"A-List" by Jack Schonewolf, Philly Weekly (APR 23/08)
Liner Notes
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Team Robespierre is a five-piece dance punk band from the DIY warehouses of Brooklyn. Unlike Maximilien Robespierre, a key figure behind the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, the only assault this band unleashes in one on your ears. Their debut album released in January - "Everything's Perfect" (Impose Records) - which is comprised of 10 songs in a total of 18 abrupt minutes, is punked out disco exploding boundaries and defying genre. The guys don't play nice or play by the rules, and as such have given us a taste of their crazy world, one of sweat-filled dance parties and art weirdness. For starters, the lyrics aren't sung- they are shouted in a cadence that matches the drum beats, often with call-and-response urgency. The keyboards keep it all together with superficial melodies, and the guitars and bass provide the anchor. Four of the five guys in the band provide the vocals, and as such it is what creates their signature noise, along with the synth beats and thrashing drums. The album is a concise effort with pervasive theme and sound. You can clearly discern these elements: the edgy synth pop of "88th Precinct" and "Solid Gold", the back-and-forth lyric swaps of "Gasoline", and the driving punk of "Plutonium Pigs". The band also has out a new 7" called "Bad Habit", released by Min/Max Records, which is a limited edition of 750 hand-numbered vinyl, and can be purchased here. For those of you who missed their show on Friday at the North Star Bar with French phenoms The Teenagers, you can catch Team Robespierre at two upcoming shows in NYC (one in Soho on 5/22, and one in Brooklyn on 5/22). Apparently their hometown shows are riotious affairs with much fan participation with dancing and crowd surfing. Check out the band's myspace page for visual proof, and make sure you are sufficiently warned.
Track Listing:
01 Laika 02 Black Rainbow 03 88th Precinct 04 Ha Ha Ha 05 Mal de Mer 06 Solid Gold 07 Death Smells 08 Gasoline 09 Big Deal 10 Plutonium Pigs
In just a few short hours, the brash French band The Teenagers will take the stage at the North Star Bar with tour support Team Robespierre. The Teenagers are a trio comprised of Michael Szpiner, Dorian Dumont, and Quentin Delafon. Known for their danceable tunes with whip-smart lyrics, dirtier than the floor at Shampoo, the band cranks out synth pop with pop culture references for the myspace generation in a combo of atonal spoken word and sung choruses. The band's debut album, "Reality Check", was released on May 18th in the US after a string of underground hit singles and remixes that caused much of a stir with their irreverant content, including the crass he said-she said "Homecoming". Name checking everyone from Michael Jackson to Scarlett Johansson (who gets a song named after her) to Shannon Dougherty to Alyssa Milano, The Teenagers may be French but are up to speed on the American obsession with celebrities and today's teenage wasteland. "Reality Check" has 14 songs of electronic beats that are fused with guitar bliss, but the music is really just the backbone for the tongue-in-cheek vibe and clever style. There's not a lot of variety to the band's sound, as the songs all have the same formula. It's still enjoyable, however, because it's fun and silly and reminds us that sometimes the more superficial things in life can be relevant. And we all need some of that to counterbalance the Sea Wolfs and Band of Horses of the world.
That's supposed to be the Detroit Skyline, on the amp.
It's nearing closer and closer to festival season, and with our own share of excitement around these parts (Popped!) there are also other "happening" scenes across the country, which of course, makes traveling for the non-armchair indie-rocker, just a little bit more enticing over summer months. Amazing online indie mag, and party-throwers extraordinaire; Detour, are hosting their first-year Rock City festival in Detroit "Rock City", Michigan this year. The listing of bands is a who's-who of the local Detroit indie scene with The Javelins, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Von Bondies, Mason Proper, and psych-prog group THTX (featuring power-pop rocker and local indie producer Matthew Smith of Outrageous Cherry), as well as bands from all over--Matt & Kim, VHS or Beta, Tigercity, The Death Set, Kiddo... Sloan are headlining, but this makes sense. Sloan, although originally hailing from Halifax NS, cut their teeth on some of Detroit's oldest and well-known venues and have garnered a huge following in Detroit over the years.
