Firstly, we have winners for our Wye Oak CD Release Giveaway! Julia Oat-Judge (Bmore) won the big score, nabbing tix to Thursday night's show at the G-Spot and a signed copy of If Children. Laura Steiner (Takoma Park) is the runner-up. She will be getting a signed CD care package in the mail real soon. Thanks to Jenn and Andy for the swag! And don't forget, CD release show tonight @ the G-Spot, 8PM doors! Now, onto the interview!
On a truly lovely Saturday morning, I trekked over to the Evergreen off Cold Spring Lane for some coffee, a stellar bagel-wich and continued to the second part of our interview (postponed due to the chaos preceding their SXSW trip) with Andy and Jenn of Wye Oak.
We chatted about their virgin SXSW experiences (and Jenn's other career considerations), the importance of family and Baltimore.
Read it all after the jump. You can also catch up on part 1 and listen to their Creative Alliance live set here.
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Aural States- First I wanted to go through the entire SXSW experience, start from the beginning but I definitely saw that Yaris video and we will be touching upon that later.
JW- It was fun and...I'm glad we did it. but as far as the expectations living up to the actual event, it was pretty much over from the beginning. It was a lot of work. We flew down, had all our stuff with us, we didn't have a car and our hotel was ~10 minutes from downtown center. We had to take a cabs everywhere and it was really hot outside, so we basically had a lot of walking around in the heat with our stuff.
AS- Merge didn't have like a party bus waiting for you?
JW- They had a van. They were helpful, but they also had 8 bands to deal with the same way...
ASt- Yeah they were just running around even more crazy than we were. It's a lot like being a little kid and going to Disneyworld and...
JW- Except you get there and Disneyworld SUCKS!
ASt- Yeah some dude throws up on your feet on a ride or something like that.
JW- Haha, no I mean there's a lot of cool stuff going on there. But there's also a lot of awful shit going on and you have to kinda dig through the awful shit to get to the good stuff. And even then you might not get to get into the cool stuff because the line is too long.
The street, 6th street and the adjacent streets for like 6 blocks are shut down entirely. So it's just throngs of people walking down the street in the middle of the day. The earliest we got there was 11 because we had a show. But 11AM, people walking around, they're drunk and shit, wearing booty shorts and bikini tops, lookin nasty and like they haven't slept in 3 days (because they probably haven't). Every 10 feet some dude comes up to you and says "Wanna hear my great band!!" and tries to give you a flyer and shove earphones on you.
They had women in bikinis and high hells walking down the street with signs for bands and their shows...
ASt- It was like Mardi Gras.
JW- It was insane. There was a certain point, in the middle of our showcase after we played, we were super hungry. So we went out to get some food and come back. We were out on 6th for 2 minutes before we thought "We have to get out of here, this is a living hell."
But at the same time, the good stuff was awesome.
AS- How did the showcase go off?
JW- It went great, was really really fun. Probably the biggest crowd we've ever played for. They seemed to like it.
AS- How were you received? Did you get a lot of feedback?
JW- Oh this is great. We ran into the alley behind the club and these two girls were comin in and they were like "Hey it's them! You guys were really good!" So I said "Thank you!" Then she said "During one of your songs, there was this big guy standing next to me and he was like bawling...so I asked what's wrong and he said I don't know it's just so beautiful!" So that was the coolest thing. We made a biker dude cry, apparently. So that's a life goal I can check off the list.
It was different from what I thought it would be just by how crowded and hot and dark it was. We didn't talk to a whole lot of people because honestly there was nowhere to go that was quiet. It was like being bounced around with strangers in a hot sweaty loud dark room for four hours.
ASt- Actually I think the most comfortable place to be I think is on the stage. Because you had a couple feet on either side of you to stretch your arms and breathe.
JW- Yeah, even backstage was hot, windowless and full of people.
ASt- It was fun overall though. The whole thing was very successful I think. We understand now when friends of ours who've been there say it's not all good stuff. When friends say they don't wanna go back for a second time.
JW- I'm sure we'll go again, we'll just have a better idea of what to expect. This time we thought "Oh great! A non-stop party, all kinds of music and happy people everywhere!" And it just wasn't.
ASt- Next time I go, I'll take a can of mace.
AS- What was the most positive thing to come out of it?
JW- The shows we played were great. A lot of people heard us who wouldn't normally have. We played everyday somewhere, but not all shows. Some appearances...like the Yaris thing which was...weird. I explained it to a roommate who was like "Why did you do that!?" We were out on the street and we were going to play a song for them (Stereogum) but it was so loud they couldn't hear us and it was hot and we were like "Why don't we get into the car?" It's quiet, and it's got air conditioning!
AS- It's pretty genius and fun concept. There's another site called the Black Cab Sessions that does a similar thing with artists in London.
ASt- There's actually one also in Paris, I don't remember what it's called (The Big Purple Van Club) that the Dirty Projectors did.
JW- Yeah it's just the two girls and a guitar, playing some tunes. They sound really awesome.
For me, the best thing other than the exposure, is that I have a better grasp on what I am willing and not willing to do with my music.
ASt- And your body.
JW- And my body. So I'm quitting music and becoming a prostitute. No, just kidding. Before I went it was a big question, as far as licensing and advertising. It's been going through my head a lot lately. We haven't gotten any offers yet, but when the album comes out we'll probably be getting offers to do commercials and stuff like that.
