The Prodigy @ Hollywood Palladium May 27th

By Alexander Laurence

The Prodigy is one of the best live acts in the world. They have done five albums and sold over twenty million records. They had a worldwide number one record with Fat of The Land in 1997. They were sort of at the tail-end of the Britpop movement. In America they never seemed to catch on, because they played festivals only, and people here struggled with the idea of this punk techno band, that had no guitar, and was mostly computer generated. A few years later we had the watered-down versions with Korn and Limp Bizcuit. The Prodigy was definitely ahead of their time.

It all goes back to hiphop culture and British techno music. Many critics called them "faceless techno dummies." The Prodigy would take this music into a new direction. They were influenced by punk, techno, the rave scene, Kool Keith, and the Beastie Boys. They started out as a rave type band, but in 1997, Keith Flint re-invented himself. He started singing on some tracks like "Firestarter." Before Flint and Maxim Reality were more like dancers and frontmen to Liam Howlett's musical beast. They toured heavily for a few years, but rarely in America.

So tonight's show was their first Hollywood appearance in fifteen years. They are playing rather large venues and arenas this time. Apparently people have gotten the idea. Most Britpop bands are more popular now than they were in 1995-1998. The warriors have gathered. It also helps that the new Prodigy album is the best thing they did in many years. We have new anthems like "Omen" and "Hounds On The Run" to go along with the older hits. Every song is a fun track. The audience is hopping up and down to the beat. Flint and Maxim Reality can really energize a crowd

The Palladium was packed with fans, and other bands, checking out what this is all about. I saw some guy dressed up like a robot. They didn't let him in. I haven't been to a rave in a while, since I went to Electric Daisy. That was a disappointing affair. The Prodigy made the idea of raving fun again. They, along with Nine Inch Nails and Beastie Boys, are re-energizing the hiphop and electronic music scene, which their very physical music. Definitely a show to see this year!

The Prodigy @ Hollywood Palladium May 27th

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Antony and The Johnsons @ Nob Hill Masonic

Holy shit! It was great. Many people saw Antony last year with the orchestra. This year it is him with the band. In San Francisco, it seems just right. Antony used to live here and beg for money in Union Square. He was anecdotal. He apologized to people sitting behind him. The band was great. They went through old and new songs. Some of the new songs sounded better live. A surprise was that William Basinski opened up the show. He did about a half hour of ambient noise.

He played:

a new song?
Her Eyes Are Underneath The Ground
Epilepsy Is Dancing
One Dove
For Today I Am A Boy
Another World
Shake That Dog
You Are My Sister
Fistful of Love
Kiss My Name
Aeon
The Crying Light

+ 3 more

Some drunk guy got thrown out after two songs. It was wild. I left and went to Mezzanine to see Deerhunter. I hung out with Mark Eitzel, and we went to a bar in the Mission. Eitzel is playing a show with Bob Mould on Satuday.

Antony and The Johnsons @ Nob Hill Masonic

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What We Do Is Secret: review

REVIEW

I got to watch this film a few times. The Germs was a legendary LA band, that was more like an idea, than a reality. Los Angeles doesn't really get its fair share of punk rock credit. People still think Punk was invented in London or NYC, but by 1979, LA had its own scene and a ton of bands. The Runaways was an early punk band if anyone was. Much of the LA rock scene then was still a glam retread. It took a few years for things to get really happening here. Not that any of the club owners wanted punk to take off. They thought punk was violent, and preferred cover bands. They would book a "punk" band, maybe some lightweights like The Dickies, and a few bottles would be broken. End of experiment. It's a miracle that The Germs got to play any shows at all.

So we have this movie. Shane West is great as Darby Crash. Not that I was close to the original, but I have known Don Bolles off and on since 1980. It mostly seems accurate. Darby Crash was said to be really smart. None of this is really shown in the movie. He seems more like a moron obsessed with Sid Vicious. Luckily Darby visited London and found out that people didn't listen to Sex Pistols anymore. But I remember there were a lot of kids who were obsessives and could quote Nietzsche and turn your world upside down. You know, guys who were fans of Charles Manson, and so on. So Darby seems to have a little low self-esteem issues. If this has to do with his family or closeted homosexuality, who knows?

We get to see the beginning of The Germs and The Masque. I remember the horror of hearing the Live at the Whisky album. Besides "Sugar, Sugar" that music was a chore to listen to. Eventually The Germs got better. In 1980, they could play very fast, and with Black Flag, probably inspired the whole hardcore thing. The Germs probably played 50 gigs or less in their whole early career, and never outside of LA. Most of the shows were uneven, and sometimes Darby was on drugs. Some people pretend that Darby was some incredible showman. But it was more a mystique than actual fact. That is why Shane West is such an improvement. You get a young Darby without the bad haircuts, drugs, and Bowie Fascination.

The Germs created some excitement in the LA scene which was mostly The Screamers and The Weirdos back then. There are a few scenes in the movie with The Damned. Why they got 40-year-old men to play them was odd? You have an actor playing Rodney Bingheimer, who seemed younger than the band. Back then, Rodney was like the oldest guy you ever saw at a gig. Darby gets more into drugs. Their managers suck. A bunch of vampires and leeches surround the band and feed them drugs. Sounds like these go-nowhere bands of today? Luckily they recorded an album, and better yet, were captured on film. Because it's not like The Germs was this awesome live band. The album still rocks today and they stole the show in the Decline movie. And Darby died.

Can you imagine a 50-year-old Darby Crash? Not me. We give Darby the benefit of the doubt, like we do Kurt Cobain and Elvis. People like Ian Curtis and Jeff Buckley were always considered interesting artists in their lifetimes, but once they died, the "genius" label got thrown around. I am not sure if Darby was a genius, but he created some interesting times to mull over. The records are there. In the movie, it seems sort of dark and depressing. I think of those times as being very fun and wild. Even his death didn't change anything. Life went on, and The Germs were a thing of history. They were a flash of light.

As a young teenager experiencing this, it seemed so care-free and light. Punk Rock did create a lot of false dreams and casualties. Darby was very provocative. He went to London and saw Adam and The Ants. He came back with a mohawk. It was before all the punk clones and uniforms. And I remember seeing Black Flag at the Starwood at the time. I must have seen 100 mohawks that night. That was the power of someone like Darby Crash.

The whole LA punk scene was a quick thing. By May 1980, you had thousands lining up to see PIL at the Olympic Auditorium. There were all these clubs in the sticks, like Godzillas. The Stern Brothers put on some bigger shows. The Ramones played some big shows. But in those years 1975-1980, everything was very underground, and witnessed by very few people. I, myself, only got to see the tail end of it. And by the time you are 21, do you really want to fight bouncers and police officers?

I am glad that a band like The Germs gets any attention. They, like Black Flag and Redd Kross, were more my age. Maybe a few years older. Many bands who always get mentioned, like X and Fear, were in their 30s by 1980. The Germs records stand up, and the others don't. They are playing at Sunset Junction this weekend so you should check them out.

--Alexander Laurence

What We Do Is Secret: review

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ALESSI

Alessi is a magical creature that lives in West London. I think of her as this unique eighteen-year-old girl who is very excited, very alert, and very open to the world of the imagination. The imagination is often associated with those strange dimensions created in childhood. For a young child, fantasy and reality seem to co-exist without contradiction, and shed light on each other. As we grow up we seem to leave this world behind, only to revisit it occasionally in song. Alessi's songs like "Constellations" and "The Horse" open up the door again to this beautiful world. Her songs are a new take on psychedelic folk music, very British, and a little like Syd Barrett, who was very childlike in his own way.


Alessi has taken a myriad of influences from art and music, and her own life, and formed something very original. In a very short time, Alessi has created her own signature sound. Her voice is very sensual and her idiosyncratic guitar playing is very simple. On writing her songs, Alessi says: "Usually words are born first. I try to remember them as much as possible and sometimes write a few things down. I leave the words to just exist for a little while and then I'll see if I can find anything on the guitar to help it grow."


Alessi has studied music for a while, playing several instruments. For many years playing drums. As for her own songs she settled on guitar: "I like playing the guitar, we're becoming better friends all the time. Apple and I." In no short time, Alessi has created a magical set of songs, from her bedroom. Her visual and sonic presentation is both innocent and worldly.


