashing Pumpkins, Screaming Trees, Hum, Glenn Branca, McLusky, Future of the Left, Don Caballero, Slint, My Bloody Valentine, Band of Susans, The Ex, Seam, Jawbox, Slint, Sonic Youth, The Joy Formidable, Spacemen 3, the faith healers... And I also got into jazz—John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Ken Vandermark. I got kind of out of touch with new music for the past 15 years, and I've been trying to play catchup since then! Probably my most out-there discovery has been Ethiopian r&b from the 1960s, like Alameyehu Eshete. Awesome stuff!

Having said all that, I don't think that our music we do is particularly like anything I listen to-maybe the closest would be Hum, the Joy Formidable, My Bloody Valentine, Band of Susans, and Seam.

I'm not embarrassed by Danielle's response btw—my guilty pleasure is Phil Collins.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
DS:
1. Jar of Flies- Alice in Chains
2. Gish- Smashing Pumpkins
3. We have the facts and we're voting yes- Death Cab for Cutie
4. Wildflowers- Tom Petty
5. The moon & Antarctica- Modest Mouse

JS:
Springsteen: Born to Run
The Clash: The Clash
Replacements: Tim
Dinosaur Jr.: You’re Living All Over Me
Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St.

CR: Only 5? That is difficult but right now, I'd say:
Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation
Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti or IV or II
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
Don Caballero: What Burns Never Returns
Def Leppard: High and Dry/Pyromania (it's a tie, I can't choose)

Q. How do you feel playing live?
DS: It's literally the best thing I've ever felt in my life. I mean, it's terrifying, but also like a million orgasms at once.

JS: Playing live is phenomenal. One of the few occasions when I am living purely in the moment.

Q. How do you describe Here Knows When sounds?
JS: Transmissions from deep ocean, deep space, and deep noise

DS: Shooting stars on a foggy night.

CR: One of the key elements of our sound is that Danielle and I have a yin and yang thing going on. We write our parts differently and we go for different tones so that the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. On about half our songs, I play baritone guitar, which is tuned from B to B instead of E to E, so it's somewhere between a bass and a guitar. I'll tend to go for guitar sounds that have a sharp attack. Danielle, on the other hand, plays a Stratocaster that normally trebly sound, and she always uses a ton of reverb. I build effects pedals that Danielle and I use in the band, and that lets us generate some unusual sounds and textures.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
DS: It was really fun! The room we recorded in allowed me to transport to this perfect mental space. I felt really alive while recording and the energy from my band mates was incredible.

CR: It was a great experience, and my first with a totally digital recording setup. We worked with Patrick Hills, an amazing engineer at Earthtone studios. He set up the drum mics in about 20 minutes, and was able to get the best drum sound I've ever had on a recording. Patrick encouraged us to take the time we needed on each song, so we got to do the recording and mixing here and there over a period of 3 months. We don't have a bassist, so I ended up adding bass tracks, and we also double tracked the guitars. On the endings of Hydrogen Isotope and Love Will Tear Us Apart, I got to layer on a few extra guitar tracks and swell them in as the song reached the finale. Then, during the mixing and mastering, we put on some samples, noise loops that Patrick had recorded, and random spring reverb effects in some places. That was awesome.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
CR: This band sounds nothing like us, but my favorite new discovery is Kowloon Walled City. Their album, "Grievances" is absolutely amazing. They play heavy music, almost like metal, but instead of bashing you with a wall of sound, they'll play these single notes and chords and let them ring out. The recordings capture that space in between the notes, so it's almost like the room reverberation is an instrument unto itself. Another artist I like a lot is the Soft Moon from Oakland.

JS: Alvvays

DS: I've been really into this new-ish band Sunflower Bean.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
CR: I like to mess around with covers, but artistically, I'm really more interested in taking an existing song and totally deconstructing it. That was our approach with "Love will tear us apart". Someday, I'd love to do a shoegaze version of Metallica's Master of Puppets.

DS: We have lots of ideas for covers, but ultimately we would rather spend the little time we have creating music.