Obviously that will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but going to SXSW and seeing the obvious, corporate sheen over everything...
ASt- The whole event is sponsored by Coors Lite.
JW- Yeah, SXSW as presented by Coors. I don't have a moral problem with that. But the trick is that I feel more capable of saying no to things that make me uncomfortable. Before we were so new to this we would do whatever and go wherever you say. I realized that you can say no to these things, that it's up to you. You shouldn't feel bad about it.
I feel more confident about that control now. It (SXSW) was a real wake-up call for me in that regard.
AS- What about performances?
JW- SPOON!! It was AMAZING!
AS- You guys are out of town this weekend when they are playing huh?
JW- Don't remind me! I am heartbroken. Truly. Truly. Heartbroken. Walkmen are great, it's a great line-up. Let me just say, they were my favorite band when I was in 10th grade. I had a t-shirt, went to see them and I just fucking loved them. But you know how you just kind of move on after a while, and you don't listen to their music for a while...when we got signed to Merge I just thought "Oh sweet, Spoon" but I wasn't by any means rocking their album every day. So I kind of moved on.
We went to the show, it was a huge auditorium, festival stage on the river in Austin. Seeing that show...it was so fucking well done that it brought all of these old feelings rushing back. I guess they had won all these awards at the Austin awards night the night before, they cleaned up or something, so they were just so confident and just...kick-ass on stage.
It was really inspiring to see. It's the kind of stage show I can only aspire to be at this point, because we're the opposite of confident. It was just phenomenal, really great.
AS- Did you get to meet them at all?
JW- No it was just way too big. It was a Merriweather style venue.
AS- They weren't at the showcase or anything? Or like the "Merge mixer"?
JW- Haha the mixer, no I don't think so but it was so packed at the showcase I have no idea if they were or not. My new goal is to open for Spoon. I'm pushing that to the top of the goal list.
ASt- Yeah, I was pretty entranced. We also saw Deertick and he was great. He has a really commanding moustache, which was surprising and very entertaining. Destroyer, also really good.
JW- They played our guitar!
ASt-We also saw She & Him, the M Ward/Zooey Deschanel thing. They were actually very good. I wasn't sure what to expect. There are some pretty poorly done actress-turned-musicians...
JW- But she's very talented and her songs are beautiful.
AS- Worst band? Want to call anybody out?
ASt- There were a lot of bands that we heard out on the street...
JW- Generic cock-rock bands...
AS- Local Austin detritus...
JW- Exactly. You hear them when the doors open.
ASt- It's so warm out there that there are a lot of patio venues. When you walk down 6th, it's like a barrage of noise and you hear a lot of terrible music, pop-punk, heavy modern rock.
JW- Cock-rock Staind "alternative" soundalikes. It's coming from all directions.
ASt- We had some really great BBQ! We went to Stubb's though, which I think is pretty famous local establishment. Also, it's a very different climate down there. All the bars had patios...that was some of the best times, just hanging out with people from the label, some of the other bands, just getting out of the Baltimore winter. Being able to escape the crazy street-scenes and the noise and just relax.
JW- I'm looking forward to going next year with car, so we'll have a little bit more control over our own destinies. And we'll have a better idea of what to expect.
AS- Good deal. OK, the other big topic I wanted to broach was Baltimore, your feelings on it, how it has affected you. Let's go deep. Philosophize on the whole scene and situation here. This is especially apropos today since Wham City is opening its new space today.
JW- Yeah!
ASt- Really?
JW- I know for a fact, my friend Rose is a Wham City...er, and she told me last night after work. This might be top secret, I dunno. You might think this is funny. But at the new Wham City they have this small closet-sized room padded with foam. And in it, is a cactus in a pot. And it's going to be the cummed-on cactus.
ASt- The cummed-on cactus?
AS- Wow.
JW- Yeah. And all the bands that come through will get to cum on the cactus. Rose Chase is going to be the first to cum on the cactus, today. Probably doing it as we speak. In case you wanted to know, I just heard this last night.
It's disgusting but it's hilarious. SO. They have that.
I love all the people I know associated with that scene.
AS- How do you feel about Wham City being what many people see as the face of Baltimore music and art? It has definitely taken the lead and spotlight in press coverage until recently.
ASt- I think it's fair. Even if you're not in it, that scene...
JW- Which we definitely are not.
ASt- It's a pretty ubiquitous presence.
JW- I mean, I know a lot of people who are, but I'm definitely not in any way affiliated with it. But a lot of bands that are making it in Baltimore are not. Beach House, Arboretum...there are a lot of bands around that have nothing to do with it. But I think it's well-deserved.
And I think the thing to remember is that they're known not just for the music aspect but an overall art aesthetic.
I don't think of anyone in Baltimore as competition. They're just doing a different thing and I don't think they're infringing on anyone's territory. I think it's great. It's not really our style, but I have a lot of respect for them. I love to see anyone in Baltimore getting attention.
There are a lot of different kinds of sounds and different sounding bands, and there's room for all that stuff. I don't feel like, I've never talked to anyone who has any sort of problem with there being the variety of music there is here. But it's also good to remember it's an art world thing too, not just a collection of bands.
AS- I think they're a good collective to spotlight and represent Baltimore mainly because of their ethos and approach. I think it's emblematic of the city. If not, they're music or art necessarily.
JW- That's totally true. I don't think that people who read about Wham City think that's the only thing going on in Baltimore, but it shows that there is a huge variety of stuff going on here. And a lot of it's weird. They're just kind of at the head of that which is great.
AS- So you said you think there's plenty of room for the many different sounds of Baltimore. Do you think there's an issue with show density at all here? It's been commented to me before that if there are one or two big-draw shows, everything else gets swept under the rug.
ASt- I don't think that's exclusive to this city though. We played in NYC at the Cake Shop a month ago against some big show at the Mercury Lounge...
JW- It was Evangelicals!
ASt- Yeah, Evangelicals and Headlights. There were like 20 people at our show. It was obvious that we were playing against heavy competition. I think it's just a general thing. People will see the bands in-demand.
The one thing is that when we started playing around Baltimore, maybe 2 years ago, there was a serious lack of venues. But lately it has really flowered in that way. Lo-Fi, the Metro Gallery, Joe Squared...all these sort of DIY places have opened up. I couldn't possibly complain about it because it's so much of an improvement over where it started a few years ago. And the Talking Head is back...it's great.
JW- And I think it's a great place to be a band because even if there are fewer people and a lot of competition, people actually care about going out to shows and supporting bands. So you can carve out your little niche.
AS- I've seen some disputes over DC being better than Baltimore for show-going and overall attendance being stronger in DC. But what do you really call filling or supporting a show? A capacity-packed venue with half the crowd talking throughout the set? At the Beach House show this past Friday, Victoria called those set-talkers out. "This is for the music listeners; those of you who used this as a bad excuse for a date, you can go upstairs now."
JW- That's awesome, did Victoria say that?
AS- Yeah, definitely.
ASt- Victoria's bad-ass. People here actually care about the music here.
JW- Some of the best shows I've ever played have been to small crowds. Some of the worst have been to huge crowds. I'd rather have 20 people who really give a shit than a roomful of people who could care less. But rather have a roomful of people who give a shit. So there.
AS- How do you feel the city and the environment here has influenced you as an artist? Has it impacted how you develop?
JW- I don't think I would be...I would probably still be an English major in college, if I didn't live in Baltimore. I don't think I'd be playing in bands at all.
When I went away to school and I hated it so much, part of it wasn't that it was all that terrible it was just that Baltimore was so much better. I'm pretty indebted to the whole atmosphere, the people, everything. I don't think I'd be the person I am without it. But who can really know, you know?
ASt- I think of it on more of a micro level. Obviously there's really great music around. The city has been getting all this attention. The development of our band and sound coming from the people we spend more time with. It's not like we grew up cutting our teeth playing music with Dan Deacon or Alex and Victoria (Beach House). We love their music, but we have a close-knit group of friends, and some are musicians. Some play completely different styles than we do and it's great.
JW- They definitely introduce us to new music.
ASt- Right. Baltimore is home and it's great, but ultimately it's the smaller niche you create that influences you the most.
AS- Have you thought about relocation at all with the Merge deal?
JW- I don't think anytime soon. I don't think either of us wants to just call it quits. Changing up our lifestyles. It all depends on how much we end up traveling. If things go as they have been, we'll probably be traveling a lot. Which is great. If we weren't getting those opportunities, it probably would be a different story. But since we are, I don't feel the urge to go anywhere else.
Even if we did, I think I'd have a really hard time leaving here.
AS- Listening to your music and some of the comments and shout-outs at your Creative Alliance show, family is definitely a huge influence on you. And family is here. Could you talk a little about that connection to you and what it means for your music?
JW- I feel stodgy and traditional when I say this, but most people kind of move away from their families. And I really don't think I could do that. I don't know why. It's such a touchstone for me, I can't imagine not having it with me, within driving distance.
Not to say I hang out with them everyday. I see them every few weeks, but just knowing they're close by is really important to me. Mostly because my family is ummm... a little bit non-traditional. And plagued by various issues. So sometimes I need to be around to help out. I can't just disappear and move faraway.
When I did, when I moved to New York, I was plagued by guilt about it the whole time. Not that they're the only reason why I'm here, but it's obviously part of the reason why this is home for me.
On the other side of the spectrum, Andy's family is hugely supportive. We practice in their basement, they help us out with money. A lot. They helped us buy our van, all of our gear...very supportive. I can't imagine being apart from them either. The fact that your family and my family live within a 20 mile radius, is kind of important to how we function on a daily basis.
AS- Could you say a little about some of the family-based themes in your music, obviously like "Family Glue"?
JW- It's funny, I wrote "Family Glue" while I was up at Skidmore in New York, and I was walking through the kindergarten/pre-first department, I guess the education department? Where they bring in children to play with the people learning to be teachers...
Hah, learning to be teachers. That's kind of funny.
So they had all these pictures on the wall of all the kids with the theme "I am..." and they drew a little picture and wrote the words. One of them was "I am family glue" while the rest of them were like "I am a kid" or "I like soccer," but that one was deep as shit. It stuck in my head and I wrote the whole song in class right after that, no guitar, just kind of bouncing around in my head. That was the only time that ever happened to me before.
I'm hesitant to go too deep into the actual, technical issues of everything that involve my family...but I will say that I get a lot of comments about my age. Most who I only tangentially know think I'm older than I am (I'll be 22 in a week!), but I think that has a lot to do with the fact that when you are put into these situations at a very young age, you grow up very fast.
And I wouldn't trade it for a second. It's made me the person I am and allowed me to write these songs and I'd say pretty much everything I write ties into that in some way. I came of age very young and became self-sufficient at an early age. This might seem braggy and it's not meant to be, it's just how things went down. But I owe a whole lot to those experiences and the kind of songs I write.