Alessi played about one hundred shows in the past two years. Several of these shows were at bookstores and unconventional places. She said of these early shows: "Listeners had to be quiet. I didn't have a pickup on my guitar then so I'd just hope a microphone or two would do the trick."


The reaction to her music has always been always positive. Alessi has definitely turned heads around. She has created fans with every show. Alessi gave a handmade CD with original artwork. At some point it was time to create a full album and expand her sound from those homemade demos. Alessi traveled to ARC studio in Omaha, Nebraska to work on her album with Mike Mogis who has worked with many bands on Saddle Creek. She said: "We started working on the record last August (2007) and with intervals here and there we've just finished it." That is good news.


Alessi has spent almost a year perfecting her album. There is a lot of down time in the studio. I often wondered about her hobbies. She offered: "Drawing and embroidering are two things that keep my hands busy and very happy." Alessi's mom, Lauren, has been knitting herself. She created knitted purses to put her CDs in. People are very lucky to have received one of these creations.


Sometimes Alessi seems to be living in some ancient world, from another time. I found out that she does use a computer and a cell phone. She told me: "Yes, I watch television. Not very often but when I do, it's with my family. We love laughing."


I can imagine her reading books in some old library. Alessi explained her reading habits: "Reading comes in waves. I've been reading quite a bit recently. Gig by Simon Armitage and A New Earth by Eckhart.... I've forgotten his last name. And new issues of The Curse. Your book too. Five Fingers Make A Fist by Alexander Laurence.


What is an average day like for Alessi? She is brief about the subject: "Sleep. Music. Hugs. Walking. 3 meals. Sometimes swimming." She leaves a lot to the imagination, which is good.


Alessi is someone you could see being a teacher or an artist. What does her family think about her decision to play music: "My family is beautiful and supportive. I think they like the songs'', she tells me.


After another month in Omaha to complete the record, Alessi plans to play several shows: "I'll be playing End of The Road in September 2008 and then a few shows around the UK with Peter and the Wolf" she adds. Hopefully we will see the release of her album later this year, or in early in 2009? This will be one the most anticipated albums, and we all look forward to it.


--Alexander Laurence

www.portable-infinite.blogspot.com

ALESSI

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Art Brut

Art Brut Invade North America with Debut November Tour

Look out for the Debut LP “Bang Bang Rock And Roll” in Early 06
Showcases in New York, Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles“In the spirit of sex you’re too drunk for, drugs that don’t work, and rock cliches that should be sharpied to your forehead, these Brits deconstruct bombast via bombastic guitar riffs. Sing speaking like he’s working through a Learn to Read Handbook, frontman Eddie Argos makes fun of star-fuckers and meatheads. Star-fuckers and meatheads will totally headbang along” - B+ SPIN Magazine

UK’s most fierce and fiery rock ensemble, Art Brut, will unleash itself on North America. They will be showcasing their unsigned asses to the US masses in New York, Chicago, Toronto and LA. ‘Bang Bang Rock And Roll’, the debut album from Art Brut was released in the UK on Fierce Panda/Banana Recordings and will soon be available in the US next year.

Art Brut formed some 18 months ago after singer Eddie Argos decided that he wanted to be in a band because he wants everybody to be in a band, and also because he wants to be a superstar. After deciding to form a band, he quickly recruited Ian Catskilkin (Guitar) and Freddy Feedback (Bass). The band was completed when they met drummer Mikey B on the back of a bus and Jasper Future (guitarist from Eddie’s old Band -Art Gobblins) joined a few months later. Five minutes after this happened (actually it may have been slightly longer than that) they had written their debut single ‘Formed A Band’.

‘Formed a band, we formed a band, look at us we formed a band’ they sang/shouted. ‘We’re going to be the band that writes the song that makes Israel and Palestine get along’ they said, and furthermore ‘We’re going to write a song as universal as Happy Birthday’. Rough Trade released it as a single, lots of people thought they were joking or being ironic but lots of people liked it anyway. It didn’t stop there though, they wanted everyone to form a band so that popular culture would mean more to them. They wanted people to set up franchise bands called Art Brut and they wanted those bands to cover their songs. Again, everyone thought they were joking. After that, a lot of people were left thinking “how do you follow a single called ‘Formed A Band’ about forming a band?”.

The answer is that you write a song called ‘Modern Art’ about being thrown out of art galleries and you get your fans to handpaint each individual 7” sleeve. Fierce Panda released it as a single, and it was one of the biggest selling ever. Lots of people liked it. By this time even their crazy dream of having Art Brut franchise bands was becoming a reality. NME saw them play at the single launch party for ‘Modern Art’ they remarked “Art Brut 17 are at the bar, Art Brut 4 are scuttling around the Barfly throwing pink paint about…Art Brut 138 are hiding in the corner”. By the end of 2004 the band’s singles had found their way into many end of year polls including NME, Playlouder, John Peel’s Festive 50, ‘Formed A Band’ was even No 8 in Blender’s Top 100 Tracks of 2004. Eddie Argos had made an unlikely entrant in NME’s Cool List and the band were selling out venues the length and breadth of the country.

After spending the first part of the new year in the studio with John Fortiss recording this album the band now find themselves in a position where Art Brut franchise bands are contributing b-sides to their new single ‘Emily Kane’ (May 2nd). Lots of people think they are still joking, they still might be, but Israel And Palestine are certainly getting on a lot better, though admittedly that might not be down to them.

ART BRUT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
WED 11/9 HOBOKEN, NJ Maxwell's
THU 11/10 NEW YORK, NY Mercury Lounge
FRI 11/11 BROOKLYN, NY Northsix
SAT 11/12 NEW YORK, NY Fixed @ Tribeca Grand Hotel
SUN 11/13 TORONTO, ON Lee's Palace
Tue 11/15 CHICAGO, IL Schubas Tavern
THU 11/17 LOS ANGELES, CA Spaceland
FRI 11/18 LOS ANGELES, CA The Echo

Art Brut

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The International Noise Conspiracy

INTERVIEW WITH DENNIS LYXZEN

First there was the The Kinks, the MC5, Primal Scream, and Gang of Four—great bands that made you think as you kicked out the jams and said "To Hell To Poverty." And now there is The (International) Noise Conspiracy whose mix of dirty 60's garage, punk rock, soul, and radical politics will have you tossing your Nuggets comp and Clash records by the wayside.This Swedish sextet are expanding the limits of a "rock band" by making music that is as smart as it is rocking. Their second record, A New Morning, Changing Weather, will hit you in the gut with its big sound. The first song "A Northwest Passage" sounds like a V1 engine hovering over the streets. Strikingly idealistic, most of the band's lyrics deal with questions about freedom, capitalism, and love. Songs like "Born Into A Mess" and "Capitalism Stole My Virginity" make you want to dance and ponder political philosophy.

Who said that the youth of today are lazy and apolitical? INC are ready for revolution in the street.
The (International) Noise Conspiracy is not an easy group to define musically or politically. In lyrics often borrowed from popular culture they speak of defiance and resistance. They are against globalization. They are conceptualists. They embrace The K Foundation, Guy Debord, Bob Black, Michel Foucault, Noam Chomsky, and George Orwell. They are out of control. They are fighting the power. When I heard their debut Survival Sickness in 2001, I sensed the the potential for something greater. The songs "Smash it Up" and "The Reproduction of Death" made me want to hand out Mao's little red book. Noise Conspiracy has since conquered the USA and Europe. We know the truth. As one of their lyric says "There is a light in everyone." Pass these words along. There are enough things said in their liner notes to keep us busy for years.I spoke with lead singer Dennis Lyxzén in January 2002. He was in his homeland, Sweden.

Listen to the music

AL: The new record came out in October. You were in the United States for about three months. Now you are back in Sweden. What are you doing?
Dennis: Right now we aren't doing anything. We have had a month off since around Christmas, which has been really nice. Next week we start a tour of Scandinavia. After that, we are doing at least two European tours. We will be on this continent for a while.

AL: When did the record come out in Europe?
Dennis: In October. Right before we came out to the States we did a tour in Europe right around when the record came out. Now we are doing a tour here since the record has been out a while. That is the way to go about things, I guess. We recorded the album last summer.

AL: Survival Sickness came out about a year ago. Now you have several records out. Things are moving quickly for you.
Dennis: Yeah. We just want to be a band that keeps things flowing and the energy going. We get easily bored so we write a lot of songs because we want to play new songs. One day we thought "Hey we have 20 new songs, let's do a new record." We just went for it. I think there might be a longer time span between this record and the next record we do. But you never know. In six months we might be really tired of touring and will want to make a record. We want to keep the creativity going. When we have ideas, we get together and jam and play. That's how we do it.

AL: You started out in China and released records there first, before you were signed to Burning Heart Records. How did that happen?
Dennis: A friend of ours saw our first show. He is a Swedish kid who has lived in Hong Kong most of his life. He thought we were great. We started joking to him "You should take us to China." And he started joking: "Yeah, you should put out a record on my record label." We ended up doing both of those things. We started by joking about it and then we ended up making that trip to China. It meant putting a lot of energy into it and a lot of our own money. It didn't matter. It was a mission that had to be done.

AL: What is the music scene like in Sweden and how does Noise Conspiracy fit into that?
Dennis: The music scene in Sweden is really good. There are a lot of good bands. Bands that come from here, and play music, many of us really mean it. I think that is a really good thing. There are some bands who talk about political issues, and we actually feel connection and kinship to that. We know most of the people in the Swedish music scene. Sweden is a really small country. I don't know how well we fit in with other bands. Some bands we like to play with, others we don't.

AL: Most Swedish bands sing in English. Do you think that rock and roll and capitalism are related in that way?
Dennis: I think that it relates to the cultural implications of rock and roll. We all grew up listening to the universal language of rock and roll. That language is English. My first band started when I was 13 years old. We sang in English. There was no question about it. That was the culture of music. Most bands in Sweden don't plan it out. They don't sing in English to make more money. There are a few bands who are really big in Sweden who sing in Swedish. Obviously they are not going to make it out of Sweden. It's not a scam. More interesting is how the cultural imperialism of America spreads across the world, so that bands in China sing in English, though they don't speak or know English. It's weird to see. It's amusing in one sense that you have to sing in English to become accepted. For me it has never been a question to sing in anything other than English. It's the most natural for me. Swedish is a tricky language to write lyrics. I didn't think about it when I was a kid. Now I do.




   REFUSED reunited in 2019 (above)


AL: What is the situation with your old band The Refused? This is a really popular band in the punk world in USA. Are there any plans to reform? Many people who like Noise Conspiracy are people who are also fans of The Refused. They still play videos on cable channels here as if The Refused were a new band. The band has been defunct for a while?
Dennis: Yeah it has for over three years. It's so much part of the past. When that video of The Refused came out in the States, the band had already been broken up. Many people didn't know that. I think that if people enjoy Noise Conspiracy because they liked The Refused, that they are off-base there. This is how I feel: If you like the politics of The Refused, I can see you liking The Noise Conspiracy. But if you like the music of The Refused, and base that on liking The Noise Conspiracy, that's fucked up. The two have nothing to do with each other. There will never be a reunion show. There will never be anything else coming out by The Refused. People get into the band now, but it doesn't exist. The last record was done over four years ago. For me, I don't even think about it, ever.

AL: It's good to move on. How would you describe the politics of The Noise Conspiracy? Are you anarchists or left wing?
Dennis: If you check out what we are doing, you will realize that we are radical leftists. That is as far as we want to go to define ourselves. But if there is anything we have learned it is that ideology is the enemy. You can't define your political ideas to a certain setting. You can't say "this is what I am" and define people from that. That is a weird thing to do. In this band, what we do, is say here are some ideas that we like. Some of them don't make sense together. They are contradictory. They are a paradox. We throw them out to people. Here are some good ideas. You figure it out. It's not up to us to be the leaders. We just try to inspire people to get their own reactions and ideas going. Every time you try to define your politics and try to make your ideas fit for everybody, it's just not going to happen. We are radical leftists, anti-capitalists, and a good mix of socialist, anarchist and communist, and Dada Artists, and Situationists, and so on and so forth. When people come to see us play, we take the opportunity to talk about political ideas. That has been true of every band I have been part of. We bring flyers and books to gigs so people can look into it for themselves and not just take our word for it. We don't need more leaders. We just need people to inspire each other.

AL: What do you think about the punk scene in America? There are magazines like Maximum Rock and Roll and Punk Planet that discuss what is punk and what is not. There are a bunch of rules of conduct. How do you feel about it?
Dennis: I have been part of the punk and hardcore scene for ten years. Why this band doesn't have anything to do with the punk scene is because the punk scene is petty. I think it really focuses on the wrong issues. Punk rock politics are political ideas for the privileged kids. They don't have anything to say about the real big issues of the world. There is a definite lack of analysis when you are worried about what label puts out what records. What bands are signed to what label. Or what venues you are playing. There is a lack of an overall view. Maximum Rock and Roll is one of the first punk rock magazines I read. It taught me a lot about bands, punk rock, and politics. But if your main goal is the preservation of punk rock as a subculture or youth culture, then of course it's important to you who's signed to what label. It's important for you how your ideas of punk rock are being perceived to the outside world. But for Noise Conspiracy that is not important. We are not interested in youth culture or subcultures or punk rock. We are interested in the political ideas that we are talking about and playing music. For us, it doesn't matter if punk rock sells two million or two billion records. It doesn't matter if punk rock is the biggest commodified music genre of all time. Political ideas are far more important to be confined to a certain scene or a certain time.

AL: Is the band a collective? How do you go about writing material?
Dennis: We all write the songs. It may sound like the 1970s, but we are one of those bands who go into a practice space and jam. We start out with an idea and then we jam for a couple of hours until we have a song. We can't do anything or practice unless the whole band is together. We are a collective. There is a reason why these five people are in the band. We function really well as band. We have known each other for a long time and we come from similar backgrounds. I have known Lars Stromberg almost all my life. We had talked about doing a soulful punk band. We never got to do it because we were all in other bands. I was still on tour with The Refused. When The Refused broke up, we finally got to see this vision through. We already knew who was going to be in the band. We had actually practiced before The Refused had officially broken up. We felt each other out. It was very natural.

AL: What do you think of Atari Teenage Riot?
Dennis: They are a funny band. I have been following them for a long time. Their approach is less finely tuned than ours. They are more about "Deutschland has got to die!" We try to analyze it a step further. Any band that is part of the protest singer music tradition is a cool band. Any time I turn on the TV and I see any band talk about politics, it makes me excited, even if I don't like the politics too much. Even if the politics are not as radical as I want them to be I still appreciate it. There are so many bands out there who seriously don't say anything at all. It's sad that it's come to that.

AL: Are there any writers or philosophers that you like and would like to share with us today?
Dennis: Yeah. There are tons of them.

AL: What are you reading now?
Dennis: I think that I am reading six or seven books right now. I think that reading is why I have an interest in politics as well. Reading is more radical than playing in a band or playing punk rock. The Situationists are really interesting. I read Guy Debord, and his sidekick, Raoul Vaneigem. The Revolution of Everyday Life is my favorite book of all time. I am into other French philosophers like Georges Bataille. He's really good.

AL: Bataille is from before.
Dennis: He was a little bit earlier. He was part of the Surrealists. His political writing is the main thing. There's this Algerian guy named Franz Fanon. That's the kind of stuff I am reading. I am also reading a lot of literature from the north of Sweden. That is where I am from. It's stuff from 150 years ago. It's around the turn of the century too. It's all about when the farmers and settlers came up here and tried to use the land. They tried to live in the harsh conditions. I am reading that right now. I am picking up on my heritage.

