Dead White Flowers with Sandy Lake - An Interview

Sandy Lake ou Archana T. Serra  é uma trovadora lo fi, lapidada em sônicas texturas hipnoticamente envolventes.

Informações sobre Archana são nulas, salvo talvez, as que ela confidenciou ao TBTCI na entrevista abaixo.

Mas, a bem da verdade, muitas vezes palavras soam desnecessárias, principalmente no caso de "Dead White Flowers", debute da moça.

Ecos de Mazzy Star, American Music Club, entre outros permeiam as canções do disco, mas veja, apenas permeiam, porque o encantamento é feito através da crueza sutil de Sandy Lake.

Um colírio para os ouvidos, simples assim.

***** Interview with Sandy Lake *****

Q: When did Sandy Lake begin.Tell us about the history...
Sandy lake actually began in 2014 when I watched A Montage Of Heck. I was inspired by the documentary and by Kurt himself. So on that day, I decided to research more on grunge music and my life changed at that bit. I officially started playing guitar and composing songs for family and friends because of him. However, last year I found out that I had to start applying for universities and that I was madly falling for this person. And so I recorded songs based on life experiences to impress unis and the one I liked. Later this year, I found how significant and sorta beautiful some of my songs were so I opened a bandcamp artist account!

Q: Who are your influences?
Well my influences range from 90s and 2000s hits which my parents would blast approximately every weekend, green day, blink-182, cigarettes after sex, alex g, la femme and off course nirvana.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
That's harder than finding x in maths haha. But:

+ Slowdive - Souvlaki
+ The Cure - Disintegration
+ Coldplay - Ghost Stories
+ American Football - American Football
+ Have a nice life - deathconsciousness

(in any order)

Q. How do you feel playing live?
I feel this rush of anxiety and adrenaline flowing throughout my body. It's like electricity or butterflies. I even get so nervous at times that I forget lyrics.

Q. How do you describe Sandy Lake´s sounds?
I would describe it as a kind of noisy lofi kind of echoish breed of cigarettes after sex, asking alexandria and mazzy star perhaps. But acquaintances prefer to call it loud, like extremely loud.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
Most songs were recorded randomly when the chords and tune just popped onto my head while I was doing whatever. Although it was a result of a burst of creativity and motivation, recording them was hard. I would always get a weird unfavourable sound so I had to recorded multiple same versions of the same song. Also, some like falling4u came from poems that I've been writing over the past few years.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Maybe american pleasure club, bane's world, men I trust, mellow fellow, I don't know a lot of recent bands.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Tame impala!

Q: What are your plans for the future?
I was planning on recording some songs, learning chinese and sleeping.

Q: Any parting words?
Stay alive friends and eu adoro brasil!!
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Thanks

https://soundcloud.com/bummerdreams
https://doeeyedgirl.bandcamp.com/

Pizza Jam with Swoon - An Interview

O quarteto de Oakland na Califórnia, Swoon, certamente não terá uma vida longa, isso é apenas uma suposição deste que vos escreve, e, claro posso estar completamente enganado, mas é o sentimento ao ler qual é a dos caras.

Pense em quatro caras que piraram a cabeça vendo o vídeo de "Soon" do MBV, pense em caras que estão apenas se divertindo e curtindo a vida, pensa em jams repletas de pizza, pense em barulheira, pense em diversão, pense, claro, em bebida e drogas, e a equação do Swoon estará fechada.

Se toda essa vibe do Swoon, que aliás, pode ser totalmente apreciada no debute homônimo, disponível somente em formas digitais, na página do bandcamp dos caras, seguir adiante, que seja de forma pura e sempre com a essência estampada nos caras.

Divirta-se.

***** Interview with Swoon *****

Q. When did Swoon begin? Tell us about the history...
In seclusion while I lived in Wyoming years and years ago I used to watch 120 minutes a lot. I was particularly stoned when the video for My bloody Valentine's "Soon" played and I thought "what the fuck is this????". Afterwards I just had to write a shoegaze song, for the fun of it. So I wrote and recorded the demo for "Grave". I put that away and continued with my raunchy punk bands. I still wrote shoegaze songs for fun on the side though.

Fast forward thirteen years, I met Chani. I had really been itching to record a shoegaze album and after seeing her play I knew that she would be a perfect collaborator. We started writing melodies just the two of us and that lasted almost a year. We became really close friends and I think the way our guitars and voices gel is evidence of it.

So then it was time to get a rythym section and I couldn't think of a better bassist than Cameron. We went through a few musicians (shout out SteveO, Jenny, David, Sean and Ian!) even me having to play the drums in one incarnation. Luckily I propositioned Syam and offered him some kisses if he would play drums. He agreed and the band became what I always dreamed it to be. Thats the long and short of it.

phew!

Q: Who are your influences?
To be honest, drugs and alcohol. Haha!

My friends mostly in all seriousness. The Bay Area hosts the best community of underground and progressive artists I've ever known. That mbv vid too I guess.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
Prison Library "Uma Thurman at the beach"
The Young Men! "Fuck You"
Nod and the Hobgoblins "S/T"
Daisy World "S/T"
Yogurt Brain "Vol. 3"

Q. How do you feel playing live?
In love

Q. How do you describe Swoon´s sounds?
It's a very cut and dry shoe gaze record. I really just wanted to honor the genre.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Ned Meiners recorded us and killed it. We specifically left human elements like sniffs and fret sounds and tremolo bars being dropped in to remind everyone that a group of punks just gathered in a room and knocked this thing out. I have a problem with how pious a lot of shoegaze and dream pop bands can be. To be honest I don't really like much of the genre haha, I'm a punk at heart.

Pizza jam specifically ends the record to remind everyone that we don't take ourselves too seriously.

No band photo of all the members frowning here.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Tie: Blues Lawyer, BAUS, preening, and Neutrals, Nopes, Sierra Victima... this is a very loaded question...

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Been there, done that! Its a halloween tradition here in Oakland for all the musicians to cover bands and get together and play every halloween.

I wanna do Wipers a lot.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Not too sure, I kinda want to get back to playing fucked up sounding angular guitar punk, I think Chani does too. Im not feeling so hopeful and "swoony" with the state of everything. A lot has happened between writing and recording these songs. I don't think my heart has healed enough to write pretty melodies yet. We're definitely gonna play some tape release shows.

Im also gonna play magic with my budz, wassuppy.

Q: Any parting words?
The music isn't as important as the friendships you gain from it.

Oh yeah, fuck trump.

Thanks for the interest in us!!!
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Thanks

https://swoonoakland.bandcamp.com/releases

Satan Is a Farmer with The Flaming Banshees - An Interview

É sabido que a avalanche psych que assola o submundo dos bons sons e até mesmo o mainstream, é algo real e palpável, a cada dia, semana, mês, surgem mais e mais bandas encharcando seus sonhos e delírios em ondas pesadas de psicodelia, mas ao contrário da era flower power, o enfoque desse novo verão psicodélico é adequado aos dias atuais, negro, caótico e, claro, também sonhador e belo.

Um dos novos nomes que impressionou o TBTCI desde o primeiro contato, é o duo alemão, The Flaming Banshees. Só ao bater o nome é impossível não despertar um desejo imediato em ouvi-los. Afinal o nome resume a curiosidade, certo?

"Satan is a Farmer" primeiro trabalho dos caras, pode até ter toques darks, mas esta mais para os 'lábios flamejantes" de Oklahoma do que para o pós punk de Susan. Aliás, muito além disso, os caras na realidade são talvez uma doce e acústica colisão entre Nick Drake e Anton Newcombe.

Psicodelismo por entre experimentações sutis são o alimento que o The Flaming Banshees oferta a você.

Sirva-se sem moderação.

***** Interview with The Flaming Banshees *****

Q. When did The Flaming Banshees begin? Tell us about the history...
On a train platform in the middle of nowhere headed in the same direction...

Q: Who are your influences?
Nau, Can, Faust, Pink Floyd, Bobby Beausoleil, The Beatles

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
We've only made one album so far

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Its a one of a kind type of thing. The passing of emotional energy to the crowd and back again
is electric to say the least.

