Interview: Jesse Sykes at Mississippi Studios

<img width="500" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="332" align="left" src="/uploads/Image/JSFromBelow.JPG" alt="Jesse Sykes -Zaph Mann" />Jesse Sykes & I spoke just before hew show at Mississippi Studios on January 13th 2010. Aware of Sykes distaste for many things modern and the attitude "of the 21st century," as she's put it, I asked first: What do you think of irreverence? JS: "Not much." ...  You seem a little annoyed... JS:  "Annoyed - yeah, I am,  it is upsetting. I don't care for it -  it's like a play that we write off." OK, (staying with irreverence) so would it be fair to compare you to Lady Gaga? JS: "Ohhh...  you know... people like that just aren't a mystery... she seems... I'm sure  it's seems creative and fun, but... it's... I can't be enthusiastic about it. I feel separate from that. You know? I don't have TV or internet, it's too hard. Too hard to be an artist and deal with all this condensed digital stuff - it's reality compressed." Sykes is famous for her husky "Marianne Faithful-like" inflection, but thankfully she doesn't rely on it, as her  tonally rich full voice is better. <img width="260" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="261" border="2" align="right" src="/uploads/Image/jesse2cd_lg.jpg" alt="" />On 2004's Oh, My Girl she gets it dead right - it's a great folk album;  2007's Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul, her last album, added a few more upbeat elements but it's the upcoming album (this spring) featuring six musicians and a fuller  sound that could signal a more significant shift. JS: "it's more raunchy, even psychedelic - less folky, more of a 60's San Francisco vibe - and harmonies!". "What I sing about isn't literal - it's fragments of human emotion, pastoral impressions, snapshots..." then she added without any sense of contradiction: "I feel my writing's getting more defined, less dependent upon the allusive." The current tour is billed as thelast as a duo with Wandscher before full band goes out in support of the new album and the backstory is that these two dated for years up until 2008.  At times it's just about a perfect experience, the gravelled or soaring voice complimented by discreet guitar counterpoints, but their long and generous set came dangerously close to becoming repetitive: Sykes delivering devastating refrains then staring across in seeming reverence at  Wandscher, head down reworking another reverbed counter melody. I'd asked Sykes earlier how important their partnership was: JS: "Hugely important - he comes up with all the counter melodies...  what he does makes me respond, makes me work harder." <img width="300" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="452" border="2" align="left" src="/uploads/Image/JSReverence.jpg" alt="JS -Zaph Mann" /> On stage, most of the banter came from Sykes who was witty and persistent in railing against modern media - she got a laugh telling how some idiot who was texting in the front row  as she sang  was yanked out and thrown back... Another notable interlude saw the (until then) silent Wandscher suddenly start rapping in a very non-PC manner about not rescuing women and refusing to shut up, that incident left Sykes shaking her head and staring down instead of reverently at Wandscher for the next song. It seems that to enjoy Sykes music you have to take time and make space, it requires concentration, so I asked her: Space - what does that make you think of? JS: " I wish I had more! But wait - outer space, or inner space? I'm always aware of my body as a presence in the world, and in another sense, I'm inspired by depth of field... by distances... tree-lines." She's also spoken about songs suitable for deadly situations: What music would you recommend for funerals  or weddings? JS:  "For Weddings, I don't know, something by Leonard Cohen...  For the funeral, ah yes, I'd want music for friends to enjoy; like Townes Van Zandt's - To LIve Is To Fly. " Is that your funeral or someone else's? JS: "Mine. ..  You know I think it should be raw, people singing a cappella, from the heart. You know I'm the kind of person who would throw myself down and claw the earth, people need to cry, but are so suppressed. My family is half jewish, half catholic, the jews will just want to bury you and move on but the catholics get emotional, I remember my mother throwing herself down on the couch, sobbing, inconsolable..." What's your first memory of anyone hanging washing on a clothesline? JS: "My grandmother's, we didn't have a clothesline, she had one of those circular or octagonal ones... I used to play next to it in the jungle-gym and I liked the shape." Sykes seemed reticent to talk about her upbringing in Mount Kisco, New York State - a wooded area north of Long Island sound. She's written of how she's "learned how to let go of that constant longing for where I came from." adding to me only "I grew up in the country, and even in bad times I see beauty". When did you last skip, and why? JS: "God. Sadly I can't remember. I hop though, when I'm happy." And, she added, the last time that happened was when she saw her fiance, who lives in Iowa. How many swans do you recommend, per bathtub? JS:  "Two, because they like to be together - they mate for life. They had them back east, but here I always see Blue Herons. That fiance is an ornithologist who owns an African Grey, but he lives in Iowa and they see each other every few weeks, "it's hard" she says. And as I forgot to ask her what the title of the new album (on Barsuk Records) will be, I thought, perhaps it should be called - still together - yet apart. Writing and photographs: Copyright: Zaph Mann 2010 -.  Reproduction with attribution is fine. Original publisher: opbmusic.org 2010 Listen To <a href="http://opbmusic.org/performances/8-Jesse-Sykes-the-Sweet-Hereafter">Jesse Sykes's opbmusic In Studio session</a>! <img width="500" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="332" border="2" align="left" src="/uploads/Image/JSFeetLyrics.JPG" alt="JS -feet" /> true

