Tag: interview

Nick Urata of DeVotchka Interview: Man on the Street

Robert Cohen September 19, 2018

DeVotchka are hot off the heels of finishing their newest album This Night Falls Forever and touring. This interview with the band’s leader Nick Urata covers everything from film scores to World War 2. RC: At this stage in your career, you and the band have had several successful albums, created or have contributed to several fantastic film soundtracks, and have gained a high levels of regard within both indie and mainstream circles. Despite all of this though, you haven’t been put under the magnifying glass and can still live a more or less normal life doing what you love. In short, have you reached the happy medium of fame? And if so, is it as fulfilling as you hoped it would be? NU: Yes, I feel lucky in this regard. We’ve come to realize that the actual work, is the only thing that is fulfilling. The thrill of fanning a little spark of an idea into a giant fire is what really gets you out of bed. When you’re practicing in your room as a kid you want nothing more than to be famous, but the reality is quite complicated. In my case, I learned how to write from a

Gary Numan Interview: Art in the Age of Savages

Audrey Kemp September 18, 2018

I was fortunate enough to submit the probing questions of past, present and current audiophiles to synthesizer pioneer Mr. Gary Numan by means of cyberspace. We discussed his 18th studio album Savage, the current global state of affairs and the unforeseeable future. related content: Millennial Matchmaking: Gary Numan & Ugly God At The Observatory AK: These days, synthesizers are as common as a guitars in a song. Being a pioneer of the computerized world, would you care to share your thoughts on the proliferation of synthesized music? GN: I think it adds a level of sonic interest to music to see them widely used. However, it would be a mistake to think that synthesizers are all there is to electronic music. On my albums synths account for some of the sounds but not all of them by any means. Much of it comes from recording all manner of noises from the environment and then manipulating them to make them work musically. It’s not really about synths, it’s about sound, noise, whatever you can find that makes an interesting addition to a song. AK: Tubeway Army was one of the first bands of your time to break away from what was

James Chance Interview: A New York Original

Audrey Kemp September 17, 2018

Following the Contortions’ stirring performance at Zebulon in Los Angeles Friday night, I had the honor to sit down with one of the most influential pioneers in experimental music: a saxophonist, keyboard player, songwriter and singer from New York City, Mr. James Chance. People may affiliate his music with the 1979 No New York compilation and other no wave acts, but Mr. Chance would vehemently protest and describe himself as an original before any other label. AK: You’ve had many different projects: The Contortions, The Flaming Demonics, James White and the Blacks and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. What compelled you to revisit the Contortions in recent years, versus the others? JC: I took a break from the music business in the early ‘90s for a few years because there was just nothing happening. I got sick of the business aspect of it. When I came back, Henry Rollins started this reissue label and reissued all of this stuff from 1980, which made me decide which name I wanted to use and I just decided. I’ve been using James White and the Blacks throughout the 80s, so I decided to go back to the Contortions and I’ve been using that for 20 years,

Neil Fallon of Clutch Interview: Dog Ears in the Book of Bad Decisions

Rob Shepyer September 13, 2018

Having just released their 12th studio album with Book of Bad Decisions, Clutch is back on the road to bring their hard rock boogie to a city near you. I spoke to Neil Fallon from the band to get his take on the record and ask him a few questions about the current state of the union. Rob: The fifth track on the new album Book of Bad Decisions is “In Walks Barbarella”. Can you comment on what specifically about that movie inspired you to write a song about it? What other films have inspired your music in the past? Do you consider yourself a movie buff? Neil: I would consider myself a movie buff. That song I wrote as part 3 after “X-Ray Visions” and “Firebirds”. To me one of the most iconic female sci-fi figures is Barbarella. Yeah, it’s a campy movie but growing up in the 70’s and 80’s reading Heavy Metal magazine, that’s sort of a preoccupation of mine that I’ve carried on into later-life. Rob: You mention “Weaponized funk” in the song and I was wondering with George Clinton retiring from touring this year and because I’ve seen you wearing Parliament Funkadelic shirts, how has

Small Talk With JS Aurelius of Destruction Unit

Danny Baraz December 17, 2015

JS Aurelius, highly experimental guitarist of Destruction Unit has brought a rageful and introspective creativity to the psychedelic hardcore punk outfit, Destruction Unit. Since the addition of himself and Nick Nappa to the Destruction Unit, unit, the band has blossomed into their highly unique sound like a parasitic plant. I was able to find out more about the Destruction Unit creative process and what motivates Aurelius in our next installment of Small Talk. Danny Baraz: In September, you played your record release party for Negative Feedback Resistor at the Teragram in Los Angeles. The Critical Resistance organization was present to help spread the word about their movement which seeks to dismantle the “prison industrial complex”. It made me very happy to see a contemporary band taking part in political activism. Rock bands have always pushed the political conversation forward to new generations of fans/kids. Why do you think that such a few amount of up and coming and established bands are interested in getting political and why is it important to you and Destruction Unit? JS Aurelius: I think being political is unappealing because politics as a whole are so unappealing. It’s all so far beyond broken that even

Buzz Bait: An Interview with The Gooch Palms

Paige Vreede December 5, 2015

It was an ordinary Wednesday night at the Cambridge hotel in Newcastle, Australia when vivacious musician Leroy McQueen first met mega babe, Kat Friend. Four years after meeting, the power couple decided they wanted to make music together. What started with just a bucket, a tambourine, and a guitar soon evolved into The Gooch Palms- multiple Australian tours, two American tours (with slots at places such at SxSW) and a forthcoming tape with Burger Records. The small-town duo blew up quickly and their infectious tunes certainly deserve to be well known. If you haven’t had the chance to catch them on their tour, do not fret, you can still catch one of their action packed shows (which usually results in nudity) TONIGHT, Dec 5th at The Echo for The Gooch Palms Burger tape release, alongside The Memories and The High Curbs. The Gooch Palms play their buoyant tunes with great enthusiasm and they are definitely a band not to miss. I had the pleasure of sitting at Echo Park Lake with them and a pack of Coopers and Tim Tams (if you haven’t experienced the pleasures of these Australian delicacies then I feel bad for you, son) to discuss their US tour, their upcoming