Q. How do you describe The Flaming Banshees´ sounds?
We never really tried to go in any certain direction regarding the style we play, probably why our first album "Satan Is A Farmer" has alot of different styles embedded.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
We are both pretty hands on, and have learned how to turn our enviroments into musical factories since we were young.

Specifically the first releases we had recorded in an improptu flat in Berlin, by the river. We were also very young and adventurous wink wink at the time so we don't have a clear memory of it to be honest. The time when an angry englishman was banging on the window screaming obscenities at 4 in the morning does stand out though...

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
Something exotic, maybe a South American folk song, or Indian love song.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Play more shows, make more recordings, see exotic places, meet wonderful people.

Q: Any parting words?
"The power to create a better future lies in the present moment."
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Thanks

https://santarosarecords.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/flamingbanshees/

Highwire with Architects of Grace - An Interview

O inglês Duncan Robert é a mente/criador do Architects of Grace.

Projeto que nasceu em 2009, e esta em vias de chegar ao segundo álbum, "Horizons" que tem previsão de conhecer o mundo ainda este ano, mas o aperitivo já foi dado, e atende por "Highwire", primeiro single extraído do disco.

Seguindo a linha do primeiro trabalho, "Moments in Time", de 2011, o Architects of Grace é dark em sua essência, por vezes conectando-se com o She Wants Revenge, em outras torna-se ainda mais sombrio.

Como que ressurgindo das catacumbas oitentistas o Architects of Grace engrossa ainda mais a força da música feita para notívagos em busca da noite eterna.

***** Interview with Architects of Grace *****

Q. When did Architects of Grace begin? Tell us about the history...
Architects Of Grace began in 2009 when I wrote a song called Hot White Sun. It came together quite quickly. It sounded like a band, but I played everything. It was an exciting time. I thought it would be good to get a full band together to play live, which came later. Hot White Sun became the first single. Moments In Time was the first album. Finally after a quite a long time, Horizons, the second album was finished this year and it's out soon. A lot of it was mixed by David M Allen who's produced The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Sisters Of Mercy, Psychedelic Furs, the kind of bands I love. Highwire is the first single from the new album.

Q: Who are your influences?
I don't think I ever start writing a song by thinking; I'm going to write about such or such. Songs evolve, whether quickly or slowly in a very subconscious way. Songs come to you. Sometimes it's difficult to say what they are about and even when I do recognise what they are about, I'd rather the listener interpret the songs themselves, to mean something to them. In terms of influences, I could list a whole long list of artists, writers and musicians I enjoy, my listening tastes are very broad from the avant-garde to more popular.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Depends on mood or where I am in life, that's a difficult question. I would say that the following are always there in my life:
1/ The Cure - Disintegration
2/ Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
3/ Depeche Mode - Violator
4/ David Bowie - Low
....and one more of so many I love, this is tough, ok then, 5/ The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Alive.

Q. How do you describe Architects of Grace´s sounds?
I'm losing the perspective being so close to the sound. I'd let you answer that one as the music journalist... what do you think?

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Blood, sweat, tears and debt. Unless people ever make a record themselves they will never know the emotional and physical journey. But, it has to be done. It comes from the soul, and its all worth it. It's something I have to do.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Looks at Spotify app, which I've just started using again. I always buy records I enjoy though. New bands, I've liked new songs by Echo Ladies, Lay Llamas, Dancehall, Dream Wife, and many more, plus they are not new, but I enjoyed Death In Vegas's Honey/Witchdance Dub single which came out very recently.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
The Cure, maybe the song Sinking from The Head On The Door album.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
The next single is called Outsiders, there is an older version in existence, but its been completely re-recorded and sounds far far better. This is the definitive version and will be released in August. Then the new album comes out later in the summer. There are 10 new songs to enjoy.

Q: Any parting words?
Please tell your readers to listen to Highwire, Outsiders and the new album. I hope they enjoy it. Thanks for your support.
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Thanks

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

Waveless, "As One More Folded Paper Crane" - Track by Track

O trio de Minneapolis, Waveless, velho conhecido do TBTCI, retorna a estas páginas em grandioso estilo.

O motivo, bem o motivo, é o esporro "As One More Folded Paper Crane", também conhecido como novo trabalho dos caras.

Seguindo a matemática nervosa e densa da banda, onde Gun Club, SY fundem-se entre sombrias paredes estridentes de ruído branco, o Waveless conduz os ouvintes, leia-se, eu, você e quem mais estiver por perto a um passeio sem volta por obscuras viagens desesperadoras do caos cotidiano.

Entenda melhor o que é "As One More Folded Paper Crane" na ótica de seus criadores.

O conselho, escutar em alto e bom som soa até desnecessário no caso do Waveless, mas faça isso.

***** Waveless, "As One More Folded Paper Crane" - Track by Track *****

EIGHT BELLES(JARED) Eight belles is a track that never stops driving, forward, in a circle. It’s sort of a race to the end where breaks of mindlessness occur and a rhythm or muscle memory ensues. We’re left with a feeling of questioning why the gallop started in the first place.

SECOND LOT
(JARED) Adolescent wanderlust with strong notes of future nostalgia /past contemplation. Maybe an implied expectation that can only be met by turning your back to whoever expected it. We used to skate at second lot when we first started playing music together.

9 GHOSTS OF YOU (song for BUSTER KEATON)
(DUSTIN) I wrote this song about the silent-era film star Buster Keaton. Keaton gave everything he had physically to give to his work, literally breaking his neck for a shot in one case. When the silent-era ended, MGM made sure that his artistic control also ended, but his dedication and creativity has outlived what they tried to take away from him. This song is not only a letter to Keaton, but also a letter to myself, to keep inspired and to stay active and dedicated in an atmosphere that can keep artists desperate, and under the control of corporate minded people.

CHERRY TREE (or GODDARDS DREAM)
(HANNAH) Cherry Tree starts powerful and straightforward . We are constantly pushing up against a wall the whole time, trying to push it over but it doesn’t crumble until the end.

It falls apart and plumes of dust fall and gather.

This is one of my favorite songs to play live because of those dynamics, and I especially love playing with the sounds our instruments can make at the end.

WINTER NOON
(HANNAH) Piano will always be the instrument I return to. This song makes me feel like my child self sitting next to Grandma Marbelle at her piano in Massachusetts in the 1990s.

It is cold and dusty, comforting and fragile. Her blue matted carpet, icicles as tall as the house right outside the front door. Piano always makes me cry.

TAWNY RAJAH
(DUSTIN) I wrote the lyrics to this song trying to capture and convey the feeling of my girlfriend’s bedroom, how I found myself never wanting to leave it. The “Tawny Rajah” in the song is a reference to the taxidermy butterfly that hung in a frame in her room. Our friend John Birkner told us that this song invoked the feeling of a “make-out-sesh”, so I think we conveyed the feeling of the room perfectly.
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/WAVELESS-1449895798614978/
https://wvlss.bandcamp.com/

Path with Kraus - An Interview

Will Kraus é um nova iorquino apaixonado por música em sua essência, mas o shoegaze certamente atingiu os tímpanos e o coração do rapaz bem no centro, como uma tijolada a mil por hora no meio do crânio.

Tanto que seu projeto, Kraus, onde ele debutou recentemente com o poderoso "Path", é pura fritação. As eloquências de um MBV ou Medicine explodem intensamente em cada uma das doze chicotadas em formas sonoras, ainda há espaço para uma nítida conexão com os Pumpkins e claro, com o Dinosaur Jr., mas as referências são muito mais implícitas do que explicitadas.

Um disco a ser conferido e degustado sequencialmente ou em doses espaçadas, dependendo obviamente do seu estado psíquico.

Um dos grandes discos gazers do ano, fácil.

***** Interview with Kraus *****

Q. When did Kraus begin? Tell us about the history...
1. in early 2016 in new york. i had been producing and making music for a long time but i had the conception for end tomorrow in my head and i put this moniker together to accommodate that record once it was done.