Sorry, I've been taking up most of the time yapping. Did you want to say anything about your fams Andy?
ASt- Umm, thanks mom and dad! I did not come of age early. I grew up the traditional suburban existence.
JW- Oh man, I'm not trying to seem like I'm the little orphan girl or something. It’s just that, for someone who thinks about these things and is getting asked about what goes into these things, you start getting all philosophical. I’m not trying to make it sound like there’s all this drama…but there is a LOT of drama, to this day. It’s a part of the game, part of that rap game.
AS- Good deal. How’s the new material coming along?
ASt- Oh we’re recording!
JW- Yes we did! We started and are very stoked. We actually went up to a friend of ours place, he goes to NYU. We’re not going to be able to use his studio anymore. He’s about to graduate and he’s in their recording program, so for his capstone project we were able to go into the studio to record some songs.
We got basic tracks for 6 songs. They’re not complete, but a lot of it is maybe a little more than half complete. The most important part about the basic tracks is getting good sounds from the drums and the guitars. And I’m really pleased with that so far.
AS- Any titles or themes developing yet?
JW- Oh man, titles are the last thing to come for me. I have a really hard time with it. So when we’re in the studio, we just title them with goofy names I come up with.
AS- I actually wanted to try and get a title for one of my favorite songs, an untitled one you played in your Creative Alliance set…I’m trying to think of how to describe it.
JW- Is it the kind of Neil Young feeling one with the kinda loud guitar break? So far, it doesn’t have a name…but in the studio, we’re calling it “Magic Johnson” but that is NOT the title of the song. If you want to call it that for the time being, so be it. But I’m gonna have to come up with a real one soon huh?
AS- Lastly, what about If Children, how did you decide on that title for your album?
JW- Um, do you remember?
ASt- It’s a lyric…
JW- Yeah, it’s taken from “If Children Were Wishes,” because we refer to that song in shorthand as “If Children.” But we kind of started just tossing around that phrase and it’s cool because it’s kind of got that question, like “if children?” But it also can be used like a noun, like the “If” children…so it has that kind of duality to it.
ASt- A desccriptor!
JW- You know what I mean! It had that double use. The list of songs on the album are big into uncertainty, youth and figuring shit out, so it seemed to fit well.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Wye Oak Interview Part 2
Tilly and the Wall get their O faces ready
As close as your indie cred allows you to get to mainstream, multi-million dollar pop, Tilly & the Wall are set to drop their third release, the album O, this June. To help you get pumped and fill your ears with candy-coated catchy choruses, I present to you track 3 off O, the happily galloping romp that is "Cacophony."
Tilly and the Wall - Cacophony
And earlier this year, Tilly et al released this video for new single and limited 7" release, "Beat Control," on Stereogum.
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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
PitchforkTV, I give my you my productivity...
Damn you Pitchfork. You have me converted. I am officially never going to get anything done. This series of personal faves the Thermals playing on a rooftop in NYC just put me over the edge. I'm officially hooked. There's also a killer Radiohead performance.
Score: P4K=1, AS=0.
For those of you unaware, Pitchfork Media launched a new web-based 24-hour music channel called Pitchfork.tv for exclusive video content of all sorts relating to music, from music videos to live performances to documentaries. This must be how amazing MTV felt back when they actually used the channel for music.
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2 for Tuesday: Locals edition
Two tracks just dropped into my inbox from regional artists.
Baltimore's Thrushes will be releasing their Heartbeats Remixed CD on Birdnote, May 6th followed by a Sat May 10th CD release show at Metro Gallery. The CD is all remixes of the track "Heartbeats." Check out the lead track on the album and the original track.
Thrushes - Heartbeats (DtheNextLevel Mix)
Thrushes - Heartbeats (original)
Philly natives Public Record hold a DC release party Apr 15th at the Velvet Lounge in DC to celebrate the release of their album Apr 08.
Public Record - Comfortability
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Monday, April 7, 2008
Neutral Milk Hotel tribute
One of the most universally revered artists to emerge from the nebulous genre of "indie" is Neutral Milk Hotel. Lead by the ever-elusive and mysterious Jeff Magnum, their music introduced some highly progressive elements into the indie world and characterized by their lush-yet-rickety, multi-instrumental sound, populated frequently by slightly off-key notes and Magnum's distinct fragile and raw vocals.
Simultaneously presaging and pioneering indie-folk, artists such as the Decemberists owe a certain debt to NMH (though they are not nearly as related as some detractors of Colin Meloy et al would have you believe).
Their criminally short career was capped by their second album, In the aeroplane over the sea, an opus that takes some artists decades, and some forever, to produce.
There are some truly gorgeous videos, my personal favorite probably being the minimalist "Two-headed boy II" and "Communist Daughter." If you can't find something in this melange to move you, you are truly a stone-cold heart.
Neutral Milk Hotel - Two-Headed Boy
Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
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Wye Oak Giveaway / Photo Contest! (Updated 4-6)
It's simple and free. Just send an email to auralstates at gmail dot com with your name and location to enter for the following swag:
A random winner will be drawn on Wednesday and contacted via email (We'll even tell you where the G-Spot is, if you need to find out!). A runner-up will also be drawn to receive a signed CD. Only locals will be eligible to win the tickets though.