"I'd been telling people that I was done with
recording and believed it myself. This record date reminded me that it
wasn't making music in the studio that made me miserable but the
nonsense that predictably follows in what we laughingly call the "music
business". So I decided to change it and my mind. That's what I do." (Elvis Costello)
No messing about: playing with an orchestra, covering the greats, concocting a tribute, working with an unsung hero, etc... Just the man you were looking for ...Elvis Costello! Could this be the album that the fans have been waiting for; hoping for, since the original release of This Year's Model? What does Elvis Costello mean to you?
Elvis Costello & The Imposters 2008 album Momofuku ("Well, obviously the title is a tribute to Momofuku Ando, the inventor
of the Cup Noodle." -Elvis Costello) is a brilliant piece of work, and we're sure; the result of over 30 years of Elvis Costello making music. It has punch, and a simplistic, raw and imperfect vitality that is a call-back to the songwriting style that made him so great to begin with. Momofuku was recorded earlier this year, over one week's time following a period when Costello and his bandmate Davey Faragher had been contributing to Rilo Kiley's album sessions. With the help of Jason Laders (Rilo Kiley, Jay-Z) at Sun City Studio (in Van Nuys, CA) in February, the new album includes collaborations from an interesting cast of characters including; Steve Nieve, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Jenny Lewis, long-time drummer of The Attractions and Imposters Pete Thomas, his daughter Tennessee Thomas (drummer of all-female group The Like), Lewis' boyfriend Johnathan Rice (on guitar and vocals), and friend of Lewis' "Farmer" Dave Scher (on keyboard and vocals) among others. Elvis Costello's tour will be reaching PA, NY and NJ in late July and early August.
LA-based three-piece Meho Plaza celebrate the release of a brand new s/t album out in stores nationwide today (May 6th). Their moving and spaced-out track The Beach has been on our minds for some time now and was a definite step in an interesting direction for the band, who boast a style that is a mixture of everything from noisy psych-pop to guitar driven songs with modified keyboard samples. Their often fuzzed-out sound accompanies high-strained vocals stressed over quick guitar riffs and upbeat casio keyboard bleeps and bloops. The album, which is a mixture of their EPs and newer songs strung together, is a great introduction to the group, and a wonderful start.
Around Girl About Town HQ, Paul Weller is the Modfather. So much so that we named our website with him in mind, after a Jam song called "Boy About Town". (That and heck, we are indeed girls about town). So imagine our excitement at the news that Weller is getting ready to release a new album and tour the US! The new album, called "22 Dreams", is the first release from Weller in three years and his ninth solo album. The album is due out on June 24th on YepRoc, with the promise of 21 songs, 70 minutes, all one year in the making. For the last three years, Weller was taking a break from recording but not touring, as he played ambitious shows in New York and LA encompassing songs from his long career of Jam, Style Council, and solo work. Since the late '70s - when Weller was a teenage pop prodigy - to today, Weller has embraced all of his influences in his music. Starting with mod influences such as the Small Faces and The Who, and moving to soul artists like Curtis Mayfield, Weller has a passion for all musical genres and has a deep record collection. This has become apparent throughout his solo work, but is now culminating in "22 Dreams", which is an amalgam of rock, soul, electronica, folk, and anything else Weller pulls out of his repetoire.
The first single off the album is a co-written duet with Noel Gallager of Oasis called "Echoes Round the Sun". Already being touted as a British anthem, there are high hopes that this record will continue to cement Weller's status in British music history. Having received a lifetime acheivement award at the 2007 Brit Awards, Weller is indeed a legend in the UK and has a solid fan base in the US. But not one to rest on his laurels, the new album is more of a masterpiece than a reworking of the past, with 21 songs that range from the genres of his comfort zone into more experimental territory. Also contributing to the new album is Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, who plays on song "Black River". A US tour promoting the new album will be announced sometime soon, and you can bet GAT will be there (currently Weller is playing dates in the UK). Until then, we will be having 22 dreams of Paul Weller....