2010-02-01T19:57:11-08:00

2010-01-18T19:57:11-08:00

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2010-01-18T19:57:11-08:00

Estranged in more ways than one, still together - yet apart and feeling separate from the digital age.

Interview: Jesse Sykes at Mississippi Studios

2010-01-18T21:07:22-08:00

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I first saw <a href="http://finnriggins.com/">Finn Riggins</a> live at Slabtown, a small venue and I knew nothing of them. They stunned me. I got their album A SOLDIER, A SAINT, AN OCEAN EXPLORER and it won my vote for best of 2008. To the burnt-out music cynic (not me!) who asked when, if ever, I was actually “blown away” by an act, I now had an instant response. As I reported then: - “Finn Riggins. The peak. They shocked and stunned: Truly amazing, like a locomotive storming into a barn... in years to come this could be the band you wish you were on the front wave of.” <img width="500" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="333" border="2" align="left" src="/uploads/Image/TLE_SHW_081.jpg" alt="Finn Riggins" />Photo: <a href="javascript:location.href='mailto:'+String.fromCharCode(109,97,105,108,116,111,58,116,121,108,101,114,64,116,121,108,101,114,107,111,104,108,104,111,102,102,46,99,111,109)+'?subject=OPB%20photo'">TYLER KOHLHOFF</a> Surely Finn Riggins’ new album Vs Wilderness had to disappoint, surely. Well, for a suspended, brief time, it did: For about one listen. Two, three plays, and I was having another experience, it wasn’t the same sonic masterpiece of ’08, but it was already up among the best of ’09. I requested the album lyrics (some band’s words are best undisclosed, Finn Riggins’ add, flip and transform songs to present a dish of alternative takes: a real kettle of fish). Soon, in came the missing lyrics... and off came the kettle’s lid. Now I wonder if Vs Wilderness may be even better than it’s predecessor. This is power, this is class, these people write with deep intention but don’t bring the music down, instead they let loose controlled energy and sheer joy across ever shifting rock-scapes. You can go see them live and just dance-off, or you can listen in to a fine set of observations of the American experience. What you can’t do is ignore it: This is infectious, relentless and the only performance/album I’m reviewing in several years that’s a 7 out of 7. <img width="300" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="451" border="2" align="left" src="/uploads/Image/TLE_SHW_069.jpg" alt="" />Read about the full facts elsewhere, here’s the gist: - Eric Gilbert plays 3 full keyboards (and no tinker-toys), & sings & sweats. Lisa Simpson sings (yes like Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs) and subjugates guitar in a manner that will have Thurston Moore salivating. Cameron Bouiss holds the whole monster together with a full drum kit, driving the rhythms on without appearing to move; a zen presence with a West Indies steel tease. Read below,<a href="#VsWilderness">my reactions to the songs on Vs Wilderness</a>, or jump to <a href="£Interviews"> a truly surreal interview that is the multifarious result of notes flying out of windows, camera theft, spilt liquid bleeding over ink scratchings and of course, blurred memories...</a> Zaph Mann   Copyright: Zaph Mann 2009+.  Reproduction with attribution is fine. Original publisher: opbmusic.org 2009 Finn Riggins PDX CD RELEASE PARTY - 10/10 PORTLAND, OR @ Berbati’s Pan w/ Jared Mees & The Grown Children + World’s Greatest Ghosts + Typhoon   <a name="VsWilderness"></a> Vs Wilderness - The songs <img width="272" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="272" border="2" align="right" alt="" src="/uploads/Image/Cover.jpg" />Vs Wilderness has songs of admiration, songs of challenge and songs to shift perspective. Yeah, yeah, yeah... well, not much of that. Is this the ridicule of cliches? No soppy love songs, no nonsense; it’s more than any individual’s thought, it’s what’s happening on a wider landscape, or imagination - thoughts laid out while the music does the thumping and hammering. Take these samples: ‘Wake’ - a song reminiscent of Talking Heads on More Songs About Buildings and Food: “Building homes lies in all our thoughts / spent my life tryin’ to get what I haven’t got / what I got is what I sought / holes and holes, holes in my socks / carving trees into table tops/ planting crops in our backyard lots / See the birds in the graveyard / grey as the stone / press the snow against your heart / see your breath against the frozen trees” ‘Wake’ finishes with a prolonged refrain which echoes through America’s financially devastated backwaters “gotta keep this town alive / gotta keep this town alive / gotta keep us all alive”. The infectious, uptempo, rock ’n’ roll dance beat disguises the angst of this song, or perhaps signals the counterpoint that is hope. ‘Dali’ - If you don’t know Salvador Dali ‘s work, or you think he just painted weird pictures, go check him out at a book store, then listen to this homage which ends with “Dali painting the sky / Gala / Lorca / Dali painting the sky//”. Idaho is a place dominated by The Sawtooth Mountains, which the Vs Wilderness artwork seems to reference, there, in late summer you can watch the Perseid Meteor showers (shooting stars) minute by minute - and it’s Finn Riggins painting the aural sky. ‘Furs’ Need a road-trip song fix? Not me, usually. In Furs, Finn riggins have updated the American road song, will Mellancamp or Springsteen cover it? Lowell George (Little Feat) would have lived to write this song: “Drive-in movie screen burned down late last July / left a burning parking lot at the corner of Blaine and Oxford Tennessee / in the middle of rush hour traffic / can’t get my window to roll down in this heat /” ...  “not sure what to make of the bridge over the Mississippi River / we used to cross it in wagons / we used to trade our furs for directions, trade our furs / the shirts shirts shirts we sweat through / the shirts shirts shirts we build in / the shirts shirts shirts we play in / the shirts shirts shirts we drive in//” These songs are about meaning, about choices and about conflicting pressures. It’s no wonder that Finn Riggins’ music is so charged given such downright honest and emotional observation of the human condition. America changes and needs fresh perspectives. And although the songs the usual pop personalization, the reach is such that it may reveal strains in the emotions of the band as revealed by: “I try to quiet this mind of mine/ to break the drone of storylines” - and doubts too in a repeating refrain: “We’ve got the same old cause”. Good writing hurts a bit, wrings the soul, no need here for doubts. <a name="Interviews"></a> The Interview(s)* Follow inline, or jump to <a href="#QsCam">Cam's bizzare tale of the steel drum</a>, or <a href="#QsLisa">Lisa's defence of being short.</a> *Extracts from several encounters, the attributed answers may not actually match the person identified... ~ You’re all from Idaho, met at the University etc.., and there’s a town somewhere called Riggins, your band name is Finn Riggins, is that where you’re from? FR: No we were just driving and saw the road-sign for ‘Riggins’ and thought it would be a cool name. ~ Of course, everyone knew that, but there are place-names in Idaho like Bancroft, Dietrich and Heyburn - not just ‘cool’ names, but ‘hot’ ones? FR: Well there’s also Carey, Murray and Downey; but we didn’t drive past them at the right moment either! <a name="QsEric"></a> <img width="500" height="375" align="left" alt="" src="/uploads/Image/EricGilbert_6036.JPG" />Questions directed at Eric Gilbert ~ You play with three big keyboards and not even one of those trendy little pink toy glockenspiels - why is that? EG: Ich lese das spielerei mit Worten/Zahlen, nichts glocken, (He likes playing around with words, not bells) ~ But what about the keyboards - can’t you make a decision about which you want? Do you have trouble letting go of things and have a big stamp collection? EG: My uncle, up in the Sawtooths, has a collection of scalps that I assumed were those of early settlers, but that he insists are those of various critics and journalists... <img width="250" height="333" align="left" alt="" src="/uploads/Image/CamBoiss 6039.JPG" /> <a name="QsCam"></a> Question...? directed at Cam Boiss ~ Tell me how you came to own this steel drum... CB: I went to the West Indiies with my Father on vacation, he said we had ‘a few things to talk about’. I think it was the third day, the day these ‘things’ were to be talked about, that my Father introduced me to a waiter called Joe. Joe seemed to know my Father very well and suggested that instead of a beer I try a local island cocktail. My Father nodded, and, as I recall he smiled vaguely beneath an unusually distant look... [long pause] ~ ...and the drum? CB: What? Oh yes, the drum. ~ You play it very sparingly - wisely given that it could become an overused gimmick. CB: Thanks, it’s hard to reach over that far. ~ Didn’t you get it from someone famous? Yes. Soon after Joe returned with my drink, which I noticed had moving crests of froth that moved in synch with the breaking waves, my father suddenly stood, stared down the beach, then told me to ‘drink up’ and follow him as he staggered off. ~ Really? Well it wasn’t so hard, I even fell over the same crooked palm trunks. ~ And? After a while we reached a hidden cove and my Father stopped, looked around then sat at the edge of the sea. He lit a pipe. I noticed he’d grown a beard that was white, black and silver. Exhausted from the heat and the pace of the walk I collapsed on the sand beside him and lay there for quite some time, dozing in the sun. ~ Yes? I must have been there for some time as when I woke suddenly, it was the incoming tide licking at my feet. I was alone. I regained my wits and saw that my Father’s footprints told that he had headed to the hotel, back the way we had come. ‘I’d better be going,’ I thought, but as I set off I noticed another trail heading inland through the trees, up towards the rocks. Like an animal’s tail? Or perhaps a long beard which brushed whatever tracks lay before it away. For some reason I followed this course. ~ Great! We’re still talking about the drum right? The climb was easy at first, then it became steep, I felt weary and considered going back. It was then I found my Father’s message: A clumsily written note speared through with a stick like a sail. Then I knew it was the right decision. ~ OK, I can’t help myself  - what did it say? See you back at the hotel. ~ Is that all? (smiles) Ah, but you don’t need to hear the rest. ~ What! Yes I do. No, it gets weird. ~ It GETS weird?  OK. I’ll cut it short. This, you see, was “the hidden way”. [big smile, long pause] ~ That’s significant? Oh yes! This was the hidden way, or, as they say there on that island - ‘De path up de hill’ ~ Very profound And at the top of the hill was the man. ~ Oh! Finally, so you bought your steel drum from Ex-Invader Otto "Boots" Faustin one of the world’s most famous suppliers? No the guy's name is Tallboy, no lie; rasta / steel drum master, I could tell you the whole story... ~ No, no. That’s more than enough, got to keep the word-count down... you know. <a name="QsLisa"></a> Questions directed at Lisa Simpson: ~ You’re a little short for a guitarist, don’t you think? LS: No... I'm quite tall for my height.... but a lot of even taller lead singers use the mic stand before me, creating an optical illusion... (and she goes barefoot). <img width="500" height="333" src="/uploads/Image/TLE_SHW_062.jpg" alt="Lisa simpson by Tyler Kirchoff" /> ~ I’ve noticed you slap your guitar around a lot, doesn’t it work properly? LS: My guitar and I have a very special relationship... I chose it for it's submissive nature... it enjoys the punishment.   ~ Do you have a favourite theory, law, rule or whatever? LS: The ones that will be used to create teleportation will be AOK with me... ~ Surprise or Anticipation? LS: I don't like surprises very much... but I hate anticipation...so surprise by a nose... (surprise by a nose?) ~ How many swans do you recommend, per bathtub? LS: well that really depends on the dimensions of said bathtub... but always in pairs... they'd get lonely otherwise... ~ Llamas are common in Idaho, but when was the last Rhino seen? LS: I think we saw a hippo last weekend... wait! That was in Oregon... ~ You are perpetually on tour, so what do you always forget bring home? LS: I leave a trail of toiletries scattered across the US in people's bathrooms... like breadcrumbs to help me find my way again... ~ What have you got to say about uncommon chord progressions? LS: I like the tangy ones ~ Given free unrestricted travel, where would you go? LS: First... back to the Cote D 'Azure in France... then everywhere else I could possibly fit in... I love it... ~ When did you last skip, and why? LS: I'm quite sure it wasn't that long ago... and that it was a reflection of my mental state at the time... ~ What are a few of your favourite things? + Can you make it scan...? LS: They involve food... it might get messy... ~ When you were dead, what? LS: I'll let you know when I get back... ~ Do you know how to dig a pony? LS: That sounds like a fascinating dance craze... are all the kids doing it? ~ What do you think of men with long waxed moustaches? LS: I like their style.... and just hope they don’t tie me to the train tracks... -------------- <a href="#QsEric">Go back to Eric's questions</a> or <a href="#VsWilderness">return to VsWilderness review</a>   true