JS: Would love to cover Alvvays

Q: What are your plans for the future?
DS: To quit my day job and play music ALL THE TIME. Just kidding. I think a short tour would be really amazing.

CR: I'd like to keep pushing the boundaries with more experimental sounds and arrangements, and it would be great to try some interesting multimedia stuff in our live shows. I also have been working on building a lo-fi synthesizer and analog sequencer and it would be great to squeeze that in somehow!

Q: Any parting words?
DS: This question is too open ended for me... I need direction!

CR: I'm just thankful to make music I love with people that I connect with. We're not doing this with the expectation of getting rich or famous—we just want to write and play music and hopefully have people hear it. And, we have a little pile of t-shirts we'd like to sell :)
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Thanks

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

Bon Voyage with Case di Vetro - An Interview

Quando se escuta o álbum de estreia dos italianos do Case di Vetro, tem em um primeiro momento um choque, afinal o álbum é totalmente composto e cantado em italiano, mas esta impressão deve ser a mesma que os gringos tem quando escutam algo em português, ou em qualquer outro idioma que não seja o inglês.

Conforme "Bon Voyage" vai se desenvolvendo a percepção deixa de ser de espanto e começa a soar normalmente, como uma boa bebida, vai descendo e conforme vão acabando as músicas vai sendo consumido mais e quando se menos espera o disco termina, daí, é reiniciar e saboreá-lo em sua essência, pegar as nuances e entender que o chamado "italogaze" faz total sentido no caso do Case di Vetro.

Mas, o Case di Vetro, na opinião do TBTCI, não é shoegaze, apenas na essência, o fato é que os caras estão muito mais para o Radiohead do que para o MBV, faça você mesmo suas descobertas, mas pra isso é preciso desapegar-se da língua, sinta-a apenas como mais um instrumento. Afinal, essa é uma das essências do shoegaze, não!?!?

***** Interview with Case di Vetro *****

Q. When did Case di Vetro start? Tell us about the history... 

Sure! We started in 2012, in Genoa, and for three years we writed songs and played live. In 2015 we chose 5 songs and we published our first EP "Sete" with the help of three labels: Marsiglia Records, DreaminGorilla Records and Wasabi Produzioni. We started to bring "Sete" live but meanwhile we straightaway began to write new songs for our next album. We published "Bon Voyage" this September with label DreaminGorilla Records.

Q: Who are your influences?
We have many influences: Foals, Radiohead, Beach House, Sigur Ros and italian artists like Lucio Battisti and Verdena.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time… It's absolutely impossible to answer! There are so many artists we could choose, and we also have different ideas of what changed music history. The only thing we can do is to list 5 albums that we always love to listen and that we consider significant for our idea of music (and of course for our music writing):
Lucio Battisti - Il nostro caro angelo
Mew - No more stories...
Pink Floyd - The dark side of the moon
Radiohead - OK Computer
Youth Lagoon - The year of hibernation

Q. How do you feel playing live?
It's awesome playing live! We love the writing and creating part but stage is absolutely the place where we prefer to be (and where we can play at higher volumes!)

Q. How do you describe Case di Vetro sounds?
We are building our sounds, day by day. We try to ricreate atmosphere with soundscapes coming from shoegaze or post-rock and mix that sound with energy and feelings of a pop/indie song.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
We start in our reharsal room playing and recording with our instrumentation. Sometimes we begin recording a mix and then we work on it, changing, adding or deleting parts, and sometimes we build the song playing live. When we have the final mix of the song we move on a recording studio where we focus on the right sounds.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Klangstof Sophia Kennedy Giorgio Poi

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Lucio Battisti

Q: What are your plans for the future?
We have just published our new album so at the moment we wanna focus on live concerts.

Q: Any parting words?
We want to thank you for this interview and we hope your readers love our music. All the best!
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Thanks

https://casedivetro.bandcamp.com
http://www.casedivetro.com/
https://www.facebook.com/casedivetro/

Take Me Back with Seeing Hands - An Interview

Pouco menos de dois é a idade de vida do trio inglês, Seeing Hands, e mesmo sendo novatos, os caras tem identidade de gente grande.