Q: Who are your influences?
2. too many to name and i dont feel thoughtful enough right now to put together a good list. before anything im a fan of music and anything that i have listened to that i love deeply will unconciously seep in as an influence. but while i write this im listening to brock van wey and i was reading some about him and he seems like a cool person and talented musician who thinks about art the right way.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
3. a while ago i would put lists like this together in my head for fun and sorta in anticipation of this question but lately any ranking of music doesnt make dammm sense to me

Q. How do you feel playing live?
4. its changing, used to mostly get in a really wound up and regrettable headspace but occasionally i would feel present and fulfilled. the balance has been shifting more towards the latter and im trying to keep that going and focus more on connecting with people.

Q. How do you describe Kraus´ sounds?
5. one thing i almost always love when im listening to music is when i hear a sound and i cant really figure out what it is. something amorphous where i cant just sort out in my head "oh that's a synth, that's an electric guitar" etc. in this project i try to make a lot of sounds like that so hopefully textural and like an expression of myself and my feelings

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
6. the technical process revolves mostly around making a sound that i like and writing a song around it or writing a song i like and wrapping a sound around it. the emotional process of making music in a serious way can be frustrating or extremely rewarding to the point that it's given me a lot the moments in my life where i feel the best about myself. but it's always challenging and grown me i think. im glad to have allocated all the time i have to it even though ive ruined so many days of my life staring at a computer screen and leaving the house at in a weird music daze

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
7. model/actriz, per a youtube description: "nothing but amazing feelings and liberation". katie dey's records blew me away and are so creative. lxve II by brandon cant dance is one of the most overlooked albums ik. bonzo is opening for us and are really good, wished bone great, karman voh great, euphoria again's "the mouse rides on". pinky's song "happy place". nick das's song on the heels of and my brother jack "brick" kraus &&& others that im forgetting cause im running outta energy right not

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
8. not really sure. i just did an astrobrite one which was new for me. i dont really like doing covers at the moment but they've kinda been useful when i wanna practice recording or singing. it feels less exposing performing another person's work sometimes and i try to take those lessons back to my own stuff so maybe ill do more.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
9. new record, 2 upcoming tours.

Q: Any parting words?
10. its a hollow feeeeeeeelin knowing what your fiiiiiiiightin
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Thanks

https://willkraus.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/kraustx

Abrakadabra with Magic Wands - An Interview

Sonhos sempre foram, são e serão objetos consumo intenso, de contínuos estudos, de permanentes válvulas para todo e qualquer sentimento, e é, exatamente por eles que o duo Magic Wands concebe sua música.

Ouvi-los é algo como estar em um eterno sonho, flutuando as vezes, amando em outras, delirando na maioria das vezes. Dexy e Chris tornaram-se exímios manipuladores de sonhos, desde quando "Magic, Love And Dreams", primeiro EP deles veio ao mundo, até o novíssimo, "Abrakadabra", lançado pela Etxe Records há pouco mais de dez dias atrás.

"Abakadabra" é doce, é cintilante, sutil e apaixonante. Rótulos como dreampop, shoegaze, podem ser logicamente aplicados, mas o que mais se destaque no álbum são os delírios sonhadores, causados pela mágica entre Chris e Dexy.

Faça apenas um favor a você mesmo, e veja, nem é preciso estar de olhos fechados para isso, sonhe, sonhe, sonhe acordado e....boa viagem.

***** Interview with Magic Wands *****

Q. When did Magic Wands start? Tell us about the history... and perhaps your early influences?
Chris: Magic Wands really started when Dexy and I got together our first group of songs which was the Magic, Love and Dreams EP. When we started we were into being very simple with everything. It was just the two of us recording the music and it was done to cassette tape. At the time we listened to a lot of pop music from the 80s since we lived close to an old record store that sold 7”s for only a quarter. We would take $10 and come home with all these records, Tears for Fears, Simple Minds, Human League, stuff like that. We really liked Stacey Q, and the first two Madonna albums. A lot of reviews from then said we sounded like Blondie, and we both like Blondie, but we never would just put on a Blondie record and listen to it. Besides the 80s stuff we were listening to, we also listened to a lot of music from the 40s, all that “Swinging’ on a Star” kinda moonlight romance Big Band music. That, and a ton of old 60s surf music, The Ventures, The Pyramids, Dick Dale…

Dexy: creating music that took us & the listener away from reality, that was the idea.

Q. Who/what are your current influences?
Chris: These days my playlist is all over the place. I love the Eloise Trio. I like a lot of Hawaiian steel guitar music. Jeff Au Hoy is incredible. When I’m working on something that’s not music, I love Vivaldi, his violin concertos especially. I really like Louis Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens when I’m feeling jazzed up. Steven Halpern is really great when I’m relaxing. And sometimes I’ll just listen to Jimi Hendrix “Peace in Mississippi” one time really, really loud and that’s all the music I need to hear for half the day.

Dexy: I’m into tropical island music & classical with the occasional 80s throwback, talking heads, new order, Ministry


Q. Make a list of your 5 records of all time…
Chris:
!. Dick Dale Bandito
2. Fender IV Margaya
3. Sandy Nelson Casbah
4. Pharos Pintor
5. The Pyramids Penetration

Dexy:
1. The Cure, Head on the Door
2. The Smiths, Meat is Murder
3. Cocteaus Twins, Four Calander Cafe
4. The Cleaners from Venus, Midnight Cleaners
5. The Cranes, Wings of Joy

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Chris: It’s the most fun you can have without laughing.

Dexy: Playing live can be both stressful and euphoric

Q. How do you describe the Magic Wands sound?
Chris: Lovewave, dream pop, rock and roll, hocus pocus

Dexy: silver and violet electricity

Q. Tell us about the process of recording the stunning Abrakadabra album. What made bringing this album to life distinct from past Magic Wands full-lengths?
Chris: We had an amazing time recording Abrakadabra with our friend Phil. The recording was almost entirely done at his studio in downtown Los Angeles. We really tried to push our writing further than we’d done before. We wrote the record mostly as we recorded it. A lot of the songs we’d make the music first and then Dexy would get inspired and write the lyrics. There was a more “Smiths” thing to this record too, especially with the guitars. We were going for a small but huge sound which probably makes no sense. We worked for about 2 months most days, noon until whenever we decided to finish, usually around 11 or 12 at night. We did a lot of songs we didn’t put on the album either.

Dexy: Their was no vision for this album other than I wanted to make something that didn’t sound like an American LA band in 2018 or over-produced. I was thinking more like what would we sound like if we were a band in a basement in the UK in 1987

Q. You've joined a favorite label of ours, Etxe Records, tells what that's been like for you.
Chris: We just started working with Etxe but they are great and already have been really helpful with us getting the new album out.

Dexy: I think this partnership was written in the stars & synchronistic. I’m glad we found each other, having a label that gets what you do & are also talented musicians is good combo.

Q. What´s the plans for future?
Chris: We’ve been touring Europe a lot lately so the plan is to go back there again soon, probably by the end of the year. Also we’ve started recording another album which we plan to finish in the next two months, and we’re looking at touring South America which we're excited to do—we’ve never been before.

Dexy: Trying to live in the moment & create the future we want.

Q. Any parting words?
Chris: Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream until your dream come true

Dexy: If you are looking for treasures, swim deep, these days only the trash floats to the top.
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Thanks

www.instagram.com/magic_wands
www.twitter.com/itsmagicwands
www.magicwandsband.com
https://magic-wands.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/themagicwands/

Tonemirror, "You're Getting Colder" - Track by Track

O hoje trio canadenses, Tonemirror não se trata de nenhuma novidade para os que acompanham as páginas do TBTCI.

Depois de seus primeiros singles até o desbunde do primeiro EP, "Fever Dreams" de 2016, ainda com a formação de duo, sendo Robby Sedran na bateria e Jake Lehman, nas guitarras e vocais os caras davam os primeiros passos ao que estava prestes a acontecer. E realmente aconteceu, com a entrada de Charlie Berger no baixo e vocais, a banda chegou, enfim, ao seu ápice sonoro, colocando o peso herdado de Mr. Billy Corgan e seu Smashing Pumpkins, mas agora com uma certa dose de sonhos e ainda mais melancolia.

O resultado é "You´re Getting Colder", o novíssimo EP. O peso sonoro equilibra-se entre os sonhos e fritações gazers e a avalanche pesadamente densa dos pumpkins.