Small Talk with Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes

Danny Baraz November 9, 2015

Teresa Suarez aka Teri Gender Bender has the potential to become a world wide, iconic figure in music and in the fight for women’s rights. If you’ve seen Le Butcherettes live, then you know that her magnetic presence is impossible to ignore. This past September, Le Butcherettes released their third, full length album, “A Raw Youth”. In her continued collaboration with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the Teri Gender Bender/Le Butcherettes genesis continues to evolve into a musical mission statement. Simple arrangements with complex topics fit into the punk rock modality but with what most would describe as a maturation. As more artists like Rodriguez-Lopez and the likes of Iggy Pop seem eager to collaborate with Teri Gender Bender, the respect of her peers demands the respect of the proletariat. In an attempt to help reveal more about the artists and musicians that we love, Danny Baraz had a few questions for Teri Gender Bender for the inaugural installment of Small Talk. Danny Baraz: When you collaborated with Iggy Pop on La Uva, who reached out to whom to work together? What came first, the song or the agreement to collaborate? Teri Gender Bender: Iggy, Omar and I were in his green room

A Show and a Chat with Built To Spill at The Troubadour

Paige Vreede July 18, 2015

Very seldom do bands remain popular after 23 years of producing music, let alone go on tour and sell out shows. This however, has not been the case for Built to Spill – a band that has been releasing consistently impressive albums since 1993. Over the years, musical maestro, Doug Martsche (singer and guitarist) has experimented with various album concepts, sounds, and even band members, yet has remained undeniably relevant since day one. To this you might reply with something like, “Rolling Stones” but we are talking about an indie band, not a worldwide musical phenomenon that are a household name. After a six-year hiatus, Built to Spill released a new album “Untethered Moon” this past April. With their recent release, the Idaho natives announced a world tour. Yes, a band that premiered their first album when I was only three years old, has been selling out shows on a world tour; and I was fortunate enough to be among one of the attendees. Slam Dunk, who were partially responsible in inspiring “Untethered Moon,” graced us with their presence before Built To Spill took the stage. As I peered over the balcony above, I noticed a sea of bopping heads flood

Shannon and the Clams shot by Lester Guijarro

Shannon and the Clams: Case of the Mondays at The Griffin

Paige Vreede May 20, 2015

When mastermind Jason Finazzo (singer of The Birth Defects and manager of The Griffin) began brainstorming with musical genius, Ty Segall, they decided Monday nights will no longer serve as a night of post-weekend blues, but as a night of prodigious talent. With previous acts such as Thee Oh Sees, Wand and The Coathangers making appearances at The Griffin in Atwater Village, it was no surprise that the raw talent of Shannon And The Clams were invited to immerse us in their tasty tunes this past Monday. Upon entering The Griffin for the first time, I immediately felt as though I had stepped into a different era. With candle lit tables and exposed brick arches, I felt as though I was meeting me mate William Johnson for a few lagers at our favorite pub. I was extremely curious as to how the night would proceed given the context of the genre amongst the seemingly intimate backdrop that surrounded it. To my surprise the room presented itself as nearly empty – something that made absolutely no sense to me considering the extraordinary talent that was to come. In a state of boredom, I decided to walk to the neighboring liquor store

Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello: An interview and a spiritual experience

Danny Baraz October 28, 2014

Eugene Hutz, the gasoline in the Gogol Bordello engine wants to look in your eyes during their shows. During our interview we discussed the transformational energy that is sweeping the globe, the transfer of energy between artist and fan, writing a new album over the course of one night and what it means to be punk rock. He gives a lot of himself but feels it’s worth it for all he gets in return. This interview is from October 19th, 2013. Eugene: What ís up? Daniel: Glad to talk to you; glad we could make it happen. Eugene: Me too. Just finished playing a bunch of shows in LA Daniel: I know; I saw you at 2 of the shows Eugene: Yeah it was good. Daniel: A lot of you guys are living out here now? Eugene: The universe is expanding and so are we baby. Daniel: Always good to broaden your horizons. Where are you right now? Eugene: Right now I am in New York city. Daniel: Cool; what is your favorite destination on this planet? Eugene: Well I have a bunch. Daniel: You have a bunch; what are your top 3? Eugene: Top 3; that is easy. That

An Interview with Zac Carper from FIDLAR

Danny Baraz October 28, 2014

It’s a rare thing that NEW music can make you feel nostalgic; That an album that you’ve had for a couple years can take you back in time to when you were a kid. It can only be described as authenticity. That’s the best way to describe the band FIDLAR; Authentic. I’m not filthy, on drugs, hopeless or confused anymore. I’m nowhere near as angry as I used to be but listening to FIDLAR takes me to that place where I don’t give a fuck, again. I wanted to talk to Zac Carper to see if the son of a world class surfboard shaper and brothers who’s dad was part of a Southern California Punk Rock Pantheon actually walked the walk. After this conversation, I need no further convincing. This interview was conducted on October 21st 2013 Danny: Zac what’s going on bud? Zac: What’s up my dude? Danny: How are you? Zac: Good how is California right now? Danny: Pretty steady as usual, gorgeous day except now that the kids are back in school the beaches aren’t crowded so that is always nice. Zac: Stoked. Danny: