Sound Interpreting

2008-05-19T21:34:00.003-06:00

The Only True Way to Tolerate Bill O'Reilly

Okay, so I just could not resist reposting this from Salad Days Music (who actually reposted it from another great Okie blog, Hypeful). I hate Bill O'Reilly and I love Euro-trash dance mixes, so it's win win with this sucker.

2008-05-18T10:23:00.005-06:00

Sound Interpreting: Gold Edition

Well our melancholy pal from Minnesota, Atmosphere, has a new album out called When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold. A little long winded of a title, yes, but the album is great all the same. There is also a limited edition Gold version that comes with a childrens story that Slug wrote himself, and it's only a couple bucks extra. Right now Atmosphere is doing this cool promotional thing where you can 'Slugify' any website, as I did with Sound Interpreting above. Go to Paintthatshitgold.com and try it yourself.

2008-05-16T12:35:00.005-06:00

I'm Back, Please, Hold the Applause...

Well as you may be aware, I haven't been keeping up with my blog lately. I know, all 8 of you are pretty bummed. Well now that finals are over I will try my best to keep posting regularly, at least throughout the sumer. Starting next week I'll get busy on that. For now be sure to check out the latest blog I did over at Oklahomarock.com about The The Uglysuit, who just got signed to Quarterstick Records, an imprint label of Touch and Go Records. Kudos to those guys! That's a nice label for sure. The fellas in The Uglysuit will be touring with none other than Iron and Wine and playing this year's Summer Camp Festival leading up to their appearance at DFest 2008.

2008-03-07T15:05:00.007-07:00

Interview: Spindrift

Imagine yourself in a dusty, dilapidated ghost town. The year is 1856, and you are a gunslinger hired to track down and bring in the deadliest bandito in the west, dead or alive. The sun is setting over the dusky horizon, leaving a thin pink and orange glow that looms over the tops of the cracked and splintered roofs of the empty, dead town, eventually fizzling out into the deep blue sky. The dry breeze throws sand against your ankles and in the distance blows a door repeatedly into the side of the building it hangs from.

You creep cautiously through the town’s only road, your hand steadily hanging over the handle of your silver pistol. Your heart taps the inside of your rib cage with an uncomfortable determination. Now imagine you're completely freaked out on several hits of acid.

Perhaps now you have an idea of what it is like to witness the psychedelic spaghetti western ballads of L.A. outfit Spindrift.

I spoke with bassist Henry Evans about the release of their western movie ”The Legend of God’s Gun,” which is currently in post-production. Spindrift will be playing at the Red Room in Norman tonight with The Mean Spirits and The Oh! Johnny Girls.

So tell me about the status of the film.

It’s in post-production. It’s been picked up by a distributor. I guess they did Boon Dock Saints. It’s pretty cool, but I actually don’t know a whole lot about what’s happening with that. It’s gotten to the point now, particularly for me, I was in it, but now that it’s beyond me I don’t have a lot of particulars about what’s happening. I think there is still going for some film festivals, and then from that they’re going to make decisions about whether it’s going straight to DVD or if they’re going to try a limited release.

Who do you play in the film?

KP, the singer and songwriter and guitarist, he plays the main villain and I am one of his banditos.

I know a little about the plot, but can you elaborate on it for me?

It’s a little bit complicated, but it’s basically about a depraved and doomed town that becomes the local for a showdown between some villains and a gunfighter turned priest turned gunfighter. It has a crazy, psychedelic mission.

When can your fans get a hold of it?

We’re planning to bring a few DVD copies with us on our way to SXSW. We should have some with us in Norman.

It must have been a trip working on a film like this.

It was pretty crazy. Living in L.A. I have been involved in a few movies. It’s been more of a professional thing and less a labor of love on those other ones. This movies is something we have all donated our time and money to and we just wanted it to be something we thought was cool. It was a fun process. It was real interesting, and in some ways unique, because the soundtrack for the most part was pre-existing. KP wrote most of that soundtrack as an original sort of outline of what would happen in the movie years ago. In that way it was almost like an extended music video. We took music and worked backwards to create a narrative.

Did you shoot most of it in the desert?

We shot all over the place. We got kicked out of more parks than I can remember. There are laws and statutes about film making in national parks. We got kicked out of a few of them. There are a few places around L.A. County where we filmed in Pioneer Town, out by Joshua Tree. And we filmed out in the Mojave Desert, and out further west, north of Isabella. It was really cool to be able to explore all these places. Some of them had a pretty rich history of western things happening there.

It seems to me that the whole Western gnre is back on the rise lately.

It seems to me too, we’re happy to be part of that.

Do you guys feel like you are treading new ground in that respect? What I mean is, do you feel like musically you are doing something very unique or do you equate what you do as part of the current psychedelic movement?

That’s a good question. It’s a little bit of both. Everyone who is involved with creative endeavors wants to do things that are original. And I think at the same time we are involved in a scene. Particularly in L.A. there are these other bands that are around, we’re friends with them and hang out with them and play shows with them, and it is a community and we’re glad to be a part of it.

2008-02-25T16:47:00.007-07:00

I'll Believe it When I See it...

Well apparently The Flaming Lips are going to finally unveil their long awaited movie Christmas on Mars. They were slated to premiere it at this year's SXSW Festival, but it appears they decided to go with Washington state's Sasquatch! Music Festival instead. The festival will take place on Labor Day weekend and has a line-up that includes R.E.M., Modest Mouse, The Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, M.I.A., Flight of the Conchords, Built to Spill and The Breeders. Good god I want to see The Breeders.

Here are some links I shamelessly took from Pitchfork:

The Flaming Lips: I Was Zapped By the Lucky Super Rainbow
Video: The Breeders: Cannonball [from the Last Splash LP]
Built to Spill: They Got Away / Rearrange
R.E.M.: Supernatural Superserious [from the Accelerate LP]
Video: Modest Mouse: People as Places as People [from the We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank LP]

2008-02-18T16:30:00.006-07:00

Norman Music Festival

So I'm pretty excited now that I heard the Chainsaw Kittens will be reuniting for a performance at the first annual The Norman Music Festival. It's really great that the city is showing some initiative and taking advantage of the incredible music scene that is swelling within it's limits. Some of the best local bands will be playing, along with the likes of British Sea Power, The Octopus Project, Grupo Fantasma, and headliners The Polyphonic Spree. And the best part is that it's all completely fuckin' free! Although many people don't know it, you have local bad-ass Dylan Mackey to thank for thinking this whole thing up. So next time you see him tell him thanks for breathing a little life into Oklahoma! Main Street will be blocked off for the two stage event on April 26. I'll see you there bitches!

mmmm...downloads:

Octopus Project~I Saw The Bright Shinies
Grupo Fantasma~Mentiras
Polyphonic Spree~Hanging Around The Day
Chainsaw Kittens~Silver Millionaire
British Sea Power~Waving Flags

2008-02-18T16:23:00.004-07:00

Evangelize me!

My buddies Evangelicals made a video for my favorite song off of their new album, The Evening Descends. It's a really rad throwback to psychedelic horror films of the 60's. Also, my interview with frontman Josh Jones is now up at Sophie Zine. Enjoy!

Midnight Vignette

Add to My Profile | More Videos

mmmm...downloads:

Evangelicals - “Skeleton Man”

2008-02-06T20:02:00.001-07:00

Want Some Free Shit?

I recently reviewed the following three albums for the latest issue of NONzine, and hell, they're all great. So, here's your chance to make them yours, for free. Below each review is a trivia question, answer it in either a comment or by sending me an email and I will announce the winners next week. Good luck and thanks for reading!

Evangelicals
The Evening Descends

Oh, what a wonderful place Josh Jones’ mind must be, full of color and mesmerizing beauty. It simply amazes me how he manages to keep the listener on their toes, appearing completely spontaneous with each new measure, verse, and bridge. Evangelicals almost whimsical, care-free approach to song structure is so incredibly freeing and refreshing it’s no wonder the album has become and indie sensation since it’s release last month. Layers of obscure, low-grade samples, luscious guitar interludes, and, of course, Jones’ vocals that blend the faint and the powerful. Transition upon transition and genre atop genre make The Evening Descends a veritable kaleidoscope of sounds that somehow manage to get your mind’s eye involved, creating an array of imagery that attempts to embody every new sound that pops from Jones’ mind like confetti from a cannon. The album itself addresses the plight of the meager, the lonely, and the disempowered. Jones wants to tell their story to the world. Lyrics such as those in “Skeleton Man,” “So if you see me actin’ out...understand/To be left out in the snow without a coat/Can do bad things to a man,” provide a dark setting for a dark story. Jones and company juxtapose the harsh reality presented in his lyrics with their unpredictable, and very unconventional, psychedelic pop so impressively that it leaves the listener with no doubt that they are witness to something great, and something rare.

trivia: What local band inspired Josh Jones to leave Austin and come back to Oklahoma and form Evangelicals?

Rainbows Are Free
self-titled

From chaos comes beauty, from emotion comes madness, and from structure comes those who strive to deny it. So is Rainbows Are Free, forever the sculptors of anarchic magnificence, the ushers of insuppressible fury, and the wielders of the mighty power of rock. On their debut, self-titled EP the elegance that lies behind the distortion is as undeniable as the precision that flows through their instrumentation like lighting through a telephone line, lustily anticipating the melting of your ears. Brandon Kistler’s howling vocals call down the moon while Richie Tarver’s righteous guitar commands it to give you nightmares, and Justin Gallas’ simply flawless drumming makes me wonder why the hell he ever wasted his time not bringing down the hammer of Thor in an indie-rock band. Guitar work on songs “Bloodcano” and “Are You Dead” make them viable candidates for the next installment of Guitar Hero, and the progression of “Crystal Ball” would make Tom Morello proud. This album awakens the spirits of metal that have lain dormant within all rock fans since the 1980's and screams alongside them. You heard it here first, rock is back.

trivia: Between the 5 of them the members of RAF have been in almost a dozen bands. Name three of them.

Travis Linville
See You Around

On his sophomore album Linville opts to ditch the band and go it alone on his first solo attempt. While the talented and very pleasing accompaniment of Linville’s backing band has served him well, it’s his songwriting and lyricism that has always been the heart of what attracts people to his music. And luckily for his fans Linville has a lot to write about, with See You Around comprising of 20 songs. Stories of hope, longing, Oklahoma storms, the beauty of nature, and the highs and lows of life embrace Linville’s soft, acoustic guitar and spin some very tangible and comforting yarns. When listening to the songs it’s easy to imagine Linville holed up in his cabin-esque studio, tucked away in the woods that surround the lake with his guitar and harmonica. Don’t let this image misguide you though. A solo acoustic album might conjure up images of soft, folksy tunes that progress from a C chord to a G and little else. You have to remember this is Travis Linville we’re talking about. Yes, the songs can be soft and they can be folksy, but they’re always filled with the dancing of Linville’s quick fingers, plucking and hammering intricate guitar melodies that would make Charlie Christian blush. From Honky-Tonk to Folk, Old-Timey to the Blues, Linville once again shows us why he is one of Oklahoma’s fondest sons, and leaves me pondering which ancient guitar god resides in the rich wood of his acoustic guitar.

trivia: What's the name of Travis Linville's recording studio?

mmmm...free downloads:

Evangelicals - “Skeleton Man”

2008-01-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

Festival City Radio hosts Josh Jones of Evangelicals

In the latest installment of the greatest Oklahoma pod cast ever the fellas not only bring you this week's best releases, they also invited Mr. Jones of Evangelicals to stop by and play a few songs off of their new album The Evening Descends (out Jan 22 on Dead Oceans).

Click below for a friggin' mind blow:
Festival City Radio

2008-01-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Peter Bjorn and John Interview - Bjorn Yttling

I recently interviewed Bjorn for a NONzine article advancing their show at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa. I had actually set up the interview so far in advance that I completely forgot about it. The morning I was scheduled to speak with Bjorn his publicist called me as I was making my lunch. I had absolutely no questions prepared. I made an excuse to buy me an extra 15 minutes, wrote up a quick interview, and did the damn thing. Fortunately not only was Bjorn very patient, he was also extremely friendly and eager to talk about his music. We had a pleasant chat about his home country, the excitement of the US rock circuit, and the unexpected success of the song "Young Folks."

-I saw that you played a festival in Sweden where you were Kanye West’s backing band. Is most American music, like Kanye’s popular in Sweden?

Yeah, Kanye is a big deal here in Sweden. He was head lining that festival. Not Garth Brooks and stuff like that. But the hip-hop thing and some of the rock stuff gets played. It’s mostly R&B and hip-hop that is popular, and of course top 40 like Gwen Stefani and stuff like that.

-Before you toured for Writers Block had you spent a lot of time in the US before?

I toured with another band called Caesars, and we toured quite a bit here a couple years ago. I’ve been here quite a lot. I’ve been a couple of times when I wasn’t touring. But never Oklahoma.

-I always want to know how bands form Canada and Europe feel about the necessity for success in the US and UK. Is attention in those two countries something you guys felt needed to happen in order to be successful as musicians?

It’s definitely more fun to be able to play music in the US and UK than in Poland or Iceland. It’s more drastic ground. It’s fun at first you kind of ride through London in a black cab with your instrument and you feel like you’re Mick Jagger or something. And also hanging out in New York and LA, that’s been like the capitol of the music business since the 40's. That’s pa pretty big thing, too. You go through towns like Minneapolis and create footsteps and find out where all these bands are from. Everywhere here has a rock and roll culture.

-I’m sure you get this a lot, but I have to ask, considering the title of the album. Did you have trouble writing Writer’s Block?

Uhh, no (laughs). We had some trouble recording it, but writing it was not troublesome. I think we had the most trouble finding an album title (laughs again).

-I saw that Pete Yorn played a version of “Young Folks” at ACL this year, and it got a pretty good response. Have you heard that version?

Yeah we were actually on our stage doing interviews during the time. We heard it. But he also played an Elvis tune, so I don’t know. It was perfect.

-Have there been any other bands that have covered it that you know about?

Yeah, the whole country of Denmark covers that song.

-Haha, so a lot of Denmark bands play that song huh?

Yeah I hear a lot of people there doing it. There’s also a bluegrass version you may have heard. That’s a good one.

-Were you surprised by the success of that song or was that the single you had envisioned making it off that album?

Yeah of course we knew that was the single from the album. But we didn’t know how big it would be. It’s still kind of growing in the UK, Japan, and Germany. It’s now even bigger than it was here.

-There are a lot of really unique elements on that album and I was kind of curious about how you capture that live?

We have an extra member, but it’s not human being. It’s our backing track. It’s sounds and noises from the album. Some keyboard parts and rhythmic elements like folk steps. We have some sounds from the album.

-Those unique elements also make me want to ask what artists were influencing you when you wrote that album?

Duke Ellington and Jesus and Mary Chain. And who else? Yeah, that’s it.

