Rowland S. Howard RIP

Influential Melbourne guitarist Rowland S Howard dies

• Cameron Adams
• From: Herald Sun
• December 30, 2009 5:11PM

Rowland S. Howard. Picture: Karen Dodd Source: HWT Image Library

MELBOURNE musician Rowland S Howard has lost his battle with liver cancer.

He passed away this morning, aged 50.

Howard was waiting for a liver transplant and had cancelled recent shows due to illness.

The influential guitarist came to prominence as a member of Melbourne punk band the Boys Next Door who became The Birthday Party, fronted by Nick Cave.

Howard wrote their iconic hit Shivers, and his guitar skills would inspire a generation to come.

The guitarist was also a member of bands including Crime and the City Soultion and These Immortal Souls.

His second solo album, Pop Crimes, was released in October to critical acclaim.

His final gig was at the Prince of Wales in October to launch the album.

In an interview with Rolling Stone to promote the album Howard spoke of his years of poor health.

“Being told that you've only got a couple of years to live without a transplant is a pretty frightening experience and certainly changes the way you feel about your life, [it] makes things so much closer."

Rowland appeared in this year’s Melbourne punk scene documentary We’re Living on Dog Food, released with the DVD of Australian film Dogs in Space.

BEST OF THE DECADE

BEST RECORDS of the 21st Century so far
By Alexander Laurence

1. Brian Wilson - Smile
2. Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun
3. Primal Scream – XTRMNTR
4. Radiohead – Amnesiac
5. Antony and the Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now
6. Gorillaz – Gorillaz
7. Arcade Fire – Funeral
8. Black Mountain – In The Future
9. Joanna Newsom – Ys
10. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns

11. PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
12. Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain
13. The White Stripes - Elephant
14. LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem
15. Blonde Redhead - 23
16. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
17. The Kills: Keep on Your Mean Side
18. The Strokes – Is This It?
19. White Stripes – White Blood Cells
20. Fiery Furnaces – Blueberry Boat

21. Sparklehorse – It’s A Wonderful Life
22. DFA 1979 – You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine
23. Mercury Rev – All Is Dream
24. The Hives – Veni Vidi Vicious
25. Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
26. The Coral – The Coral
27. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
28. Sparklehorse/Danger Mouse - Dark Night of the Soul
29. Trail of the Dead – Source Tags and Codes
30. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

31. TV on The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
32. Hope Sandoval – Through The Devil Softly
33. Colder - Again
34. The Streets – Original Pirate Material
35. Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature
36. Burial – Burial
37. Bat For Lashes – Fur and Gold
38. Ali Farke Toure – Savane
39. Wire - Send
40. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell

41. Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing In The Hands
42. Cold Cave – Love Comes Close
43. Portishead – Third
44. LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver
45. The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers
46. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights
47. CSS - Cansei De Ser Sexy
48. TV On The Radio – Dear Science
49. Blonde Redhead – Misery Is A Butterfly
50. The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love

51. Bob Dylan – Love and Theft
52. Adult: Anxiety Always
53. Burial – Untrue
54. Murcof - Cosmos
55. Beck – Sea Change
56. Secret Machines – Now Here Is Nowhere
57. Singapore Sling – The Curse of Singapore Sling
58. The Pleased - Don't Make Things
59. The Kills – No Wow
60. Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

61. Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
62. The Horrors – Primary Colours
63. The Knife – Silent Shout
64. Mogwai: Happy Music for Happy People
65. Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine
66. A Place To Bury Strangers – APTBS
67. TV on The Radio – Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
68. Soundtrack of Our Lives – Behind The Music
69. White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan
70. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

71. UNKLE – War Stories
72. Elliott Smith – From A Basement On The Hill
73. Ladytron – Light & Magic
74. A Place To Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
75. Klaxons – Myths of The Near Future
76. The Walkmen – You & Me
77. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
78. Spiritualized - Amazing Grace
79. Loretta Lynn – Van Lear Rose
80. The Vines – Highly Evolved

81. The Libertines: Up The Bracket
82. Ray La Montagne – Gossip In The Grain
83. Doves – The Last Broadcast
84. The xx - XX
85. Teddybears – Soft Machine
86. Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump
87. White Stripes – Icky Thump
88. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
89. Giant Drag – Hearts and Unicorns
90. A Girl Called Eddy – A Girl Called Eddy

91. ARE Weapons – ARE Weapons
92. Wire – Object 47
93. Hecuba - Paradise
94. Wolfmother – Wolfmother
95. Super Furry Animals – Rings Around The World
96. Black Dice – Beaches & Canyons
97. Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love
98. Liars – Liars
99. MIA – Arular
100. Autolux – Future Perfect

101. Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man – Out of Season
102. Mull Historical Society - Loss
103. PJ Harvey – White Chalk
104. Soulsavers – Broken
105. Fischerspooner - #1
106. Clinic – Walking With Thee
107. Queens Of The Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf
108.
109. Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – How I Long To Feel Summer In My Heart
110. Ryan Adams - Gold

111. Band of Skulls – Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
112. David Holmes – Bow Down To The Exit Sign
113. Super Furry Animals – MWNG
114. Shelby Lynne – I Am Shelby Lynne
115. Arab Strap – Mad For Sadness
116. Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast
117. Low – Things We Lost In The Fire
118. The Polyphonic Spree – The Beginning Stages of…
119. The Notwist – Neon Golden
120. British Sea Power – The Decline of British Sea Power

121. Junior Boys – Last Exit
122. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
123. Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
124. M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
125. Calla - Televise
126. The Futureheads – The Futureheads
127. Richard Hawley – Cole’s Corner
128. Gorillaz – Demon Days
129. Scott Walker – The Drift
130. Art Brut – Bang Bang Rock and Roll

131. The Black Angels - Passover
132. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
133. Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
134. Annie - Anniemal
135. Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of The Understatement
136. Grinderman – Grinderman
137. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
138. The Veils – The Runaway Found
139. The Divine Comedy – Absent Friends
140. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers

141. Hot Chip – Made In The Dark
142. The Knife – Deep Cuts
143. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
144. Amy Winehouse - Black To Black
145. Joanna Newsom – The Milk-Eyed Mender
146. Broadcast – Tender Buttons
147. Cat Power – You Are Free
148. Soulwax – Nite Versions
149. Liars – Drum’s Not Dead
150. The Rapture - Echoes

VOICEsVOICEs to tour US with Prefuse 73 and Gaslamp Killer this January ; "Origins" out next month

VOICEsVOICEs to tour US with Prefuse 73 and Gaslamp Killer this January ; "Origins" out next monthExperimental rock duo hit the road on the US as both the openers and the live backing band for Prefuse 73. He also will be playing with their band as well.
MP3: Flulyk Dreams (Edit)

"Their sound-- part ambient electronic, part primal scrawl-- is tough to pin down and always taking unexpected turns"
Pitchfork Media

"schized-out drone pop"
Metromix
VOICEsVOICEs are a two-piece making warm, seductively atmospheric, mostly instrumental music from Los Angeles. Formed in June of 2008, Jenean Farris and Nico Turner, came together to break away from the musical mold they were confined to in previous projects to defy what they've been taught, and challenge what they know. Their use of pedals, looping, spellbinding vocals, and heartrending drumming results in hauntingly beautiful music that will awaken even your most subconscious dreams and fears. L.A. Record says "Los Angeles has one of the most exciting music scenes going on in the world right now and in the center of all this is the darling female duo, VOICEsVOICEs."

Both musicians were originally drummers for other bands and wanted to show that drummers were creative musical forces and more than merely providers of backbeats for other people's songs. The project began as an experiment in the creation of sound, with masking vocals that swirl like ghosts in a sea of reverb, beats and distortion, creating a sound that amounted to a beautiful clutter. Although they hadn't much experience performing other instruments prior to combining their forces, or perhaps because of it, they developed a psychedelic ambient sound that is unique in a way that separates them from the other bands in the abundant Los Angeles music scene.

While they both still play drums and various percussions, they learned to incorporate guitars, pedals and looping effects, even as they were still learning to play the instruments. Rather than procrastinate in a rehearsal space, they chose to perform live as often as they could at any place that would welcome them. Through dozens of shows in their early months, they developed their style and their fanbase at the same time, playing mostly in galleries and all age venues. Rather than relying on luck to be discovered, and confident in the power of their sweeping scores, they released their first self-produced and self-released ep, "Sounds Outside" within a few months of forming and it was warmly received, garnering rave reviews from Los Angeles publications like LA Record and grabbing the attention of influential label Manimal Vinyl and producer Prefuse 73.