Feeling a little more ambitious? Then try this on for size:
One winner will be chosen for originality and possibly hilarity or maybe even artistic merit. For this mammoth effort, the winner will receive the tickets/CD prize package and ... *drum roll* a date with Andy! Yeah, that's right. We're putting him out to stud.
Stay tuned for part 2 of our interview with Andy and Jenn. In the meantime, check out part 1 and their live set from the Creative Alliance, courtesy of Jeff the B-more Taper.
My favorite tracks:
Wye Oak - Family Glue (live)
Wye Oak - Mary is Mary (live)
Wye Oak - "Magic Johnson" (live)
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Sunday, April 6, 2008
4.5.08-Blectum from Blechdom @ Load of Fun
Seeing a reunited Blectum from Blechdom perform last night at Load of Fun took me back to the good old days of the early 00s (nearly 10 years ago!) It was a time when the whole laptop scene was blowing up-- all Kid606, Cex, Tigerbeat6, and Oakland, CA.
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I thought of that bunch as being a lot different than the humorless, chinning stroking Warp crowd. The Tigerbeat6 folk seemed like they were having plenty of fun, and maintained an irreverent human take on making electronic music. Most of all they had laptops, and weren’t afraid to use them as live performance instruments.
In the thick of it were two women from Mills College (which has the renown Center for Contemporary Music, with graduates and faculty like Dave Brubeck, Phil Lesh, Laurie Anderson, Donald Buchla, John Cage, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, etc.)
Kevin Blechdom (Kristen Erickson) and Blevin Blectum (Bevin Kelley), masters of the MAX/MSP software, made music ripe with that post-modern (I hate using that word, but I can’t think of anything else that fits) cyberpunk-nerd-prankster ethos. It was experimental music that was funny and never overly serious.
The group split up around 2001. Both continued on solo, but more recently Blevin formed Sagan with husband J Lesser, Wobbly, and Ryan Junell. Kevin is now doing her own unique electro-acoustic performance art.
This was the first time I had seen Blectum from Blechdom, or been to Load of Fun. When I got to there (I got off work late), Jibz Cameron (a k a Dynasty Handbag) was finishing up her performance art piece.
The performance was amusing and clever, judging from what little I saw. Dynasty Handbag was comfortable onstage and the routine was rehearsed and smooth. Unlike so much undergrad art school performance piece nonsense, I wasn’t cringing while watching.
Kevin and Blevin came onstage wearing Asian silk print robes, and headgear. A fur lined bomber cap for Kevin, and this bizarre goat-horn headband with spikes coming from the temples for Blevin. Martin and Drew of Matmos were in the crowd, but that should be no surprise as they are buds with Blevin’s hubby.
The amount of people in the room had drastically diminished, but I guess electronic music isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. There was initial trouble getting a DVD to start, so as to project visuals behind the stage. Blevin was visibly frustrated and worried. Not the best way to start a show. The problem was eventually fixed, and things got underway.
I’ve heard people say that in order for a laptop show to work, you need a really good sound system. Unfortunately, the system for the night was crap. The music definitely should have been a lot louder, but I guess the person mixing was wary of overload (or maybe just didn’t know better). Kevin and Blevin’s vocals could barely be heard (yes, this is IDM with singing).
The set didn’t really gain momentum until the Kevin Blechdom track “Interspecies Love.” When I first heard this song some years back, I swore it was built around sampled vocals from an obscure old 45. But I knew this couldn’t be the case given that the song’s lyrics deal with a girl’s confusion about her carnal feelings for species other than Homo sapiens. It sounds something like a Tin Pan Alley ditty, but with a country twang.
Both Kevin and Blevin remained seated for the entire performance (actually I think that was the first laptop show I have ever seen with seated performers). Kevin started to get into her singing, but it would have been interesting (and a lot more engaging) to see her get up and get into the theatrics of performing. I have the feeling that Kevin was somewhat restrained. For example, during her solo performances she strips naked and covers herself in animal organs.
Also take into consideration the fact that Kevin and Blevin did not speak for some time after the breakup of their group. To my knowledge this reunion is recent, and not necessarily lasting.
Onstage it just didn’t seem like things were firing on all cylinders. The transition between songs was never smooth. Kevin would begin vocals and playing chords on the keyboard, but would be drowned out by the lingering previous track. This happened a lot, and it always took them some time to figure it out. But to be fair, I think this as all due to poor, or nonexistent monitors (I don’t remember seeing any).
For me the highlight of the night was a track that I suspect to be new material from Blevin Blectum. The track was definitely “Foyer Fire,” which I believe will be on her Gular Flutter solo album due out later in April. Man, that track has some serious groove going on. The crowd response began with the head bob, then the body sway, and finally outright dancing. The song just had that bouncy twitch to it. The visual synced up with the track was interesting too, and you can view it below.
Overall a solid night, but dominated by the feeling that plagues any reunion—nostalgia. I feel pretty strongly that electronic music, especially laptop performance music, (I don’t know what else to call it) should always be progressive, not stagnant, and never backward looking. Then again my standards are always too doctrinaire. Blectum from Blechdom seemed, to a degree, to be about goofing off, and making sincere jokes. As an overly serious guy I enjoyed seeing two whimsical women making cool music on their laptops.
Ryan Junell video for Blevin Blectum's "Foyer Fire" from forthcoming "Gular Flutter" solo album
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Get 'Em Mamis Interview
I recently caught up with Symphony and Roxzi of the Baltimore hip-hop group the Get 'Em Mamis. GEM will have video premier party April 5th at the 5 Seasons for their single "When You See Us" from the Beyond Hamsterdam album.