AL: What is The Noise Conspiracy going to do for the rest of the year 2002? Are you going to come back to the States to do another tour?
Dennis: Yes, we are. Probably in the late summer. Right now we are going to focus on Europe. We were in the States three times last year which is pretty impressive. We are going to put out a new single pretty soon. We are putting out an EP this summer. It's a rock routine...put out an EP, and then tour and play some festivals. We have never been to England before and in two months we are going to England and we are going to open for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

The International Noise Conspiracy

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Maximo Park

Maximo Park
By alexander laurence

They are five guys from Newcastle. Maximo Park is Paul Smith (vocals), Duncan
Lloyd (guitar), Archis Tiku (bass), Lukas Wooller (keyboards), and Tom
English (drums). They started a few years ago after studying at the University.
Maximo Park are all about catchy songs inspired by post-punk legends like the Jam,
Wire, and the Smiths. Their first sonic blast of vinyl was “The Coast Is
Always Changing/The Night I Lost My Head,” in 2004. It caught the imagination of
the heads of Warp Records. This label is known as a mostly electronic label.
The label was overwhelmed and signed the band and immediately released their
second single, “Apply Some Pressure,” early in 2005,

It made the Top 20 in the national charts and shocked everyone. At that time,
Warp also released the “Apply Some Pressure” EP, which featured tracks from
both of the band’s singles. In the U.S. Maximo Park also finished recording
their debut album with producer Paul Epworth. They spent the spring touring the
U.K., Japan, and the U.S., making a talked about appearance at SXSW. The
“Graffiti” single heralded the arrival of the band's full-length A Certain Trigger
(2005). People were surprised by the new direction of the band. They returned
to the States to headline some shows in September 2005. The shows made an
immediately impact. I got to talk with singer Paul Smith before the shows at the
Troubadour. It was right before they went on a large American tour supporting
The Bravery. A fan attacked the singer while we were heading off to a café to
have a chat. Maximo Park are on the rise. Smith showed me a book about the
architect Anthony Gormley.

AL: You were interested in Anthony Gormley (www.antonygormley.com). How did
you find out about him?

Paul: He is a sculptor. Modern art inspires me. He has done some great
sculptures. He has done “Angel of The North” which is in Gateshead, as you approach
Newcastle. It’s very imposing. It’s made out of metal so it corrodes. It’s
like a lot of the industry in the area. It is intentional decay. There is an
art gallery in Newcastle where they show sculptures by Gormley. He gets
measurements of people and then he casts them. He creates strange metal sculptures of
loads of people. He creates fields of people milling around in a very abstract
way. He is an English artist.

AL: Are you all from Newcastle?

Paul: Yeah. We met each other there. None of us were born there. I was born
in Billingham, which is an hour south of Newcastle. There is not much going on
in Billingham. Jamie Bell (of Billy Elliot) is from Billingham. He used to
come around to our house when we were small. He was a friend of my brother. Then
I used to see him on billboards. He is in Green Day videos now.

AL: Newcastle is one of those university towns.

Paul: That is right. After university we all met each other. That is where we
studied. I didn’t want to go to far away. I had to do something. I didn’t
want to work. I wanted to learn a little more about the world. After finishing
school, starting a band seemed like the next logical choice.

AL: Did everyone from Maximo Park graduate from college?

Paul: Yeah, we all did. We all have BA honors. I have a Masters as well. I
studied American popular culture. It’s called the American science of history
and culture. I wrote about post-war American poets and literature. I wrote about
Cormac McCarthy and Don DeLillo. I like Frank O’Hara the poet.

AL: That is the good stuff. When did you start Maximo Park?

Paul: They ask me to join about three years ago now. We have been on Warp
Records since July 12th, 2004. We were together two years before the record deal.
Before I joined the band it was Maximo Park without me. Duncan and Archis
used to share the vocals. They used to write songs and each sing their own songs.
It was very eclectic. Bands like Pavement influenced them. Archis used to
sing in Hindi because he is Indian. You don’t get that sort of thing in pop
music. They were a little like Super Furry Animals. I saw them play in Newcastle.

AL: When you joined the band it was more about sharp lines and the power of
architecture in public spaces?

Paul: You have broken me down. I do like a direct esthetic that has layers.
What they did before lacked that directness. But when they asked me to join
Duncan had already written some songs that had that direct appeal. It was like
the last roll of the dice for them. They had some success but no one made them
feel like they were heading in the right direction.

AL: Did any of the old songs from the previous band carry over into the new
version?

Paul: Yes. “Limassol” was one of Archis songs that he used to sing. “Signal
and Sign” was one of Duncan songs. I changed the lyrics in these songs to suit
how I felt about the world. Some lyrics are still there. “I’ll do graffiti
if you sing to me in French” is a Duncan lyric. To me it didn’t make any
sense. I liked it a lot. To me French stuff is quite romantic. Graffiti reminds me
of the riots in Paris in 1968. It’s about excitement.

AL: There is the whole Situationist idea of “detournement.” Are you
interested in that?

Paul: Yeah. I think it’s essential. Things should be geared towards, if not a
thrill, enjoying your life and getting everything out of it. We all lapsed
into cycles.

AL: Where do all the hipster hang out in Newcastle?

Paul: There is a place called The Head of Steam. It’s a pub right across from
the main railway station. Some friends did our first video for “The Coast Is
Always Changing” there. We did that before we were signed. We released that as
a 7-inch single on Warp Records. We were trying to get known in England. We
had about 150 people there but you couldn’t see how big the audience was. There
is a place called The Clooney, which is a step up from there. It holds about
300 people. We didn’t play those places for very long. Bands still play there
every day of the week.

AL: The perception of the Warp Label is that it is one of these places for
leftfield electronic music. We know bands like Plaid, Autechre, and Aphex Twin.
Is it odd that Maximo Park is also on this label?

Paul: I think it is true that Warp is changing. They have been looking for a
more guitar-orientated band like us for four years. They signed one or two
people who released an EP and it didn’t work out. We were looking for someone who
would respect our music. In a business that is very hard. We had some major
companies that were looking after us. It just didn’t feel right. We wanted to
say that we are not the same as all the other guitar bands around at the
moment. We felt like our music stands out. We know that we would stand out on Warp.
We are trying to push pop in a different direction. In a sense we have the
same questing spirit that Aphex Twin does in his ambient electronica. We want to
have the sense of invention in our music. Maybe we want to have words that
have never been used in a pop song.

AL: Does the band have any shared influences?

Paul: It’s funny. We have some many tastes. Today I bought a CD by John Cage,
one by Laura Cantrell, and one by Ron Sexsmith. I like melodic songs. I like
experimental minimal things. I like traditional music. I bought a doo-wop CD.
I am just interested in songs and sounds. We all bring different thing to
Maximo Park. Duncan is really into Bob Dylan. You can hear the traditional ways of
songwriting as much as the way we play around with rhythms. Tom likes the
German band Can. Duncan also likes Captain Beefheart. There will be these
rhythmic ideas along with my love for Smokey Robinson. You will have these two things
coming together. I like a mix of sad things and a sense of humor. There is a
balance with sad lyrics and an upbeat melody.

AL: Maximo Park got lumped in with some other UK bands like Futureheads,
Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, and others, who in America always been compared to Gang
of Four.

Paul: I guess there was something going on there. Bloc Party and Futureheads
were the more commercial end of that scratchy artpunk music. Franz Ferdinand
also broke down a lot of barriers. Kaiser Chiefs and Maximo Park got pushed
into that. Both bands are far more song based. We are more melodic and more
direct. I don’t think that the Kaiser Chiefs are writing really emotional lyrics.

AL: Kaiser Chiefs seem like they have listened to Parklife too many times.
Britpop took a while to catch on in America. When the Blur Vs. Oasis thing
happened, people were still into Grunge and Cobain had just died, and they weren’t
going to let that go.

Paul: It was very British. People say to me “It’s like Britpop mk II now.” I
don’t think that any of them are overtly British apart from the Kaiser
Chiefs. People think “The Coast Is Always Changing” is about the rough northeast
coast. If you didn’t know where we are from and our accents, that song could be
about Australia. Once people know about music or who makes it, they start to
have preconceptions as to what it’s about. They start to compare it to other
bands from that area. We didn’t know anything about these other bands when we
started. We wanted to make music that was exciting. I was born in 1979. When I
reached my early twenties, when I was looking for more music that I have never
heard before, and those were bands like Television, Gang of Four, and Talking
Heads. There is a lot of No Wave stuff and the less commercial stuff. I am a
big fan of Arthur Russell. He is amazing. He did some much different stuff. He
is much more an influence on me than Gang of Four. His stuff resonates with me
much more.

AL: We hear about many rivalries in the UK. Does Maximo Park have any natural
enemies?

Paul: No, not at all. We always make friend with people. We have a lot in
common with other bands. We had a karaoke night with the Kaiser Chiefs and The
Bravery. I did a thing with The Rakes at the Reading Festival. The singer of The
Rakes was ill. I filled in for the singer. I sang my two favorite songs by
them, which are “22 Grand Job” and “Strasbourg.” Russell from Bloc Party was
playing guitar. Kele from Bloc party sang with them at Leeds. The Futureheads
are from the same area as us. We saw them on a plane a few weeks ago. We have a
similar sense of humor as them, and Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs. I was with
the Futureheads and we were having a laugh about Bono and Bob Geldof who were
on the telly.

AL: What other bands are you playing with?

Paul: We are playing a UK tour with the Kaiser Chiefs when we get back. It’s
all sold out. We are doing two nights in each city. That is going well. We did
three shows with Bloc Party. We toured late last year with The Futureheads.
This year we have been playing by ourselves. We have ascended to a point where
we can invite other bands with us.

AL: Are there any new up and coming bands?

Paul: There is a band from Sunderland called Field Music. Our drummer Tom
used to be in Field Music. It’s like chamber pop. It is brilliant orchestration.
There are string quartets on more of the album, but all the songs are in crazy
time signatures. It’s really sweet music, like Big Star and the Beach Boys.

AL: Isn’t this sophisticated music going to alienate some of your teenage
fans, if you have Field Music opening up for you all the time?

Paul: Yeah. It already has. Some people like it. Some people wonder why
Maximo Park brought this band on tour with them. They made one of the best British
albums any band has done. When they play live it is quite different because
they swap instruments. They have a younger drummer now since Tom left. They are
quite genuine people. There is not much that in music I suppose.

AL: Why is that?

Paul: I think people are afraid to let some barriers down. I like Bloc
party’s music but I don’t know what Kele is talking about. There is that angularity
of the music of Gang of Four. There is a bulimical element to the vocals.
Field Music writes songs about their feelings the same way that Maximo Park does.
It is rare I suppose. Kaiser Chiefs tend to be observational I suppose. They
are making fun tracks. Some people find it hard to be self-aware without
sounding self-pitying.

AL: That’s why I like some of these newer bands like The Rakes and Art Brut.
They write about common things and everyday things. So it’s like the poetry of
everyday life, much like the poetry of Frank O’Hara.

Paul: Definitely. I can associate with that. Life is a very enriching thing
if you want it to be. My songs definitely stray what people do or don’t do
everyday.

AL: Have you already started the next album?

Paul: Yeah. We have already done three or four songs. We have a demo. We have
finished the singles already. It was like “Wow, these are great tracks.”
Most of the rest is already written. There is an arrangement process where things
become Maximo Park songs. We will need time for that to take place.

AL: You are doing this tour with The Bravery. Are you going to tour America
again this year?

Paul: We would like to. We are doing a European tour in November. We are
doing our own shows in December. After that we are going into the studio to finish
up the album. We have some more shows in March 2006. Maybe in April we would
like to come back.

AL: Have you been to other countries?

Paul: We are going to Australia for the first time. We are flying over there
from America. After that we will be going to Japan. It will be our third time
in Japan. We are doing really well there. We have played the Fuji Rock
Festival. That was the biggest one I have ever seen. We have done a few tours in
Germany.

AL: Did you go to festivals when you were younger?

Paul: Not really. I didn’t go any festivals until I was in the band. I don’t
like to sleep in a field with a thousand other people. I like to have my own
toilet and shower. I did go to All Tomorrow’s Parties in Camber Sands. I like
my music indoors and decent. I like all the curators like Mogwai, Tortoise,
and Shellac.

AL: Have people been misguided in some way with Maximo Park?

Paul: I think some people have got things wrong. We are not the new
so-and-so. We are not another version of some group out there. We stand there and
combine catchy uplifting melodies with lyrics that you can care about really
deeply.

Website: www.maximopark.com

Maximo Park

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Death From Above 1979

Death From Above 1979 is Sebastien Grainger (vocals/drums) and Jesse F. Keeler (bass/synths). They are from Toronto. There have been two-piece bands before, but that none have managed to make such as a big sound as Death from Above 1979. It has been said the DFA 1979 met in prison. Apparently when they got back on the outside they saw a world without guitars. Their music is loud and uncompromising.

They have been one of the most interesting international bands. Death from Above 1979 recently completed a visit to the UK that included three headlining shows in one night, and gig in a 15-year-old fan's living room. After two EPs, Death from Above 1979 recorded their debut album "You're a Woman, I'm a Machine" for VICE Records. Look for their first video "Romantic Rights." They have been touring nonstop this year and should be back in America in Summer 2005.

*****

AL: How long have you been playing together?
Sebastien: We started this band in about 2001. We have both been playing in bands since we were kids. We were playing in a band together called Femme Fatale before we started this band. It was a more traditional format with drums and keyboards and bass and guitars.

AL: When did things become stripped down?
Sebastien: That was in 2001. We started writing the first songs then. We were playing around with the idea of a two-man band. It was more economical to tour as a two-man band. It was logistically difficult to bring five people on the road. One tour we were supposed to do as Femme Fatale we did as Death From Above because it was cheaper. We were able to get some free flights with one of our parents' points. We could only get two flights at a time. It was easy for us to go to different places. That is why we became focused just on this band.

AL: What was the initial reaction to the first shows?
Sebastien: I don't know. I don't really remember. Nobody knew who we were. Nobody knew our songs. Many of those early shows we played to very few people. That still happens. We played to less than ten people last year in New Jersey. They were mostly our friends. The first shows we did were poorly attended so there was no craziness. It was just a show at some kid's living room or some weird hall.

AL: Was the original interest in your band from other bands? Maybe they thought you would be a good band to open up for them?
Sebastien: Yeah. We headlined a bunch of small shows at the beginning. That was weird. We wanted to make a living playing music so we got a booking agent. He would get us on opening slots for bigger bands in our hometown. It was consistent. It was different bands with different audiences. We could play four times a month. We didn't burn out playing once a week in the same city because we were playing in front of different crowds. It is a result of us not sounding like many other bands out there right now. We are able to play with Anthrax and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the same week.

AL: You like that sort of diversity?
Sebastien: Definitely. That is something to be achieved in music and in your audience. You don't want one sort of person or one demographic to like your music, or you will drown very quickly.

AL: Who writes the songs in your band?
Sebastien: It's collaboration. Generally there is a discussion. We talk about songs and ideas about how we want a song to turn. We talk about how we want it to sound. Jesse will write a riff on the bass. We will get together and play it together. If this were two years ago we would have written a song in rehearsal. We haven't had any time to do that since. We tend to write songs in the studio. We write the music together. Then I will write the lyrics and the melody afterwards.

AL: Are all your songs about sex?
Sebastien: You are not paying attention. "Sexy Results" and "Pull Out" are about sex. "Going Steady" is about a family. "Romantic Rights" is about relationships and also about nothing. Only two songs are about sex.

AL: When you write lyrics are you just choosing words for their sounds or are you writing about your personal life?
Sebastien: I don't over-complicate lyrics. I try to write about simple ideas. I try to sing words that I won't regret singing a year down the line. I write for myself. Usually the melody comes first and the words become a vehicle for the melody. I will have a general idea what I want the words to be, so I will go back to things that I have written in the past. I go back to good ideas I have had for lyrics and sculpt those words into the cadences that I have set up with the melody.

AL: Is it difficult to drums and sing at the same time? Sometimes when you see a drummer singing the beats are not so complex.
Sebastien: It's just a matter of practice. It's all I know right now because we do it every day. I don't think about it anymore. I don't about being just a singer or just a drummer. I am so involved in it that I don't think about it any more. People ask us "Why we don't have any guitars?" I don't know. We just don't have any guitars. This is how we do it every day.

AL: When I first heard the album I didn't realize that it was only two guys and there were no guitars. It had this big sound.
Sebastien: That is a testament to the bass sound that Jesse created for himself. That may be an argument against using guitars in our band. His bass sound has such a tonal range. When I hear that bass sound I don't miss the guitars.

AL: I went to one of your shows recently and when you started the first song, there was a rush towards the stage and people were getting smashed. You had to stop the song and tell people to back up. Does that happen a lot?
Sebastien: That was an anomaly. Things are not usually that extreme. We stopped during the first song there because things were just too crazy. I am all for people having fun. But there are a few things that don't need to happen. People don't need to get hurt. People don't need to crowd surf. It's very selfish and shitty behavior.

