This is coming a few days late and will probably be a lot too short. But hey, take these pills of MP3 forgiveness and read on, intrepid music fan.
All photos: Beau Finley
Zulu Pearls - If It's All the Same
Double Dagger - Luxury Condos for the Poor
Double Dagger - Camera Chimera
This show had great potential. Musically, I thought for the most part the artists kept up their end of the bargain. Double Dagger and Imperial China killed it. Zulu Pearls, not so much, but they were earnest, I will give them that. But come on DC; you had 3 (4, but I missed B&W Jacksons) prime and distinct sounds to get down to and you mostly failed.
Imperial China, this being their CD release, did get the most people moving. But Double Dagger's performance was pure electricity. But let's start from the beginning (well, mine)...Zulu Pearls.
Mostly innocuous, described by one show-farer as an approximation of Interpol (an accurate picture live). But I'd wager without the charisma and ability to channel moods. I appreciate their energy, but for me the music was largely unremarkable and the showmanship a bit forced. There is potential, as evidenced from some solid recorded material, but a lot of refinement to go before it is realized live. The most distracting part of the performance was the lead singer, whose antics amounted to some inebriated stumbling around and emoting; it even seemed to irritate fellow band members, notably the guitarist who I thought was going to rip his jugular out with his teeth by set's end.
Double Dagger followed and represented Baltimore in perfect fashion. The effectiveness of the minimalist 3-part(bass, vocals, drums) approach to their music cannot be overemphasized. They generate a punk and post-hardcore firestorm truly living up to and expanding upon the legacy of the ever-present genre influence, Fugazi. Bruce's bass work was a frenzied, near-virtuosic technical display organically fusing the twitchy and up-tempo approach of punk with the more exploratory tendencies of any of the sub-sects of jazz. Unfortunately, Nolen's highly interactive, classic punk approach to showmanship was not well-received by many in the crowd. I can't count the number of people who commented they found it "creepy" or that he needed to back off.
I couldn't disagree more. I truly believe that if you insist on maintaining this fourth wall between performer and spectator, you are not experiencing the performance to its fullest. You should be welcoming this amount of interaction. And here lies the big difference between DC and Baltimore crowds. People wouldn't think twice about this in Baltimore, welcoming the chance to melt the experiences of performer and audience into one big, joyous mess; self-consciousness be damned. Fuck the person next to you, if you dig it, show some love and freak the fuck out. Thankfully the front few rows of the crowd seemed to be receptive, so my experience wasn't ruined. Standouts from the set were the obvious, perennial favorite "Luxury Condos" and "No Allies."
Imperial China bounded to the stage and immediately started pounding into the first track ("There is no translation") off their, frankly, fantastic EP Methods. This being a CD release show, I will be making their evaluation a combination of EP review and show review.
For such a young band, formed only in fall 2007, they have a mature and developed sound as well as phenomenal live presence that is polished yet infused with that about-to-careen-off-the-rails energy and spontaneity necessary for a killer live show. The speak-shout vocals are a great topping, but their songs would work perfectly as instrumentals. They channel tasteful and expansive prog in many instrumental sections of their songs. Here, they wring some truly spectacular sounds out of their poor, unsuspecting instruments.
Watching this process unfold is engrossing: bassist Brian Porter twitches and pulsates, possessed with intensity, funneling it all into his frantic bass and vocals, guitarist Matt Johnson calmly yet intently picking a fiery guitar riff and Patrick Gough flailing away at drums, it just swallows you whole. They exchange times, styles and techniques of post-rock, post-punk, experimental noise and electronic, math-rock and a dozen other genres as fluidly as a banker exchanges currencies.
For primary evidence, you need look no farther than their always enthralling performance of instrumental track "Radhus," where Porter and Johnson pull double-duty on keys/synths and drums, respectively; Johnson and Gough both madly going at it on the drums is an invigorating scene. The track is perfectly paced and layered with at least a dozen interesting musical voices and associated hooks. The establishment of the early drum cadence undergirded by a body-shaking low-range synth groove that belongs in some deep house or electro track, works you into a frenzy that is then carried by an extended passage of sharp and crunchy guitar work. The intensity then begins to break down as the guitar enters into a more sparse, post-punk punctuated style followed by the closing sequence of synth breakdown. As far as musical rollercoasters go, you can't ask for much more.