2007-12-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Unwed Sailor Interview - Johnathon Ford

I imagine Unwed Sailor is what Andrew Bird listens to when he wants to relax. The Seattle born instrumental group orchestrates melodic, sweeping movements that swirl around the core elements of guitar and bass. Founding member and Tulsa native Johnathon Ford made a name for himself with the Seattle based outfit Roadside Monument. With his ever evolving cast of characters he constantly tours across the globe spinning his intricate webs of melodic beauty. Ford and company will be stopping by The Opolis in Norman tonight along with We Will Destroy You. I spoke with him about his ties to the heartland, his beliefs, and his attraction to the sea.

-So, where are you living these days?

I’ve actually been back living in Oklahoma for like a year and a half. I live in Tulsa. It just made more sense for me. Patrick, the drummer in Unwed Sailor now, lives in Tulsa. And Brooks our keyboard player lives in Little Rock, Arkansas. So, it just made more sense for me to live in that area instead of living in Chicago or Seattle and having to fly in every time we go on tour or something like that.

-Did You Miss Oklahoma when you lived in those places?

Yeah, I mean, I’ve noticed lately that I’m definitely always ready to come back to Oklahoma. I do kind of miss it. Tulsa has gotten so much better now. Bars like the Sound Pony and Cellar Dweller and these really cool bars where people are hanging out. Cain’s Ballroom is doing way more shows now. So, yeah, I think it’s gotten a lot better. There are bands starting up, like Callupsie. There is a lot more to do. Originally when I left, in 95 I think, I was like well there’s really nothing for me here. But in the past 12 years it’s gotten a lot better, to where I actually want to come back. And it’s home man, you know?

-Yeah I know that’s just like David Terry of Aqueduct. He left Tulsa for the same reason, but now he really appreciates Tulsa and Norman’s music scenes.

You know another thing about Norman. I’ve been to The Deli a couple times. My last experience there, The Deli seriously became one of my favorite bars. I love it. The way it looks, the feeling in there. I’m in a lot of bars and it’s definitely one of my favorites.

-Tell me what your song-writing process is like. How does a song get started and evolve?

Well usually a lot of it I’ll come up with guitar ideas. That’s usually the way things start. Very rarely do I come up with a bass idea to start with. For example Little War, the last record , I started out with an acoustic guitar just writing little parts. Usually when that one part is done ideas start flooding in. So, I just start writing parts over those parts. And I’ll get a drum idea I’ll put in. But another part of it is we do a lot of the writing in the studio. With this last record I pretty much showed up and Matt Putman played drums on it. I gave him my Garage Band demos that I had, and he just wrote the drums in his head and walked in and played them for the first time. So, it’s also a collaborative effort in the studio with the dudes I’m playing with.

-So there’s a definite spontaneous element to it?

Yeah there is some spontaneity to it, which is the way Unwed Sailor works with recording. We just kind of go in with a basic, basic idea and start going.

-Does that spontaneity make the live performances ever changing?

Oh definitely. We’re always rewriting our songs for the live show. We’ve probably done like 20 different version for the live show of Firecracker. But yeah, you write a song in the studio, but it’s when you play them live that things really start to happen. You’re like lets extend that or cut that part out. So, we’re actually doing it in reverse. A lot of bands write their songs and then play them live a bunch to perfect them I guess. We just kind of write them first and throw them out there. I think that we do a pretty good job with the songs to where they don’t need a lot of perfecting. Not that they’re perfect right off, but I’m usually pretty happy with the way they turn out.

-So Little War will be out next year right?

Yeah. We actually recorded that in Norman with Chad Copelin at Black Watch Studios. It’s all done. It will be out March 18. It sounds awesome. Chad is such a great engineer. It sounds really great. The reason I chose to go with Chad originally was the Ryan Lindsey Record [White Paper Beds]. That’s just an awesome record.

-I know in the past you mentioned a lot on interviews your relationship with God and your faith in general. I’m curious, do you see your music as Christian music?

I’m actually at a completely different point in my life now, regarding all that. At that time I was living in a Christian commune in Chicago and I think a lot of my thoughts and ideas were influenced by that. But since that time I’ve definitely gone in different directions in the way I think. That’s definitely not an accurate representation of where I’m at these days. I’ve learned it was a mistake at that time to bring my beliefs into that because it’s just never a good idea. I just didn’t know that yet. It’s all a learning experience. I’ve learned to just play music and let it do what’s it’s supposed to do to the listener and keep my ideas out of it.

-I guess it’s easier for you to do that since you’re an instrumental group.

Exactly. That’s the funny thing about it. It’s just in your life, you go through different phases, and that was one of them.

-Yeah, it’s funny how that specific subject always grabs people’s attention. It even made me want to ask that question.

You know I’m actually glad you did. A lot of people don’t in interviews and I kind of hope that they do just to set the record straight a bit. We’re not associated in any way with that, so I like that you asked that question.

-Good. It’s hard to judge when it’s appropriate to ask something like that.

Oh, it’s touchy for sure. For a band it’s touchy. Anytime you make a statement and put it out there and in a media way about Christianity or anything like that it can come back and haunt you.

-Lastly, I wanted to ask you about your attraction to the sea. I see a lot of nautical imagery in your albums. What is it about the sea that holds significance with you?

I don’t think it’s really intentional. If anything these days I try and lean away from it a bit because I don’t want it to be a typical Unwed Sailor, ocean thing. The ocean, I’ve always been attracted to it. It’s this huge expanse of water that you can’t even touch. If anything, being on the beach next to the ocean is one of the most beautiful experiences that you can have. I feel the same way about the desert, too. To me the ocean and the desert are kind of the same thing. These huge expanses that can’t be touched. It can still kill you. Which kind of makes them these wild, adventurous areas on the Earth. Which is really odd now that I think about it because on The White Ox we did a lot of south western imagery in the songs. We had a song called Gila, and on the Circles EP we had a song called Mesa. Maybe we’re switching over to desert themes now.

2007-12-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

New El Paso Hot Button Video

El Paso Hot Button has a new video out for the song "They Invented it Stupid," off of his new album When I Needed Sympathy. The album is superb, and you can read my review of it here.

2007-11-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

Fond Farwell

Norman, OK's own musical genius Dorian Small will be playing two shows this month that are pretty special. Special because his keyboard and piano player Ryan Jones (of The Ills fame) will be leaving at the end of November to take a job on a cruise ship for 6 months. Dorian told me he is considering picking up another member for the duration of Ryan's hiatus, but it would probably take two people to do what he does live. However he also mentioned that he is starting to get acclimated with samples and might do some back-tracking. Either way you need to get your ass to one of these shows, especially if you haven't seen Dorian live yet. His music is amazing. It's like if the Beatles and Beck had a kid and bathed it every night in Brian Wilson's rehab sweat. The first one I actually booked myself and is this Friday, November 9 at Bison Witches. Ryan Lindsey (of Starlight Mints fame) and Austin band Black Before Red will be opening the show. All great bands for only a meager $5! Dorian will also be playing some new tunes from his upcoming album. The second, and last for a while, is at The Deli on November 30 (although I have seen a flyer that suggests it is on the 25, just keep your ear to the ground).

2007-10-30T22:35:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween

Well it's Halloween. So that means it's time for "The Halloween Song." Thanks to Evangelicals for the rad tunes. Their song will also be played on NPR’s Morning Edition this morning around 7 am. In case you missed it already you can stream the broadcast here.

Mmmm...downloads:
Evangelicals - "The Halloween Song" E-Card

2007-10-29T23:47:00.000-06:00

Oklahoma's Top 100 Musicians

My buddy Ryan over at the greatest Oklahoma music site of all time, Oklahomarock.com is currently listing his top 100 Oklahoma musicians. It's a really cool thing he's doing, and damn it, the man knows what he's talking about. He's posting it 5 artists at a time, and right now he 's made it to 71 counting down from 100. The list includes musicians from all walks of life. Anything from Aqueduct to Bob Childers, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey to Elvin Bishop. I've already learned a lot about the history of music in this state and there's still 70 more to come. Do yourself a favor and check in every few days to see who is making the list. I myself am pretty anxious to see the top 5.

2007-10-28T15:59:00.001-06:00

Ian McKaye Interview

I just did an interview for NONzine with Ian McKaye of Fugazi and formerly of Minor Threat. It was easily one of the highlights of my journalistic career thus far. Ian had some very interesting and insightful things to say about modern music and how it is presented to the world at large. You can read my interview with him by clicking here. Ian will be coming through Oklahoma City on November 9 with his band The Evens at the City Arts Center, which I believe is located in the fairgrounds. And, of course, the show is only $5.

2007-10-17T11:36:00.001-06:00

Daytrotter Sessions - Aqueduct

Tulsa native David Terry aka Aqueduct recently stopped by the Daytrotter studios in Rock Island, IL to record some songs. If you aren't familiar with Daytrotter you should check them out. They invite some really great musicians into their studio to record four live tracks. And don't forget, I recently interviewed David, which you can read by clicking here.

mmmm...Downloads
Aqueduct - Keep It Together (Daytrotter session)
Aqueduct - Just the Way I Are (Daytrotter session)
Aqueduct - As You Wish (Daytrotter session)
Aqueduct - Split the Difference (Daytrotter session)

2007-10-16T13:40:00.000-06:00

Caribou Interview

Canadian Dan Snaith’s project, Caribou, is an interesting journey through musical landscapes. It began with his early work, Start Breaking My Heart, which delves into the world of softly perpetuated electronica. From there, with 2003's Up In Flames, Snaith began looking down into the valley of psychedelia from atop the mountain of big beat he had crafted. With his two latest musical endeavors (2005's Milk of Human Kindness and this year’s Andorra) Snaith has embraced the psychedelic and sunny day classic pop that crept in the shadows of his creative mind. Listening to Caribou can bring to mind the influences of anyone from The Mama’s and the Papa’s to Aphex Twin. Snaith and company will be dropping by The Opolis in Norman on October 21 with Born Ruffians opening.

I read an interview where you described your songwriting process as "Just throwing everything in and sorting it out later on, which is definitely the approach I take to it." Could you elaborate on what it's like when you write your music?

that sentence is made in reference to the way that I just constantly record and record and record when I'm making a record and then use my favorite bits. I know some people can just make 10 tracks and those are the tracks that end up on their album but for me the best way of working is to write tonnes of music and then pick the best elements and put them together into an album. it's so hard to get distance from what you're working on that I find that recording a lot and then letting it sit for a while is the best way to get an objective view of it.

You incorporate a lot of samples in your music. Where do they come from? Are there specific musicians you like to sample from?

actually on this record there are hardly any samples at all... i play almost everything on the record apart from a few string parts which i stitched together out of little bits of strings from old records (and of course Jeremy Greenspan's vocal on She's The One). regarding the samples on my old records though... i just buy tonnes and tonnes of vinyl and dig through it to find good snippets that are useful or sound good. i buy the records to listen to (anything from old jazz, psych rock, avant composers, disco, music from around the world, etc) but end up finding tiny pieces that i want to use on my records. almost all the artists i've sampled are long forgotten i guess...

Since you grew up in the country side of Canada, how where you introduced to music, and how did you get started making it?

i started playing piano when i was about 5 years old but didn't really get into it until later on i had a teacher who taught me about pop music and how music fits together. after that i spent most of my teenage years playing piano... jazz, classical, pop... anything i could get my hands on. the other big change was when a friend played me electronic dance music that was coming out of the UK at the time (Warp-y stuff, rave-y techno) and i realised that i could very easily get a hold of enough shitty gear to record like they did - all of a sudden recording was something feasible and not something that had to take place in a million dollar studio.

I sense a lot of classic psychedelic rock influence in your songs. Was the psychedelic era in classic rock heavily indelible on you?

i think i like psychedelic music in general... from 60s psych, to 70s free jazz, to my bloody valentine and early mercury rev to animal collective and gang gang dance, to james holden... it's the idea of using non-musical sounds and effects to create a real auditory world that appeals to me... my music is very much headspace music that i get lost in when i'm recording and so all those kind of ideas about recording that first surfaced in the 60s like using tape loops, effects etc appeal to me immediately.

What recently released albums are you currently listening too?

animal collective, james holden, panda bear, koushik 'out my window' (soon to be released).

What old albums do you like?

that's too open ended a question! i don't really look at music as being new or old. i'm just interested in hearing the musical ideas that are in the music and not so much the context of when or where it was recorded or even by whom. we're selling a tour cd with a dj mix of mine (and some other tracks) on it on tour and it has a good sample of some of the music that's caught my ears over the last while... disco, free jazz, 70s rock, etc. etc.

What is your songwriting process like?

this was the first album where i actually wrote songs before recording them. always before it's been the same process - improvising over top of a loop and building up layers on top of one another to make a track. this time i actually sat down with a piano or a bass or whatever and wrote the songs out and worked out the arrangements before i started recording. this was something totally new for me... it was all about squeezing as many compositional ideas (melodies, harmonies, countermelodies, chord sequences, arrangements) into the tracks so that the album is as dense and succinct as possible. in short it's my pop album.

Has the creative process changed since your first album Start Breaking My Heart was made?

only really in the songwriting changed described in the last answer and the fact that there are less samples in this record. the way i record is generally extremely flexible - i don't feel it really limits me.

How many different instruments can you play?

i play a lot of instruments in a half-assed mediocre fasion. i still think of everything in terms of a piano and if i practiced a bit i'd probably still be decent at playing piano. i play drums and guitar in a very functional fashion and lots of others poorly... to be honest spending a lot of time becoming a virtuoso on a particular instrument would be a waste of time for me. i'm much more interested in the writing and the production than in playing instruments. that being said... playing live is a great opportunity to get back to playing live music and getting better at doing that a again and it's something i really enjoy when we're touring.

You're a doctor of mathematics. Does math theory come into play when you are creating a song's structure?

i'm afraid not. i haven't looked at any mathematics since i got my degree 2 years ago. they're both solitary, absorbing mental occupations but that's where the parallels end. i'm low on concept when i'm recording... i'm a musical aesthete through and through.

2007-10-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

OOOOO WUUUU!!!

As part of a nation wide campus tour conducted by Adult Swim, former Wutang Clan member Ghostface Killah will be playing a free show Sunday, October 14 on the East lawn of the Student Union. Fellow rapper Witchdoctor will open up the affair. The second leg of the tour will feature Trail of Dead and the band that plays the music for the cartoon Metalacopyse. I'm not a huge Trail fan, but I would have much rather fallen in the second half of the tour. Oh well, free show. It could be interesting.