AL: I think from the Los Angeles perspective: your record has been very popular since it has come out here. I think some people were excited to see you play.
Sebastien: I am not condemning what happened. I was trying to look out for the people right in the front of the stage. I think it is great that people are excited and I hope that they stay that excited. There was no security. There was no separation between the front of the stage and people's kneecaps. You need to pay attention to people around you. Some people at these shows are really young and don't know how to behave. I have been going to shows for years and at first I did some stupid things myself. It was not long after that I realized what was acceptable behavior. You can dance around and bump into people because that is going to happen. You have to be civil. I have seen people going around in an audience and punching people in the face. That is wrong. If people are offended that I stop a song, I don't want those people at our shows anyway. They can leave.

AL: How did you get involved with Vice Records?
Sebastien: They heard our first record a few years ago. They had been listening to us for a while. We had released the record in Canada already. When it came time to license the record in America, Vice Records were the best option for us. We had a lot of labels interested in us. But the philosophy and ethics of Vice Records was where our band was at the time.

AL: Some person that I know said your band was "Trendy and Emo." What do you think of that reaction?
Sebastien: That's fine. That's expected. People are going to react that way. I don't expect everyone to like us or to even know who we are. If you don't know who we are, and you have never heard our music, or have never seen our show, then it's easy to pass us off as a trend. And maybe we are a trend. As far as I am concerned, I am just playing music. I am going to play music regardless of show attendance or record sales. It doesn't bother me. If people stop coming to hear us, I build cabinets and drawers, and play guitar on the weekends.

AL: What is "Emo" exactly?
Sebastien: Emo is what happened to punk rock when it became personal and started talking about feelings. That is all it is. It's not a style of music. It's a similar idea. People try to attribute Emo to certain types of bands. Emo just means music that is about feelings instead of political ideas or social issues. It's not how a band sounds.

AL: It seemed to me like your band maybe had more to do with Heavy Metal music and dance music?
Sebastien: That's entirely possible. But what I was talking about was we have to do more with ideas than a style of music. I think we have more to do with Johnny Cash than Motorhead or any heavy metal band. I think we have more to do with Nina Simone than with any other rock band.

AL: So people who listen to Black Sabbath or Slayer are wrong to like your music?
Sebastien: Anyone can like our band. I don't want to alienate anybody. I think it's great. I didn't even listen to metal until six months ago. I didn't know what it was and I wasn't interested in it. Through playing in this band I have become interested in it. Not because I am trying to play metal, but because people were comparing us to those band

Death From Above 1979

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The Dirtbombs

The Dirtbombs
By alexander laurence

The Dirtbombs are really just Mick Collins. Collins (formerly a member of the influential band, The Gories) founded The Dirtbombs in the late Nineties and his distinct voice and guitar work are the cornerstone of their sound. The band has two drummers and two bass players, in addition to Collins. The Dirtbombs have a surprisingly diverse sound, from garage rock, punk, and glam, to classic soul and R&B. Mick Collins has helped to make it cool to be from Detroit. He is a mysterious figure and rarely gives interviews.

The Dirtbombs began putting out singles seven years ago. Their first album was Horndog Fest in 1998, which collected many of their singles. Following the release of Ultraglide in Black in 2001, The Dirtbombs gained international interest. They have played all over and have gained a large following.

With Dangerous Magical Noise the band has released their first classic. The album consists of mostly original tunes and shows a new direction for the band. I got to speak with Mick Collins in New York City right before their sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom. This is rock and roll at its finest. I was lucky to hang with one of the coolest guys in music. Check them out when they play near you!

AL: You have been touring all year?

Mick: This is the second leg of the tour. There are about four or five legs, I think. We are playing with The Sights for most of the tour. Up until January I think. We have played off and on all year. We have been on tour two weeks since the album came out.

AL: Have you played in Europe before?

Mick: Yeah. We are playing in Canada. We are going to England for a week. Then we are going to Europe for a few weeks early next year. They are all going to be big shows.

AL: Jim Diamond is not with you on this tour?

Mick: No. He is Australia producing an album. He'll be back when we go to Europe.

AL: What is the lineup like right now?

Mick: Ko from KO and The Knockouts is playing fuzz. Troy Gregory from The Witches is playing bass and taking over for Jim Diamond. We have had the same drummers for a few years now.

AL: What songs should people expect to hear?

Mick: The hits. We are not going to play every song off the new album. We are going to mix it up like we always do. We play some singles and some stuff from the earlier records. We play the new record and a few new songs that haven't been recorded yet. That sort of thing. We have been calling them out every night on this tour. We don't have a setlist before the show. We decided all that onstage.

AL: How did go about making the new record, Dangerous Magical Noise?

Mick: This was our pop record. The idea was we wanted to make a pop record. It's not the bubblegum record. I have been promising that for a few years. That is coming soon.

AL: How did you go about writing songs?

Mick: I listen to the radio and see what's happening. I wrote a bunch of songs that seemed that they should be on the radio. It's my band. I write some songs and we go into the studio to hear the songs.

AL: How do the songs start for you? Do you have a guitar part or some lyrics?

Mick: Yeah. It comes together. I get the song one way or another. I'll have a lyric line or a chord change. Maybe I'll have a guitar lick that I want to use. I'll write the song around that. When we have time to make an album, I'll teach them the song and we'll roll the tape.

AL: Jim Diamond's studio is pretty famous now. So many bands have recorded there now. Are most of the songs on this album live takes?

Mick: Just the drums really. Once they get the drums down, they will go home, and Jim and I will work on the album. We do all these albums the same way. I play all the guitars. I played a lot of the fuzz guitar on this record because we don't have a fuzz guitar player right now. Jim and I do it all now.

AL: What about some of these personnel changes?

Mick: Tom signed a record deal so he's not with us anymore. That is basically it. I have had this lineup for about four years now. People keep talking about "the revolving door." We had a group, and a stable lineup, but no one noticed. It's the Detroit way, for one person to be in a few different bands.

AL: We were just talking about the WFMU record fair that is going on this weekend. Do you collect a lot of vinyl?

Mick: Yeah. I am not going this year because I have to buy a car. I have get something more practical than records this year.

AL: Are there any records that you liked this year?

Mick: Nothing specifically.

AL: What about records from the past?

Mick: I really like the Ass Baboon and Venus record. On this tour we have been listening to the new Outkast record. I am having fun playing with The Sights. We also played with Whirlwind Heat earlier this year.

AL: What was it like playing the Siren Festival this past summer?

Mick: It's fun. But it's a big hassle because you are only on stage for thirty minutes. It takes about four hours of logistics just getting your stuff in and out of there. They work out for the better in the long run. Many people will come out to see you at a festival when they wouldn't go to see you at the club. We made a lot of new fans. The Siren Festival was actually organized very well.

AL: What do you think of this focus on Garage Rock in the past three years? Many of these bands that I have interviewed mentioned The Gories and The Dirtbombs are main influences on what they do. What do you think of this?

Mick: Most of them are not garage bands anyway. They don't sound like garage bands to me. They might think that they are garage bands, but it's not really my concern.

AL: How would you define "Garage Rock" or "Garage Bands?"

Mick: Most Garage Bands are really like 1960s punk bands. A real garage band is like a 1960s punk band heavily influenced by R&B. These bands nowadays calling themselves "Garage Bands" are not. They don't have it. They have vintage gear. They copied a bunch of Humble Pie riffs, and that's the extent of it. That isn't Garage. Television was not a garage band. They are an art rock band. Actually the Dirtbombs are more like Television than anything else.

AL: How did you involved in music?

Mick: I have been involved with music all my life. I have always been a music fan. I was in a jazz band in high school. I played trombone. I am the only musician in my entire extended family.

AL: What do your parents think about your music?

Mick: They don't. They know about it, but they really wish I stayed in IT.

AL: Do you have any hobbies outside of music?

Mick: I read a lot. I collect comic books. I like Grant Morrison. I like his work.

AL: Do you have any advice for people who want to start a band and are influenced by The Dirtbombs?

Mick: That would be a deathwish. Put your music online. Start playing shows.

AL: Do you like playing in New York City?

Mick: Yeah, I do actually. We were just talking about that in the van. I like playing New York City a lot, but I don't like doing stuff with the gear. I don't like traveling with the gear. If we could play different places and have the gear already there, and leave it all behind, that would be great.

AL: Do you have a lot of guitars?

Mick: Cheap ones. I can't afford real expensive ones. I would be afraid to take it onstage and breaking it. None of them cost more than one hundred dollars.

AL: How should people come prepared for the shows?

Mick: They should bring earplugs. We play for an hour.