2009-10-13T22:23:18-07:00

2009-09-29T22:23:18-07:00

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2009-09-29T22:23:18-07:00

My pick for best live performance and best album 2008 was Finn Riggins. Could they possibly pull off the double again?

Interview: Finn Riggins + Review: 'Vs Wilderness' New CD

2009-12-11T14:48:30-08:00

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<a href="http://www.teamyacht.com/">YACHT</a> are shrouded (or should that be triangulated?) by mystery, masonry and mmmm...maybe murmurs... all great intrigue, no doubt. But wait! In See Mystery Lights YACHT has just released one of the most consistent dance album in years, not only that - the chants are intelligent, or at least meaningful, and the hooks are fun. Shouldn't we just enjoy it and analyze it all later, winter maybe (when darkness descends...)? <img width="170" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="170" border="2" align="left" alt="" src="/uploads/Image/ZaphMann/1709525_170x170.jpg" />YACHT are Jona Bechtolt & Claire L. Evans. Their music is very hot in Europe and the bigger US cities. Since signing for DFA they're sounding a lot more more like LCD Soundsystem, delivering a pulsing club dance format with a message reminiscent of Terry Hall (The Specials/Fun Boy Three etc.), yet it's still distinctly YACHT's sound with its own particular quirkiness. Live, they're great theatre, all black and white drama; great entertainment. Their presence, onstage, online, wherever, is on message - there's a "TeamYACHT" mission and they're advocating a different understanding of life - and it's all very skillfully controlled and packaged. YACHT's connections to backers who may have Masonic links has led to 'cultist' accusations, but Bechtolt frequently counters this interpretation: "The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI6xNf4tMcs&fmt=22">"Psychic City" video</a> depicts us performing religious rituals from all eras of human spirituality... Those who think that this video is an old-fashioned love story between Good and Evil are only partially correct: we protest the stigma of "occultism" and see the Left and Right-Hand paths as being simply two roads through the same woods. Some worried that Claire Evans joining the much admired Bechtolt in YACHT would spoil a unique talent. Far from it - although much of Evans vocal delivery is monotone speech she can sing well and adds a dimension to the act. They've been working together since the 2006 Blow remix, they "collaborate on everything" and together they've synthesized their world view and outward presentation into a unique style. One of the notable songs on which Bechtolt was first partnered in YACHT by Evans is "See A Penny Pick It Up", to which, co-incidentally, you can sing the Rolling Stone's "Miss You", so I teasingly asked... - Who's going to sue first? You or Jagger? <img width="300" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="169" border="2" align="right" alt="" src="/uploads/Image/ZaphMann/YACHT-Psychic-City-Still.jpg" /> JB: Hah, we never knew until it was made, it wasn't conscious... Maybe now, by 2009, it's impossible to come up with any single melody that's completely original. - Then there's that refrain on "The Afterlife" (whose chorus channels Desmond Dekkar's The Israelites) is there an homage there? ("Hail to thee: Empire builders... we know how to make life go on and on") JB: It's about Oregon and manifest destiny. - & the second part... JB: That was written... while I was in a floatation tank. We needed an conclusion and it just came to me. This song is typical of the YACHT approach as Claire follows a popping dance bridge by repeating "It is not a place you go, it's a place that comes to you/ and it's not about who you know, or who is in your heart/ It may come as a surprise/ But you are not alone, all that you have, is not what you own" A bit more complex than say "Yeah, get down!" but it really works as Yacht bounce around the stage, skipping, leaping onto speakers. - When did you last skip (off stage), and why? CE: Oh I love to skip, especially when I'm in a hurry - much more comfortable than running! JB: Yeah, not too long ago, I skip down stairs. - Down those stairs?? (steep) JB: Yep, you should see our friend Rich Jensen, he is truly a great skipper, he skips on the spot, skips in the woods, everywhere. - I'm enjoying the phrases inserted into your dance music, it strikes me that this format of repeating/shifting messages with trance like popping beats is an ideal platform for YACHT. The phrases stick in my head, such as "protect your eyes, protect yourself from digital decay" &  "every day is a future memory, and I have no fear of growing old". JB: The original Mystery Lights copy that we submitted to DFA was under nine minutes, just very simple structures with the lyrics. They encouraged us to build the songs up - into longer pop frameworks, that was a good challenge for us. We'd been trying to work out how to get these... how to integrate these hooks into dance side repeats. DFA were great, that's what we're after a collaborative effort. <blockquote>*The original 9 minutessource of See Mystery Lights is being release on actual copper records printed with a restored 1930's copper press by Riot Cop. </blockquote> <img width="179" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="300" border="2" align="right" src="/uploads/Image/ZaphMann/JBSmaller.jpg" alt="JB" /> - What is a "psychic city"? Is Astoria a a psychic city? Is it even a real place? You make it sound fictional or esoteric, like Nirvana or that place that sunk... JB: Astoria has been highly fictionalized by movies that have been made there, and there is a connection to Nirvana (the band) - when I was a boy I felt inspired knowing that he came from a similar small coastal town (Aberdeen, Washington state) and could achieve all that. CE: They're places where you can escape the smell of high-society. JB: ...and yes, there's a Masonic element to these towns. CE: It's not filthy in any way, JB: No, it's a good place, "mildly ambient". - Do you use an alarm clock? JB: A cell-phone alarm CE: It has a 'Mr Rogers' ringtone JB: Yes, my Dad worked for PBS - OK, is it fair to compare you to Springsteen? [Laughs] - I don't know if it's fair, it's like the Talking Heads comparisons, they're both just so much better than us. - My tongue in cheek comparison to Springsteen was really about having songs misunderstood: Your song "It's Boring/You Can Live Anywhere You Want" seems to have an underlying rolling commentary, about potential: About idyls, but also about resource scarcity, like water... CE: It could be misinterpreted, but we mean it to be open ended, there are double meanings, it's also about the online world, being able to 'go' anywhere while in isolation. The overall intention is a positive direction. - On a scale of Black to White how do rate your chances of that song misrepresenting your views? C: White! - and not just because Jona wears white. J: Or the opposite... J: I want to say grey <img width="200" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="300" border="2" align="left" src="/uploads/Image/JB-PDXPOPNOW.jpg" alt="" />- Tell me more about the stark black/white imagery. JB: It's not just for fun. CE: We like to simplify for performance, the presentation... there's a style element... JB: It's an alternative to all the dualities - like Mac v PC - CE: ...we're stylized characters but fluid, it's part entertainment, part art project, but being more than just a band. - How did you dress in early performances? JB: Like, any Pacific NW band, jeans etc... like kids. CE: Part of it [The black and white presentation] is showing we have intention, that we've thought about it. - On the cult issue: You've been accused of 'pushing' some cultist type message even though I find your lyrics nothing more than basic observations. [YACHT are sponsored by the YACHT Trust, who in turn are said to be associated with Masonic society and the writings of Manley P. Hall. Indeed message repetition is used in what is termed 'The Big Lie' - a political strategy for changing the facts. JB:  "It's more ideological... we want to create something that's heavenly here, something with purity and light. CE: ...and I'm interested in ancient mystery, paganism and it's symbols: We try to bring these things together. JB: But it's sounding too much like a cult  - which it definitely isn't. - So is there a Big Truth? JB: Hmmm.. No. Not one, but there are many small truths... - Taken from your song, what then is the 'theory in your heart?' JB:  Ah!  (Both smile and look to each other  )We have a project - codename Bible! - "A practical guide to overcoming humanity and becoming your own god." - That's big. Both, seemingly simultaneously: We see religion and science as attempts to understand the same thing, which is an 'unknowable mystery'. The thing is to concentrate on our own self as leader, without need for things like a zen esoteric. - Surprise or Anticipation? CE: Surprise, I deal poorly with anticipation. JB: Surprise for me too. CE: But you can't keep a secret - Here's a desert island question - your physical survival needs taken care of - pick one, add one - (no humans) from: Dictionary, pencil, pad & paper, hat, dog. CE: Dog, I'd like the dictionary but I wouldn't need it, or the pad, but I'd be stressed about the finite number of pages... JB:Are we together? - No. JB: with the dog, are we limited by breed? - No JB: Is there a power source? - That's enough questions... - How does it feel - getting recognition, going up in the music world? JB: It's fantastic, European audiences really give us great support - they seem to suspend belief comfortably. CE: And we've got a manager for the first time, that's great having someone to take care of small things, because up till now we've done everything ourselves; website publicity etc. - But you still have creative control? JB: Yes, the relationship with <a href="http://www.ulike.net/DFA_Records" target="_blank">DFA</a> is excellent - even though it's a bigger label with EMI distribution deals, it's still one person Jonathan Galkin calling all the shots. He deals with us directly and we really like the artistic relationship wherein we present something half-done and get feedback. <img width="300" vspace="2" hspace="2" height="225" border="2" align="left" src="/uploads/Image/ZaphMann/YACHT%20B-C.JPG" alt="" />See Mystery Lights is all black and white except for an inverted red triangle on the disc (similar to those that keep mysteriously showing up in our photos...)  the red triangle happens to be the oldest logo ever sanctioned under law (the first registered trademark for Bass Pale Ale, Britain, 1876)... Gosh! Was William Bass a Mason? And why does that scroogle search come up with The Knights of Columbus as well?... The question of whether YACHT are sincere or merely tongue in cheek is all part of the fun: "Will we go to heaven or will we go to hell? - It's my understanding that neither are real." The messages, put as open-ended questions, are worthy of XTC's Andy Partridge (like Evans, born in Swindon, England) - no one took it too seriously when XTC dressed up for Mummer. YACHT are fresh, stimulating and great to dance to. There's really nothing black and white about them except the image, and that is the point, great music with the bonus of including interesting ideas, things to consider, but not to take too seriously. Remember, intrigue is a negative force...    YACHT also have releases on Portland's own <a href="http://www.marriagerecs.com" target="_blank" title="Marriage records">Marriage Records</a>. Copyright: Zaph Mann 2009.  Reproduction with attribution is fine. Original publisher: opbmusic.org 2009     true

2009-09-02T18:55:22-07:00

2009-08-19T18:55:22-07:00

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2009-08-19T18:55:22-07:00

Mystery surrounds YACHT, the very smart duo from Astoria, Oregon; a small western coastal city, seemingly influenced by Masonic themes, yet hot in the UK dance scene? Will their exclusive interview for opbmusic.org shine some mystery light on things?

YACHT Interview + Review: Polarization, Paradox, or Playfulness?

2009-12-11T14:48:47-08:00

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GN: How is the tour going? AT: The tour is going great. I’m in a particularly good mood today because of last night’s show in San Francisco. GN: Oh, really? Why was it good? AT: The venue was great and the perfect size, full capacity. It had great sound and this new light show I’m doing looked great too. Everything kind of fell into place yesterday.  Overall, the tour has been great so far, the openers have worked out well and there’s been a great vibe on the bus. GN: How did you go about picking Rye Rye, then Theophilus London to open? AT: It was a mix of reasons. It is kind of half a game of chance to pick openers. And you can’t expect everyone to be available. Originally, Rye Rye seemed like a good fit, and Theophilus played a show with me in New York and he was available so we took him on tour with us. GN: How did Fool’s Gold Records come to exist? AT: I started the label with my partner Nick Catchdubs. I ran a label before, so to me it was nothing new. I’m used to wanting to release records and being in a position to help my friends get their music heard. We were talking casually about it, then we started the business. GN: Is the record label going to become your main focus? AT: No, I’m a DJ first and foremost. The label is based on Djing; I will always be a DJ. As I get older, I may not tour as much. A lot of the older labels are having trouble and it’s a good time to start something new. GN: Do you see Fool’s Gold expanding rapidly? AT: Yeah, it already has been. We’re getting behind albums and it’s growing fast. GN: Is there a sort of friendly competition with your brother (Dave 1 of Chromeo)? AT: Dave and I have been involved with each other’s music for years. People always ask when are you and Chromeo going to collaborate on something, but we have been for years; it’s just never been published. We’re both each other’s biggest supporters. He’s the first person I get feedback from. GN: What’s your opinion on the state of Electronic music today? AT: It depends where.  In America, there isn’t much of a culture for electronic music. But I think that it will be around for a long time. It’s been associated with Hipsters and Indie kids and I hope that the audience and listeners can devote some time to the less flashy music in the genre. GN: Thoughts on Hip-Hop today? AT: Hip-Hop is finally getting back on its feet now because there’s a new crop of artists. The way the culture has evolved in the last couple years, it’s finally connecting with the audience. The problem for a long time is that there weren’t any new interesting artists. We were always waiting for the new Jay-Z, Rick Ross, or Fat Joe record. Even Kanye is getting older now. I think Lupe Fiasco was one of the first new young rappers to make an impact. He was one of the newer artists that kids wanted to be like. Now with Kid Cudi, Drake, and Asher Roth, there’s a breath of fresh air in Rap, and there are tours that are successful. There are new artists that kids are excited about; that’s the important thing. true

2009-08-04T17:36:22-07:00

2009-07-21T17:27:49-07:00

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2009-07-21T17:36:22-07:00

This interview marks the first in an occasional series of interviews, reviews, and features with artists whose tour stop in Portland is 21+. Kanye West tour DJ A-Trak came through Portland last Friday and we jumped on the chance to ask him a few questions about the tour, DJing, and the state of a couple genres today.

Banned From the Bar: A-Trak

2009-07-21T23:11:37-07:00

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<img width="350" height="263" alt="" src="/uploads/Image/IMG_0230.JPG" />  (From the show, photo credit: Geoff Nudelman) Luke Temple (LT)-Guitar, vocals Jen Turner (JT)-Bass, Vocals Michael Bloch (MB)-Guitar Kristina Lieberson (KL)-Bass G: How is the tour going? LT: It’s going great. Our tour with Grizzly Bear just ended in San Francisco and it was amazing.  JT: We also had an awesome drum jam at the Fillmore in San Francisco on the last night of tour. We were banging on coolers; there was hootin’ and hollerin’ and chanting everywhere. It was an hour-and-a half jam session after the whole show was over. At some point there will be Youtube footage of it. LT: We busted a hole in the wall, actually. G: Are you guys the type of band that gains a lot from touring with someone established like Grizzly Bear? MB: We learned a ton. LT: We had never played stages that big before. We were used to playing smaller spaces with a small PA and in a larger venue, we had to manipulate our sound to make it work. Limited time for soundchecks didn’t help that either. We learned little tricks to maximize our short amount of time. G: Did the quality of the live show suffer or were you able to compensate? JT: We have no idea (laughs). MB: We’re still processing it. LT: We reached a plateau after a few shows where even if we were tired, we were still performing effectively enough to translate the music. KL: We had really great reactions from the audience. Especially from people who’ve never heard us before. JT: That’s the best part. G: I noticed that HWGM doesn’t stick to one genre; your sound tends to splash in different areas of music. Was this the intention of the band or was it a result of the progression of HWGM? LT: It’s a way to keep us interested. MB: It’s not a conceptual design; It’s something we all lean towards. G: So, you all come from different musical backgrounds? KL: I learned from hitchhiking around the country. JT: I studied Jazz and Classical and now I’m doing what I’m doing. MB: I played nylon-string guitar and studied Flamenco music like rhythmic, percussive playing. JT: Before this tour, Luke had never played guitar. I taught him a few chords and he picked it up quick. LT: I’m a hand drum player for the most part, so I tried to adapt that to learning guitar. I don’t necessarily want it to feel like a hand drum, but maybe sound and look like one (laughs). G: Since HWGM originated in Brooklyn, how has the evolution of the music scene there influenced the band? LT: There’s a lot of interesting, urgent music being made there right now. G: Urgent? LT: There’s a lot of progressive music being made with varied expression. They all tend to get lumped together, but are all quite different. I don’t want to say there’s competition, but there’s a healthy incentive to try to do something really thoughtful and streamlined rather than arbitrary Indie Rock. Since we’re so young as a band (they formed in January, became a quintet in March), we don’t really have a motus operandi. JT: We’re babies (laughs). LT: We all share a cohesive vision that’s really hard to articulate right now, and I don’t know if we ever will be able to. But, it’s great to have that shared feeling that we are coming together as a band. It really feels like a band. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/herewegomagic">www.myspace.com/herewegomagic</a> true

2009-07-12T09:45:12-07:00

2009-06-28T09:41:45-07:00

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2009-06-28T09:45:12-07:00

We had the opportunity to chat with four members of Brooklyn's Here We Go Magic outside Mississippi Studios after their fairly-packed show last Wednesday.

Here We Go Magic Explains Their Diversity

2009-06-29T17:58:35-07:00

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