Quickly advancing to the the top indie rock clubs in town like Spaceland, The Echo and The Smell, their fanbase and reputation grew in leaps and bounds. They were immediately snatched up by Manimal Vinyl who is releasing their new ep "Origins" in January. The EP was produced by Prefuse 73, who postponed his own recording for the opportunity to work with the band. In the studio, Prefuse added textural instruments and arrangements and brought the two musicians vocals closer to the forefront. The result is a combination of compositions that fall somewhere between Enya and the Plastic Ono Band. Barely a year after combining forces, VOICEsVOICEs were opening shows for artists like Blackheart Procession and Octopus Project In November, 2009 they were tapped for a month-long European touring with Brightblack Morning Light and Rio en Medio. Their shows are notable for attracting some of the top local musicians and scenemakers who become avid fans after one or two listens. Their soundscapes will send you into a peaceful slumber or make you scream and want to break things, sometimes causing both reactions at the same time.

ORIGINS OUT 01.26.2010 on Manimal Vinyl


TOUR DATES
12/31 Aragon Ballroom Chicago IL #
01/19 Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn NY *
01/20 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge MA **
01/23 Eagle Theatre Pontiac MI **
01/25 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis MN **
01/29 The Nightlight Lounge Bellingham WA *
01/30 Neumos Seattle WA *
01/31 Holocene Portland OR *
02/02 Slims San Francisco CA *
02/03 Troubadour Los Angeles CA *
02/05 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City UT **
02/06 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver CO *
# w/ Umphrey's McGee
* w/ Gaslamp Killer, Voices Voices
** w/ Gaslamp Killer

www.myspace.com/wearevoicesvoices

Lisa Germano Interview

Lisa Germano Interview
By Alexander Laurence

Lisa Germano is an American songwriter. She grew up in Indiana, but now
lives in Los Angeles. She has done a load of collaborations and numerous solo
records including Geek The Girl (1994), Excerpts From A Love Circus (1996),
Lullaby for Liquid Pig (2003), and In the Maybe World (2006). Her latest
record is called Magic Neighbor (2009). She also contributed a track to the
compilation Seven Worlds Collide.

AL: You haven’t been doing many interviews lately?

Lisa: Yeah. I didn’t do many interviews for this record. It’s not like I
don’t really care, but I don’t care. I got a bunch of reviews. I am just
glad to put out a record that has artwork that you can touch and feel. I still
believe in that. People need that. It’s fun. We can show each other our CDs
instead of going into this world where we don’t relate to each other. Don’t
touch anything.

AL: Do you reject this computer based world?

Lisa: I don’t reject it. It’s over my head. I am trying to learn more
about the computer. I don’t want to be out of the loop completely. I don’t like
how it seems to make everyone numb. I don’t like how it treats music
digitally.

AL: You spent a lot of time learning how to read music and learning an
instrument. There are people today who make competent music using a computer.

Lisa: I don’t reject that. I reject it when it becomes uncreative. With all
the computer stuff I am sure there are ways to be creative on it. Since
that is the way things seem to be going. When kids get excited on the computer
and blog about something, they are sharing music. It’s different from
touching it. If you can do both it’s better. I don’t think that the computer
stuff is horrible. It just makes people unfocused. People’s attention span is
gone. They don’t sit down and actually listen to a record. They go to track to
track.

AL: It is like people seem to know about authors like Bukowski and Rimbaud,
but they don’t seem to have read anything, and actually been engaged in
reading a book.

Lisa: They know what they are. They have information. But they don’t
experience it. That is what I am saying about the music. They will know the new
bands, but they don’t spend a lot of time with them, when you do when you have
the actual CD in your hands. You can feel it and see it. It’s different
when it’s on the computer.

AL: What happened with that 7 World’s Collide CD?

Lisa: It should have been very well received. It was something we all did
for OXFAM. It was all for free. We all gave up our publishing. It was me, and
Neil Finn, Tim Finn, two guys from Radiohead, Johnny Marr, Sebastian
Steinberg, and Wilco. We all gave up our time and wrote a record last February. It
came out in September and nobody seems to know that it’s out. It’s
unbelievable. KCRW was nice to do a little show, but they haven’t really followed
up, and continued to play the record. At Christmas time that record should be
in the displays. This is the only place where you heard these songs. It’s
called 7 World’s Collide “The Sun Came Out.”

AL: Many great records are not promoted. The media doesn’t really write
about new music. The radio stations don’t really play exciting new records. So
the internet and blogs are maybe one of the only places to hear about what is
out there.

Lisa: It’s really bad right now. The music business has always been based
on money because you have to sell records. One of the problems now is there
is too much music. It’s pretty cool that you can make music on your computer.
It’s great that you can make your own CDs. It’s cool. You want people to
be creative. But I think it’s made people lazy rather than creative. People
just are like “I made a CD” rather than really working on it, and making
something that you have really seen through, and lived with it. So you go “Oh,
that song is not happening, I am going to change it.” That was when good
record companies were great, because they wouldn’t let you put out a record
just because you finished it. Sometimes they wanted you to have a hit, but
still, there was less music coming out.

AL: A record company would sign a band and not put out the record also.

Lisa: Yeah. There’s that. Sometimes there’s a good piece of work and then
they don’t put it out.

AL: Things are backwards now. You release a CD and it’s a blueprint of what
the live show is going to be like. Then, people who go see a live show will
buy a CD as a souvenir.

Lisa: I see what you mean. You make money on tour with the merchandise. I
think it’s cool when the CD sounds quite different from the live show. Why do
you copy it? I just saw that.

AL: Do you think in the 1980s and 1990s there was more pressure on the
artist to have a hit?

Lisa: Yeah. I preferred not to have that pressure. When I was on Capitol,
we fought for months, because I wanted my sequence: because it told the story
of my record. They wanted the song that was radio friendly to be the second
song. To them, the hit was the whole idea of the record. To me, it ruined
my whole record. If that song wasn’t a radio hit, I have to live with this
record the rest of my life. You’ll just drop me. It’s more important to have
artist integrity. So we fought. They just put it out after I had to
compromise a bunch of stuff. Then they fired everybody. I took that record over to
4AD.

AL: Sheryl Crow did “All I Wanna Do” as an afterthought and it became a
smash hit.

Lisa: That was at the same time as my record, Happiness. They worked that
record. It was more of a pop record than mine. I was jealous at the time.
They kept releasing singles from it until they got attention. They released
mine and fired everyone. My record got lost. Working with Michael Gira and
Young God Records is really different. He still puts out records. It’s not easy
for him to do that, financially. He works with me. He will tell me what he
likes and doesn't like. So did Ivo at 4AD. It doesn’t mean that I can’t do
it. But I have enough respect for them that I will listen to their ideas. If
I agree with them that’s fine, but if I don’t, I have to be stronger about
my own opinion. You are working together.

AL: How do you get from Capitol to 4AD, then to Michael Gira, who seems to
come from another world?

Lisa: It sounds cocky, but I think he was a fan. It still blows me away
that he likes my music. I tell him this all the time. I sort of understand what
he likes about it.

AL: When I think of your music, there is this sense of beauty going on.
What do you think about that?

Lisa: There is a sense of beauty in my music. But what I am saying in my
songs is sort of dark, but you use beauty to hide it. People talk about my
songs as fairy tales. I like when they do that. I didn’t used to think that,
but now I know what they meant. Where fairy tales are really pretty “Long ago
there was a really bad king….” They can tell stories that are really dark
with a nice lilt, and it’s easy to understand. That is what my music is
about.

AL: It’s music that you listen to late at night?

Lisa: Yes. It’s bedtime music. I hardly ever listen to it during the day.
Although this new record is the most upbeat one. It’s a daylight record.

AL: Did you take a break before making this record?

Lisa: I am always doing music. I work on music when I can. I have to make a
living. I used to make a living just doing music, but it’s a long story.
People think I quit. There was all this drama. I will tell people that I am
not playing music anymore. If I am writing, I will write a record. I don’t
want to feel like it’s my job. It’s like a gift. When it comes. When I can
express things, and make sense, and things come together. And it’s like wow, I
like that enough to want to share it with people. People might like it.

AL: How many songs did you write for Magic Neighbor?

Lisa: I only wrote four new songs. They were all old songs. I looked at
them and reworked them. I changed the lyrics and recorded it differently.

AL: Did you play everything on the record?