E, como tem virado praxe, para obras intensas como "You´re Getting Colder", agora aqui no TBTCI, os responsáveis revelam os segredos do disco.

Sras. e Srs, Mr Jake e Mr. Charlie dissecam a braulheira.

***** Tonemirror, "You're Getting Colder" - Track by Track *****

HITCHCOCK
Jake: “The music for ‘Hitchcock’ was initially inspired by old horror movie scores, with the guitars being inspired by Bernard Herrmann's score for ‘Psycho’ and Robby's drums in the chorus coming from the ‘get get get, out out out’ from Harry Manfredini's ‘Friday the 13th’ score. We initially wrote everything around Halloween time, which only added to the tension and creepiness of the music. However the lyrics came after I dug a little deeper into Alfred Hitchcock's history. The man was a tyrannical and abusive monster on set to his crew and female cast members, yet he's still heralded as this amazing artist, which bothered me a lot. I wanted to capture the feeling of fear and uneasiness he created on set, and I think we really nailed it. Although it was written well before, in the wake of all the stuff going on in Hollywood today I think it's only more relevant.

OCTOBER Jake: “‘October’ was the oldest track we recorded, written way back in 2015. I had just graduated university, and kinda felt aimless and was thinking about what it meant not having to go back that fall. In some ways, the song is about accepting the end of childhood and the aimlessness of early adult life. October was always the month that stood out most in my favourite childhood memories so I just rolled with it. We initially wound up shelving it because we could never really work it out live (there's a really early version of us playing it somewhere on YouTube). Once Charlie joined and really filled out the band, I reworked the guitar part a bit and brought it back to the guys, who were thankfully able to help piece it together again.”

CLEARLY
Charlie: “This is a song that I originally wrote when I was singing and playing guitar in Soft Wounds. At the time, everyone felt that the tune was a little too dark-sounding for a Soft Wounds track, so I put it in the vault. When I joined Tonemirror on bass, I thought that maybe they would like the tune, so I dusted it off and showed it to them. They liked it, so we went with it! ”

MY (DEAD) FRIEND Jake: “I wrote this track after a few instances of bumping into people I knew but hadn't seen in years. A lot of them had changed for the worse (in my mind at least), and it was almost like this version of them I knew had died. We all grow up, we all lose touch with our teenage ideals. It's just part of growing up, and that's okay. But that doesn't mean it still isn't a punch in the gut to see your friends change like that. So in a way it's a eulogy for people that are still here, but dead to me in some way or another haha! Like ‘Hitchcock’, Robby and I started writing this one just before Charlie joined the band, so his playing had a huge impact on how it came together as well.”

GIVE
Charlie: “I wanted to write a more upbeat tempo song that could get people moving, or at least bobbing their heads at a show. Lyrically, this song is kind of about our obsession with ‘selfie culture’ and how through things like social media, many people show an edited version of themselves, filtered (literally) through glossy, artistic photos that only show the glamour and cut out all the other aspects of real life.”
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Thanks

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

Very Hardcore with Salsa - An Interview

O trio freak japonês, Salsa foge por completo do que usualmente desponta das terras nipônicas, esqueça, experimentalismos, ou fritações etéreas, o negócio dos caras é um esporro freak calcado em um blues psicoticamente punk.

Pense em Dr. Feelgood, pense em um Sam Cooke anfetaminado, pense em punk clássico, pense nos Blues Explosions e o resultado dessa brincadeira toda você escutara no esporrento "Very Hardcore", debute dos caras.

Nada novo obviamente, mas que o resultado é uma cacetada na monotonia que rola por aí, isso é.

***** Interview with Salsa *****

Q. When did Salsa begin? Tell us about the history...
Hello, I am Kensuke, salsa's vocal and guiter. I'll answer your questions.

We salsa began in 2005. Drummer Hiromu is my high school mate. Hiromu and Bassist Naoki are elementary school mates. We had a similar taste in music, and so playing together came naturally.
We have been playing together in the same trio form for almost 13 years.

Q: Who are your influences?
When we first started, our influences were from punk rock. Especially 70's punk. Damned, Television, Ramones, Buzzcocks etc... But now, so many kinds of good music have, and still are, influencing us. Captain Beefheart is my favorite nowadays.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Ramones "Ramones"
Captain Beefheart "Shiny beast"
Yamamoto Seiichi & Phew "Shiawase no sumika"
THE BLANKEY JET CITY "BANG!"
Sam Cooke "Live at the Harlem Square Club 1963"

Q. How do you feel playing live?
Feel good.That's important for me.

Q. How do you describe Salsa´s sounds?
Junk Blues.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
Instruments are almost all recorded in one shot. And we dub vocals, an extra guitar and other instruments little bit. I think the most important thing is not to lose the raw texture.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Japanese band falsettos is so nice. Please check.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
None.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
We'll tour the USA in the summer of 2018. (Now!) We want to tour all over the world in the future.

Q: Any parting words?
Thank you for reading.
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/salsaofficial/
https://salsa.bandcamp.com/releases
http://www.salsasalsa.jp/

OS NU " Have You Got 'Your' Country Back Yet?" - Premiere

Uma verdadeira metralhadora drum&bass´gazepunk, é o que se ouve em "Have You Got 'Your' Country Back Yet?", segundo single dos alemães do OS NU.

Pra quem perdeu o fio da meada, o OS NU é os restos mortais do Astral Tide, com uma estridente diferença, o pós punk gélido e ruidoso de outrora fica em segundo plano, dando espaço para um ataque eletrônica evocando e se conectado com Atari Teenage Riot e outros terroristas sônicos.

O single que vem ao mundo exatamente neste momento tem suas explicações/motivações/inpisrações políticas entre outras coisas, que ninguém melhor do que os próprios OS NU explicarem com exclusividade ao TBTCI.

Escute alto.

OS NU " Have You Got 'Your' Country Back Yet?" - Premiere

OS NU´s second single, "Have You Got 'Your' Country Back Yet? is a raucous drum&bass/psych-punk-rock riposte to the shameful handling of the Windrush generation, Grenfell, and the humiliating disaster that Brexit is becoming, written from the viewpoint of a Brit living abroad who's still blind to his own future status due to nothing being achieved, or even agreed upon between the incompetent, deceitful, self-serving pantomime toffs who are (or were) leading the charge. One for the gammon of this world. Influenced by the likes of Atari Teenage Riot, Pitchshifter, NIN, Venetian Snares, Noisia and jungle/drum&bass in general, as well as the same post-punk and DIY ethics that shaped the output of Astral Tide.
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*http://osnu.tumblr.com
https://osnu.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/osnu
https://www.facebook.com/osnuband
https://twitter.com/osnuband

Arrows​/​Horses with John: The Usurper - An Interview

De Memphis, Tennessee vem o indie rock com facetas por vezes pendendo para o lado emo, já em outras puro e simplesmente bebendo na fonte clássica dos áureos tempos das college radios, este é o John: The Usurper.

"Arrows/Horses" primeiro EP é o cartão de visitas com três canções que devem obrigatoriamente ser degustadas numa tacada única, sem perda de tempo.

Com jeitão de indie rock moderno mas com o coração nostálgico, não me surpreenderia o John: The Usurper em um curto espaço de tempo alçar vôos maiores, mas isso, só o tempo nos responderá.

***** Interview with John: The Usurper *****

Q. When did John The Usurper begin? Tell us about the history...
A: I was fronting a band here in Memphis called The Mediators. Myself and a band-mate of mine, Christopher Wright, had a lot of conversations about there being a good batch of indie rock bands here but the indie rock scene was loose and lacked unity. The most well known bands in the scene seemed to be sort of stagnant and people went to their shows out of formality. We thought The Mediators were the best band around. And we didn't really care if anyone here knew we existed. Like having our own little secret. Those that attended our shows knew we were a force. We decided to start an Indie rock label for online distribution that showcased mainly Memphis Indie rock (of all persuasions) and hip hop. We thought, "This is how the world will discover The Mediators... Not through some scene wrought with dead ends." So we started up the label and called it Maudlin Jerk Records. Right off the bat we approached a lot of young, aspiring acts (Some still in high school) and got commitments. The thing about the mediators was it was hard to get everyone together or schedule a practice or anything. We essentially practiced onstage. So I had these songs I wrote that I was unable to flesh out with the band so I decided to turn them into a solo ep. At the end of the day, John: The Usurper was just an attempt to make the label's roster fuller.