Their new single "Cold Summer" will be released June 24 as a part of the new Hamsterdam album by Darkroom Productions and Koch Records.
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Aural States- Where are you from in Baltimore?
Roxzi- I’m pretty much from all of Baltimore. You know those people that have certain areas of the city that they primary represent, or come from? I’m just from everywhere. We moved every two years.
Symphony- I’m from Westport. I don’t live up there right now, but that’s where I grew up.
AS- Roxzi, what were some places that you lived in Baltimore?
Roxzi- Well I lived in Park Heights, Yale Heights, Forest Park, Woodlawn, Randallstown, Reisterstown…I’ve lived in West Port, Cherry Hill, Lafayette Terrace, East Baltimore around Moravia. I’m telling you I could go on for days, but that pretty much most of them.
AS- What were the reasons for moving so often?
Roxzi- My mom, I don’t know what it was, but she just liked to change areas. We never really had a specific place that we grew up in, because we would move every year or two. Then the older that I got I would just go live with an aunt, not for any other reason than me just wanting to get away.
My mom, she just moved all the time. I don’t know what it was. I guess she was just trying to keep us safe from being…I don’t know. I think she was just trying to protect us so we didn’t get caught up in certain things.
I can’t believe it myself. Like, when I think about it I can’t believe I lived all those places. But I did.
AS- How did the Get ‘Em Mamis form? I know it came out of your previous group the Plague, but how did that come about?
Roxzi- Pretty much it was a group decision over, how can I say this…
Symphony- …Creative differences, as far as The Plague was concerned. Roxzi and I were more of the same mindset, you know, had the same ideas as far as the future that we saw for the group and what we wanted to happen. So we just kind of separated.
Roxzi- Both sides, Symph and I, and L, the other girl in the group, thought it was mutually beneficial to part ways. But we are still friends, we still talk to her, and we just shot a video with her. We are still friends; it’s just that we thought that this would be best route for us to go.
AS- How did The Plague initially form?
Roxzi- It was kind of crazy. It started out with us all as best friends. It wasn’t like Making the Band. Nobody had to make us. It was just one of those things that kind of happened.
Symph and I were best friends, and I was friends with L. So we all use to hang out and party all the time, and it just kind of came up that we all did music. Like I rapped and Symph rapped, but we didn’t know L rapped. We heard her rap for the first time and we were like “Oh lets bring her in.” So that’s pretty much how it started. We started out as friends who realized we all do music. At first it wasn’t a group, but more of a crew.
Symphony- We wanted to do the opposite of what you see now with a crew of guys with the one token female. So we were a crew of girls with the one token make, which was Rev.
Roxzi- Which is my brother, Rev.
Symphony- And again creative differences, you know. He separated from the crew and we became a…
Roxzi- When he left that’s when the crew turned into a group. Rev left and it was us three and he became a group. But we decided we were never going to have no other guy than him in the crew. So he was always going to be there. But he recently passed away. He was murder last year. Rest in Peace to Rev. Actually, it wasn’t last year, it was ’06. So we won’t be replacing him, he can’t be replaced. He’s irreplaceable like Beyonce.
AS- How did you first start working with Darkroom Productions?
Symphony- They actually reached out to us when they initially started the Hamsterdam project. They just showed us so much love. We kind of dug our feet on the situation and ended up not recording to a Darkroom beat. They just took the song that we had and still put it on the CD, which kind of destroyed their concept. But they still showed us that much love and appreciation…
Roxzi- Not necessarily destroyed the concept, but it was crazy that they decided to still use our song. That’s how much love I think Darkroom had for us. It was like “Ok, you guys aren’t on one of our tracks, but we like you and are going to still put you on the CD.”
AS- What song was this?
Roxzi- It was “Rep Your Set”. It was crazy, because it was this crazy Superman beat. It was a sample of the Superman music. So if you can imagine that with some type of crazy, sick hip-hop bass, or something like that. That was pretty much what that song was. It was really big at the time. We were booked for mostly any show out at that time period, and that was one of our hottest songs at that time.
AS- When you are working on a new song does the beat come first, or the lyrics first, or does it change every time?
Symphony- It changes.
Roxzi- Me, I really like to listen to the beat, because I kind of study the beat. I don’t want to sound crazy or nothing, but when I listen to a beat, I hear words. Say if I’m listening to the hook, that’s usually how I create the hooks for a lot of songs that we do.
So I listen to a song 25, 30, 40, how ever many times it takes until I hear exactly what the beat is giving me. That’s pretty much how I write, but it can go both ways. Sometimes we may be writing with a beat. Sometimes we may just be riding in a car and write, or just outside free styling, and it will become a song.
Symphony- There is no standard. There is no formula.
Roxzi- The formula would be no formula. That’s the best way to put it.
AS- Was it harder to gain credibility as an all female group?
Symphony- Yes. Yes, because female are generally looked at as the understudies in the hip-hop community. The guys pretty much dominated. The time that we came out there weren’t many other female groups.
Roxzi- Actually when we came out there was nobody out in Baltimore, groups or solo acts.
Symphony- Right, there weren’t any other females out. So I think that helped because people were more open to hear us, because we were filling a void. But we still had to prove ourselves because we were young and we were females.