2007-10-12T10:46:00.001-06:00

New FCR

Ahhh yes, a new Festival City Radio. Here's Episode 88

New releases for October 9:

White Shoes and the Couples Company - "Tentang Cita" (0)
Ravens & Chimes - "General Lafayette! You are Not Alone" (5:00)
Sunset Rubdown - "Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days" (9:30)
Enon - "Dr. Freeze" (15:00)
Fiery Furnaces - "Ex-Guru" (18:30)
Sleeping People - "Yellow Guy, Pink Eye" (21:50)
Jens Lekman - "A Postcard to Nina" (26:50)

Upcoming shows:

The Broken West - "Down in the Valley" (34:00)
Ghostface Killah - "Shakey Dog" (44:00)
Ghost of Monkshood - "Twenty Odd Years" (51:00)

Direct download: Episode_88_-_2007-10-08.mp3
Category: music -- posted at: 2:52 PM

2007-10-12T08:21:00.000-06:00

The Best Music You Never Heard

Thanks to good ol' Pitchfork I was recently introduced to an unsigned songwriter who plays under the name of Bon Iver. His real name is Justin Vernon, and he first made his way into the independent music scene through the band DeYarmond Edison. After the band relocated to North Carolina and later disbanded Vernon headed back up to Wisconsin, where the band was originally located. He did the hermit thing for four months in a remote cabin in the snowy country side. While there he wrote and recorded what would eventually become For Emma, Forever Ago. I get a lot of music in the mail and online to review, and, for the most part, the majority of it is either bland, over done, or just plan crap. I hate to sound so cynical, but with every band having the ability to record in the modern age it's a lot easier for crap to make it's way to my doorstep. Bon Iver, however, blew me away. The album is just simply beautiful and free of mainstream influence. Like the Pitchfork review suggests Vernon will undoubtedly garner some comparisons to Iron and Wine, but his voice doesn't fall into the often monotonous falsettos of Iron and Wine. Instead it borders on an hauntingly beautiful likeliness to TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe. The album is currently unavailable for purchase since Vernon has no label representation (something I'm positive will change very soon). But you can stream the album for free on his website.

Here's a short video Vernon made of the wilderness that lies beyond his cabin's back porch:

2007-10-08T12:57:00.001-06:00

Why Didn't I Think of This?

I saw this posted the on Pitchfork the other day and just had to post something myself. Enjoy!

Pinback will also be on Talk of the Nation on NPR today. Unfortunately I will be sitting in my History of Journalism class during the broadcast. *sigh*

2007-10-03T14:00:00.000-06:00

Mama's Got a Brand New...Set of Drums...hmmm

Well it looks like after getting a lot of their shit (mics, amps, drums, etc) jacked the guys in Mama Sweet are starting to get back on their feet. I'm glad to see that it didn't take them long to get most of their stuff back through fan and friend donations. Here's what frontman Aron Holt had to say in a recent press release:

"Yes, that is what it looks like. One happy drummer and a brand new Ludwig Classics Gold Sparkle kit with all the necessary hardware, cymbals, and mics. So, as you can see, we are getting back on our feet. We have now repurchased everything that was stolen except Boyd's bass rig. Fortunately, a friend of ours has loaned us a bass rig to use until we can afford to buy what we need. It is still going to take a little time before we get our funds back to where they were before the theft, so it might be awhile before we can order our new merch. But, considering the theft was only a little over a month ago, we can't complain too much. We were really luck to have such an amazing out-pouring of help from our friends and fans. Without that support, I don't know what we would have done."

"We have decided to leave the donation buttons up on our website and myspace page for a little while longer. So, if you want to make Boyd as happy as Nooch, if you just feel like helping out, or if you just know how much it sucks to be robbed, then you are welcome to donate to our cause."

Here's what they guys wil be up to in the coming weeks:

October 3 - Seven47 (Norman, OK)

October 12 - Roosters (Stillwater, OK)

October 13 - White Elephant (Ft. Worth, TX)

October 16 - The Deli [Acoustic show with Chad Dorman] (Norman, OK)

October 19 - The Deli

October 25 - The Copper Penny (Stillwater, OK)

October 26 - Woody's (Ft. Worth, TX)

October 27 - Benefit for the Hadlock

Mmmm...downloads:

First Last Stand

Prettiest Girl at the Dance

Whiskey Breath

2007-10-02T20:15:00.001-06:00

New FCR

Here's whats cooking on the new episode of the wonderfully wonderful indie music podcast Festival City Radio:

Devendra Banhart - "Bad Girl" (0)
The Bird and the Bee - "Polite Dance Song" (9:00)
Dragons of Zynth - "Get Off" (14:30)
Eskimo Joe - "New York" (18:45)
Stars - "The Night Starts Here" (24:00)
Tuung - "Take" (29:40)
Two Gallants - "Despite What You've Been Told" (33:10)
1900s - "When I Say Go" (38:30)
Division Day - "Hurricane" (42:50)
John Ralston - "Ghetto Tested" (48:40)
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - "100 Days, 100 Nights" (53:45)
The Most Serene Republic - "Why So Looking Back" (1:01:40)
OM - "Unitive Knowledge of the Godhead" (1:08:00)
PJ Harvey - "The Devil" (1:13:20)
Siouxsie - "Here Comes That Day" (1:18:30)

Upcoming shows:

Beat the Devil - "Shine in Exile" (1:27:00)
Yellow Swans - "Our Oasis" (1:41:00)

2007-10-02T15:14:00.001-06:00

Aqueduct Interview

I recently did an interview with David Terry of Aqueduct for NONzine. David's music is emotional, often dark, lyricism cleverly disguised as catchy pop-rock. Originally from Tulsa he packed his stuff in a van, hit the road, and took his music to Seattle. After opening up for Modest Mouse and extensively touring the west coast he managed to get the attention of well established indie label Barsuk Records. He will be making his way back through his home state of Oklahoma for two shows. One in OKC at The Conservatory on October 3 and at Cain's Ballroom on October 5.

Mmmmm...Downloads:
Aqueduct - “Living A Lie”
Aqueduct - “As You Wish”

2007-10-02T11:36:00.000-06:00

It's Almost Christmas Time!

In a Billboard.com interview frontman Wayne Coyne announced that The Flaming Lips will finally be releasing their much anticipated and way over due film Christmas on Mars. The film will be played at the 2008 South by Southwest Festival in Austin. The film was originally slated to be released back in 2002, but was delayed due to touring, recording, and all the unexpected obstacles and bullshit that comes with independently making and producing a film. In an interview I did with Wayne back in 2006 he told me that the film will feature new music from The Lips and a soundtrack release will coincide that of the film. They have also recently released a new song that will be featured in the film Good Luck Chuck, which you can stream at Pitchfork Media by clicking the link below:
Stream: The Flaming Lips: I Was Zapped by the Lucky Super Rainbow [from the Good Luck Chuck OST LP]

2007-09-30T18:46:00.000-06:00

Thank You Lord

Radiohead's Johny Greenwood announced today that a new album is poised to drop and make love to your ears:

Hello everyone.
Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days;
We've called it In Rainbows.
Love from us all.
Jonny

You can buy this album in digital form for literally whatever price you are willing to pay at inrainbows.com

2007-09-27T11:37:00.000-06:00

See Spot Vote (ehh, what an awful pun)

The Tulsa World's Spot Awards (or Spotniks for you hipsters) nominees are currently up and votable on their website. Some notable nominees include:

Crooked X for Artist of the Year - This is a balls out rock band comprised of kids young enough to be turned down for the roller coaster at Frontier City. They recently went on tour with the Motor City Mad Man Ted Nugent, and have opened for the likes of Alice Cooper.

Kunek "Flight of the Flynns" for Best Album/Best Pop Act - I can't say enough positive things about these guys. They're music is amazing and unparalleled in the local scene. If you haven't seen them or heard their music I suggest you do so soon because they are definitely going places. Soon enough they wont be local anymore.

Elliott the Letter Ostrich for Best Rock Act - I really dig ETLO. They have this great quirkiness about them. Imagine if Elliott Smith and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone had a kid and raised it on Nintendo and classic horror flicks and you might get ELTO.

Colourmusic for Rising Star - I think rising star is a good descriptor for Stillwater's Colourmusic. Their unique brand of infectious pop-rock and visually impressive live shows have garnered them a lot of national press attention and a seasoned manager in Scott Booker of Flaming Lips fame. Scott will also be releasing the band's next album on his label Great Society.

You can vote for your favorite artists on a daily basis here up until the awards ceremony on October 20 at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa.

2007-09-26T21:17:00.000-06:00

Way to go fellas

As if you needed another reason to get your ass up to Tulsa for the Spoon show on the 29th, I happen to have one. Stillwater orchestral pop wonders Kunek will be opening up. How they landed the gig I'm not sure, but it is definitely an impressive, and possibly door-opening, show for them. They will also be opening up Spoon's show in Fayetteville, AR the next night.

2007-09-26T21:09:00.001-06:00

Good Stuff

I've been meaning to keep a blog going on these guys, but admittedly I haven't blogged about them in months. Some local guys have a pretty good independent music podcast going called Festival City Radio. They talk about new releases and local shows every week. Here's a list of what they're dishing out this week on Episode #86:

Tiny Masters of Today - "K.I.D.S."
Athlete - "Airport Disco"
Club 8 - "Whatever You Want"
HRSTA - "Entre la Mer et L'eau Douce"
Mum - "Dancing Behind my Eyelids"
Jose Gonzalez - "Teardrop"
The Cave Singers - "Seeds of Night"
Matt Pond PA - "Taught to Look Away"
Sea Wolf - "Black Dirt"
OFFICE - "The Ritz"
Nellie McKay - "Mother of Pearl"
Georgie James - "Need Your Needs"
Rob Sonic - "Rock the Convoy"
Iron and Wine - "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car"
Bear Claw - "Embrace"

2007-09-16T11:41:00.000-06:00

I'm the Zoo Keeper

I did a couple interviews I'm pretty proud of for the current issue of NONzine. The interviews are with the very unique and progressive bands Deerhoof and Animal Collective. If you're a fan check em out. If not, hit those links and experience some truly sui generis bodies of work.

2007-09-16T10:55:00.001-06:00

Natural Born Lickers

Last night I went and saw Juliette and the Licks at the Opolis. The band is fronted by celeb-actress Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers, What's Eating Gilbert Grape). It was interesting to say the least. My friend Mickey a.k.a. El Paso Hot Button was the opening act and he had a large enough crowd to play for at 9:30 (which he was asked to do), so needless to say people were excited to see the actress belt out a few tunes. I think the thing I enjoyed watching the most was the crowd. About 60% of the crowd was really into the show, and obviously really into Juliette. About another 20% were the local hipster who came to see a few minutes, scoffed, and left. And the remaining 20% didn't really know what to think and eventually left, perplexed.

I spoke briefly with Juliette after the show out back and she was actually very approachable and friendly. She gave my girlfriend a sweaty hug and even cracked a couple jokes. I ended up speaking in depth with her bass player Jason who, amazingly enough, once filled in as the bass player to one of my favorite and most unpredictable bands, The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Juliette's band was pretty impressive. The whole night I was listening to her drummer kick away on his double bass pedal, only to find out after the show that he only had one. Juliette has a decent voice, I'll give her that, and her stage presence is enthralling, but the music itself is tired and mediocre. It's hard to initially respect an actor-turned-musician, and it's even harder for that person to build a good reputation and garner respect. I commend Juliette for pursuing her passions, but if the music isn't there, it isn't there.

2007-09-14T18:29:00.000-06:00

I'm getting real deep

I've been thinking a lot about how music defines us as people. Nature and nurture aside, it's amazing to me how sound waves, when paired, curved, and shaped the right way, can almost totally determine what kind of person you are. Now, not everyone falls into such manipulation. But think about gothic kids, hippies, punks, skankers, and metal-heads, just to name a few. Seriously, people like these make so many decisions based on their musical preferences. I'm not just talking about fashion choices like punks and mohawks or skankers and checkers. People often make political and social decisions that are in large part based on what they listen too. Think about it, how many punk-rockers do you know who hang out with Hip-Hop fans? In fact, how many punk-rockers do you know? If you said none, you probably don't know much, or anything, about The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, or Black Flag... and you probably vote Republican.

Music has also played a large role in social movements throughout history. The slaves found solace in the Blues, the radical anti-war movement of the 60's shared a close relationship to the new, unprecedented music of that generation, and the underground swell of culture and anti-establishment idealism of the 80's was in part birthed from the beginnings of the punk scene.

Perhaps I'm biased because music has always been such a huge factor in my life. I've probably been to over 300 concerts and have enjoyed the music of hundreds more bands. Hell, I even make a living off of my love for music. I remember in 7th grade I had a Jimi Hendrix shirt for every day of the week, and that's all I wore for the most part. I also had an entire wall of my room completely covered in Nirvana posters. Music is how I was introduced to politics and social and world issues. If it weren't for Marylin Manson and Rage Against the Machine I never would have understood what it's like to have the American government shit all over you.

T.S. Eliot once said "You are the music while the music lasts." I think there is a lot of truth to that. As long as we have that certain song in our hearts it will always have a hand in shaping who we are and what we do. But I think to truly understand how highly we regard music one need go no further than the great Frank Zappa, " Remember, information is not knowledge; knowledge is not wisdom; wisdom is not truth; truth is not beauty; beauty is not love; love is not music; music is the best."

2007-09-14T17:55:00.000-06:00

Here we go again...

Once again I did an interview I'm very proud of and it ended up not getting published. This time around it was due to a lack of space in >NONzine....oh well. At least you, my faithful readers (all 4 of you) can enjoy it!

Blonde Redhead is one of those great indie bands that fly under the radar and still manage to establish an amazing reputation and fan base. Two Italian brothers, one Japanese beauty, truly unclassifiable music, enough said. Blond Redhead is a artistic journey through Sonic Youth inspired guitar structure, whimsical ambiance, and severe individualism. Here is what brother Amedeo had to say about his music.

-It seems to me that you guy are a band that has garnered more attention through word of mouth than through media exposure. Has that made it harder for you to reach larger audiences or is that something that you appreciate about the way people find your music?

You know, I think about it all the time. I kind of don’t really understand it so well because, I’m just wondering that maybe if we had reached a bigger audience maybe we would have sacrificed some of the things we’ve been able to do. They way we’ve grown has been sort of organic. The only thing is that we have some places where we are still quite alone in some ways. It would’ve been nice if they would’ve developed as much as other places. The fact that we did a lot of touring and people have found us through that and word of mouth, we’re creating a fan base that is solid and very devoted to us, and it has been really nice. But of course I wish we had bigger audiences. I don’t know how to feel about it because what we have is quite good. I think if we would have pushed ourselves a little more through promotion and other things we could have grown and we could have prepared for it. I like where we are now except I do think about it a lot, what it would be like if we reached bigger audiences. I wish we could experience it at one point, but we’ll see.

-In the beginning to that answer where you eluding to the fact that you might have to sacrifice some of your artistic integrity if you reached a bigger audience?

No, I don’t think so. I think that musically we can only do what we do. I don’t think we could do anything else. So, I don’t think we would have sacrificed our music. Maybe ourselves with pressure and we wouldn’t be able to do things as relaxed as they are now. I don’t know what the outcome would have been if we had a lot of pressure from the record company. So, it’s really hard for me to answer this question because we haven’t lived that situation at all.

-I read an interview with you once where you said that art shouldn’t stay the same but instead evolve and always be changing. I see that evolution in your music over the years. That evolution, that maturation, something that you consciously shoot for or is that just the way your art progresses naturally?

I think it progresses naturally. We tour so much for an album, every time we are done touring and playing all the songs we are ready to experience something else musically. We have other ideas and want to try other things. Which I think is really important. I think the misfortune with some bands is that they have a hit record with their first album and they feel like they have to do it again in some ways. They try to redo the same album to try to keep the success it had. We’ve never had that. We have always grown musically as well as in popularity in some way. So, it is important for us to change and move on.

-Is experimentation a large part of your songwriting process?

No, we don’t ‘jam’ or experiment so much. We just play ideas. I think a lot of our ideas come from just making ,mistakes and us playing together in ways where we feel free and where we have the time to try different ideas. We’re not a band that goes into experimentation like Animal Collective, which I love. We are a little more detailed and kind of in control. In some ways we are not really good at what we do and that is why we have developed this style of playing music. Some musicians are just amazing and can play and do anything and experiment. We are very limited, which in a way has been a blessing for us. So, when we do play we stop a lot and talk, and then play some more and so on.

-Do you guys feel like it is hard to capture what you’ve recorded when you play live having only three members?

Sometimes. But sometimes it’s better live than on the album. We try to shoot for what we have captured on the album. In the live shows it’s obvious what works and what doesn’t, and things take their own lives, their own direction. We just try to strengthen what we see as stronger. When we make an album we’re not really thinking about a live show. We’re thinking ‘what does this song need to make it a great song?’

-Do you get to go back home to Italy and play shows often?

Oh yes, we go there all the time to play shows.

-What’s the response like there?

It’s really good. They are very artistic and fell very proud that we’re a band doing something in a different country. I think a lot of bands there wish they could escape and come to the States. We’re kind of a good example for a lot of people. So, people really embrace us and feel good about being a part of it and having the same origin.

2007-09-03T17:55:00.000-06:00

New Gig

I started my new job as a Contributing Editor at NONzine, a great, very independent arts and entertainment publication. I've freelanced music articles and fiction short stories for them in the past and I'm very happy to be an official staff member. I will mainly be handling and writing music content. Michael Taber, the founder and Chief Editor has great vision and is extremely committed to promoting local bands, writers, artists, and businesses. You can check us out NONzine.com

Here are some links to a few things I've done for NONzine

40 Minutes of Hell, Aesop Rock, & Pinback

El Paso Hot Button

Oh! No! Oh! My! interview

Colourmusic

Student Film

Cheyenne

2007-09-03T17:40:00.000-06:00

The Stills

This is an interview I did with Dave Hamelin of The Stills on June 7, 2007. It never made it to publication. They're a great, well respected band, so I thought it unfortunate no one ever got to read it, even if it is a short, sub par interview on my part.

I’ve read several times about the rumor that the Four track you guys acquired from a friend to make your first recordings was sold to you because said friend needed drug money. I thought that was an interesting rumor. Would you care to credit or discredit it?

I think it’s at the point now where I don’t necessarily want to credit or discredit that story. The protagonist of that story doesn’t really feel good about reading stories about his misfortunes so…yes it’s true, yes it’s a layered story with gory details, yes I would rather not elaborate.

Vice has always been one of my favorite publications. What’s it like being on their label and what do you think about the magazine and the type of things they choose to write about?

Being on Vice Records has kind of been a blessing for us from day one. The way that Vice as company operates, is very much centered around trust, family and being up against a world that might not want to listen. Everybody at that company is very dedicated and believes whole-heartedly in everything they are involved in. I am a big fan of the magazine and I an easily say that they are pretty singular in almost every respect. The greatest misconception about Vice magazine is that it is stupid and trashy but if you have any brain at all you’ll quickly see that the magazine is a high-brow critique of contemporary capitalism and the butt-end of a culture with very little morality left. If it wasn’t so funny I think more people would get it.

So you’re pretty multi-talented, playing more than just drums on your albums. Do you plan to keep learning to play more instruments and incorporating them on your records?

I think I’ve called it in terms of learning new instruments. Right now I’m just focusing on being a better singer and guitar player and it’s pretty much all I have time for. That and writing new songs.

You guys have toured with some pretty amazing bands like Echo and the Bunnymen -a band I feel like you guys draw a lot of influence from-. What’s it like having the opportunity to play with guys like that?

To be honest, none of us ever listened to Echo and the Bunnymen and we’ve had way better times touring with the Kings of Leon who are from Oklahoma.

Being from Canada do you feel like in order to really make it in the music business you have to conquer the US in a sense?

Yes and no…we can a have a very lucrative career touring Canada and only focusing on that market but being the kind of people we are I think it’s important for us to not think of things of markets and territories. We’re in it to play, and not to figure out the business.

2007-09-03T17:32:00.000-06:00

Here are links to some of the articles I wrote when freelancing for the Oklahoma Gazette

The Red Alert

Flogging Molly

Danny Masterson and DJ Steve Aoki

Hot Hot Heat

Man Man

Travis Linville

Melt Banana

The Gunship

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

2007-03-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Allan Vest of the Starlight Mints Interview

I did this interview with Allan Vest back in July of 2006. It was for a Boyd Street article that never actually made it to press. I remembered it today and figured I should post it so that at least a few people could read it. Allan is currently working on music for a Disney cartoon and a new Starlight Mints album, on top of all of his production work for local band Student Film.

You signed to Barsuk records for Drowaton. What's it like being on the same label as bands like They Might Be Giants, Death Cab for Cutie, and Rilo Kiley?

I really don't feel or think about it much. TMBG make some very interesting music. I think there's much more interesting bands on Barsuk that people should check out.

What was it like starting in Norman and how has the music scene here changed since the Mints first got together?

Well, when we started in 1997, a lot of the local bands were trying to emulate the Flaming Lips especially with the vocal stylings. It was rather annoying and difficult to stomach. It's great that the Lips have influenced so many local artists, but I think what makes an artist likable is the balance of influence and perspective, and with this, producing a perception of uniqueness within the blend. Popular music seems to flow through cycles and technology with the combination of stylings. I think these days, a lot more Oklahoma music artists are trying harder to create this identity that is their own. Maybe that's presumptuous and happening everywhere in the nation, or maybe I'm just getting softer with age, but when I do, and if I can, honestly, compare the good Okie bands to the neighboring states' decent bands....... hands down.....better Okie bands. Here in OK , we have to work twice as hard to get noticed nationally. I think that could change soon, as the Oklahoma art scene seems to be gearing towards something great. Most of my good friends have moved away to bigger cities (NY, LA, Austin.. etc) because they wanted that greater culture and opportunity (mostly in the fields of art, film, music and media). I have a constant battle within myself to follow them, but the odd thing is, only a few of them are actually being creative with their work.

I know you've been taking a very active role with the demo of local band Student Film, what has that experience been like for you?

As Mel Torme would say, they are the tops. Not only do I adore the songs, they are wonderful to work with. No egos, just good creative minds with amazing work ethic. When I have worked with them, I am constantly throwing out ideas with the attitude "it's just an idea, take it or toss it" and they understand that I am just wanting the song to reach the potential of itself. When your working closely with a song (recording/writing/editing) there is a "sweet spot" in time when one can contribute something meaningful to it. I really will never know if I've helped them in the process, but my heart is there with their music and I hope to continue working with them for a long time.

You guys have a close relationship with The Flaming Lips, tell me a little about the nature of that relationship and how its grown over the years.

That's a funny question. I've known Steven for about 15 years. But really I don't know Wayne or Michael that well. Michaelhelped us record a few songs for "The dream that stuff was made of". Wayne has been very nice the few times we've talked. He's a one of a kind, full of questions, and always on his own agenda. We all admire that about him. Very hard working and to the point. I bet he has temporarily pissed off a lot of people over the years with his opinions, until they figured out that he was really trying to help them (with their flaws) in making music better.

The new album definitely has a different sound than your previous ones. What influences have brought on the changes in your music?

Lots of things really. The evolution of music itself. Technology at our disposal. Old relationships. New relationships. Circumstance. I really couldn't be a proper judge of this subject. Life inspires. Or maybe in some cases does the opposite. I love working on music. Half the time it makes sense, the other half it's about having fun. I spent too much alone time working on this record, maybe that was a good thing, maybe it wasn't. At this point, I'm looking forward to collaborating more for the next record with my bandmates.

You recently acquired the talents of musicians Brian Brewer and Ryan Lindsey. How much of what we hear on Drowaton was written/inspired by the duo?

Bryan played one show with us last year. He did an amazing job. Ryan recorded some piano parts for the album and has been touring with us.

Are they going to become more permanent fixtures of the Mints' line-up?

Ryan is a keeper. Very unique, very clever. He's got his own thing going on (just finished putting out a great record), but I have a good feeling about the connection we have with him.

Here comes the cliche, what's the future hold for the Starlight Mints?

I don't know, I lost my magic eight ball. Last time I checked it showed "yes definitely" when I asked if I would lose it.

You dropped out of school at OU your junior year after several major changes. Do you ever plan on giving it another go? What would you study?

I'm not interested in school right now. For what I want to do, I'm not required a degree. I was raised by an accountant and a scientist. I got my only "D" in high school in basic chemistry. My last class in college was engineering calculus 2, and I kind of lost it during the course and took an incomplete. I felt like this(college) was directing me to do this specific thing for the rest of my life, and that scared the hell out of me at the time. You can't really major in creative music writing. What are they going to teach you? If you have a decent understanding of how music works, and how to reproduce styles that excite you...plus a few tools to work with, that can be an education within itself. If I'm not working on something creative, I get very depressed. Having a career in the music industry is royal challenge, but I like that. My friends sometimes give me a hard time because I'm so competitive. I'm to a point where I'm accepting that. That's not a bad trait, is it?

I understand you're interested in scoring for films. Got any definite plans in that area yet?

Yeah, lots of great opportunities have been opening up. That is the ultimate goal really. The pay is good, and you don't have to tour..haha . Andy and I have been handed a few scenes to work with in movies and television. It's very new and exciting but also restrictive in style. We were recently asked to work out a theme song for a Showtime series about sex therapy. We had about three days to submit ideas. It was last minute, and we were pretty sure from the get-go that this wasn't for us. You never know. Maybe they'll use it.

Has it been difficult for Andy and Marian to be involved with the band and own and operate the Opolis, on top of being parents?

That's a question for them. I imagine so, but they are the most positive people I know. Andy does very well at making things happen via multi-tasking. I consider him my boss and the band manager. We have an amazing balance between us, I think he is that way with everyone he works with.

Are the Mints going to be playing there anytime soon?

Probably so. We haven't played Norman in over three years. Maybe this fall ?

2007-02-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

Ben Kweller Interview
{NONzine}

Since jumping in the lime light at the tender age of 14, fronting the band Radish, Ben Kweller has literally grown up on a major label, putting out several albums and embarked on a few world tours with the band all as a teenager. Now he’s a seasoned veteran and New York City solo artist, and he’s still only 24. I’ve always looked at Ben’s life as extremely enviable and amazing. It’s easy to make the assertion that someone who has seemingly always been on the receiving end of major praise and support, even at the very beginning of his career would have a major ego, too. But nothing could be further from the truth as far as Ben is concerned. Before our interview I had a long list of questions about his latest album and his music in general, but as the interview progressed Ben’s good nature made me so comfortable that it felt more like a conversation between friends. I found myself asking him questions that I hadn’t planned, almost just like we were shooting the shit. He’ll be gracing us with his presence at the Bricktown Ballroom on February 24, with locals The Red Light Knights and The Separation opening.

Man I’m really excited about that Oklahoma City show

Really? Why is that?

Cause my friends The Red Light Knights will be playing.

I didn’t realize you were friends with those guys.

Oh yeah. Me and their cousins, The Kings of Leon are really close friends. They’re practically brothers. They have a family reunion in Oklahoma every Labor Day and I’ve been going for the past few years. The Red Light Knights formed pretty recently and I’ve kind of seen them come up. I was really psyched when I found out that I could have them open up for me.

That’s pretty cool. Do you like Oklahoma?

Yeah I do. I grew up in Texas, pretty close to the Oklahoma border, like an hour away. I;ve always like OKC. I’ve never been to Tulsa, I have some buddies up there.

You’re originally from Grenville, TX, and moved to New York to start your solo career. What was that transition like?

It’s really two very different places man. But it wasn’t a total culture shock for me because I went to New York so much when I was younger. My dad went to school there and I’ve always been in to NYC and wanted to live there at some point in my life. So I’m glad that I’ve seen both sides, the country and the city. Although I prefer the country now. I think because I spend everyday of my life playing in major cities around the world. When I have time off I love going to my parents house and going fishing, hiking, and camping.

Do you plan on moving back to the country anytime soon?

Well, my wife and I have been talking about maybe going down to Austin. It’s kind of the best of both worlds for me. My managers there, its got a great music vibe, but you can also get a few acres outside of town and have a barn and a studio. It’s not like NYC.

When you were first getting established in NYC Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) both asked you to open for them. What was it like being kind of ‘taken in’ by respected musicians like those two?

That’s the kind of stuff that really helps you build your confidence. There’s nothing like the people you look up to bringing you out on the road. That’s the kind of thing I’m trying to do for The Red Light Knights. I’m in a position where I get to play in front of a lot of people so if there’s kids that look up to me and I dig their music I want to help them out because I’ve definitely got my fair share of lucky breaks when I was coming up. Jeff and Evan are both geniuses, so when they called me up and told me ‘hey, I like your music’ it was such a huge honor. That kind of props are better than any kind of album sales or record deal. I’d much rather an artist that I respect give me props than some A&R guy at a record company.

Didn’t you also get to visit Brian Wilson when you were about 15?

That was crazy. Even though I was really psyched to get to meet him and go to his house, it because a record company was trying to get us to sign. Brian had never heard our music before and didn’t know who we were, we just went to his house because Electra Records was trying to win us over. So it was the opposite of Jeff Tweedy saying “I like your stuff and I want you to open up for me on some dates.’ Record companies don’t really do that kind of stuff anymore, but in the nineties that was kind of the height of bribery.

That’s still pretty cool that they tried to bribe you with Brian Wilson.

That’s the thing, there’s no better way to get someone to sign a deal. But we actually never ended up signing with them, but it was a good trick, haha.

Do you prefer those smaller acoustic sets that you got to play with Evan and Jeff or do you like the big venues that you play now?

My ideal venue is 1000 people. Once I go past 2000 people it seems to become less intimate. I can still connect to everybody when I’m in front of a couple thousand people, but once you go more than that it feels like your not connecting with each individual fan you’re trying to be an entertainer for a whole group. But I’ll play for anybody. I’ve opened up for different bands that played in arenas and shit, playing in front of 10,000 people and that’s hard because you do your thing but its hard to know if you’re really connecting. You don’t get that instant vibe that you get in front of 1000.

Where there any other bands in the NY scene that were as supportive as those guys were?

Yeah, there were people my age that were starting out like The Strokes and Adam Green. Before he went solo he was in a band called The Moldy Peaches. The three of us all met early on, in 2000. This was before any of us were signed and were just playing shows in New York bars. It was a really cool time because everyone was really supportive. Jeff and Evan were the two veterans that reached out to me. Chris Robinson from the Black Crows also came out and was supportive. But The Strokes and Adam and even Conner from Bright Eyes, we all became

You got started on your musical career at such a young age. Did being so young make it difficult for you?

I don’t think it made it difficult for me, it was just as hard for me as it was for someone in their mid-twenties. I think I was lucky for starting out so young because it gave me a head start and a lot of time to develop as an artist. By the time that I moved to New York and became a solo artist I had already made three albums with Radish and toured around the world. So, I already knew what kind of music I wanted to make. I’m lucky because not a lot of artist get that chance, to live multiple lives. I feel like I’ve already lived two or three.

I can definitely sense that growth in your newest album. It has this established quality to it. Was that a conscious decision or did you just write what came out?

It’s just kind of what came out, but it’s definitely more direct and more honest. I’m not sugar coating my lyrics I’m just kind of saying it like it is. As we get older hopefully we get better at what we do, whether you’re a doctor, lawyer, musician, or painter. If there’s growth that’s a positive thing. For some reason I wrote a lot more ballads on this one, it’s a little more mellow. The rock songs are more classic rock, like Petty or Americana. I dig that. That’s where my head space is at. A lot of songs about travel and freedom and living while you can. Who knows where I‘ll go next.

I’m a huge Mason Jennings fan and I know you guys have a close relationship. Can you tell me a little about that?

Mason and I are super great friends. We’re both fathers and we bond over that big time. We’re young parents and that’s a big deal these days. He’s obviously one of the greatest song writers of this generation and he deserves a lot more attention that he gets, and that’s one thing that always kinds of bums me out, because I know in my heart everyone should know his music. Century Spring is one of the est albums ever. His bass player Chris is actually touring with me right now.

2007-02-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Wayne Coyne Interview
{Boyd Street}

I did this interview with Wayne on August 31st, 2006. He called me from tour in Columbus, OH. I received the call 45 minutes ahead of what I had been told and had to roll out of bed and do the interview in my boxers. The whole thing was fast and...surreal.

What was it like getting your start in Oklahoma?

I forget exactly when we started, I think it was something like 1983. I think anyone who grows up loving music and all that sort of stuff, I think everyone dreams of being in a band, I think we were lucky that MTV started in Oklahoma City as part of a kind of a test market I think. But I remember MTV started in 1980 or 81 so it really gave us sort of an insight to all these bands from all around the world that never would have heard about. Bands like Psychedelic Furs and Echo and the Bunnymen, The Clash, all these bands that I was reading about in magazines and stuff like that. So we knew that there was this whole world out there, so we atarting looking in magazines like Maximum Rock N Roll and Subside and all these things that people were talking about, you know different scenes and different bands around America, and I dont know, we just sort of felt collectively that if there was ever time that we could form a band, uhhh, that would have been the time, in the early 80's when we were all 20 years old os something like that and it sort of seemed like, I knew a lot of guys who had been in bands before that but they were all in cover bands and stuff and we knew that we couldnt really play covers because we didnt want to and we werent very skilled in that way, we wanted to play our own music. We would run into more and more people that are playing some form of punk-rock or some form of amateur garage rock and we thought Well, now seems to be the time.

I know you still live in OKC, how do you feel the music scene around here has changed since then?

Well, Ive never really cared that much about scenes per say. I dont think that most artists need very much encouragement to do their art. I mean if theyre truly obsessed with their idea, like artists should be, umm, you will almost do your ideas despite any group effort around it, you know. I think scenes draw certain attention to certain new forms of rock bands, but most of the good music that Ive heard over the years has been done in secret, so Ive never really thought that there needed to be a scene, or a big group of people, or some outlet for attention. But, I dont know, Oklahoma City is always going to have struggles n that way. I mean rarely do I ever go to the clubs like The Conservatory, The Green Door, now that it closed, or The Opolis down in Norman and they are very full. Most of the time Ill go see a band and there will be, if youre lucky, there will be 25 or 30 people there. So I dont know. There is a hand full of bands that are good, theres always a hand full doing good stuff. But like I said, I dont think that true artist are relying on their local scenes, most art is done in the isolation of your own mind even if there isnt a bunch of people telling you to do it.

Yeah, influence is always out there...

Well, I think that most great art that you see is done despite a scene, everyone is looking one way and this art is being done by itself. I think thats always going to be OKCs biggest dilemma, theres not a lot of people there. We play cities that are as small as OKC that are much better organized music scenes all the time, the town were in now, Columbus, OH is probably one of them. But I dont think that should deter or encourage a band. You should just do what you like and not worry about it that much. Especially in the way, you know, that the internet works these days. You dont really need the people down the block to even know bout your band thereÃ¢s plenty of people in the world who are already curious about new music and stuff.

Speaking about local scenes, are there any bands around here that you like or expect big things from in the future?

Well I dont know if we expect big things, but there is a couple of bands that I like, I mean I like my nephews band Star Death and White Dwarves, theyre going to be playing with us at the Oklahoma City show. Were always interested in what the Starlight Mints are doing, theyre friends of ours, weve known them their whole life. Ummm, Im trying to think of some of the other bands, I mean Ive seen some of the others but Im not sure if theyre all still together. Im always getting cds dropped in my mailbox and Im always going out and seeing bands that are around. I know theres more, but I just forgt their names. Theres a band that keeps dropping their cd in my mailbox that I need to go see, and when Im in town I will but I forget their name.

What's the official status with the movie your making, Christmas On Mars?

I think it the same as its been for a long time, which is that its kind of a work in progress, and I believe that Im going to try and release some version of it in the beginning of the South By South West Music and Film Conference next March. So, there are some, not necessarily deadlines, but some reasons to stat to get it together, and we always knew that we would put out this current record, At War With The Mystics, before we released Christmas On Mars. I dont think we had any idea that it would be four years in between records, but I try to tell people that were doing as much as we possible can. Some of it, you just go into the unknown always when youre making art and songs and especially movies and stuff like that. So, it doesnt surprise me that its taken us five years, in the end you just sort of do what you do. It takes whatever it takes to get it done. Were really lucky that we have a lot of people out there that are curious about what were doing and gives us a lot of support, and of course gives us a bunch of the money and believes in us and all that. But I think that its going to be better. I know that if we had finished Christmas On Mars in the first year of filming it, it would have turned out to be a completely different movie than its going to be. So, I cant wait, I think it will really be sort of the next thing that well start to do. I think it will start to be released and stuff as were touring next summer still on this record. It will start to be out there and many people will be able to see it.

I saw the trailer for it on your website and it seemed to have some new music. Are you guys going to be releasing a sound track with it?

I think we will. I think what well probably do is, some form of the sound track will probably come out and then the DVD will probably come out later once weve really dealt with the finished version of Christmas On Mars. I think it will probably be a little bit, not, not liquid, but it will kind of shift around. I think thats the nature of all art, you sort of put it out there and see what the responses are and if its working right and so I think that as we start to put it out there will probably be two or three different versions that we make to make it more communicative and just more immediate. We have yet to record all the music for it. I think in January we have a session that were trying to organize where well use a big orchestra and a choir and all these things. Weve done a lot of it on computers but theres some elements where we have to do this giant movie score and get a big epic sound and that will be exciting anyway, we've never really done that before. I mean weve worked with elements of symphonies and stuff like that, but we've never had just a big group of people solely for our purposes.

I have to say the sets look amazing, I know you built those yourself.

As I went I discovered a lot about how you make movies. So, I think in the beginning my lack of experience actually helped me. If I'd have known how hard it was I probably wouldn't have been so ambitious, but its like a lot of things, your dreams guide you more than reality does. So I thought, Well fuck, I want to make this movie, I was just so driven insane by it that I felt I better make it or IÃ¢ll just go insane. I think its like all art, once your in it the making of the art actually does make you more insane than not making it, but that's always the case, art is like that. But I really did learn a lot about making movie sets, and lighting, and acting, and writing out scripts and dialogue. I really learned a lot and I canÃ¢t wait to start another movie.

Well I look forward to another one.

Yeah well I'm lucky as my life goes I'll be able to make records and movies and shows and do all these sorts of things that I love to do and not have to do just one or the other, it's a great way to live.

Your songs always have this really deep and thoughtful subject matter and you give off an extremely energetic and inquisitive vibe when you sing. What kinds of things do you draw inspiration from and where do you get these questions that you ask in your music?

Well I don't know if you can pinpoint any one thing, I think I'm lucky that there is something in my quest, I appreciate that compliment of being energetic and inquisitive, but despite what I think I am I do realize that's the way I come across. I'm lucky, I don't know where this energy comes from. I swear when I'm around people sometimes they think I'm a crack addict or something, ready to rock. But I think that's my greatest asset, that I have a curiosity about the possibilities of what could happen and I have a lot of energy to, you know, to experience them and live though all these ideas. So, I don't know, I swear Graham if I knew I would tell you, but I'm just lucky that I seem to have this drive that has worked out for me. Its easy to draw inspiration, you just have to turn on the TV, or pick up a book, or go watch a band, anything that you're curious about. You see out there in the world what the endless possibilities can be and it just triggers new ideas in your mind. I think that's one thing I just know from being in a band like I said earlier, since I was 21 years old, you really do kind of have to be obsessed with coming up with songs and paintings and movies. If you're not obsessed you'll get burnt out quickly. If you just want to get attention or become famous or make money or something you'll get burnt out on it. I don't know if its good or bad, but I'm always thinking of something I fucking want to do, some new song or some new sound or thing. I mean I'm lucky that we've become a little bit famous and we are going to make monet and stuff like that but the thing that drives me the most and that drives me crazy is that feeling that I've got to do this thing, I don't know where it comes from. Its either a curse or a blessing, I'm not sure.

I've been hearing rumors that you've been building a UFO for the show at the Zoo.

Its our long awaited UFO light show. Its not really a space ship, even though I told the neighborhood kids when we had it out in the front yard, me and Micheal were building the panels to go on the top, and the kids would stop by and say "What is that," and I'd tell them "It's a UFO," and they would say "What's a UFO," they didn't even know what a UFO is. I told them 'It's a space ship," and they would ask if it flies, and I would say "Well it does kinda," cause it goes up on chains and we come out of it and all that sort of stuff. I think the kids were utterly confused when I told them it was a light show for our band, so it's a little bit of both.

Well it sounds like a good time, I'm looking forward to it.

Yeah, I think its going to be sort of the mark of a new era for us. We've always been kind of do it yourself, build your own light show, build your own amplifier sort of band and this is taking it to a new level, this thing is probably going to end up costing us half a million dollars by the time we're done. I think its just another part of our evolution, just becoming our own freaked out little group, doing thing our way. You know, as we become more experienced and we draw bigger audiences its cool to have such freedom to pursue these freaky ideas. Rolling Stone asked me eight months ago what kind of show I would like to have and I just blurted off the top of my head "I think we should come down off of a UFO that does a laser light show sort of thing." And then eight months later we're about to do it. That's what I love about rock n' roll, you're always flying by the ends of your fingertips to do these ideas.

You've garnered quite a reputation as a story teller. Is there any stories that you'd like to share with the readers?

I try to tell stories that are based in the truth, even though they can become more colorful depending on the imagination of the teller, but, I don't know, we've been out here playing shows with Sonic Youth and The Magic Numbers and having all the late summer, early fall thunderstorms that plague all the traveling shows that are happening around this time. But we've been lucky that almost every gig we've played, it has rained, but as soon as Sonic Youth goes to play it sort of starts to clear up and by the time we play its totally cleared up and almost everyday it has started to rain just as we end our encore. So whatever the reason the weathers been cooperating with the Flaming Lips' set across the country.

I guess the powers that be want to hear The Flaming Lips play.

Yeah, playing shows, meeting people, and traveling around, its cool.

2007-01-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

Bela Fleck Interview
{NONzine}

Bela Fleck is thought of by many as the world’s premiere banjo player. The New York native has not only mastered the instrument, he’s helped shape an entire genre, produced albums in several categories, changed the way people look at both Bluegrass and Jazz music, and is the only musician to be nominated for Grammy’s in jazz, bluegrass, pop, country, spoken word, Christian, composition, and world music. Now, the man who seems to spend his entire life with his hands in several musical projects at once will be stopping by Rose State College on February 2 with his world renowned band, The Flecktones.

I saw the movie Deliverance last night and I remembered that you once mentioned how that movie motivated you to start playing. Can you explain that?

Hearing the banjo playing was the main thing and being intrigued by the music. It was more that than the movie itself. The sound of the banjo. I had heard the banjo already, when I was six or seven, on the Beverly Hillbillies, but I kind of forgot about it. But then when I saw that movie, it was so incredible. There was so much pathos and stuff in that scene, where the kid’s playing the banjo.

It must have been hard growing up in Harlem as a young, white banjo player.

I grew up on the upper west side, about three block from Harlem. But I did go to highschool in Harlem. I got a little bit of jive from people. At that time, the big thing was the show Hee Haw. So when people saw a banjo player go by they would start flapping their arms. I didn’t like that. I found that to be pretty insulting. One of the nice things I’ve noticed is that in the recent years people don’t do that anymore. When young people see a banjo they don’t start flapping their arms. They say, ‘what is that? What part of our heritage is that from?’ I think that’s a wonderful development.

Isn’t the banjo originally an African instrument?

It is. That’s the funny thing about it. Everyone connected it with either The Hillbillies, or that scene in Deliverance. Which is a shame because it has such a beautiful heritage. I mean, the fact that we had slaves wasn’t beautiful, but the fact that it survived and continued to come up into the city blocks, up through the concrete and survive, despite everything that’s around it. I think that a lot of the things about the banjo are like that. The music and the sound of the banjo that has somehow come up from African roots and all of the changes and all of the twists and turns of life.

Growing up in New York was it hard to find banjo music, at least in the live sense?

Once I got into it I found that it was quite common music in the city. Partly because the folk boom was a fairly recent thing. There was still coffee houses and folk concerts, and there was bluegrass community and places that would have a bluegrass show every week or two. There was also a country place that would have bluegrass night and big bluegrass acts would come through. There were concerts on the pier on South Street that I would go to and an old-fashioned instrument dealer in Staton Island and some good teachers around. One of the guys who ended up being one of my biggest heroes, Tony Trischka, lived in the Bronx at that time. It was actually one of the coolest places that you could learn the banjo because there were traditionalist guys, and modernists, and lots of records out. It was a good scene, and it’s probably worse now than it was back then.

I never would have imagined it was like that.

Yeah, it was surprising. Short of growing up in North Carolina in a community that played that kind of music I couldn’t have found a much better place to learn. And also I learned a much bigger world view. Which is a lot of the reason why I ended up playing the way I play, because I learned it there and was hearing everything else, too.

Seeing as how the banjo isn’t a staple of the music industry these days, does the audience’s perception of your music weigh in as a factor when you write?