Lisa: I played everything, except my boyfriend Sebastian Steinberg, played
the bass guitar. Greg Leisz played the pedal steel guitar on three songs. He
plays on everyone’s records. He’s played with me for years. It’s just us
three. Jamie Candiloro recorded it at his house. That what was different from
my other records. I used to record them full on, and take them to Pro Tools
at Jamie’s or Joey Waronker’s. Then work on them. This one was all fresh,
and worked on them at Jamie’s. I didn’t even practice things sometimes.

AL: You do this thing in your songs where you change the tempo. It’s more
like classical music, where it’s more about the tempo of the emotion.

Lisa: I like to do that. I think that I have always done that, but I do
that more now. It’s not on purpose. I want to do what I want. I don’t want to
be stuck with the drumbeat. I like silences and pauses. It gives you time to
think. What did you just say? Instead of an in your face song all the way
through. I get bored with that.

AL: There is a lot of noises and tapping going on in the record. What is
going on there?

Lisa: We did lots of things. We had things that we rattled. We had a thing
that goes “Boom.”

AL: What is the cover?

Lisa: It’s a painting by a friend in New Zealand. He’s a great painter.

AL: Do you have a website?

Lisa: Yes. I should get more involved. There is a Myspace page that someone
else runs. I was thinking maybe I should have one of my own. I can’t
decide. I don’t know if it helps or not. I don’t know if I want to put myself out
there or not. I was stalked before by a psychopath. Yeah. It was years ago.
The more they know about you, the more they can get into your life. I don’t
need that.

AL: I know that they are bringing back the Lilith Fair. Did you ever do
that?

Lisa: They never asked me. I would have done it if they asked me. It’s
weird. I am like this strange artist, but I am not THAT strange. There is
something strange about it where people think the music is too dark or too pretty.
I have a following of people who get it, but it is mostly in Europe.

AL: What is the song “The Mighty One” about, and is that related to
spirituality?

Lisa: I didn’t call it “The Mighty One” for a long time. We call our cat
“The Mighty One” because he had cancer. That song is basically about
fighting with your demon. When you are a depressed person you got this demon. You
can be having a great day, and this thing will come back from your childhood.
Sometimes you know what it is or not. It fucks you up. That is what that
song is about. It’s about fighting that demon, and finally winning. You are
saying “fuck you, man.” I am in control and can send you on your way.

AL: Did you grow up with religion?

Lisa: I was raised Catholic, so I was afraid of God most of my life. I
thought God was going to hurt me. Once I moved away from home, I got away from
that sort of thinking. I still feel guilt about things I shouldn’t feel guilt
about. I think there are hidden forces. I think there are demons and angels
out there fighting with your spirit. An angel can be a beautiful thought
that can get you out of a terrible situation. So you don’t kill yourself.

AL: What do you think of all this talk about 2012?

Lisa: I hate that. We have always thought the world was ending. It’s harder
to be happy, than to be full of doom. I find that stuff really boring.

AL: You played with Smashing Pumpkins for a few weeks about ten years ago.
What happened there?

Lisa: That was just a bunch of young kids being powerful and not being
respectful of anything. They asked me to join the tour. I quit my job here in
Los Angeles. I moved my cats to Indiana. The tour was supposed to be four
months long. I had to sublet my apartment. We went through rehearsals. Billy
Corgan, D’Arcy, and James Iha didn’t talk to each other. So for one, it was a
fucked situation. They wouldn’t talk to each other. Billy would say “D’Arcy,
would you sing backup on this?” And if she didn’t say anything, Billy would
say “Lisa. Why don’t you sing backup on this?” So I was doing stuff that
nobody would do. Billy would tell James Iha to play mandolin on a song. And
James would say “I am playing guitar on this man.” So I would play the
mandolin. I was playing on a shitload of stuff. So they were fighting at that
time. What then happened was the weekend before our first show, they wanted me
to sign a contract out of the blue. The contract listed all this stuff I
couldn’t do while I was on tour with them. They knew I wouldn’t sign that.
They knew I had a record coming out. The contract said I couldn’t release
anything while I was in Smashing Pumpkins. So I didn’t sign it. They sent me home
without discussing it.

AL: What were some of the other conditions on the contract?

Lisa: That I couldn’t talk about Smashing Pumpkins during those four
months. I couldn’t talk about them in interviews. I touched Billy on the knee. I
said “You can’t do this! It’s not fair. You put all this money into me being
here. It’s silly sending me home.” He said: “Don’t worry. We’ll work it
out.” And that night I was sent home. He’s such a lame ass. He wouldn’t talk
to me. He wouldn’t explain anything. I wrote him letters. I wanted to sue
them for two weeks, because they didn’t pay me. They were complete assholes and
it fucked me up. They were irresponsible. Billy is very egocentric. His
karma will come back to him.