AS- When you wrote songs were you conscience of the need to prove yourselves?
Roxzi- No, not really when writing. It was crazy; it kind of helped us. I think it made us better that people just kind of looked down on us, because it just made us stronger.
We’d go to shows and we’d come and we’d look like we were singers. Like I don’t look like I rap. Nowhere I go would people say that I look like I rap. Like we’d come in dressed up in heels, well not Symphony. She’s the rock star, and she wouldn’t wear heels. People would be like “Oh you’re going to sing?”
It would be an all hip-hop show and they would ask us if we were going to sing. I’d be like “Yea we are going to sing.” We’d tell everyone we sang, and then when we got onstage the look on people’s faces was priceless. We had this energy on stage that was crazy. People would just have this look like “Oh my god, they aren’t singers.” We still tell people we sing sometimes, even though we can’t sing at all.
Symphony- I tell them I tap dance.
AS- When did you both first start rapping?
Roxzi- I first started rapping, when I really started to pursue it, when I was about 11.
Symphony- And I knew I wanted to do it since I was 7. 7-11.
Roxzi- Oh I never thought about that. That is so cool. That is interesting.
AS- So was The Plague the first group you were in, or had you been in other groups?
Symphony- We were doing our thing individually before we were actually in a group.
Roxzi- There was a lot before, but not necessarily a group.
Symphony- Well actually you were in a group.
Roxzi- It wasn’t a group, it was just a label.
Symphony- No, your group.
Roxzi- I had a group?
Symphony- Yea. R. D. M.
Roxzi- Oh yea! I don’t want to talk about that group. It was a little middle school groups, like “Oh I wanna rap.” The other two people, well no, one other person in the group could rap. The group was Rev, myself, and another girl that couldn’t rap at all. No one has ever heard this before and I cannot believe Symphony put me on the spot like this. And I’m not going to tell you what it stands for because it’s so embarrassing. It’s kind of the initials for something, but you don’t have to mention this if you don’t want to.
AS- How would you describe your sound?
Symphony- We’re like hip-rock.
Roxzi- We’re like everything. If you mix ever genre of music together, that’s us.
Symphony- I mean we’re complimented by the Darkroom beats. They use a wide range of instruments. Like things you would never even think about putting into a beat. From there we just go whatever way the beat goes. Sometimes we need them to create something for us. Like say I got this crazy idea for a song, and I need some flutes and bells, and they’ll use it.
AS- How is it working with Darkroom?
Roxzi- It’s really nice working with somebody that you actually like. The relationship that we have built with Darkroom...it kind of built the foundation for greatness, you know what I mean? Because we’ve been working for so long, and been through so much together…I mean they have really helped us. It’s been excellent with Darkroom.
Symphony- They give us complete creative control. They basically are with whatever we want to do.
Roxzi- They trust our creativity and we really appreciate that, because that is hard to find. A lot of times when working with other people they want things done their way. Not to say we can’t follow directions, but it’s good to work with people that allow you to express your creative ability. Then you get the artist, not something that somebody else is telling them they should be.
Symphony- Like a package, something created in a lab.
AS- It seems that Baltimore hip-hop is at a crucial point as far as getting national exposure. What needs to happen to ensure the Baltimore scene blows up for real, and not succumb to hype?
Roxzi- We all need to stick together. Like no matter who is doing the best, or who is not doing so good. We just need to stick together and help each other. If we just do that then we are bound for success, bound for greatness. You can’t stop something like this.
Symphony- You can’t stop a movement.
Roxzi- Especially when it’s this strong. So if we all stick together, no matter who makes it first…I hate to use the term “make it.” But whoever does make it first; we should all support that person. What I think is that the Beyond Hamsterdam project that was just released is the best way for Baltimore to come out. It made everyone come together and stick together. It wasn’t one person’s CD that got distributed nationally; it was the whole city put together. We didn’t have a choice but to stick together, because we are all on the same CD. That was genius to put everyone on one CD.
Symphony- And you know it’s a credible source. It not like it was just put together by just anybody. You have a good name on it, you know HBO. They’re out there pushing it. It’s not like it’s sold out of a trunk of a car. You can actually go in the stores and pick it up, and it’s worldwide.
AS- You’ve talked about trying to grow Baltimore hip-hop nationally, but in what way has the city influenced your music?
Roxzi- Baltimore, of course, has a huge influence on our music. You can’t rap about something you don’t know about, and this is pretty much what we know. We’ve lived here our whole lives.
Symphony- Probably about 55% is influenced by Baltimore, and the rest is influenced by where we want to be. Of course we’re not going to keep rapping about Baltimore this, Baltimore that. We want to branch out on to other things. Dare to dream, you know?
AS- Being so closely connected to The Wire, what happens when the show ends? Were does Baltimore’s reputation go from there?
Symphony- It’s up to the music. That’s why the CD is there. It gets you listening, and then you look forward to hearing more from this artist. And because you can’t get more of the show…we’re basically all that is left of The Wire.
Roxzi- We’ve already moved on. This isn’t it for us. Darkroom is releasing an album called Hamsterdam. It’s going to be nationally distributed. It’s Darkroom and Koch Records actually. We are already moving to the next step. This is just the beginning...trust me.
AS- And what is the new material for that album?
Roxzi- “Cold Summer” will be one of the singles released from the album. “Cold Summer” is…I don’t know if I can give it away.
Symphony- It’s a real feel-good song. It’s icy, we’ll leave it at that.
Roxzi- It’s looking cold for the Summer. That is our next project that we are working on. We are shooting a video for that.
AS- And that is separate from the video being released on April 5th?
Roxzi- Right, this is for new material. That video is for “When You See Us” which is on the Beyond Hamsterdam album.
Symphony- Again another example of taking it to the next level, putting visuals with the sounds so the people interested in The Wire, interested in the music, have something more to look forward to.
AS- Who directed that video?
Roxzi- We did. We pretty much came up with the concept for the whole video; we pretty much directed the whole video ourselves. We financed the video ourselves. When we tell you we pretty much did the whole vides-from directing, to financing, to creative…dancers. We found our own dancers. We were the designers, the make-up artist. We weren’t the cameramen. 1 Vision Entertainment, they shot the video and edited it.
AS- What were some of your influences?
Symphony- Beethoven. He’s awesome.
Roxzi- She likes classical music.
Symphony- It’s like orchestrated confusion. All those instruments put together to create this wonderful sound. And he was deaf when he wrote the greatest symphony that you will hear in your life.
Roxzi- We listen to classical music all the time. It’s weird. We’ll be riding in the car and just turn in on. It’s that channel right before 92Q, you know what I’m talking about?
AS- 91.5 WBJC.
Roxzi- Yea, we just listen to that for no reason.
I’d say my biggest influence is my best friend. Symphony has really helped me out. I think she is one of the best female rappers ever, and you can quote me on that. She has definitely helped me with just growth period. You just learn from the best. That’s all I can say.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Remixed for your pleasure...
I present to you remixes of tracks from Syndey Australia exports the Presets (Wiki, pictured right) and the deliciously dirty, now-defunct Death From Above 1979 (Wiki) . They can all be found on the remix disc Re-Sets originally bundled with the latest versions of the Presets' debut Beams and the bonus disc from DFA1979's LP You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.
The Presets will be playing DC's RnR Hotel on June 7th and I cannot wait. Enjoy the music in anticipation.
The Presets:
The Presets - Down Down Down (Digitalism Remix)
The Presets - Girl and the Sea (Cut Copy Remix)
DFA1979:
DFA1979 - Blood on our Hands (Justice Remix)
DFA1979 - Little Girl (MSTRKRFT Edition)
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Review - Fuck Buttons @ Rock and Roll Hotel, DC
Monday, March 31, 2008
Beatbots shutting its e-doors...April Fools!
Read more for the full news posting:
Friends
Three and a half years ago I started Beatbots in my basement appartment in Hyattsville, MD. What started as a simple excerise in creating my own Content Management System, evolved into me trying to run an online magazine with no funds, no writers and no audience. Since that time (and my moving to Baltimore) Beatbots as a creative endeavor has really blossomed. We've had a lot of great writers grace the pages of the webzine. We've seen the incorporation of Audio/Video recordings on the site and the only public authored events calendar in Baltimore that doesn't suck. We've made a lot of great connections with the people involved in the Baltimore arts/music scene, and for that I'll be forever thankful.
But after much soul searching, I've decided that Beatbots as this thing that I do with all my spare time will never be sustainable. It will forever be an uphill battle for me to bring people together to create something wonderful that isn't about hype, money or fame. So it saddens me to say that in May, when the next Beatbots hosting plan is due for renewal, that I'm not going to renew it. While I would like more than anything to see Beatbots live on for 5 or even 10 years, it's just not in the cards. It's just become such a heavy weight on my shoulders that I think it's for the best.
I want to thank first and foremost the Beatbots writers who have poured so much time and energy into the writings for the site. It's really remarkable to think that we as a group could amass hundreds of really quality articles with no formal staff, and no pay. I'd also really like to thank our A/V people but most especially Jeff Mewbourn for his tireless dedication to documenting the Baltimore music scene. Thanks to everyone that has helped to make the message board the best place I know on the internet to kill time at work (and find out about the best shows in the city). Beatbots is made of people, and I really can't think of any better people around.
So in closing, I feel that Beatbots was in many ways a success, even if the audience that knew about it while it was still around was small. I'm glad to think that there's this thing that we all did together that will forever leave a mark on our lives, as they were here and now. Until the hosting runs out (May 14) I encourage everyone to make the most of the site.
All the best,
Justin Blemly
I highly recommend you check the site out before it is lost forever. There is some really great content and some really great people roaming around there.
April Fool's from Justin! well written note.
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4(artists)-for-1 Mostly Metal Monday
Dream Theater - Fatal Tragedy
Dream Theater - Master of Puppets (Metallica Cover)
Darkest Hour - The Sadist Nation
Wooly Mammoth - Head Full of Collision
Mastodon - I am Ahab
Isn't that heavy metal image hilarious?
The first two tracks come from progressive metal standard-bearers Dream Theater. Almost all of them students from the Berklee school, their instrumental prowess is awe-inspiring. Fatal Tragedy comes from their prog opus/concept album, 1999's Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes from a Memory while the second track is a cover of Metallica's "Master of Puppets." For a previous tour, Dream Theater played several "Evening with..." format shows where they played seminal albums from rock history, namely Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Metallica's Master of Puppets, in their entirety.
DC locals follow with the bands Darkest Hour (lead track from their ridiculously good LP Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation and Woolly Mammoth (channeling some classic metal ala Sabbath and a load of blues-inspired rock). Mastodon rounds out your 4-for set. Enjoy!
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