The head-to-head of Double Dagger followed by Imperial China was one of the best-paired match-ups I've seen in recent memory. They are of a similar temperament, both musically and in performance approach, delivering captivating, rapid-fire sets with little breathing room and showing a truck-load of musical chops. DD may be a bit more intense and interactive, but they've been around the block a few times. I predict Imperial China will be there soon enough, completely demolishing the energy-sapping fourth wall right beside Nolen and the rest of DD; hell, they are halfway there on music alone.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Imperial China, Double Dagger, Zulu Pearls @ RnR Hotel
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tokyo Police Club - Myspace free show this Sunday
Finally, B-more getting some love from all over. First Spin last year, now name-drops in 2008 Rolling Stone, Blender, XLR8R. Now, Fox-syndicated giant social network Myspace joins the fray for their second Baltimore-based free show.
Tokyo Police Club @ the Head. This Sunday.
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
3-for-Tuesday - Spring into action
Some tracks sitting in my inbox, figured I'd proliferate them. For all to enjoy or rag on. Opinions?
Though the track never fully releases its joyous tension, Lykke Li's "Dance Dance Dance" is probably the best of the trio (her vocals kind of make me squishy inside and the sax solo just screams endearing exuberance), followed by the Forms. The Forms track has that distasteful modern rock radio edge to it that I find leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, yet it still manages to intrigue me to no end. The Annuals track is a little too over the top, trying to be "that track" a la the Shins or Coldplay.
Annuals - Sore
The Forms - Red Gun
Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance
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Monday, April 21, 2008
Autechre-"Quaristice" album review
While reading, enjoy these Autechre tracks, "Flutter" from Anti EP and the others from Quaristice. If you like what you hear and read, support the artist and pick up their material.
Autechre - Flutter
Autechre - Simmm
Autechre - Notwo
When Kandinsky developed abstract art he looked toward music, and intense aural experiences. The result was totally organic expressions of form and color, paintings with no reference to a figurative world. In a similar way Autechre’s music has always been about total abstraction, about pure sensory experience.
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I’m a little late on this Autechre review, but with their recent show at the Black Cat, the album write-up should still be relevant.
Autechre’s music isn’t meant to have widespread appeal; it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. This may seem axiomatic, but it’s worth stressing that this is intentionally esoteric music.
When I first heard Autechre many years ago, the experience galvanized my ideals and understanding of beauty. I was young, and had never heard anything in my life quite like the sounds I was hearing. Now being older, and a lot more familiar with music, I miss that sense of astounding discovery. However, I find Autechre’s work so powerful simply because it still sounds so unfamiliar. Though in a weird dialectic twist Autechre’s sound isn’t that new. They overtly reference electro, a style now a quarter century old, if not always sonically, then in their detached sterile aesthetic. The whole digital stuttering effect found in similar glitch/IDM has been around for some time too. But Quaristice still sounds like Sean Booth and Rob Brown are on the cutting edge of music.
When Kandinsky developed abstract art he looked toward music, and intense aural experiences. The result was totally organic expressions of form and color, paintings with no reference to a figurative world. In a similar way Autechre’s music has always been about total abstraction, about pure sensory experience. Autechre reached the point of complete abstraction and seeming chaos with their prior album Untitled. Quaristice is a slight return to a more familiar soundscape. The album is at some points melodic. Unlike the normal Autechre format of a few long tracks that stand on their own, this album is filled with many shorter tracks that not only fit tightly with the following track (Autechre has done this to a lesser degree before), but also seem to fit into a whole cohesive unit. I might even go as far as calling it a narrative structure. A narrative to an Autechre album? Well about as close as I suspect they will ever come. Again to draw the Kandinsky parallel—his abstract paintings aren’t telling a story, but people unavoidably find themselves looking for narratives in his work. The human mind seems to be hardwired that way.
The opener “Altibzz” is a beat less, airy synth piece. The track isn’t a standout, and its only function seems to be in setting up the following track “The PLc.” That track opens with an electro beat, then a lonely wobbly synth moans out. That synth line is classic Autechre, and a highlight of the album for me. Unfortunately the track quickly moves away from that idea and doesn’t look back.
“Simmm” sounds as if Warp label mate Richard James could have made it. Though I think of Apex Twin’s music as retaining some reference to nature, while Autechre brings to mind an alien world driven by technology.
“Paralel Suns” as the name would suggest, conjures up images of a dying world orbiting a red giant star…or something like that. The track has no beat, just haunting synth pads.
For me Quaristice really picks up in its second half. “Fol3” sounds like Autechre’s take on ironic 8-bit video game electro. Could it even be a joke by the duo? The next track “90101-51-1” stays in that electro frame of mind with a deep kick and driving snare. Then a squelchy acid bass and 16th note hi-hats. Though the track clearly follows the well-trod Warp conventions of acid electro, in the hands of Autechre it doesn’t sound trite. Shakespeare didn’t invent the sonnet, but nobody is calling him unoriginal.
The album closes with two ambient pieces. I could envision the penultimate track “Notwo” having served as background music to an X-Files episode. The track is fraught with tangible fear and dread. This is something unusual for Autechre, a group not given to expressive emotional output. The coda “Outh9X” is a true ambient piece, in that it is all about sonic texture, and not melody. It is a quite and understated closing.
Quarisrice is not Autechre at its full potential, but with a group commanding as much talent as Booth and Brown have, the album is still a very strong effort. It was a return to a more classic Autechre sound, and this is a group not known for taking steps backward. But again, paradoxically, this doesn’t sound like a Mid-Nineties Autechre redux, though in many ways it is. Even when Autechre is doing something old, they make it sound so shockingly alien.
Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique and the BSO
As a brass and tuba player, it is hard to find composers that really know how to utilize your instrument in a dynamic way that sounds great and feels great to play. I present to you, Hector Berlioz (pictured right). French composer whose pieces Symphonie fantastique and Damnation of Faust are an absolute joy to play and hear performed.
Berlioz had a great knack for composing expressive bass lines and arranging for powerful brass instrumentation.
The fourth movement is a propulsive march with a progressively more turbulent, unstable feel due to abrupt changes between passages, juxtaposing extreme dynamics and opposing string and brass lines in its final minute. Its melodies are longer, more drawn out phrases than typically seen, but consistent with the big sweep-and-swell motif established from the start of the first movement and really giving the march a more epic feel. Whet your appetite with this performance of the fourth movement by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, recorded for Deutsch Grammophon.
Hector Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique - IV. Marche au Supplice (March to the Scaffold)
Marin Alsop and the BSO tackle Symphonie Fantastique as well as Prokofiev's first piano concerto, featuring 20-year-old rising star Yuja Wang (Wiki) on piano. Performances at the Meyerhoff April 25-27, opening April 24 at the Strathmore in Bethesda. Tickets start at a low $15. Highly recommended.
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Sunday, April 20, 2008
My Morning Jacket leaks new track
Toned down on the psych-reverb, amped up on the country rock and R&B vocals, My Morning Jacket look to further cement their status as one of America's best rock acts, always evolving and always interesting. This is one of my most hotly anticipated albums of the year. Their previous LP Z was nothing short of glorious, with one of the best opening track sequences in recent memory.
Evil Urges drops on 6/10.
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Sound Off: Ungdomskulen
Here's how I imagine the formation of Ungdomskulen (Wiki). First, visualize the scene: a group of talented instrumentalists in Norway are weaning themselves on giants of metal to form a cover band, studiously perfecting songs from System of a Down, the Gothenburg sound, early Metallica, Black Sabbath, prog.
They can't really figure out their sound, so this is the natural default. All of a sudden, Arctic Monkeys, Built to Spill, Bloc Party and a swarm of other post-punk, dance-punk, new wave and indie-rock bands burst through the radio and these guys think it's hilarious. Then the metaphorical light-bulb over head moment.
"Let's make a parody of these guys framed within our metal and classic rock leanings. Let's make it amazing yet playful and better than the source."
And here we are...enjoying their newly released video for "Modern Drummer," a track off their 2007 LP Cry Baby. Video after the jump, but MP3 right here, right now.
Ungdomskulen - Modern Drummer
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Architecture in Helsinki: New Video, Remix
Given my propensity towards Blast, is it any wonder I also have a thing for big collectives of multi-instrumentalists with precious music and marching-band-like characteristics? In line with this, I adored Architecture In Helsinki's (Wiki) second LP In Case We Die.
Their third album suffered from some slumpage. But hey, don't let that deter you. They are still loads of fun live.
AIH also preimiere their video for "Like It Or Not" along with an El Guincho remix.
Video after the jump, MP3s right here baby.
Architecture in Helsinki - One Heavy February 2008
Architecture in Helsinki - Like It Or Not (El Guincho Remix)
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Rousing new Dan Deacon video
Pitchfork.tv obsession continues. Dan Deacon's new video for "Okie Dokie" off Spiderman of the Rings premieres today. Get at it. "Crystal Cat" has been up there for a while now.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
McCarren Park Pool (NYC) summer line-up partially announced...
I saw Ted Leo and the Thermals in the basin of a drained, gigantic community swimming pool in Brooklyn last summer.
It was amazing.
This summer looks to be the last one filled with concerts for the pool (at least for a while) as the McCarren Park Pool is undergoing some rehab on the order of $50mil.
Free JellyNYC Pool Parties schedule here.
Paid concert series schedule here.
Get planning on that day trip kids. The venue is unique and worth it.
Sound Off: Imperial China CD release (Exclusive track leak!)
Imperial China impressed us in their last outing @ Lo-Fi with Caverns. A lot.
I don't have time right now to really review this track and lavish the praise it deserves, but I will later today. I just wanted to get this out there.
Imperial China has their EP release party this Friday in DC with Baltimore's own Double Dagger at the Rock and Roll Hotel. This should definitely be worth the drive.
Thanks to Matt, Brian and Patrick for leaking the lead track to us. Great, spacious post-hardcore/post-punk/post-take-your-pick, reminding me at times of my old favorites Snapcase. Watch them closely.
Imperial China - There is no translation
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Blast! returns
So in another time, I was a marching band geek. I loved every second of it. Needless to say, when we heard about the musical Blast! (Wiki) making its way to the Kennedy Center in the early oughties, we snatched tickets post-haste.
It was a great spectacle, translating everything good about marching band (more specifically drum corps) into a tight, high-energy stage show. The deal is that drum corps participants in the Star of Indiana decided it was silly to accrue all these specific talents only to "age out" at 21, when you aren't allowed to march anymore. So they arranged Blast.
No hash-marks? No problem. They just drew a giant grid on the stage. It was truly a great show. But as fast as it exploded and won a Tony and an Emmy, it had faded. Blast returned with a whimpering puff of smoke in the form of the horribly under-publicized Blast II: Shockwave show.
Blast is again coming through, hoping third time is charmed like the first. They play 3 shows at the Lyric Apr 25 & 26. I am very curious to see if they have recaptured some of the first show's magic. Taste the glory in these 3 tracks from the official London album release. "Loss" is an epic heart-breaker, "Malagueña" sizzles with intensity and the arrangement of "Appalachian Spring" is absolutely electric. But hearing these tracks is only half the experience...check some spectacular video after the jump.
Blast! - Malagueña
Blast! - Appalachian Spring (Copland)
Blast! - Loss
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Terrordactyls vs Pharmacy?
Those precious darlings the Terrordactyls have decided to pay homage to the Pharmacy in one of the youngest band-to-band love-ins yet. It's ok though, because the tracks are precious and the guys are friends of each other. The covers really do have a peculiar charm to them.The Terrordactyls - Overcast Summer (Cover)
The Pharmacy - Overcast Summer
The Terrordactyls - Growing Old (Cover)
The Pharmacy - Growing Old
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Air documentary! Free!
Fucking Air. I love them. Pitchfork.tv nails it again with another potentially great one-week exclusive.
And while I was over there, I stumbled upon everyone's favorite blog-lash victims, Vampire Weekend. Fuck the haters, "A-Punk" is a spectacularly addictive song. Check the P4K vid after the jump.
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Spoon, Colin Meloy: Reviews galore...
I am pulling heavy duty over at BYT this week. My review of this past Friday's Spoon show just went up.
Review of Colin Meloy/Laura Gibson show is here.
Go on over and check em out. Great photos by Joel Didriksen.
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Monday, April 14, 2008
VHS or Beta @ the Middle East, Cambridge MA 2008.04.07
Welcome our first contribution from Jason Shepherd, previous Baltimorean ex-planted to Boston. Here's his take on VHS or Beta's show at the Middle East.
All photos: Flickr user ryan97ou, shot @ the Ottobar, Baltimore MD
Monday night is usually one of the quietest nights for a show, but the crowd that gathered for the VHS or Beta show in Cambridge, MA, was full of energy from the get go.
The downstairs at the Middle East has a similar feel to the Black Cat in DC, one can be intimate with the band but still have good sound..and easy access to a full bar. I saw VHS last year when they set out touring their new album "Bring on the Comets". They were rather flat then and still sorting out the kinks of playing the new songs live. This night, they really lived up to their lyrics, setting the night on fire!
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The new songs have a more basic rock sound to them, with the drummer playing analog drums for the first time. Although still catchy, I prefer their older dance/funk songs.
Craig Pfunder's voice tends to be flat live, and VHS really come into their own on instrumental songs (see their debut album Le Funk). Being Cambridge, the audience had an eclectic mix of people..there was even some break-dancing going on..a la MIT style..glasses and all. VHS played three long encore songs, and invited the fanatical audience to dance with them on stage...well it started with an invitation for one guy to come on stage to show off what have to be shortest jean shorts ever seen! All in all a great show if you love to groove and dance to your rock music.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Deer Tick-Live at the G-Spot (Wye Oak CD Release Party)
Find the audio from Deer Tick's set as MP3s after the jump or here as FLAC. They opened second for Wye Oak, after Musee Mechanique at the G-Spot.
Musically they killed it, nothing really original but very solid country-influenced rock. Bassist was a face-melting phenomenon, a musical force of nature. The only downside was that I found Deer Tick's singing voice irritated me. Mostly because I sensed it was induced rather than natural, which might be completely off-base. In any case, I'm sure that perception would change after extensive listening, but I'm not sure I'm convinced that sort of acclimation is worth the effort. They did, however, perform a hilarious cover of "La Bamba."
Deer Tick - Intro
Deer Tick - Ashamed
Deer Tick - Little White Lies
Deer Tick - Art Isn't Real
Deer Tick - Untitled
Deer Tick - Mexican Home
Deer Tick - Easy
Deer Tick - Baltimore Blues No. 1
Deer Tick - Straight Into A Storm
Deer Tick - Dirty Dishes
Deer Tick - Sleep Walk --> La Bamba (cover)
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Wye Oak-Live at the G-Spot (Merge CD Release Party)
Wye Oak played a phenomenal set at their CD (re)release party for Merge issuing If Children. Opener Deer Tick's set can be found here. Thanks to Jeff the Taper for recording the ENTIRE live set, available after the jump as MP3 or here as FLAC files.
The show was fantastic, probably the best set I've yet seen from Wye Oak. Since this record is a re-release, the material has been in rotation for quite a while now. The new material demonstrated great progression and refinement of their songwriting and pacing; tracks like the tentatively-in-studio-named "Magic Johnson" really show Jenn and Andy recognizing their strengths as a duo and bringing them out, crafting a top-notch country-folk jam. If Children is a great record, but the material truly soars live and serves as a testament to how deeply Andy and Jenn are connected to the music.
Jenn's voice was warm and soulful as always. Andy's drumming was top-notch, and some of the most expressive I've heard in quite some time; we even got a special treat with Andy taking on main vocal duties on "A Lawn to Mow." The show was quite polished and probably a tad too straight-laced and clean, but when my main complaint is that things were TOO tight, then there's really not much of a problem. I personally find that minor imperfections in vocal harmonization and in other aspects only enhance the immediacy and passion of their music.
Wye Oak - Please Concrete
Wye Oak - Warning
Wye Oak - Family Glue
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - I Don't Feel Young
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - A Lawn to Mow
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - Untitled ("Magic Johnson")
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - Untitled No. 2
Wye Oak - I Want for Nothing
Wye Oak - Dialogue
Wye Oak - Obituary
Don't forget to read our interviews (part 1, part 2) with Jenn and Andy.
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This weekend-Spoon, White Rabbits, Colin Meloy, Ted Leo and more...
What seems to be the designated "big" show this month, is going down tonight at Sonar. Spoon (pictured left) supported by the Walkmen and the stellar, super-friendly White Rabbits (who we recently did an interview with).
I am actually on the BYT clock to cover the event, which got a strong endorsement from an envious Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak) who is out of town touring this weekend and missing a chance to see her BFFs/label-mates Spoon in something smaller than a stadium-sized venue. So I will make the most of it, as should you. See if you can score something reasonable off Craig and get there, it'll probably even be worth the $50 price-gouge. Do yourselves a favor and get to this however you can, whatever it takes.
If you don't happen to be into Spooning...I may have your prescription. I have it on good information that Ted Leo (pictured right) is playing a free show at Goucher College during its G.I.G. festival today, Friday April 11.
Continuing the free show concept is Double Dagger with Thank You at UMBC, also on this jam-packed Friday.
And on Saturday, a day of rest. But Sunday, one of my all-time favorites, Colin Meloy is playing his solo gig at 9:30 Club in DC.
Get hyped. Here's some morsels to get you started:
Spoon - Cherry Bomb Country (demo)
White Rabbits - March of the Camels
Ted Leo - Biomusicology
Colin Meloy - Barbara Allen (Shirley Collins cover)
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Wye Oak Interview Part 2
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.