Q: Who are your influences?
A: On this record influences definitely include The Smiths, Dinosaur Jr., Joy Division, Interpol, The Twilight Sad and At the Drive-In, among many others.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
A: 1. Television - Marquee Moon
2. Sunny Day Real Estate - How it Feels to be Something On
3. Outkast - Aquemini
4. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
5. Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets

Q. How do you feel playing live?
A: Like time and death are an elaborate lie.

Q. How do you describe John The Usurper´s sounds?
A: I guess it varies. "Arrows/Horses", the title track is like noisy Smiths with a much less accomplished singer and composer. One of the songs, Succinct, is a bit like a chillwave Dinosaur Jr. tune. The last track, "Usurper's Lament", would be, in my mind, like the chick from Mazzy Star one day woke up to find her band hi-jacked by a maniac.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs
A : The ep was recorded at a studio on the Rhodes College campus that is mainly for use of students, from what I can tell. The guitarists in The Mediators go to school there so originally we planned for The Mediators to record there with Max Kaplan, our lead guitarist, on the boards. Again, it was hard to orchestrate anything for The Mediators so I approached a couple of the kids I knew that were taking recording classes at Rhodes and they agreed to help me with the ep. Basically I walked in there with some songs I had written on the acoustic and these dudes let me use the whole arsenal of instruments the studio has at it's disposal. THe ep was engineered, mixed and mastered by Griffin Roane ad Max Kaplan. Christopher Wright plays some really great guitar in parts and Griffin and Max also offer up some synth. It's the most fun I've had in a long time and I can't thank these people enough for helping me with this.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
A: I'm partial to Hovvdy, The Districts, Vundabar, Protomartyr, Preoccupations...I think most of that is new?

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
A: Television

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Keep this label going as long as we can. Hopefully record a full length "Usurper" album and flesh out the tunes with a live band. I will play in as many projects as I can. More irons in the fire, as it were.

Q: Any parting words?
A: Thank you for listening to my album and asking me for an interview. The record releases across the internet on July 20, 2018. :)
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Thanks

https://johntheusurper.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/johntheusurper/
http://maudlinjerkrecords.com/artists/john-the-usurper/

The City Gates, "Forever Orbiter" - Track by Track

Os canadenses de Montreal, The City Gates são daquelas bandas que o TBTCI teve um verdadeiro caso de amor desde os primeiros contatos, isso lá no distante 2013, quando do lançamento de "Collapse", primeiro trabalho dos caras.

De lá pra cá, os caras amadureçam, criando uma rede de admiradores muito além de Montreal, cidade Natal dos caras, tocaram com alguns dos principais nomes da atual avalanche gazer que ronda os quatro cantos do mundo, leia-se The Stargazer Lilies, The Veldt, Nothing, entre outros tantos.

E, novamente o The City Gates retorna as páginas do TBTCI, por conta do novíssimo, "Forever Orbiter", lançado no final de Abril.

No disco, as características principais estão todas inseridas, o shoegaze clássico, a muralha de distorções ora, sonhadora, ora fritante, e o ponto de distinção entre eles e boa parte dos demais gazers, a veia pós punk, o que contempla um ar denso, hipnótico e sempre misterioso.

Sedutoramente "Forever Orbiter" vicia, e para entender melhor os segredos dessa pequena pérola, nada melhor do que seus criadores desvendá-la, música a música.

Alguém deveria encaminhar o material do The City Gates a Robert Smith do The Cure, certamente seria paixão a primeira audição, eu aposto.

***** The City Gates, "Forever Orbiter" - Track by Track *****

This is the making of The City Gates’ Forever Orbiter, released on April 27th 2018 via Northern Light Records. We couldn’t ask for a better label than Northern Light Records to release our album, especially since the label is Canadian like ourselves! The label is based out west in British Colombia and releases a ton of great albums, including records by Rev Rev Rev and ACTORS. We also dig Northern Light Records because they showcase a really cool mix of genres we love, such as shoegaze, post-punk and dream pop.

So here we go…

1. Checkpoint Charlie
This was the first « single » we recorded for 'Forever Orbiter' back in 2015. I think that this song defines how we like to create songs and the chemistry between band members. Like 'Sound Better with Reverb' says it, “Checkpoint is an expansive tune, shifting from introverted to anthemic.” It also has that kind of Krautrock influence, since the song was created and came out of a two chords 15 minute jam we did at our rehearsal place. The final version is almost an exact replica of that first version, without the 10 minutes at the end of it. Well, we cut it down a little for the album version.

Oh man! We really had a blast while we recording that song! I won’t talk too much about how Checkpoint Charlie was recorded while we were all “hungover”. To record the song, we went to Gautier Marinof's studio. He's a really good friend of ours and, in my opinion, one of the best Montreal sound engineers around. As we are all gears addicts, we brought everything we thought could be used during the recording session. Then, we put up a wall of guitar amps, including an AC 30, a Jazz Chorus 120, a Fender Tonemaster, a Fender Bandmaster, all while using different mics in different spots in the room (and outside as well). We also used a bunch of different guitars to get altered tones: 1996 Fender Jaguar, Gretsch Tennessee Rose hollowbody, German 1960s electric Framous guitar model. Frank also used his old 1955 Gibson ES-225 and a 1950-1960s Stella acoustic guitar to add some more rhythm guitar layers. Justin also played for the first time on his new Sakae drums set that he just brought back straight from Japan. John also played his P-bass bass into his 1970s Ampeg amp, which sounds like a ton of bricks right in your face.

To get a more “human feel”, Gautier asked us to play the whole song without any metronome and without any cuts. So, that's exactly what we did. The main song was entirely recorded in one take, including the end of the song where you can hear Maxime doing some guitar loops and playing with the knobs on his pedals, while John did the same with his bass pedals. If you want to get the whole sensation of Checkpoint Charlie, well, just turn up the volume!

I also love the lyrics. The story behind them takes place during the Berlin Wall and the Cold War era. It talks about someone who crosses the border between East Berlin and West Berlin. We are big fans of History. You can definitely see this if you listen carefully to the lyrics of in our songs.

2. London
London is actually an “old” song that we wrote in 2012-2013. It refers to the “Battle of England” and the German Blitz bombing offensive during the Second World War. Indeed, in September 1940, the Luftwaffe (German aircrafts during WWII) bombed London for 56 out of 57 days and nights. We wanted to recreate that atmosphere on our tune London. We can almost feel the bombs falling on London at the end of the song, right after the bridge (3:36 to 4:30), while Maxime crashes his Jaguar guitar straight on the floor with his hands and feet.

The song was also recorded at Gautier’s studio. I do like the lead guitar on that one, some of which was recorded on tape. You can definitely hear them if you turn up the volume. Likewise, Frank does a great job on rhythm guitar, with his down-tuned vintage Aria Diamond 1532T Japanese guitar. I also love that dirty bass tone and the reverb on Juice’s Sakae snare drum.

3. Maddening Ride
This is one of my favorites on the album. I am pretty happy how the final mix version turned out. Thanks to our guitarist Frank for that. He did a great job. I like that obscure dark melancholy sound which kind of reminds me a little bit of JAMC and The Sisters of Mercy. The lyrics, which were written by John’s hand, are also pretty deep. Love them! I also like these shimmering Gretsch Tennessee Rose hollowbody guitars melting into reverb and a vintage Aria PS-10 Phase Shifter pedal. I also like the guitar “solo” vibe, which was a total spur of the moment, on the spot I came up with during the very first take!

4. Phantom
I already mentioned earlier in this interview that we are big fans of history so far. Well, this song talks about the famous RAF World War II Avro Lancaster heavy bomber aircraft called “The Phantom of the Rhur” (EE139). Phantom was one of just 35 – out of 7,373 – to survive 100 flights in the war and becoming a Lancaster “Centurion”, as you can read in a nice article on veteran Lancaster WWII pilot’s Ron Clark (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/10531898/Ron-Clark-obituary.html). In total, 3,345 out of 7,373 vanished while on operations, with the loss of more than 21,000 crew members. The Phantom participated in many city bombings taken by the Germans, in particular for avenging the London city bombing. Thrilling to have London and Phantom on the same album.

The making of Phantom has also a typical Montreal story. The draft and the first recordings of the song were made while Frank and John were listening a Montreal Canadiens hockey game. John was sitting on a couch with his bass and did a great bass line. Frank said something to John like: “Hey! That's freaking good. Let’s record that shit”. The result was that heavy fuzzy Fender Precision bassline that you can hear in throughout the whole song. Phantom also features sections with unique musical builds that make the song more interesting. It’s a cool song to play live.

5. Echo Radio
This is an old song that we started to record a while ago. It has that kind of 80’s straight-forward post-punk vibe. We are huge fans of that scene, with such bands as The Sisters of Mercy, The Chameleons, Clan of Xymox, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, etc. While I use baritone vocals, I thought it would be great to add some vocal textures in the bridge/chorus. So, I asked my friend Krissy Vanderwoude from Whimsical if she would be interested to sing some mesmerising vocals on the song. Glad that she said “yes” right away. The result is pretty great. That being said, I has also like that GCB95 Crybaby Wah pedal on the bridge/chorus.

6. Dead Calm
Dead Calm is a minimalist song that comes out directly out of an improvised recording session that I did at home when I was trying a vintage 1960’s Japanese-made Zen-On electric guitar that I had just bought for a penny or so. Few weeks after, I came across this two single track recording when I realized I was listening to them in loop while I was reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace. A mystical atmosphere it was. So, I decided to send the song to our friend sound engineer Chris Cline, (whose previous work includes Explosions in the Sky, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and The Foreign Resort) to do some editing, keys and to mix the song. The final result comes out in an ethereal dream pop, darkwave sound that reminds me a little bit of The Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, This Mortal Coil and other early 4AD bands.

Moreover, Dead Calm strikes a pause, and offers a nice segway between Echo Radio and the song that closes the album: Sad Sad Surf.

7. Sad Sad Surf
Sad Sad Surf was the last song that was written for Forever Orbiter. This is a kind of post-punk/jangle pop tune that makes me want to go on a strange road trip. The song title goes well with the mood of the tune: something like a dichotomy between blissful and melancholy.

The recording of Sad Sad Surf was also cool to do. There are a so many guitar layers on this one, that the IMac that we used for the recording almost shut down. I also like that vintage Japanese Teisco electric guitar tone that we used to add more bass tone on the chorus/bridges.
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/thecitygatesmusic/
https://thecitygates.bandcamp.com/

Big Skies with Mere Women - An Interview

Sempre me perguntam sobre resenhas, bem o TBTCI não faz resenhas, o TBTCI apenas induz e, principalmente, introduz você, ao submundo dos bons sons, realizando conexões e conectando o que tem impressionado este que vos escreve.

Não é de hoje que a Austrália vem despejando uma enxurrada de grandes e promissoras bandas, independentemente do estilo, psych, shoegaze, dreampop, post punk, art noise, e, certamente outros tantos nichos sonoros que não são explorados por aqui devem estar sofrendo esta avalanche aussie.

A mais nova, mas note, não se trata de uma nova banda, mas a tardia descoberta pelo TBTCI, faz do quarteto Mere Women, uma das grandes "revelações" por aqui.

Imagine você, o Autolux se envolvendo com Siouxsie Sioux, cantos tribais penetrando soturnamente em nossas mentes, conduzidos por bases de noise e pós punk tribal.

Assim o Mere Women, já tem no currículo uma vasta coleção de singles e três discos que devem ser degustados o mais breve possível. O TBTCI sugere que a iniciação deva ser feita pelo terceiro trabalho da banda, "Big Skies", lançado no passado, o disco é caótico, angustiante e frenético.

Se você precisava de um bom motivo para conhecer algo novo, o Mere Women é certamente uma pedida imperdível. Ah sim, escute alto.

***** Interview with Mere Women *****

Q. When did Mere Women begin? Tell us about the history...
Amy, Flyn and former drummer, Kat started the band back in 2011 in Marrickville NSW Australia. We mainly played warehouses and record stores finding our feet until we released our first record "Old life" in 2012. In 2015 we released "Your town" on Poison city records, a record themed in nostalgia and heartache which we recorded in a cold storage warehouse used to store wine located out in country NSW. Over the years we've toured extensively around Australia and New Zealand with a few spontaneous shows in New York in 2016. Later in 2016 we added Trischelle on bass, formerly of another Sydney band called No art. For our latest album "Big Skies" we found ourselves living in different parts of Australia. Amy moved to country Australia for 6 months while the rest of us were city bound. This move became integral to themes imbedded throughout the album which we released in 2017 also on Poison city records. After we toured "Big skies" Kat decided she couldn't play live anymore and we replaced her with new drummer, Mac.

Q: Who are your influences?
Our influences are really varied, each of us come from different backgrounds and hold influences in punk,hardcore to electronic. To name a few I'd say The Smiths,Kate Bush,David Bowie,Bjork,Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Walkmen, Liars, The Drones,Propagandhi, Blood Brothers, The Go-betweens

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Radiohead-Kid A
At the Drive in-Relationship of command
The Smiths-Hatful of Hollow
David Bowie-Ziggy stardust
Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Fever to tell

Q. How do you feel playing live?
We love playing live. Although we are really proud of our records there aren't many feelings like when the audience is right in your face singing along and clapping at something you played a part in creating

Q. How do you describe Mere Women´s sounds?
We cover many genres and just play what we play, we don't ever go into a song thinking we need a punk song or a pop song, every memeber brings something different to make a mash up of Gothic infused post punk rooted in pop.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
Tim G Carr has recorded mostly all of our songs. Every record is different, location wise but we attack it in the same way. We record everything live except vocals and maybe some guitar overdubs we try to capture the energy created when a band is all playing together. I don't believe a record have the same feel when recorded seperately when you aren't looking at or feeling the other members in the band

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Den, Orion, Cat heaven (members of Mere women), Gravel Pit, Tropical Fuck storm, Shady Nasty

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
I think we'd really suit covering Pat Benatar-Love is a battlefield ahaha!

Q: What are your plans for the future?
We are about to bunker down to write the next record. We've got a few songs already on the boil and we are looking forward to writing the rest. The next releases will follow much more international touring and we look forward to that.

Q: Any parting words?
The Music industry is a tough ride for everybody but more so minorities. Treat everyone with the same respect and always remember to be inclusive in lineups and try to be diverse in your music selection.
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Thanks

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

La verdad blanda with Martes Niebla - An Interview

Durante o verão passado, o Blacanova, uma das mais queridas bandas shoegaze espanholas, decidiu dar um tempo indefinido em suas atividades, e assim, alguns de seus integrantes resolveram convidar amigos de outras belas bandas de lá, leia-se Terry vs. Tori e Escuelas Pias, e assim nasceu o Martes Niebla.

O primeiro resultado de união de expoentes da cena gazer espanhola, é o EP homônimo dos caras. Um passeio sutil e cintilante pelo universo sonhador das influências de todos, aproximando-se de novas bandas como DIIV, Tamaryn e Beach House.

Dreampop em letras maiúsculas para levitar preguiçosamente.

***** Interview with Martes Niebla *****

Q: When did Martes Niebla start? Tell us about the history...
Last summer, when Blacanova decided to take an indefinite break, some members of the band wanted to continue making dream pop and shoegaze songs, but with a more luminous approach. Two friends from other bands joined this new project soon. So, the band’s definitive line-up is Erica (also in Terry vs. Tori), Davis (Escuelas Pías) and Cristian, Inés & Paco (from Blacanova).

Q: Who are your influences?
We are influenced by classic shoegaze and dream pop bands (Slowdive, My bloody Valentine, Ride ...), but also by groups such as DIIV, Beach Fossils, Tamaryn, Alvvays, Beach House or the first School of Seven Bells and Deerhunter.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
Low (Bowie)
Disintegration (The Cure)
For your pleasure (Roxy Music)
Souvlaki (Slowdive)
Somnium (SIANspheric)

Q. How do you feel playing live?
As Martes Niebla we are just beginning, but our idea is to enjoy playing live and mix a good creative vocal work (we have three singers) with infinite layers of guitars and acoustic and electronic drums. We are working on it.

Q. How do you describe Martes Niebla´s sounds?
Dream pop, shoegaze and post punk, combined into a blurred, foggy, yet shiny sound. Even the name of the band (Tuesday Mist) suggest this hazy feeling.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs
We did a lot of recording and production work by ourselves. Then, in a second phase we continued at La Mina Studio with producer Raúl Perez, who also worked with the mixes.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
Pool Shop, Hatchie, Wild Honey, Day Wave, Hazel English, Monte Terror, Still Parade, Terry vs. Tori, Escuelas Pías…

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
It would be nice to make a dreamy / dark drone cover of Taylor Swift.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
Make beautiful songs and play in beautiful places all around the world

Q: Any parting words?
Lots of kisses and hugs for all the The Blog That Celebrates Itself’s followers!
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Thanks

https://martesniebla.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/martesniebla

Echo Ladies, "Pink Noise" - Track by Track

O trio sueco de Malmö, Echo Ladies, retorna as páginas do TBTCI em grande estilo, o motivo, o debute deles.

"Pink Noise", o álbum, sequencia os dois primeiros, e, bombásticos singles da banda, chegando no tal , amadurecimento sonoro dos caras, não que isso represente lá muita coisa. Passeando por clássicos dos cultuados selos, 4AD e Creation, os suecos acrescentam na receita, uma certa fascinação por Kate Bush e elementos tipicamente krautianos, deixando o caldeirão ainda mais saboroso.

O resultado é um menu deliciosamente viciante, principalmente por conta do inegável apelo pop do Echo Ladies. Oito pérolas que são devidamente desvendadas pelos seus criadores nessa apetitosa track by track.

Bon appetit !!!!

***** Echo Ladies, "Pink Noise" - Track by Track *****

Intro
We wanted to have a intro for the album that was a bit different from the rest of the songs. Maybe a bit missleading but we wanted people to get interested as soon as they put on the record, not knowing what to expect.

Almost Happy
We wanted to write an aggressive song with a big chorus. Aggressive drums and aggressive synths. Great song to open up the album with, after ”Intro”. The titel is also like a statement. We feel like everyone’s always expected to be happy and satisfied with things. It should be more accepted to be ”Almost Happy”!

Apart
Apart wasn’t even finished when we entered the studio. It’s a song about fear of growing up and having to let things go. And it truly came alive when we plugged in the Juno. We tweaked it for 15 minutes or so until we got this big, sad sound that glued the whole song together. Really sounds like the world is ending, in a good way.

Bedroom
It’s about the need to be left alone and to be isolated. But after too much time on your own maybe you go a bit nuts... We’re really happy with how the sound of the song turned out and even happier with the GREAT video our dear friend Ebba Ågren directed. It really adds something to the song.

Darklands
With Darklands we really flirt with krautrock, which all three of us love. It’s about what you see from the stage while preforming. The darkness, the lights and what the crowd really look like when they’re watching you. It’s inspired from when Joar worked as an extra at the opera house here in Malmö.

Hard Ending
Hard Ending is about stupid love. When you know you should end something with another person but you just keep coming back to echother. Time after time.

Overrated
The most ”shoegazy” song of the album! It’s a slow but steady going song about how being in love can feel overrated sometimes. That you shouldn’t feel like a mess-up or a loser if you’re not in a relationship.

Waiting For A Sign
The first song we wrote for ”Pink Noise”! It’s about the feeling of being missplaced, not belonging anywhere. And that feeling safe isn’t necessarily the feeling to strive for. Sometimes you feel stuck and you want something to change. Waiting for something new and exciting to happen.”
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Thanks

https://echoladies.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/echoladieshttp/

Deaden Me with Aviaries - An Interview

O cotidiano do mundo nos dias de hoje é cruel, caótico e perturbador, completamente diferente das aparências maquiadas pelas pessoas através das redes sociais, a falsa realidade de felicidade e alegria constante esconde uma complexa e estressante realidade, onde, cada vez mais, a intolerância em todos os aspectos impera, beirando o caos completo.

É justamente com estas verdades que os poloneses do Aviaries se alimentam. Sonoramente fundem-se entre o pós punk soturno mais sombrio e, um certo doomgaze, ou algo que sintetize tudo isso. Certamente a conexão mais próxima e óbvia dos caras seja o Have A Nice Life.

O Aviaries soltou seu novo single "Deaden Me", que serve como aperitivo ao segundo álbum, 'There Is Nothing To Defend', ainda sem data de lançamento. O single segue, de certa maneira, o que os caras criaram no assustador disco homônimo, lançado há dois anos atrás.

Resumidamente, o Aviaries, ao lado de outros poucos anti heróis atuais, leia-se APTBS, o próprio Have A Nice Life, explicitam as feridas da dura realidade que é viver/sobreviver nos dias de hoje.

***** Interview with Aviaries *****

Q: When did Aviaries begin? Tell us about the history...
Mark Magick: We started playing together back in 2012. We were struggling trying not to kill ourselves playing each other solo projects. Frustration burst and we decided to take a break to catch a little fresh look on many things… In 2014, Marcin and Krzysiek came up with that flagship song titled „Cold” that turned out to be a turning point in Aviaries history. We’ve made a decision to try a band where everyone is involved at the same level and everyone can bring ideas.

Marcin Cieslak: Me, Mark and Krzysiek were living in the same flat and coherent emotional vibe between us has resulted in two or three spontaneous tracks. Few months later we've started rehearsals and met Bart - our drummer, who used to practice in the same place. We'd intended to use synthetic drums at the beginning, but we've changed our mind after first rehearsal in four.

Q: Who are your influences?
MC: The Cure, The Soft Moon, Have A Nice Life, Katatonia, A Place To Bury Strangers, Merzbow, Fennesz, Slowdive, Dinosaur Jr.

Krzysztof Mlynczak: I don't have any specific artist which I am influanced. I listen to a lot of different kinds of music and everything comes together when I play. When I am writing it's more about the mood. I usually play when I don't feel very well. Something bad must happen, then music comes.

MM: I guess everyone draws out from different source. I have indie/noise rock heart and that kind of music and emotions it carries always hit hard for me. Of course I’ve had metalcore or rock n’ roll episode – it changes all the time… Bands like O’Brother, Brand New, Nothing, Nirvana are my biggest influences. Marcin mentioned Have A Nice Life, Bart would mention Neurosis... This is that diversity that combines Aviaries sound.

Q. Make a list of 5 albums of all time…
MM: Shit, that’s a tricky question…

KM: It's hard to choose five. Maybe I will tell about the albums which I was listening a lot when I was 15, 16 years old. It probably created my music taste in some way.

Nine inch Nails - The Fragile and The Downard Spiral, Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals, The Cure - Pornography, Gary Numan - Pure.

I’m not listening to all of them right now, but I think they are worth to mention.

MM: For that moment:
Guns N’ Roses – „Use Your Illusion” Trilogy – that albums are like masterpiece for me. In context of production, mix, promotion, diversity of music - from acoustic to really dark and heavy tunes it beats any other album for me. I’ve been listening to „Use Your Illusion I” since I was 3 and still keep coming back to it.

John Frusciante - „Curtains” - quintessence of acoustic album. The most deppresive and saddest thing ever done?

O’Brother - „Disillusion”

Manchester Orchestra - „I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child”

Brand New – „The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me” - I’ve heard that album for the first time in 2006 and it chopped off my head. Really dark, hauting, noisy album. „Degausser” is the best song ever written – so simple, so heavy and strong, pumped up with emotions. That albums changes lives…

MC:  1. Fennesz - Venice / 2. Katatonia - The great Cold Distance / 3. The Soft Moon - Deeper / 4. Have A Nice Life - The Unnatural World / 5. Dinosaur Jr - You're living all over me

Q. How do you feel playing live?
MC: Focused and introvertic.

MM: I remember that before my first stage appearance with Aviaries, that was also my first ever, I thought I’ll be stressed as fuck, my fingers will freeze and I will be not able to make a single move. All those fears immediately disappeared when we hit the stage. Now it’s pleasant feeling. There is always something going on in your stomach but we call it excitement. I love playing live and sharing that time with guys.