Website: www.intheredrecords.com

The Dirtbombs

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Grandaddy Interview

I met the band Grandaddy first during the CMJ festival in late 2000. They played a show at Irving Plaza. They were one of the hot bands of the time. They were in the midst of a tour with Elliot Smith. We met at a sushi restaurant near Union Square. The show at Irving Plaza was spectacular and brought out fans such as David Bowie who has claimed to be a fan. It was a time when there were a lot of down to earth bands like Grandaddy and Badly Drawn Boy, and others.

The band lives Modesto, California, and the general area. They have beards. The band is down to earth. Grandaddy is Jason Lytle (vocals/guitars/keyboards), and Jim Fairchild (guitar). Other members are. Kevin Garcia (bass), Aaron Burtch (drums), and Tim Dryden (keyboards). They have a few albums out. Most popular is The Sophtware Slump (2000). After a lot of touring they came back with Sumday (2003). I saw them play in Los Angeles that year with Super Furry Animals and Earlimart.

Some time has passed. I was wondering what Jason Lytle and company were up to. I heard that they were working on a new album. I heard Jason had shaved off his beard and decided to move to Los Angeles. They decided to release an EP called Excerpts from the diary of Todd Zilla (2005). It is more a solo project than a group album. The songs are cool. A real Grandaddy album is coming out early next year. It was cool to revisit a band that I had championed in the early days.


AL: What is going on with Grandaddy? Is the band still together?

Jason: Um. Gosh, I haven't really prepared myself for answering any questions. It's all really hitting me. I don't know what is going on with Grandaddy. We are all still friends. There is a lot of uncertainty. People are trying to figure out what they are going to do with their lives. Is it really worth it to continue at the rate we are going? We have two releases coming out in the next six months. I really don't know.

AL: When you come back out and play is it going to be the same five guys?

Jason: If we do tour it will be the same five guys. It was set up in a way that I didn't want to do it any other way. Being in a band is not very appealing to me. But doing it with people that I was close to ensured that I would have a pretty good time. The reason why we have been doing this for so many years was that we are super-comfortable with each other. I wouldn't want to concoct a random band of hot players.

AL: You guys have been doing this for ten years now. Do you all have families now that weren't there in the beginning?

Jason: There are a few wives in the mix. There is one family. There are a lot of concerns having a family. As dull as it sounds, it's just reality for some of the guys in the band. Some of the guys in the band are really old.

AL: You guys are not that old. But there are a lot of new bands that are hungry coming up.

Jason: I see some of those older bands and it doesn't seem so appealing to me. I would be happier just turning into a studio dork. It would free up some time to ride my bike and go camping. There is this whole fantasy of touring in the rock and roll style. It's all about keeping the party going. The older you get the less flair it has. You just become a drunk.

AL: Touring is for young guys in their 20s.

Jason: Yeah. I am all for out with the old, in with the new. It becomes selfish after a while. It's good to play to your strengths and know when to give up.

AL: How much touring did you do after the last album, Sumday?

Jason: We did a lot. It always starts off the same way. There is not a clear picture. You never know what interest the album is going to generate. No one gives you an idea of what the plan is. Before you know it, you are swept up by it all again. We ended up being on the road for two years, even though some people might have told you there was going to be more control. It was much worse with the Sophtware Slump. That was all about endless, exhaustive touring.

AL: You spent a lot of time in Europe?

Jason: Yeah. When we weren't over here, we were over there. That life obliterates the possibility of having a life and anything else. It's all about touring.

AL: So you have had a year off. In that time you had the think about writing new songs and recording. Did you look forward to that?

Jason: You want to subject yourself to do something good but there is a burden that comes with it. I went into making this record with the attitude ÒI don't give a flying shit what the results are. I am just going to make the best possible record I can make.Ó If that means not touring again and walking away from it all. It's just better saying ÒI did the best recordÓ without any repercussions affecting you.

AL: Who did you tour with recently besides The Polyphonic Spree?

Jason: We just played some shows with them. We got stuck on some stinky touring situations. I don't know who has been leading our tours in the past three years.

AL: You are due for a massive concept album by now, don't you think?

Jason: (laughs) I don't know. Are we? I would like to do something all encompassing. I would like to wrap up what has been done so far. I would like to include the original idea for the band and newer technologies. The new album has the sense of that. It is what it is. The album is fifteen songs. It's a lot for me. I am not talking about the EP. It's very listener oriented. It's good. It's not a platform for whining about the career that I have fallen into.

AL: It's a culmination of your musical development?

Jason: It's all getting back to the idea of a musical journey. There was some moping on Sumday. This new album coming out is a pretty good mix. It's like a guilty pleasures.

AL: Did you bring in any musicians or children's choir?

Jason: There is a little help on vocal stuff. I did manage to scrounge up this opera singer to do some parts. If I had my way I would have a childrens choir on every other song. I am not good with little kids.

AL: You recorded in the same studio the same way?

Jason: Yes. It's the same studio and same configuration. It is slightly upgraded. It's a home situation like all the albums have been.

AL: The Todd Zilla EP was mostly a solo record?

Jason: It was mostly me. Aaron played on a bunch of the songs. The EP sounds a lot different because the house is set with two different studios. Studio B is a different format with less fidelity. That is were we did the EP.

AL: Was the Todd Zilla EP composed of songs that didn't make the album, some demos, or some B-sides for the album?

Jason: I am always faced with having too many songs, and not knowing where the songs fit in. After we did Sophtware Slump we did the Signal To Ratio EP. It's like a polite phone call before someone shows up at your house. It's like reintroducing us to those who care that we have music coming out soon. I am three-quarters done with the new album. It will come out early next year.

AL: Are you going to play some shows?

Jason: I have no idea.

AL: Do you play shows in the Bay Area still?

Jason: Me and Aaron and Kevin played as a three-piece. We played at some downtown festival in Modesto. It was a big sun burnt, beer guzzling, and polish hotdog thing. It was kind of stupid and fun. We called it Grandaddy Time Machine. We only played songs from before 1994. It was just an excuse to play. I am not exactly sure that it was a good idea or not.

AL: What do you think of Scott Peterson and Modesto? He brought a lot of attention to this quiet town.

Jason: I don't know. It's really fucking disturbing. I don't understand people like that. I was trying to make some connections with being from here and doing what he did. But I suppose that you can be from anywhere. It's fucked. He is like a privileged white kid who thought he could get away with anything.

AL: Is Todd Zilla your alter ego?

Jason: No. It's just a name that I thought was really funny. It's exemplifies where I am from: big, loud, dumb, awkward, clunky, and ignorant. All those things wrapped up in one name.

AL: When I first saw Grandaddy, you seemed really unique. It's five years later, now there all these un-ironic bands, who have beards, skateboard, and are very Grandaddy-like.

Jason: Gosh. Freaky.

AL: I think that actor Jason Lee grew a beard and is starting a band now. What's up with that?

Jason: Oh yeah. We are actually friends with him. We had a party in Modesto and he came over. When people come visit us they end up getting really drunk. I am abnormally drunk. I guess that we set the bar really high. Maybe we are in our own playing field. I feel bad about that.

AL: There is not much going on in Modesto?

Jason: Yes, there is a lot of drinking in Modesto. There are a lot of rehab places all over the place. That is a good clue that there are drinking problems here. I had to quit cold turkey to finish this album. I had to get my shit together.

AL: Most of us in the rest of the world are wondering is you can still get some pure ephedrine in Modesto?

Jason: You can get some crystal meth down the block.

AL: Are there any bands that you are listening to?

Jason: (long pause) There is a band called Division of Laura Lee. They have an album called Das Not Compute. For some reason that struck a chord with me. It is energetic and punky and has a pop element. There is enough atmospherics and keyboards and it blends real well. I appreciate when people do that really well. It's like raw with a hangover clouding things up. I like Fu Manchu. And shit. I don't listen to much new music when I am recording.

AL: Do you ever go see other bands play?

Jason: Not really. I haven't really been traveling that much because I have been recording. Bands never come to Modesto. So that means I would have to go to San Francisco, which is a few hours away. I did go to an art show a few weeks ago. Deerhoof was playing. That was my one big night out in a while.

AL: Do you ever get out to Turlock?