Mesmo porque no mundo do dreampop, tudo pode ser extremamente perigoso, mas quando acerta-se a mão, a coisa flui intensamente.

Sinta a brisa leve e adocicada do novo single dos caras, "Take Me Back/Love You Still", e deixe fluir a cintilante melodia por entre sua mente, e uma tenra sensação de tranquilidade vai dominá-lo por completo.

Assim é a música pop, quando ela beira a perfeição, como no caso do Seeing Hands, palavras soam meras coadjuvantes.

***** Interview with Seeing Hands *****

Q. When did Seeing Hands start? Tell us about the history...
Kev - Seeing Hands started about a year and a half ago. I had wrote a bunch of songs and needed to start a band, then we met through mutual friends and bonded with similar music tastes.

Q: Who are your influences?
K- Wild Nothing, The Cure, The War on Drugs, Deerhunter, Cocteau Twins

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Wild Nothing - Nocturne, Tame Impala - Innerspeaker, Talk Talk - It's My Life, Prefab Sprout - From Langley Park To Memphis, Love - Forever Changes

Q. How do you feel playing live?
K- Drunk

Liam - There's no better feeling than nailing a live set and knowing that both you and the audience have thoroughly enjoyed the experience

Q. How do you describe Seeing Hands sounds?
Liam - If Duran Duran and The Smiths had a baby.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
K - Currently we record at The Nave in Leeds with Alex Greaves. Alex is great, we usually send him a demo a couple months prior and by the time we get there he is engulfed in the song already with all sorts of ideas. He's the man.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
K - I'm bang in to Porches at the minute, Mood is perfect.

Varty - Really in to Baywaves, and Gus Dapperton's EP is pretty good

K - I've also never had the new War on Drugs record off. Alex Cameron too, that guy is gona be a star.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
K - I'm still convinced I can make a jangle-pop version of a Korn song. Rest of the band aren't so convinced. Varty really wants to do Millionaire by Outkast.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
K - We have an EP coming out in October then we will tour early next year. Once that is out the way we can concentrate on a full length which we can hopefully release in summer 2018.
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Thanks

facebook.com/seeinghandsband
twitter.com/seeinghandsband
soundcloud.com/seeinghands
musicglue.com/seeinghands

OO Spool with Cherokee Dreams - An Interview

No início dos 90´s uma houve uma turnê chamada Rollercoaster, um o line up continha Blur, J&MC, MBV e Dinosaur Jr. E o que chega para derreter as páginas do TBTCI é justamente uma colisão deliciosamente viciante entre MBV e Dinosaur Jr. é o que se encontra no primeiro EP do pessoal de Alabama, o quarteto Cherokee Dreams.

Quatro suculentos e barulhentos exercícios de como se faz shoegaze barulhento, derretidamente estridente e sonhador.

Quer se apaixonar imediatamente, então escute o Cherokee Dreams e escute alto, e seu coração estará salvo.

***** Interview with Cherokee Dreams *****

Q. When did Cherokee Dreams start? Tell us about the history...
Cherokee Dreams started as a bedroom recording project roughly six years ago (early demos can be found here (https://soundcloud.com/cherokeedreams). At that point in time I was primarily playing drums for Nightmare Boyzzz (https://nightmareboyzzz.bandcamp.com), so I didn't have much time or energy to focus on my own music.There where a few shows Cherokee Dreams played during this time but it was more of a combination project with four songwriters rotating out instruments and vocals. After parting ways with the Boyzzz I was feeling pretty burned out and I was having a hard time finding the motivation to get back to recording/performing. After marrying my dream lady (also a musician) I began to feel inspired and eager to pick the project back up. I think it's also worth mentioning that on our first date we saw Boogarins supporting the Clean, needless to say it was an awesome show! So Paige and I started working on/reworking some songs and melodies and earlier this year we went into a friends studio and recorded 7 or 8 songs...I think that pretty much covers the current history of Cherokee Dreams.