AL: You have done some other more successful collaborations?

Lisa: I just recorded some stuff with Phil from Radiohead in England. It’s
his first solo record. It’s beautiful. It’s awesome. It was me, and
Sebastian, and the drummer and keyboard from Wilco. Phil sings and plays guitar.

AL: I saw Thom Yorke play with Flea and Joey Waronker.

Lisa: Phil’s record is coming out soon. Thom Yorke’s solo stuff is beat
driven. Phil’s music is the opposite: it’s songwriter driven. Even though
he’s a drummer.

AL: Have you played any shows for this record Magic Neighbor?

Lisa: I haven’t done anything. It came out and there have been a bunch of
reviews. I am just starting now thinking about touring Europe. Phil and I
might do something together. My last few tours have been me by myself, or me
and Sebastian. I haven’t been able to afford a band. I am just glad there are
reviews. I am shocked that people like it.



Website: http://www.lisegermano.com/

J. Tillman Interview

J. Tillman Interview
By Alexander Laurence

J. Tillman is a musical artist based in Seattle. His albums include I Will
Return (2005), Minor Works (2006), Vacilando Territory Blues (2009) and now
Year In The Kingdom. J. Tillman is also the drummer for Fleet Foxes who
became very popular in 2008. I got to ask the very reclusive J. Tillman a few
questions about his music. You don’t see a lot of interviews with him. I was
lucky for these few words. Hopefully everyone out there can go to the shows
and let the music speak for itself.

AL: Do you like touring?

J. Tillman: I've always liked touring.

AL: Who is in your band now and how did you find these musicians?

J. Tillman: My brother, my friend, my drug-dealer, and my mechanic.

AL: When were these songs written that are on your album, Year In The
Kingdom?

J. Tillman: Last year.

AL: What are your songs specifically about?

J. Tillman: I don't really write about isolated, linear experiences.

AL: How do you feel about people downloading your music illegally?

J. Tillman: I've never downloaded an album. I would have a hard time
judging an experience I haven't had. It might make music better for some people.

AL: What were some of the festivals you played this summer, and were
there any stand out moments?

J. Tillman: Bananaramathon, Laid 'N' Tha Shade, ATQRMPXW, etc. Funnel cake
grease dripping down my face as I look for the wristband pavilion in the
pouring rain overhearing a band that everyone loves and I can't understand why.

AL: What other new bands do you like?

J. Tillman: "Other" new bands?

AL: Can you recommend a book?

J. Tillman: "Cosmic Serpent" by Jeremy Narby or "Secret Teachings of All
Ages" By Manly P. Hall if you're looking for a classic.

AL: What should people expect in your shows this December?

J. Tillman: 10-13 J. Tillman songs.

AL: Is there any musician who you would want to collaborate with?

J. Tillman: If you can hunt me down a singing kitten.

***

J. TILLMAN plays the Troubadour on Wednesday, December 2nd

Goldfrapp

GOLDFRAPP
BRAND NEW ALBUM “HEAD FIRST” OUT MARCH 23, 2010
FIRST SINGLE “ROCKET” OUT MARCH 9, 2010

Genre-smashing musical pioneers Goldfrapp announce their brand new album ‘Head First’ to be released through Mute on March 23rd, 2010. This will be preceded by the new single ‘Rocket’ on March 9th, 2010.

‘Head First’ is Goldfrapp's most powerful trip to date, a speedy rush of synth optimism, euphoria, fantasy and romance. With life affirming lyrics and stellar production it lifts off at full tilt and takes us on a journey to the heart of 2010.

The duo’s fifth album, ‘Head First’ is written and produced by band mates Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory and was recorded throughout 2009 in Bath and in London.

Fizzy with inspiration, the brand new single ‘Rocket’ is a goose-bump brilliant tune destined to float out of radios across the land.

Goldfrapp will take ‘Head First’ on tour later in 2010 - following the massive acclamation for both the 'Supernature' and 'Seventh Tree' tours and festival appearances around the world, Goldfrapp have underlined their reputation as one of the most transcendent and inventive live bands around.

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