KM: I am a little stressed and excited. I don't like the soundchecks. I am the person in the band who is always worried that something will go wrong, but when I am finally on stage I really enjoy it. I’m never looking at the crowd. It's only me and the sound and it is really magical feeling.

Q. How do you describe Aviaries´ sounds?
MM: Heavy, noisy, gloomy wall of overwhelming, hauting notes that leaves you in confused trance, sad and depressed.

MC: Our sound reminds me of being detached from the reality and being in it at the same time.

KM: Nostalgic, longing, without hope.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs?
MM: We – Marcin, Krzysiek and me – were sharing the same flat through almost 5 years and almost every song had its start in those four walls. We were creating the spine of the song and then we were bringing it to the rehearsal room.

MC: We create whole songs at home, never jam. When it comes to recording and mixing, those are processes we do from various reasons - especially sound we prefer - on our own.

KM: From my side it's always starts from single riff. If the Marcin or Marek feel it and have any idea to keep it going, we sit together, work with a drums samples, vocals etc. We always have a draft before we start to play a new song together. During the rehearsals everyone can add a little something, for example Bartek makes drums a lot complicated and cool than our demo machine beats.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
KM: I am not really into checking new music everyday like I used to do before. However here is a few artist which I've been listening lately. Not all are really new bands: Glaare, Sally Didge, Ritual Howls, Thot, Drab Majesty, Emma Ruth Rundle.

MC: Actually I know none. I was recently introduced to Khanate - US drone doom band which is great, but that’s not a new one. Been there for about 10 years or something...

MM:  Death Bells – post-punk form Australia / Baasch – synth pop from Poland / HAELOS – trip hop from UK

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
MM: We used to make a cover of Have A Nice Life „Bloodhail”.  We are coming with crazy ideas for a cover from time to time, but it’s really not our thing I guess.

KM: There is a lot of 80s pop songs which I would like to cover. Probably „Send Me An Angel” by Real Life. Marcin even recorded a demo version of it. Maybe someday we will finish it.

MC: Katatonia and Blueneck come to my mind.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
MM: Finish the second album is the top priority. That’s the most important future point that eclipse any others.

KM: Finish the album – then we will see.

MC: New album.

Q: Any parting words?
MM: Check out our new single „Deaden Me”. You can download it for free through our bandcamp page: aviariesband.bandcamp.com.

MC: Thank you for the interview.
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Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/aviariespl/
https://aviariesband.bandcamp.com

The Shallow Surface with Tidal Peak - An Interview

Envolto em delicadas texturas etéreas Kyle Lacko concebe suas pérolas sonoras. Passeando por entre o synth pop oitentista e o dream pop moderno, o Tidal Peak flutua.

Kyle é prolífico, desde 2015, vem aperfeiçoando seus devaneios sonhadores, onde o citado synth foi o pontapé inicial, até chegar em sua obra mais coesa, "The Shallow Surface", seu novo álbum, transborda pureza.

Dançando por entre sonhos, o disco paira por leves misturas onde sintetizadores e cândidas melodias se entrelaçam suavemente.

Se você é fã de The Go-Betweens, Blue Nile, Durutti Column, Talk Talk entre outros, faça sua lição de casa e imersa na beleza do Tidal Peak.

***** Interview with Tidal Peak *****

Q. When did Tidal Peak start? Tell us about the history...
1. Tidal Peak started in early 2015, formed in Toowoomba QLD, Australia after the breakup of an alternative rock band I was in. I had recently acquired a drum machine and gotten used to using a synthesiser, so I started to make demos which built up my experience of playing all the instruments myself. This set the standard to start a solo project where I could be the primary member to play all instruments on recordings, and assemble a live lineup of musicians to recreate the songs onstage, and so Tidal Peak was born.

Q: Who are your influences?
2. My main influences are Cocteau Twins, The Chameleons UK, Talk Talk, The Church, Lush, The Blue Nile, The Durutti Column, Rush, Peter Gabriel, Tame Impala and Scritti Politti, amongst many other artists.

Q. Make a list of 5 albuns of all time…
3. My five albums of all time are:
A) Hats by The Blue Nile.
B) Disintegration by The Cure.
C) Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk.
D) Misplaced Childhood by Marillion.
E) Bringing Home The Ashes by The Wild Swans.

Q. How do you feel playing live?
4. Playing live has been great. It feels good to break the songs out onstage and give them a live feel. There have been various live members come and go as the sound changes but I'm hoping to take our live lineup to new places as the project builds momentum.

Q. How do you describe Tidal Peak´s sounds?
5. Sound-wise, Tidal Peak has evolved over the years. When I released the first single in 2015 the music was very much retro-synthpop, but in the time since then I've released one album, one mini-album and an EP, and the music has evolved more into a dreampop/post-punk/ethereal-wave style with the synthpop elements still in place as the drum machine and synths are integral alongside the reverbed guitars in Tidal Peak's sound. One key characteristic to finding the sound that fits Tidal Peak was playing an acoustic guitar through a reverb pedal and producing a cavernous, glistening noise which I've made sure to utilise, but the sound does change and I'm still always keen to experiment on new things. There is a neo-psychedelic sound to Tidal Peak as of recently.

Q: Tell us about the process of recording the songs ?
6. When it comes to recording the songs I either already have the full song in my head with all of the arrangements, or a basic idea of the song structure. In the studio I always begin with the drum machine to lay down the rhythm pattern and follow up with bass after. Some songs will use a bass guitar and others will use a synth bass, depending on the feel. Guitars will come next and this is probably where I spend the most time on recording to achieve certain effects or nuances in a song. I like to space and pan guitars across the channels to create an atmospheric feel to what the song is about. Majority of the time I play guitar arpeggios or light strums here or there. I used to be obsessed with the idea of being a guitar hero but now I'm only ever interested in making the song stand out rather than showing off my skills. I might play a solo here or there in a song but I won't do it for every single song if it isn't necessary.
Finally I'll add synths to add to the atmosphere. I mainly use pads for ethereal texture, but there may be a synth melody floating around at times.
After the instruments are done I start to experiment with panning and mixing, overdubbing any effect over the stop (I.e. handclaps, walls of noise, feedback, etc) and volume control. I want the instruments to sit in the right spot before I can get started on vocals.
I only write lyrics after the music is finalised. I can never do the other way around. I've found that double-tracking my vocals is a key element in recording, as well as applying some reverb to the voice to achieve that ethereal effect.

Q. Which new bands do you recommend?
7. In QLD Australia there are many fairly new bands and acts popping up. Some I definitely recommend are A.N.A, Lucy Korts, Big Whoops, Venice On Fire and Benny Nelson.
As for international bands Palm Haze is a good band, based in Vancouver, Canada, and I also enjoy Siobhan Wilson from the UK. There are a tonne of great new artists on the Z Tapes label also. There are so many good new acts popping up around the world that need to be discovered.

Q: Which band would you love to made a cover version of?
8. All of us in the live band can agree we would love to be able to do a cover of "Blue Monday" by New Order. I'd also love to do a cover of "Seven AM" by The Blue Nile and really nail that rainy, city lights and deserted streets feel with the song. Plus the song also uses a drum machine and synth bass - a big plus.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
9. Right now I'm in the process of working on another EP to release under the Innersea Records indie label, either at the end of 2018 or early next year. With each release I've seen the project gather more fans and it's wonderful to see that it's building up an audience. The last album I released ("The Shallow Surface") was pressed on cassette so this will happen again with the upcoming EP. I'd love to release on vinyl one day but goodness knows how expensive that is. In the meantime we'll keep playing live shows with the live lineup and I intend to take things in a more synthier direction onstage, sometime down the track.

Q: Any parting words?
10. Thank you so much for allowing me to share Tidal Peak with you. Hope you enjoy and you can find the project page on Facebook, as well as the music on Bandcamp at tidalpeak.band camp.com
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Thanks

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