No, I just write what I like. I go with things that move me. I don’t think, ‘they’re really going to love this,’ I think, ‘how can I turn this into something that we’ll all really like?’ I think I just happen to like stuff that a lot of people can relate to. Although I’m accused of it I don’t think that my tastes are that esoteric.

New-grass is a term that describes the second generation of bluegrass players like Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe, and is often associated with you. Do you feel like a part of that movement or do you see yourself as moving past that and making something even more progressive?

Both. I’m definitely part of that movement and proud to be part of it. It’s sort of a click of musicians that I grew up in, like Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Mark O’Connor, Stewart Duncan, even Edgar Meyer. That’s a place I’m very proud to be. But I also exist outside of that world. I get to do things that don’t really involve the bluegrass scene at all that are more progressive like The Flecktones and playing with classical and jazz musicians. I was in Africa a couple years ago making a movie and an album that will be out next year. I just recently produced a great opera singer, which I’m still working on. I thrive on diversity and putting myself in places that are challenging and fun.

What movie are you working on?

It’s a documentary of my trip to Africa. I went to Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia, and Mali and filmed sessions with some great acoustic musicians in those territories. Just jamming with them and learning their music. There’s going to be an album and documentary that has been my secret passion for the last two years.

That sounds like it was a great experience.

It’s unbelievable. I don’t talk too much about it. I just let people know that it exists because when it’s ready to happen I’m going to really want to talk about it. I also just finished recording a duet album with Chick Corea, a jazz pianist, and that was something that was a life long goal. It was really exciting. We’ll be touring a lot next year. Aside from The Flecktones my plate is just full of things that I wished I could do someday and are all happening right now. I’m very fortunate. And The Flecktones continue to be a huge part of it and a home base for me, where I can be myself with a group of musicians who are equally eclectic and interested in pushing it.

Your drummer, Futureman, invented his own instrument, the Drumitar, which allows him to play the drums with a guitar shaped instrument. I’ve read that he’s also a scientist of sorts. All in all I find him to be a very interesting character. Would you tell me a bit about him and what it’s like to play with him?

He is one of the most enthusiastic people I’ve ever met. He’s got incredible energy and focus and no fear of the unusual. Where my tastes are actually pretty inside, he’s wide open to anything. Semi-tone music, music made from mathematical equations, he’s just a dynamo of creative energy. I love being in a band with somebody like that. Someone who embraces all these different musical worlds. My tastes are more inside. I like music that’s pretty consonant, a little bit dissonant, but pretty consonant. and I like some of the ultra classical music and jazz, but jazz that has lots of changes.

Was he part of the reason you guys did a Bach cover for your newest album?

Actually Edgar Meyer and I had been dreaming that up for awhile. Edgar and I went looking through a bunch of stuff.We found one that we thought might be fun to try and when we did it sounded good. So, we decided to put it one. Put there’s a lot more we could try someday.

The Hidden Land has been nominated for two Grammy’s this year (Best Contemporary Jazz Album and Best Pop Instrumental Performance). Earning a Grammy nod is nothing new for you, what’s it like gaining so much appreciation for your music by such a prestigious organization such as the Grammy’s?

It’s pretty cool because the Grammy’s is really musicians and people in the industry so it’s not like a popularity contest among listeners. It’s a popularity contest among the musicians. It’s still a popularity contest. People choose what they like and don’t always listen to the music that they vote for. But it means that the people that vote they saw our name and said, ‘I like those guys,’ and checked our name instead of somebody else’s, and that means that we’re well like in the music world. That doesn’t mean that our music is any better than anyone else’s, but it’s always nice to be liked. I like to got the Grammy’s just because I end up meeting a lot of musicians from a lot of different worlds and I find that to be one of the few places that you might run into classical musicians, jazz musicians, pop and hip-hop stars. You might run into the polka king or the mamba king. They’re all in a room together and I dig that.

How much of a role does improv play in your song writing and performing?

Improv plays a big role in the music that I like to do, although more recently there’s been times where I’ve had to play music where every note was written out, like classical stuff, which is a whole different world. But I like to write music with a whole lot of space in it, like the music I did with Chick Corea where we would write these forms and then improvise in between them, which is what I do with The Flecktones. We don’t tend to improvise the form, we improvise within the form. It’s really nerving to improvise the form, in other words, make up the song as you go along. Or decide to go to a verse or chorus spontaneously. We don’t do that so much. We usually decide how the songs going to go and then see how long it takes to get to each part. So, we always know what’s coming, but how we get there is left up to spontaneity.

I know you’re fond of recording at home. Did you do that with this last album?

Yeah, we did. It’s much less stressful. You don’t have to worry about studio costs. In your house it’s much cheaper since I own all of the recording gear. It’s so cheap to have all of your own stuff and do it yourself. We set up our gear, work reasonable hours, and people leave and I can play it back and screw around with it while people go back to their lives.

2006-11-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

A Handful of Reviews By Yours Truly

Damien Rice “9" release date - Nov. 14

This much anticipated follow up to Rice’s very successful debut album, O, is equally as brilliant and defining as its predecessor. 9‘s first single, 9 Crimes, starts the album off with one of the staples of Rice’s music, the softly captivating voice of his longtime vocal partner Lisa Hannigan. The rest of 9 is drenched in the same raw emotion and haunting beauty that has made Rice unique and respected as a singer-songwriter. On a whole the album is heavier than O with the Irishman putting more emphases on electric guitar work and skillful drumming, but still exhibits a passionate and euphonic quality, which is exactly what has always made his songs so beautiful. -Graham Lee Brewer

Eric Clapton and J.J. Cale “The Road to Escondido” release date - Nov. 7

One is a Tulsa blues man, the other is a British guitar legend, and both have admired each other’s music for decades. Clapton has been covering Cale songs for years (such as “After Midnight” and “Cocaine”), sighting him as his biggest influence, and the two have finally paired up for a record. The collaboration is exactly what you would expect from two guitar virtuosos, bluesy and poetic ballads tied together with some of the most incredible and unique guitar riffs. The album is coated in Cale’s viscous rhythm and soulful guitar and is complemented beautifully by Clapton’s presence. This is a great album not just for blues fans, but anyone who appreciates amazing guitar and song writing. -Graham Lee Brewer

Owen “At Home with Owen” release date - Nov. 7

Owen is the humble and stripped down music of Chicago native Mike Kinsella, who is best known for his work in the bands American Football and Joan of Arc. The most impressive aspect of his solo work is that he writes, plays every instrument, records, and mixes all by his lonesome. At Home with Owen is similar to his previous endeavors in that it relies on soft acoustic strums, gentle piano, and somber vocals. While Kinsella is a gifted song writer and this album is beautiful and calming it grows old quickly and lacks originality. Owen is worth checking out if you like the softer side of the indie scene, but this is definitely not Kinsella’s best work. -Graham Lee Brewer

2006-11-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

Elliot Smith Lives on

Years after his tragic death, beloved musician and troubadour of melancholic honesty, Elliott Smith reaches out from the great beyond. Much like fellow tortured artist with an equally questionable suicide end, Kurt Cobain, Smith’s legacy is being kept under wraps by his remaining family, but little by little the music makes it’s way into the light. Four previously unheard songs (believed to be from of as many as 50 unreleased tracks that were part of the “From the Basement On The Hill” sessions) have been leaked on the internet and surfaced on a fan website, elliottsmithbsides.com. The songs no doubt would have appeared on the double-disc album that Smith had planned before his death.
Elliottsmithbsides.com offers just about anything that an Elliott Smith fan could ever want to know or hear, including a bio, out of print songs and art, and unreleased demo versions of several songs. But it is the newly added songs that are the gem of the site. The four unheard songs (“True Love,” “Talking to Mary,” “Let’s Turn the Record Over,” and “From a Poison Well”) showcase some beautiful vocals and some of Smith’s best guitar work, as well as his heavy song matter.
Its hard to say why Smith’s family kept these songs from his fans (or how they chose which songs to put on his final album), but an easy assumption is the lyrical content. Like a lot of Smith’s previous work the four unreleased tracks are comprised of painfully honest lyricism. In the song “True Love” Smith sings, "I feel cold, useless and old / Wish I was no one" and later, "Take me out of this place / Take me out, do it today." The song was supposedly produced by musical mastermind Jon Brion, who has worked with, among others, Fiona Apple and Rufus Wainright, and scored several films, including Magnolia, I Heart Huckabees, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Following his death in 2003 several tribute albums and re-releases of Smith’s music have popped up but the emergence of these four songs is easily the best news regarding Smith in a long time. The loss of such a talented song writer on the up slope of his career was tough news, and we can only hope that more songs will soon follow.

2006-11-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

...Trail of Dead

My home-boy Dylan is tour managing for And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and he hooked me up with Jason Reece (vocals, guitar, drums) and Clay Morris, who is from Norman and playing keys for the tour. The article ran in NONzine.

With the release of their third major label record, Austin, TX avant-rockers, And You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead weren’t trying to make nice with their critics. Instead the Texans did it their way and gave in to the inevitable evolution of their song writing, throwing expectation to the wind. So Divided is a pastiche of several genres and a radical unpredictability. The Sonic Youth references are sure to rain down on Trail of Dead due to the album’s “melting pot” quality. “I really didn’t want every song to sound the same. I had to make a conscious effort to experiment with different ideas and genres,” said vocalist, guitarist, and drummer Jason Reece. “A lot of it came from trying to see whatever crazy shit we could come up with.” So Divided starts off like Trail of Dead albums often do, with an intro track. This one, aptly named “Intro: A Song of Fire and Wine,” consists of the scattered atmosphere of a crowd awaiting a show and leads you into the energetic beginnings of “Stand in Silence.” “The song “Stand In Silence” is that kind of go-for-it rock craziness with some nice orchestral movements,” said Reece, “That one has the best of both worlds.” The album is built on the band’s invigorating courage to approach so many different styles and influences in their song writing. “It’s like we will listen to certain things and they’ll kind of seep their way into what we are doing,” said Reece. Extended bridges and tempo flipping, often powerful transitions bend their way through several songs. Songs like “Life” and “Naked Sun” show off the sultry and bluesy qualities of the rockers music and others like “Eight Day Hell’ are Beatle-esque ballads that force your head to bob. Trail of Dead even throw in a Guided By Voices cover, “Gold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory.” So Divided is yet another example of how tearing down the norms and conventions of rock can prove to be the formula for making progressive and unique music. The structured chaos of the album is a welcomed separation from what most other rock bands are producing, and even though it’s receiving mixed reviews, is easily one of the band’s most ambitious and defining outputs. The band is currently touring the States with the help of Norman, OK native Clay Morris on keyboards. Fellow Normanite and Trail of Dead tour manager, Dylan Mackey, contacted Clay two weeks before the tour and asked him if he’d would be interested in filling in. “It’s almost unreal sometimes playing in a band like trail of Dead,” said Morris, “I first started listening to Trai of Dead about five years ago. It’s pretty cool to meet some guys whose music I used to own and start playing with them.” After eleven days of crashing at guitarist Kevin Allen’s house and practicing with the band Clay hit the road. “We practiced for about three to five hours a day and then we were off. I’ve gotten to play some amazing places and see cities I’ve never been to,” Morris explained. “We just got done playing the House of Blues in Chicago, and our first show in New York was a sold out crowd of about 1500 people. The most I’ve ever played for is maybe 30 or 40.”

2006-11-03T01:01:00.000-07:00

Wanted: Contributors!

The first issue of the independent publication Dylan Mackey and I have been working on, Race Traitor, is slated to be released the first week in February. We are still accepting applications for any type of writing, whether it be fiction, non-fiction, music or art related, poetry, etc. We are also looking for comic strip artists and for artwork for both the cover and inside the magazine. Being indepndent allows us to print whatever we want, don't hold anything back Send em my way! Grahamleebrewer@gmail.com

2006-10-27T10:45:00.000-06:00

SSSnakes on a split!

Holy shit you need to get your hands on a copy of SSSnakes, the new split LP from This Was The Year To Lose Friends and El Paso Hot Button. Its really stinkin' good. heres a story I wrote about it for Boyd Street:

Rock fans rejoice! And when I say rock fans, I mean fucking rock fans. If you appreciate New Found Glory or think that Hinder is awesome than I am definitely not talking to you. If you listen to the All-American Rejects than you might as well turn the page, this is way too rad for you.
El Paso Hot Button, the one man band with the most gripping theatrics around, and the slumbering monstrosity that is This Was The Year To Lose Friends, have collided together on one, unabashedly climatic album, SSSnakes. Like the title might suggest, this album has fangs. Something which Mickey Reece, the man who is EPHB, is striving for.
“People are always saying, ‘Oh you should open for this band (Insert Southern Rock n' Roll band here) or this band (Insert Blues/Punk act here)’ and I'm thinking ‘Did you even listen to my last album? It sounds nothing like those bands,” said Reece, “People automatically associate the one-man band with blues or country and I'm trying to do something completely different. What better way to show that than to record a split with a Noise Metal band.”
Reece couldn’t be more right. Moving from the gentle hums of richly distorted guitar riffs and strange percussive ambience to aggressive, pugnacious rock is This Was The Years’s forte. Their abrasive distortion and wailing vocals entangled in Sethy McCarrol’s explosive drumming is displayed on SSSnakes with unapologetic rawness.
“I was recording Turtle Wars at Chris Harris' Studio, Atomic Studios, and he played me the This Was The Year stuff he was working on and I was floored. I've always liked the band a lot, but when I heard that they had five songs just sitting there not being released I thought we should do a split.”
The two acts are both signed to Little Mafia Records, so making the decision to collaborate was an easy one. “It's always good to work with Mickey. He's a musician with a ranchman's work ethic,” McCarrol said, “That is to say, he works so hard and is partly the reason This Was The Year hasn't fallen apart simply because we had a goal to work towards.
The five EPHB tracks on the alum are among the best Reece has ever made. His unique style, body moving tempos, and beautiful lyrics (such as lines like, “The way she moves, like a funeral dress/I must have learned a great deal from drinking your poison”) are scattered throughout the album. This idea of mixing both of the act’s songs together, instead of down the middle like most splits, adds to it’s diversity and appeal.
Look for a Norman show to promote the album soon. SSSnakes will be available for purchase at Guestroom Records.
-Graham Lee Brewer

2006-10-19T22:00:00.000-06:00

A Handful of Reviews by Yours Truly

Sean Lennon “Friendly Fire”
release date- October 3

Its hard for anyone to imagine what its like growing up in the shadow of John Lennon and the incredible legacy he left behind. Sean Lennon has no choice but to try. Lennon’s sophomore album comes eight years after his debut and it is easy to assume that part of the reason for such a gap is the pressure that comes with being the son of a music legend. However, another explanation could just as easily be that Lennon doesn’t feel the need to force his music on the world. Friendly Fire is slightly more ambitious than his first album, Into the Sun, and gently tip-toes down a folksy-rock path with soft string arrangements, lyrics that consistently touch on love and loss, and guitar work and vocals that harken back to Elliot Smith. While graceful and charming, such a combination creates a plodding, often dreary, distance with the audience and will leave them waiting for Sean to prove he has it in him to make something truly timeless.
-Graham Lee Brewer