Q: Who are your influences?
Cocteau Twins, The Clean, Jackson C. Frank, The Smiths, MBV, Starflyer 59, Stone Roses, and Swervedriver...just to name a few.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
This is always a difficult question to answer...
1) My Bloody Valentine - You Made Me Realise/Loveless
2) Swervedriver - Mezcal Head
3) Jackson C. Frank - S/T
4) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest/Microcastle
5) The Cure - Disintegration

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Playing live is definitely the most rewarding experience, being able to connect with an audience and share your material is extremely encouraging and fun. It can also be an anxiety inducing experience as artists are often pouring their heart and soul into a song, but the energy from a room full of listeners usually cancels out any bad vibes.

Q. How do you describe Cherokee Dreams sounds?
A dark, nostalgic, washed out soundscape. Sometimes harsh and nauseating, but in a good way!

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Our most recent recordings were done at Cypress Moon Studios (formerly Muscle Shoals Sound) with Portside Sound in Studio B. Some of the tracks were done live with friends from past bands and the others were done layer by layer with myself doing most of the instrumentation. All in all, it was a really fun time and Jamie and Albert at Portside Sound really nailed exactly what I had envisioned the songs sounding like. It was quite possibly the most effortless session I've been a part of, everything came together really well and organically, and I'm looking forward to going back there to record some more material.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
While these are not necessarily new bands they are kindred spirits and some of my favorite "local" bands, Holy Youth and Wray from Birmingham Alabama.
Also worth noting Daniel Elias and Exotic Dangers from my home town of Florence AL, in case you're looking for some new late 70's style rock and roll.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Funny that you asked, we actually recorded a cover of Makes No Sense At All by Husker Du during our most recent recording session.

Hoping to have that posted to our Bandcamp page soon!

Q: What are your plans for the future?
To continue recording new material and to hit the road touring at some point in the near future. Perhaps we can make our way to Brazil!

Q: Any parting words?
Obrigado TBTCI! Follow Cherokee Dreams on Instagram @cherokee.dreams and check out the sounds at https://cherokeedreams.bandcamp.com/releases.

Até mais tarde!
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https://cherokeedreams.bandcamp.com

We Have No Friends? with Surf Rock is Dead - An Interview

Seguindo por caminhos e conexões com gente do naipe de DIIV, Beach House, Day Wave e afins, o o duo radicado no Brooklyn, NY, Surf Rock is Dead, chega a seu ápice criativo em seus três de existência, por conta do recém lançado "We Have No Friend?".

Um cintilante dreampop acima da média, e talvez mais interessante do que seus contemporâneos, principalmente por se aventurar um pouco mais em caminhos mais, digamos, soturnos em alguns momentos, principalmente na predileta, "White Salsa".

Suavemente envolvente e indispensável para os sonhadores de plantão.

***** Interview with Surf Rock is Dead *****

Q. When did Surf Rock is Dead start? Tell us about the history...
A: (Kevin) The basis for Surf Rock is Dead initially started in late 2014. Joel and I had been loose beer buddies in New York and one day finally said "fuck it let's jam." We programmed a simple beat on an old beat machine, he picked up the bass, I picked up the guitar, and we just started writing riffs focusing on interesting and catchy melodies. The basis of it wasn't to start a band but we were having a blast and wrote enough songs for a live set and thought that forming a band may be the natural next step.

Q: Who are your influences?
A: (Kevin) Growing up and playing guitar, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) would have to be the strongest influence and the reason why I think I have an affinity for lead guitar melodies rather than chord structures. As far as creating interesting and dreamy sonic textures I really love Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Ratatat, Ariel Pink to name a few.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
A: (Joel) Abbey Road - The Beatles, Kid A - Radiohead, Either/Or - Elliott Smith, Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective, Teen Dream - Beach House

Q. How do you feel playing live?
A: (Kevin) Playing live is a completely unique human experience. It is something rare and liberating considering so much of our time every day consists of staring at glowing electronic rectangles. To completely shed away from that and focus on raw and organic music is cathartic. While playing live we really just focus on having a good time and hitting the right notes (which isn't always 100% lol).