Jason: (laughs) Matter of fact I do. That is where Aaron lives. There is a bunch of cool shit going on in Turlock. People eating chicken. There are a lot of Assyrian old people there who walk with their hands behind their backs. Aaron has a nice garden. We work on the websites sometimes. I go over to his house. He has the house that seems like a bustling family. It's a change of pace for me.

AL: What is your house like?

Jason: It's 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It's a cookie cutter suburban neighborhood. It's all working class. It's 80% Mexican. Everyone drives big trucks and SUVs. I take care of the lawn but once you get inside it's all recording equipment and gear. I get embarrassed. Nobody can come in my house because I don't want anyone to know what I do. It's a weird other world once you get inside. It's a recording studio disguised by a regular house.

AL: Maybe you have to get more chairs on the porch?

Jason: I got enough of a facade going on.

Grandaddy Interview

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Turbonegro

Turbonegro Interview
By Alexander Laurence

Turbonegro has made one of the biggest comebacks of this past year. They are trashy, big, hedonistic, loud, and outrageous. Their dark origins are very mysterious. They are said to have formed in a wealthy commune dedicated to the Manson Family and who live in the countryside. Others say they were sheep farmers from in Oslo, Norway. They did emerge somehow in some form about fifteen years ago. They had much more in common with heavy rock bands from the 1970s (Alice Cooper, Alex Harvey, Judas Priest) and glam metal bands from the 1980s (Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Guns and Roses) than with the indie alternative rock scene. Turbonegro's recordings were over-the-top and took no prisoners. Their gay esthetic is the most extreme.

Like many Scandinavian bands, all of the band's lyrics are in English. Lead vocalist Hank Von Helvete is one of the most entertaining frontman in rock. Other members included lead guitarist Euroboy, bassist Happy Tom, rhythm guitarist Rune Rebellion, keyboardist Pal Pot Pamparius, and drummer Chris Summers. These guys live all of rock and roll's excesses. Von Helvete bragged about confronting the LAPD on the recent tour. He also announced that maybe Sigfried and Roy could dedicate their lives to prostitution now, since they have been forced to retire. There has been a gay mystique to Turbonegro: I was hoping that they would explain what this was about. They have refused to do any interviews. But I was granted secret access to their temporary lair. Most of the band was cruising the neighborhood in the Tenderloin in Downtown San Francisco.

In 1997, Turbonegro recorded and released their great album Apocalypse Dudes. This is the place to start for any fan. The group had broken up mysteriously at the end of 1998. Darkness Forever! a selection of live performances, was released in early 2001. They spent many years in hiding and energizing themselves in the North Pole. The breakup, however, was short lived, and Turbonegro were back for tour dates in 2002, followed by the release of the amazing Scandinavian Leather in 2003. Songs about prostitution and the adoration of flesh dominate. They have their fans too. People dress up like them in levi jackets, makeup, and military hats. They call these people "The Turbojugend." One girl who said she was a faghag approached me. This was not any ordinary band. I was supposed to speak with Hank Von Helvete, but he said that he had to save his voice for tonight's performance. I spoke mainly with Rune Rebellion and Chris Summers. Afterwards, their manager entered the room. He was wearing a tutu.

*****

AL: Where are you from?

Rune: We are from Oslo, Norway. It's the capital. It's known for pretty boys, I guess. There is a good gay scene.

AL: When did the band get together?

Rune: We originally formed in 1989. This present lineup has been there since 1995. We had certain problems internally in the band in 1998. We quit for a few years. We put the band on ice. Then we came back together in early 2002.

AL: When did you record the album Scandinavian Leather?

Chris: We started recording last year in October. We produced the record ourselves. Any record with outside help is a sellout.

AL: Are all the tracks live takes? Or did you do studio tricks?

Chris: I wouldn't call them studio tricks. Fuck, man. You are making an album. It's not the same as playing live. Everyone always nags and says that they want to record live so it's more real and more like the live show. It's all bullshit. They are fooling themselves.

AL: You spend a lot of time in the studio?

Chris: We recorded drums and bass guitar. Then we add more guitars. We work from there. There are a lot of overdubs.

Rune: Euroboy owns his own studio. Why wouldn't we want to utilize the studio and make the album sound as good as possible? It is necessary for our strong dark sound.

AL: Who writes the songs?

Chris: Tom writes most of the songs. He writes all the lyrics too. Euroboy writes some songs too. He works on the arrangements.

AL: How many songs did you write for this album?

Chris: We had two or three songs left over that we didn't use on the album. Most of those songs showed up as b-sides on the single.

AL: How is the tour going? This is the second big tour you have done this year in America.

Chris: We played some small clubs six months ago. We also played some big shows with Queens of The Stone Age in between. This tour has been great. The whole tour is sold out. We are playing some decent sized venues. The band sounds better than ever.

AL: Hank Von Helvete was talking about his confrontation with the LAPD the other night at the Hollywood show.

Rune: Really? It was probably a lie. I don't listen to what he says onstage. We are all trying to channel some dark force.

AL: What's up with the Christmas trees onstage?

Chris: They are not Christmas trees. They are just trees.

Rune: They make us feel at home. We will have some trees tonight. There will be trees every night. People need protection when they do their dirty business.

AL: How do you prepare for a gig?

Rune: I drink some wine before a show. It helps me get into an artistic mood. I eat food.

AL: What is the focus on darkness about?

Chris: We are from the suburbs of Norway. It's one of the darkest places on the planet. It is dark half of the year.

(We get interrupted by one of the members of The Dwarves)

AL: What is the Turbojugend?

Rune: That is our fan club.

Chris: Jugend means "youth." There are chapters of it all over.

AL: What sort of music inspires you?

Chris: All kinds. The last record I bought was The Neptunes.

Rune: I like The Bells by Lou Reed from 1979. It's probably his worst record.

AL: When will you do another record?

Chris: Maybe next year. I am not sure.

Rune: It depends on how long we tour with this record. Things are just happening now. America is really great. The UK is picking up. After this American tour we are going to Australia. Then we are going to Europe to play the UK and Scandinavia.

AL: What is your favorite part of doing music?

Chris: I am not too crazy about being in the studio. I like touring now. But maybe if we did that for too long, I would get bored.

AL: Has Socialism influenced the band at all?

Rune: We are consumers.

AL: Do you get money from the government?

Chris: Some bands do.

Rune: If you are a musician, you are not really affected by the government and the social welfare system. You are pretty much on your own. If you are a farmer, you can do anything you want. If your crops fail you can get money from the government. If our record bombs, the government isn't going to give us any money.

AL: What do you think of some Death Metal bands like Burzum? What do you think of Varg Vikernes?

Chris: He's a fucking fool. He's a Nazi. He's a fucking jerk. We know a lot of those Black Metal bands like Darkthrone and Satyricon. They are friends of ours.

Rune: We are not really a Death Metal band. Many of those bands come from the same background as us. We hang out with them.

AL: Are you more into American music or British music?

Chris: Definitely more into American music. There are some great English bands. There are even some good German bands: imagine that! Most of the music we like is from California. Some of the best punk rock bands like Black Flag are from here. And most of the best Hiphop bands are from California.

Rune: Music isn't about where you are from.

AL: Have you seen any films?

Chris: I just bought three DVDs. I got Bob Roberts, Bad Boys, and the second Fletch movie.

AL: What do you think about people who call Turbonegro "Dumb Rock?"

Chris: I could see if people see a picture of us that they could think that we are a dumb band. If you just listen to our records, you can get a sense of what the band is about.

Rune: We have a wide range of people in our audience. There are university professors and this whole intellectual crowd. We are not an easy band to categorize because we have so many sides to the band.

AL: People think of the name "Turbonegro" as this dark military force that's campy at the same time.

Rune: The way we develop our image is like this: we ask ourselves "What would be the dumbest thing to do?" What would be the most self-destructive? We have a gay image. We are a punk rock band. We all dress up in Levi's, which would be a big corporative enemy. It's an image that we have developed throughout the years. When we do the most stupid thing, it actually works out.

Chris: We make these obstacles for ourselves. Every time it works. It's like black magic.

AL: Do you believe in any higher intelligence?

Rune: I believe in my own intelligence.

Chris: I believe in him too. Hank has been talking about religion lately. Maybe it's more evidence of his confusion.

AL: Do you have any advice for young people who want to start a band?

Rune: Do believe the hype.

Website: http://www.turbonegro.com/

Turbonegro

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