Beck "The Information"
release date-October 3

Beck once again dabbles with the radical pastiche, undeniably bold percussion, and cryptic lyrics, which have set him apart from everyone else so boldly for more than a decade. The only dent in his polished reputation was his last album, Gueros, which was greeted less than favorably. The Information is as ambitious and multi-faceted as any of his previous albums, wrapping you in an enthralling amalgamation of genres and influences. From the lulling swoon of acoustic driven blues to the flowing lyricism and break beat of hip-hop to the raw energy of rock and jazz fusion to the funk of funk Beck showcases a seemingly unnatural understanding of what it is to take on the chaotic task of extracting the greatest aspects of several scopes of music over and over again and transforming them into incendiary and appealing music. And it feels, at times, like he does this with extreme ease.
-Graham Lee Brewer

2006-10-19T21:54:00.000-06:00

Halloween Tunes

The Evangelicals have a new halloween song out that is really really great. Check it out for yourself:

http://www.toolshed-media.com/ecard/evangelicals/

2006-10-08T23:06:00.000-06:00

Good Stuff

Student Film rocked last night at The Opolis. They played some oldies that I hadn't heard in awhile, a couple were slightly different, too. Sethy's stage presence is fucking great! It always puts a smile on my face and to say it is enthralling would be an understatement. He's growing his beard out until Red Witch Hunt finishes their new album. Sethy told me that they only have four songs write now, so it will definitely be awhile until he cuts that shit, which is awesome. He is going to look fucking rad with a long ass beard and shaggy top. The Onlys (from Austin) were ok. I was a little dissapointed to be honest. I had heard them online and was looking forward to hearing them. T-minus 20 days until the Starlight Mints blow my mind again at The Opolis! Joy. I've been slowly becoming addicted to Festival City Radio lately. If you haven't heard this podcast yet and you live in Oklahoma you are seriously missing out. check it out for shizzle:
http://festivalcityradio.libsyn.com/

2006-10-06T22:23:00.000-06:00

Mason Jennings Interview

I had this chat with the gifted singer-songwriter Mason Jennings on October 5, 2006. Mason came across as extremely humble and sincere, and if you're a fan of his music (especially his lyrics) this comes as no surprise. He will be opening up for Fionna Apple at the Lloyd Noble Center on the 27th, and this interview will appear in the October 24 issue of Boyd Street. You can learn more about Mason and hear some of his tunes at Masonjennings.com.

You’ve always been what I would define as fiercely independent, and I could see some of the more hardcore folk fans of your music seeing your major label change as relevant to when Dylan went electric. What kind of things were behind your decision to sign with a major label?

It was mostly Isaac Brock. He’s the reason this time was different.

I know Isaac was heavily involved in the making of Boneclouds (and how proud he was of it). You even said, “He helped me make the record I’ve wanted to make for years.” What kind of things did Isaac bring to this album you didn’t have before?

He told me that he was a fan and he would be o.k. if I just did whatever I wanted to do and he would just help me buffer it so people would leave me alone so I could make music honestly. If he hadn’t been there I would have been dealing directly with Epic which would make it a lot more difficult to make the art that I want to.

Do you see yourself working with him again on future albums?

I think so. I think we’ll do another record together

Will you be touring with Modest Mouse again?

I don’t know what’s going to happen with those guys. It would be cool to go out again with them at some point, but I would imagine that I’ll be doing more solo touring this fall and again in the spring. I’m kind of into going back and forth with the band and solo shows. It’s a lot of fun to play the rock clubs with the band and then taking a break and playing some shows with just my guitar and a piano. Its more of a story telling environment.

Now that you’re working with Epic, what is going to happen with the label you started, Architecture Records?

Well I’m still able to put stuff out on Architecture. I think it will just be my own old records, but nothing new since I’m under contract with Epic now.

Do you still feel like the change to a major label was a good move?

Yeah, there has been no negative vibe towards me, and everyone has been really cool. I don’t feel any weird pressure from them to be something that I’m not. I feel really good about it.

You wrote 36 songs for the record and only used 10. When will your fans get to hear the other ones?

There is an EP of 5 songs coming out in two weeks. They’re the most strong songs that didn’t get on the record.

You’re a avid reader and I get the impression that the books you read heavily influence your song writing. Is that a fair assertion?

Yeah, I think every story, even movies, are an influence. I love a good story, you know?

What have you read lately that really resonated with you?

I haven’t really been reading much with this last tour. I really like the book The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. That one was really good I thought. And I think on this last record directly, the song “Moon Sailing on the Water” is pretty heavily influenced by Tim O’Brien.

You’ve made some line up changes in your band recently, your old drummer Brian left to play with (fellow Minnesotan) Atmosphere, so you picked up Peter Leggett from another hip hop group Hieruspecs. Is there a specific reason your drummers lately have had hip hop backgrounds?

No, I just think that Brian always wanted to try it. He always felt a little exposed playing my music because it is so sparse. But now he’s part of a bigger band with Atmosphere. Peter was actually in Atmosphere originally and he just wanted to try some more song based music and was interested in trying something new.

You recently added musician Bradford Swanson to your band. Is his addition going to change your live performance a lot?

Yeah, we’ll be doing a lot of different stuff. For the show in your town in Oklahoma I’ll be playing solo, but for the ones that I’m not solo and the band is with me we'll be able to do some more stuff, like Bradford plays the accordion for instance.

You were born in Honolulu, moved to Pittsburgh, dropped out of highschool, traveled the states, and finally landed in Minnesota and called the place home. I really find your story interesting. Will you tell me about when you left Pittsburgh and started your journey.

I just realized that what I loved was stories and I felt like if I was going to tell stories and sing songs that I should go out and experience life and travel around and see what’s going on. I traveled for a couple years, but I always come back to Pittsburgh. After awhile I really started touring, that’s been pretty much been my life for the last seven years, just non stop touring.

Ben Kweller covered your song “Sorry signs on cash machines” recently, he even referred to the song as a classic. What’s it like to see your influence in younger artists like Ben?

Its been really cool. They have been so sweet, Ben especially. He called me up, I’ve known him for a few years now. I like his music a lot too, and it is really rad to be sought out by him.

Yeah, he is a great song writer.

Yeah he is one of those dudes that ever since he was really little could just play everything. Its pretty impressive to be in the same room with him and watch him play the piano, its funny how good he is.

On your website you take the time to periodically answer question from your fans. One fan asked you to make a list of your guitar influences, but there was one that wasn’t on there that I wanted to ask you about. I’ve always been curious, is Tom Morello a big influence on you?

Oh yeah he is huge. Yeah I haven’t heard much of Audioslave, but when he was with Rage I was a really big fan.

When You where first starting out did you doubt your success?

Oh Yeah, I had sort of a deal with myself that after three years if I wasn’t getting anywhere that I would go to college. I didn’t want to be stuck in tiny coffee shops throughout the Midwest for the rest of my life. But it sort of started to take off and changed right before I was about to go to college. I was like alright, it happened!

Yeah, didn’t you sell your first 30,000 all on your own?

Yeah that was in the first couple of years. It went from the first year I didn’t really sell anything, maybe 150 CD’s, but then it jumped up and I though, Oh cool, I can do this. So I quit my job waiting tables and started on the road.

If you would have gone back to college what do you think you would have studied?

I think I would have studied something to do with English, maybe a writing teacher or something like that.

"If You Ain’t got Love" is a beautiful song about your family and you just had another little boy before Boneclouds was complete. Did that experience have a lot of influence on this record?

yeah, I have two little boys, and I think that its hard to write honestly about that, about being a parent. That was something that I really tried to do on this record. You know, just be honest about it. A lot of people have kids and try and make it kind of a pastel experience, but there is a lot of darkness and I tried to write all about it.

Now that you’re with Epic, are you going to be touring internationally?

I hope so. Nothing is really happening yet over there. Once you start you have to keep doing it. I’ve got to make sure my record is out over there and there is a reason to go. Maybe I’ll start opening for some more established artists over there, but right now it just cost so much to get there and start. So, I’ll probably wait untill I have a good opportunity.

You recorded Boneclouds at Pachyderm Studios in southern Minnesota, which is a beautiful studio in a breathtaking area. Did being in that environment have any influence on the album?

I think so. We were there for a couple of months. You can definitely hear it in a some of the songs. I would be recording a song and look up at the window, and all of the leaves would be falling off the trees and hitting the glass. It was pretty amazing.

2006-10-06T15:27:00.000-06:00

Hell Yes!

My favorite local band, Student Film, is working on their new album with Starlight Mints frontman Allan Vest producing! I've heard a few of their new ones and Allan's touch is magic. I can't wait to hear the rest when it is all done. Not only is SF coming out with some good stuff, their lead singer/guitarist, Justin Rice, is putting together an impressive solo album. Justin let me hear his new stuff and I have say, it is absolutely wonderful music. I was definitely impressed. And speaking of the Mints, they're playing back to back shows at The Opolis on the 30 and 31 of October, which means costumes! Its the Mints first Norman show in over three years! I can't fucking wait!

2006-10-06T12:38:00.000-06:00

A Handful of Reviews by Yours Truly

Tom Petty "Highway Companion"
release date - July 25, 2006

Its easy to say that Petty always delivers the goods. He hasn't produced a bad album since catching the national spotlight thirty years ago. Granted his previous album, The Last DJ, was slightly drab, but he always keeps things simple and pleasing. This one is his third album without his steadfast and seasoned band, The Heartbreakers, and while it isn't quite the caliber of his previous two solo pieces (which are among the best albums he has ever made) it is definitely not a disappointment. Former Electric Light Orchestra member and long time producer Jeff Lynne eased up on the production side and seems to focus more on playing back up instruments and letting Tom do his thing which gives the album a noticeably mellow and genuine feel. -Graham Lee Brewer

Mason Jennings "Boneclouds"
release date - May 16, 2006

Minneapolis singer-songwriter Mason Jennings is a melodic and unique mixture of folk and rock influences, from Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) to Bob Dylan. Jennings crafts folk songs with the tools of rock and produces rhythms that make your head bounce and simplistic but extremely deep lyrics that make your heart swoon. On Boneclouds Jennings shows off his piano skills a little more than before and keeps his usual blend of songs that showcase impressive guitar work and somber ballads. This one is another great output that will help solidify his strong presence in the singer-songwriter genre, and it doesn't hurt that the cd is out on Isaac Brock's (Modest Mouse) label, Glacial Pace, which is a Epic Records imprint.
-Graham Lee Brewer

Comets On Fire "Avatar"
release date - August 8, 2006

Much like bands such as Ween, The Flaming Lips, and At The Drive In, Comets On Fire viciously tear down the walls of the genres that try to categorize their talent. The California jam rock band rips through tracks that swell with shredding guitar and bass riffs, jazzy keyboards, and raging drums all coated in psychedelia that is nothing short of epic. The album's tracks bounce almost graciously from smooth to rough with a pleasing lack of urgency (only one song on the album is under six minutes long) and often border on the blues. -Graham Lee Brewer

2006-10-06T11:53:00.000-06:00

Resident Review
resident reviews are local music reviews straight outta Oklahoma

Colourmusic "Yellow"

The more you listen to Colourmusic the more obvious it becomes of how truly different they are compared to all the other local acts. Their music has a strange quality to it that makes you smile, and even laugh. Once you see them live or read their Myspace profile its easy to see that this is partly because they’re such funny guys. Another part of it is that the music is just so damn upbeat. Yellow is no different from their first release in that it exhibits a refreshing uniqueness from beginning to end and has an almost humble brilliance about it. From it’s stimulating, Ween-esque vocals to it’s simplistically captivating guitar work, all played on top of some truly body moving percussion arrangements, Yellow is easily one of the better albums to come out of Stillwater.
-Graham Lee Brewer

2006-10-06T02:20:00.000-06:00

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

Self proclaimed “garage country” band (you heard it here first), Mama Sweet releases their first full length album after five years of playing together. The thirteen track, self-released album borders more on rock than most of their earlier music and leans heavily on guitarist Alan Orebaugh’s elaborate and enthralling guitar style. Lead singer and song writer Aron Holt covers topics from love and human interaction, the war, and blue grass murder ballads in his usual singer song-writer approach that never disappoints.
“We’ve definitely taken more of the rock side with this one, as opposed to the country feel of our first demo,” said Orebaugh.
“At the same time our fans can expect to hear all of those good songs that they heard at our shows and never made it on the first cd,” said Holt, “about half of the songs were written during and inspired by the year I lived in Brooklyn. But the coolest thing about this cd is that a lot of the songs were written in the past 9 months.”
The new songs and the changes in their sound is an aspect of Welcome to the Well that is both exciting and hard to ignore. It’s fast paced, guitar driven edge redefines Mama Sweet’s style and beg’s you to live vicariously through Orebaugh as he lays the icing on the cake of Holt’s adamantly bold and sincere voice.
“We’re more on the same page,” said Orebaugh, “either that or we’re just clicking. We did a little fad chasing in the past, but now we’re just letting the music happen.”
The album was recorded at local musician Travis Linville’s studio, Dirty Bird Studios, with the help of Trent Bell (Chainsaw Kittens/Bell Labs). Linville even took the time to step in and play the Dobro on a track.
“Working with Travis was better than 90-100% of any recording we have ever done. He knew exactly when to help and when to ease off and let us do our own thing,” said Orebaugh, “He has a great ear and was very easy to work with.”
The album is expected to be available to the fans by late September and soon after Mama Sweet plans on hitting the road, branching out from The Deli and playing a few shows out of state. And while they say that they aren’t going to rush anything, it’s easy to tell they’re excited about sharing their new songs.
“There’s a lot of fun songs on this one, and we’re playing with great people and doing it right,” said Holt
You can catch Mama Sweet once a month at The Deli, right here in your own backyard, or invite them into your bedroom at Myspace.com/mamasweetrocks.
-Graham Lee Brewer

2006-10-06T01:41:00.000-06:00

Guns a Blazin'

This article ran in the September 26 issue of Boyd Street:

One of the things you can appreciate about the music scene around here is how diverse it is. A lot of different genres are represented throughout he state, which is nice because no one whose “made it” will play shows here. One of the bands that adds to that same diversity is The Gunship. The post-punk, vintage rock trio could easily find fans in several different generations.
Over the past year The Gunship have dropped a member, learned what it takes to produce your own album, come to love staying a three-piece, gotten punched in the face by mic’s and set on fire, written tons of music, turned instruments into ashtrays, and discovered that recording for hours and burning your hard drive is what rock smells like.
Now, on the eve of their first album, not only are they preparing to embark on a east coast tour, they’re anticipating their next release.
“We’ll never run out of stuff to release. Anytime we want to record something, whether it be a demo or something for another album we can do it,” said drummer Bobby Onspaugh.
The trio originally went into the recording process expecting to make a change in their sound directly after reducing to three members, but instead came to find that they truly enjoyed spending a lot of time adding new elements to the songs.
“At first we went in and said that the recording was going to be a direct representation of what we do live, but we had so much fun laying down stuff left and right,” Onspaugh said.
“Writing this was a lot of fun. We’ve all known each other so much longer than any guitar player we could pick up,” said bassist Patrick Mellon, “Staying a three piece just opened up a lot of room in the band.”
With the exception of the drum tracks the album was entirely produced, recorded, and mixed by The Gunship, which means it was recorded all over the place. A long and arduous process, yes, but a learning one as well.
“We’ve recorded basically anywhere that we could get it done, like living rooms, or a kitchen, or a bedroom,” said frontman David McDaniels from behind his Buddy Holly glasses, “you can hear a clock in the background all over the album.”
The Gunship is currently touring to promote their new self-titled release and will be back in Norman in October.