Q. How do you describe Surf Rock is Dead sounds?
A: (Joel) Hahaha this is a question we get so often and yet we still find it so difficult to answer. I'd generally say its New Wave meets Shoegaze meets Surf Rock. Sometimes I like to describe it as Surfgaze, but today I feel Haze Wave may be more appropriate. From a completely sonic perspective; verb washed licks with fat drum tones coupled wth melancholic indie vocals...

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
A: (Joel) This is something that changes from song to song. Often we'll make a demo to start making sure the crux of the song is there. Once we feel the song is holding water we'll move over to tracking drums, bass, guitars and vocals (in no particular order, generally whatever we're feeling at the time). Sometimes new guitar parts and harmonies are created here and wander their way into the songs.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
A: Joy Again, Grim Streaker, Suburban Living

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
A: (Kevin) There's this amazing song called "So Many Things to Tell You" by Mark Redito that has a very simple chord structure yet intriguing melodies, rhythms, and synths done in a very contemporary LA pop sort of way. I feel like we can do something really cool converting everything into bombastic live instrumentation with some wailing reverb guitar. It would be a fun little experiment.... Link to song--->

"So Many Things to Tell You"- Mark Redito

Q: What are your plans for the future?
(Kevin) We are jumping on an East Coast and Canada tour with Black Kids and on top of that will be focusing on always recording new tunes. If anyone will be in any of the below cities hit us up and come out !

USA+Canada Tour w/ Black Kids
Oct 22 – DC9 – Washington DC
Oct 24 – Boot & Saddle – Philadelphia, PA
Oct 26 – Sonia – Cambridge, MA
Oct 28 – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge – Burlington, VT
Oct 29 – Petit Campus – Montreal, QC
Oct 30 – The Garrison – Toronto, ONQ: Any parting words?

A: (Kevin) Honestly we would love to make it out to Brazil but the best we can offer now is for you all to check us out online! We have vinyl featuring our 2nd EP "We Have No Friends?" on the A side and our debut EP "SRiD" on the B side. Links below!

Thanks so much for reaching out to us and requesting the interview.

Vinyl
Spotify
Apple Music
Bandcamp
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White with The Name of the Band - An Interview

O francês Bernard Marie é envolvido basicamente com um coletivo chamado "Nothing', só pra listar alguns nomes desde pessoal, Maria False, Dead, Future, e por aí vai.

Com este pequena introdução, chegamos ao projeto dele com outros malucos, o nome, The Name of the Band.

Sem um direcionamento musical, é impossível categorizar o que eles fazem, pois em cada single, e eles tem inúmeros, existe uma identidade própria, o The Name of the Band pode ser caoticamente em formas drone matematicamente repetidas, como pode soar como uma avalanche de noise perturbador, ou ainda, um belo guitar sound evocando os 90´s, mas já em outro momento, tudo pode virar um eletro noise cinzento.

Para o The Name of the Band não há limites, há apenas a liberdade de criar música, simples assim.

**** Interview with The Name of the Band *****

Q. When did The Name of the Band start? Tell us about the history...
Actually it’s not a new project, it started 10 years ago. I bought an old Fender Jazzmaster and had a vague idea of a song, but the system I was used to record demos broke down, so I took the little iMac with Garageband I had nearby. It immediatly gave this sound. I don’t mean this software has amazing sound qualities, but everything is simple with it and it goes quick. I had the song, loud, different, direct and true, and an opened field to dig in. Then it took time to find the good formula to play it on stage and above all, the good persons to play with (thanks so much to Marie and Matt). I have to admit that we play and tour with Maria False and with Dead (other bands I’m involved in), so we don't have a lot of time to spend in forming another band.