2006-10-06T01:36:00.000-06:00

Live List

I got kind of board the other night and started making a list of bands that I've seen live (excluding most local ones). I'll keep updating it as I see new shows and remember old ones. And please keep in mind, I'm not especially proud of all of these, I was young once...hehe.

cake x2
the dead
medeski, martin, and wood
robert randoplh and the family band
burning spear
taj mahal x3
bob wier and ratdog
david byrne
jack johnson
g. love
allman bros
lynyrd skynyrd
wyclef jean
incubus
crosby, steels, and nash
toots and the maytals
big head todd and the monsters
steve winwood
smashing pumpkins
my morning jacket x2
rolling stones
solomon burke
ryan adams
primus
ween
mason jennings x3
pinback x2
flaming lips x2
liz phair
jerry cantrell
willie nelson
bob dylan x3
dave matthews band x3
dave matthews and friends
the pixies
trey anastasio x2
yonder mountain string band
jimmy page and robert plant
the moody blues
alien ant famr
soak
damien rice
the shins
the eagles of death metal
311 x2
particle
modest mouse
wilco
guster
soulive
galactic
drums and tuba
blues traveler
ziggy marley
the monkeys
the turtles
korn
limp bizkit
ramstien
ice cube
starlight mints x3
octopus project
ben harper
gov’t mule
against all authority
los lonely boys
los lobos
reel big fish
coldplay
keller williams
galactic
rilo kiley
the violent femmes
mars volta
a perfect circle
Man Man
Fiona Apple
Deerhoof
Josh Rouse
John Mayer
Jeremy Enigk

2006-10-06T01:23:00.000-06:00

A Handful of Recent Reviews by Yours Truly

The Kashmere Stage Band "Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974"
release date - July 25, 2006

Almost 40 years ago an eager andtalented young band teacher named Conrade Johnson formed a competitive stage band made up of his best students at Kashmere High School in Houston, TX. KSB was a tremendous success, winning just about every contest they entered, snagging several national titles, and making eight studio albums over a ten year span. Their funk inspired big band sound wowed audiences amazed by the talented teenagers blasting the hypnotic, body moving sound at them. Their music inspired a generation of song writers (a song was even sampled by DJ Shadow for his song "Holy Calamity" that you've probably heard on your Tony Hawk game). If you’re a fan of the funk, this reissue is a must have.
-Graham Lee Brewer

The Black Keys “Magic Potion”
release date - sept 12

Since its release Magic Potion has been described several times as having a Led Zeppelin quality; a description I have to admit is well garnered. The Black Keys stick to their guns and show that even two white boys from Akron, OH can call down the gods of blues. Dan Auerbach plays the guitar like the bastard child of Tom Morello and Dwayne Allman, creating some truly incendiary blues riffs over the skillful pounding of drummer Pat Carey. Magic Potion is a timeless piece of bluesy rock that presents itself with a determined rawness. Auerbach’s guitar tracks have only improved since their last album and have a quality of greatness and solidarity that is sure to put him in the company of rock’s legendary song writers.
-Graham Lee Brewer

Ben Kweller (self titled)
release - Sept. 19

While Kweller receives his fair share of praise, I still don’t think it is enough. The guys been making great albums since he was a teenager (including fronting the band Radish when he was only 14, and making an album with Ben Folds and Ben Harper), and writes seemingly mature songs even though he is still very young. Not to mention he plays every instrument on his CD’s. On his newest output Kweller brings back the rock side of the singer/songwriter and pays tribute to Springsteen and Petty so brilliantly its as if he had toured with them in the 70's. He’s matured since his first solo release Sha Sha but has still managed to keep his charismatic sound and the inquisitive feel of a young kid exploring the world.
-Graham Lee Brewer

The Rapture - “Pieces of the People We Love”
release - September 12

The Rapture picks up where Echoes left off with a more meticulous and clean sound that thrives on the distant hope that indie kids know how to dance. Their half and half mixture of gritty punk rock and warm bass driven dance music is focused more on the latter on this album and is sure to receive not only praise, but a throng of distaste as well from fickle fans still fuming over the rapid, almost instantaneous collapse of dancepunk’s pseudo-movement. Pieces, with its polished drums (both real and programmed), touches of sax, layered vocals, pumping bass, and tasteful guitar, is deliciously groovy, and even at times extraordinary.
-Graham Lee Brewer

2006-10-05T22:41:00.000-06:00

Wayne Coyne Interview

I did this interview with Wayne on August 31st, 2006. He called me from tour in Columbus, OH. I received the call 45 minutes ahead of what I had been told and had to roll out of bed and do the interview in my boxers. The whole thing was fast and...surreal.

What was it like getting your start in Oklahoma?

I forget exactly when we started, I think it was something like 1983. I think anyone who grows up loving music and all that sort of stuff, I think everyone dreams of being in a band, I think we were lucky that MTV started in Oklahoma City as part of a kind of a test market I think. But I remember MTV started in 1980 or 81 so it really gave us sort of an insight to all these bands from all around the world that never would have heard about. Bands like Psychedelic Furs and Echo and the Bunnymen, The Clash, all these bands that I was reading about in magazines and stuff like that. So we knew that there was this whole world out there, so we atarting looking in magazines like Maximum Rock N Roll and Subside and all these things that people were talking about, you know different scenes and different bands around America, and I dont know, we just sort of felt collectively that if there was ever time that we could form a band, uhhh, that would have been the time, in the early 80's when we were all 20 years old os something like that and it sort of seemed like, I knew a lot of guys who had been in bands before that but they were all in cover bands and stuff and we knew that we couldnt really play covers because we didnt want to and we werent very skilled in that way, we wanted to play our own music. We would run into more and more people that are playing some form of punk-rock or some form of amateur garage rock and we thought Well, now seems to be the time.

I know you still live in OKC, how do you feel the music scene around here has changed since then?

Well, Ive never really cared that much about scenes per say. I dont think that most artists need very much encouragement to do their art. I mean if theyre truly obsessed with their idea, like artists should be, umm, you will almost do your ideas despite any group effort around it, you know. I think scenes draw certain attention to certain new forms of rock bands, but most of the good music that Ive heard over the years has been done in secret, so Ive never really thought that there needed to be a scene, or a big group of people, or some outlet for attention. But, I dont know, Oklahoma City is always going to have struggles n that way. I mean rarely do I ever go to the clubs like The Conservatory, The Green Door, now that it closed, or The Opolis down in Norman and they are very full. Most of the time Ill go see a band and there will be, if youre lucky, there will be 25 or 30 people there. So I dont know. There is a hand full of bands that are good, theres always a hand full doing good stuff. But like I said, I dont think that true artist are relying on their local scenes, most art is done in the isolation of your own mind even if there isnt a bunch of people telling you to do it.

Yeah, influence is always out there...

Well, I think that most great art that you see is done despite a scene, everyone is looking one way and this art is being done by itself. I think thats always going to be OKCs biggest dilemma, theres not a lot of people there. We play cities that are as small as OKC that are much better organized music scenes all the time, the town were in now, Columbus, OH is probably one of them. But I dont think that should deter or encourage a band. You should just do what you like and not worry about it that much. Especially in the way, you know, that the internet works these days. You dont really need the people down the block to even know bout your band thereÃ¢s plenty of people in the world who are already curious about new music and stuff.

Speaking about local scenes, are there any bands around here that you like or expect big things from in the future?

Well I dont know if we expect big things, but there is a couple of bands that I like, I mean I like my nephews band Star Death and White Dwarves, theyre going to be playing with us at the Oklahoma City show. Were always interested in what the Starlight Mints are doing, theyre friends of ours, weve known them their whole life. Ummm, Im trying to think of some of the other bands, I mean Ive seen some of the others but Im not sure if theyre all still together. Im always getting cds dropped in my mailbox and Im always going out and seeing bands that are around. I know theres more, but I just forgt their names. Theres a band that keeps dropping their cd in my mailbox that I need to go see, and when Im in town I will but I forget their name.

What's the official status with the movie your making, Christmas On Mars?

I think it the same as its been for a long time, which is that its kind of a work in progress, and I believe that Im going to try and release some version of it in the beginning of the South By South West Music and Film Conference next March. So, there are some, not necessarily deadlines, but some reasons to stat to get it together, and we always knew that we would put out this current record, At War With The Mystics, before we released Christmas On Mars. I dont think we had any idea that it would be four years in between records, but I try to tell people that were doing as much as we possible can. Some of it, you just go into the unknown always when youre making art and songs and especially movies and stuff like that. So, it doesnt surprise me that its taken us five years, in the end you just sort of do what you do. It takes whatever it takes to get it done. Were really lucky that we have a lot of people out there that are curious about what were doing and gives us a lot of support, and of course gives us a bunch of the money and believes in us and all that. But I think that its going to be better. I know that if we had finished Christmas On Mars in the first year of filming it, it would have turned out to be a completely different movie than its going to be. So, I cant wait, I think it will really be sort of the next thing that well start to do. I think it will start to be released and stuff as were touring next summer still on this record. It will start to be out there and many people will be able to see it.

I saw the trailer for it on your website and it seemed to have some new music. Are you guys going to be releasing a sound track with it?

I think we will. I think what well probably do is, some form of the sound track will probably come out and then the DVD will probably come out later once weve really dealt with the finished version of Christmas On Mars. I think it will probably be a little bit, not, not liquid, but it will kind of shift around. I think thats the nature of all art, you sort of put it out there and see what the responses are and if its working right and so I think that as we start to put it out there will probably be two or three different versions that we make to make it more communicative and just more immediate. We have yet to record all the music for it. I think in January we have a session that were trying to organize where well use a big orchestra and a choir and all these things. Weve done a lot of it on computers but theres some elements where we have to do this giant movie score and get a big epic sound and that will be exciting anyway, we've never really done that before. I mean weve worked with elements of symphonies and stuff like that, but we've never had just a big group of people solely for our purposes.

I have to say the sets look amazing, I know you built those yourself.

As I went I discovered a lot about how you make movies. So, I think in the beginning my lack of experience actually helped me. If I'd have known how hard it was I probably wouldn't have been so ambitious, but its like a lot of things, your dreams guide you more than reality does. So I thought, Well fuck, I want to make this movie, I was just so driven insane by it that I felt I better make it or IÃ¢ll just go insane. I think its like all art, once your in it the making of the art actually does make you more insane than not making it, but that's always the case, art is like that. But I really did learn a lot about making movie sets, and lighting, and acting, and writing out scripts and dialogue. I really learned a lot and I canÃ¢t wait to start another movie.

Well I look forward to another one.

Yeah well I'm lucky as my life goes I'll be able to make records and movies and shows and do all these sorts of things that I love to do and not have to do just one or the other, it's a great way to live.

Your songs always have this really deep and thoughtful subject matter and you give off an extremely energetic and inquisitive vibe when you sing. What kinds of things do you draw inspiration from and where do you get these questions that you ask in your music?

Well I don't know if you can pinpoint any one thing, I think I'm lucky that there is something in my quest, I appreciate that compliment of being energetic and inquisitive, but despite what I think I am I do realize that's the way I come across. I'm lucky, I don't know where this energy comes from. I swear when I'm around people sometimes they think I'm a crack addict or something, ready to rock. But I think that's my greatest asset, that I have a curiosity about the possibilities of what could happen and I have a lot of energy to, you know, to experience them and live though all these ideas. So, I don't know, I swear Graham if I knew I would tell you, but I'm just lucky that I seem to have this drive that has worked out for me. Its easy to draw inspiration, you just have to turn on the TV, or pick up a book, or go watch a band, anything that you're curious about. You see out there in the world what the endless possibilities can be and it just triggers new ideas in your mind. I think that's one thing I just know from being in a band like I said earlier, since I was 21 years old, you really do kind of have to be obsessed with coming up with songs and paintings and movies. If you're not obsessed you'll get burnt out quickly. If you just want to get attention or become famous or make money or something you'll get burnt out on it. I don't know if its good or bad, but I'm always thinking of something I fucking want to do, some new song or some new sound or thing. I mean I'm lucky that we've become a little bit famous and we are going to make monet and stuff like that but the thing that drives me the most and that drives me crazy is that feeling that I've got to do this thing, I don't know where it comes from. Its either a curse or a blessing, I'm not sure.

I've been hearing rumors that you've been building a UFO for the show at the Zoo.

Its our long awaited UFO light show. Its not really a space ship, even though I told the neighborhood kids when we had it out in the front yard, me and Micheal were building the panels to go on the top, and the kids would stop by and say "What is that," and I'd tell them "It's a UFO," and they would say "What's a UFO," they didn't even know what a UFO is. I told them 'It's a space ship," and they would ask if it flies, and I would say "Well it does kinda," cause it goes up on chains and we come out of it and all that sort of stuff. I think the kids were utterly confused when I told them it was a light show for our band, so it's a little bit of both.

Well it sounds like a good time, I'm looking forward to it.

Yeah, I think its going to be sort of the mark of a new era for us. We've always been kind of do it yourself, build your own light show, build your own amplifier sort of band and this is taking it to a new level, this thing is probably going to end up costing us half a million dollars by the time we're done. I think its just another part of our evolution, just becoming our own freaked out little group, doing thing our way. You know, as we become more experienced and we draw bigger audiences its cool to have such freedom to pursue these freaky ideas. Rolling Stone asked me eight months ago what kind of show I would like to have and I just blurted off the top of my head "I think we should come down off of a UFO that does a laser light show sort of thing." And then eight months later we're about to do it. That's what I love about rock n' roll, you're always flying by the ends of your fingertips to do these ideas.

You've garnered quite a reputation as a story teller. Is there any stories that you'd like to share with the readers?

I try to tell stories that are based in the truth, even though they can become more colorful depending on the imagination of the teller, but, I don't know, we've been out here playing shows with Sonic Youth and The Magic Numbers and having all the late summer, early fall thunderstorms that plague all the traveling shows that are happening around this time. But we've been lucky that almost every gig we've played, it has rained, but as soon as Sonic Youth goes to play it sort of starts to clear up and by the time we play its totally cleared up and almost everyday it has started to rain just as we end our encore. So whatever the reason the weathers been cooperating with the Flaming Lips' set across the country.

I guess the powers that be want to hear The Flaming Lips play.

Yeah, playing shows, meeting people, and traveling around, its cool.