But the good point is that, after these years, we can rely on about 70 songs, a well-defined sound and a good stage experience for all of us. It makes that The name of the band is an easy band, everything goes quick and with a lot of fun.

Q: Who are your influences?
Well, talking about influences is always difficult. I mean I don’t think we play to do the same we love to hear. We can debate about what rock-and roll is, but what is clear is what it is not. This music is a reaction against something, and personally I feel much more influenced and motived by all the bullshit sounds I can hear all around me.

But to be honest, I'd like to talk about The Pixies. Not because this band is one of my favorite bands, but because I realised with them that doing music was possible. No need to have a good technical level (well it seemed at the time), a sophisticated sound, expensive material or fancy outfits to make a good band. Without them, I think I would have just continued listening music, without the idea that I could make it.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
I’m afraid I don’t know a lot of things about music, so I’m not very credible. I spend a lot of time doing and playing it and I do not have time to listen the others. When I do, I try to understand how they made it, that’s crazy. To answer your question, I can talk about Question Mark and the Mysterians and their «Ninety-six tears». They have never made something better than this single and it’s my favorite rock song. More than love it, this song is still a mystery for me, I can’t understand how it works so well without so much objective qualities in it. It’s magic and very fascinating…

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Exciting! As I said, the band is easy and the sound is powerful. We all know well each others and all have other bands. The name of the band is a freedom to test other things, things we aren't used to practice in our other bands. For example, a lot of parts in the show are not planned. Everything depends on the feelings and the sound we can have on stage, especially because of these guitar amp feedback effects we use.

Q. How do you describe The Name of the Band sounds?
Well, firstly it's based on this wide and wild amp guitar sound. It takes a big place in the mix because it’s never compelled as it ordinary can be. It stays very organic and free. We use special guitars for that, a lot of valve preamps, valve amps and large frequency range cabs. In opposition, we work on very controlled drums and vocals. That gives this tension. Well, it supposed to do that effect, hahaha.

About the songwriting, the idea is to play with rock-and-roll more than to play rock-and-roll properly speaking, as poetry and language in a way. It means that we take the usual structures, shapes or clichés of rock music and play them differently to write our songs. So there’s always a distance I guess, but rock-and-roll is almost 70 years old now and it's a nonsense to try to play this music nowadays like it was a new thing. Everyone know what it's dealing with. You can also understand our very stupid band name with this explanation I think.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
It’s very quick. We always try to keep the first idea of the song. We record and exchange our parts by the network and then it is quickly mixed, song by song. But these are not demos, they are not supposed to be re-recorded later in better studio conditions. It has to stay rough, something in between, a big sounding demo or a cheap production, as you want. Here again, there’s a format to invent.

About the sound, we never change the tool : same guitars, same amps, same mics… The creative part is not on this side. We don’t care about the sound, it’s just a vector. We record very loudly and noisy and then quickly shape and organize instruments together in the mix. When you start to understand the tune, get the lyrics and the rhythmic pattern, the mix is ended.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
I have some difficulties with a lot of new bands. It seems that the novelty and the strength come from the olders nowadays. May be that’s because these old artists have nothing to lose now… (I’m thinking about the last Alan Vega «It» LP, it’s very hard and it goes very far but this exemple is may be too excessive). I see a lot of new bands choosing very comfortable sounds and weak proposals. May be that’s an effect of the music industry crisis, but these bands are afraid to lose something they don’t have. Crisis is just another word for change. To react to that in our way, we have formed with other bands the collective «Nøthing». We have created it to play, communicate and spread our sounds in an easy way. It works like a label, even if formaly it’s not. You can take time to hear these bands.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
I don’t know… But there was this nineties euro dance hit of Culture beat, «Anything», the vocal line is pretty fine, I would like us to try to do something with this, one day.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
We have no plans. I learned that this is the best way to last.

Q: Any parting words?
Well, don’t listen rock music, do it. And don’t say that’s difficult, it’s false, rockers are all slackers.
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https://thenameoftheband.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/pg/The-Name-of-the-Band-176717065719658