Public Record is indeed, for the record, from our fair city of Philadelphia. They are a seven piece that lays on the rhythms without any vocals. The band is a smorgasbord of sounds - Funk, Northern Soul, Shoegaze, Afro-beat, Krautrock, Post Rock, Dub, and even Disco. If you listen closely you may hear faint late 70s/early 80s Factory Records bliss along with Scottish Postcard Records -era pop (think Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice). No surprise here, for they count among their many and diverse influences Aztec Camera, The Fall, Jimmy Cliff, Alton Ellis, Can, The Clash, The Style Council, James Brown, Fela Kuti, and Galaxie 500. No doubt this record will have universal appeal. And yes, you can dance to it.
This record is all about versatility, agility, complexity, and diversity. Even though the songs are dance-able, this isn't a vacant pop record. It's rich with jams - both long and short, layered with texture, and engaging - so much so that one could argue that it's anti-pop in all the right ways. Repeated listens are in order at first to get aquainted with Public Record. The music is thoroughly unique but also reminsicent of so many things. Here's what came to our minds: dubby reggae from Gregory Issacs; "Smooth Operator" from Sade; the horns of Psychedelic Furs; John Lurie and The Lounge Lizards; and Eno era Talking Heads.
Their self-titled debut album was released by Philly based High Two Records on April 8th. The album was recorded by Jeff Zeigler (known to many in Philly as the man behind band Relay). Founded in 2001 by Gareth Duffield (guitar) and Brent Bohan (bass), the band didn't really gel until 2005 when a concrete lineup came together and a solid group of songs emerged. Adding a second guitarist, two drummers, a saxophonist, and a third percussonist, the band found its stride. All this makes for a mighty presence and one not to be missed, especially since the drums and horns are exhilirating and the beat is righteous.
From the release of their Gonzo's Cointreau EP to their latest debut; the album Zeppelin 3, local experimental dance phenoms Pink Skull have bridged another welcome gap between techno-house, dance music, and avante-rock. Working the dance floor hard as a five-piece; long-time members Julian Grefe (vocals, synths, programming, percussion) along with Justin Geller (programming/visuals), work with friends Jeremy Gewertz (drums), Mike Hammel (bass guitar) and Sam Murphy (guitar) and certainly make for an interesting collaborative outfit. With tracks ranging from upbeat dance squealers like the funnily named, "Unicorn Harpoon" (just keep saying that one out loud), to airy experimental guitar numbers such as "Ssilt", the album is always maneuvering the listener around an unexpected corner. Each track seems to move of its own accord, with minimal direction, while still leading you around the next bend fluidly. And that's one of the many exciting things about listening to all of the tracks together; from the dropped bass-beat of "U.g.uo.aaaahhhhh" to the collaborative remix and quirky, upbeat rap of "Crambodia" (a killer track featuring Plastic Little, Ghostface Killah, Spank Rock and Amanda Blank) or the quiet beauty and tender sing-song lyrics of "Take Me Riding" which features Mirah; Zeppelin 3 is an innovative exercise in tongue-in-cheek, brassy beats--and still, through all of its own unique parts, its the accessibility of each track that eases you through new adventures in sound at each turn.
"Look, the older you get, the more you want out of your music. It's a
little cheesy, sure, but going to raves since I was 18 taught me that
DJing [and dance music] is supposed to be about a journey—taking
people somewhere, you know?"(Julian Greffe - City Paper Interview October 2007)
Support your local arts scene: If you live in Philadelphia, Zeppelin 3 is available through Space 1026 art gallery (located on the 2nd floor at 1026 Arch Street), or can be ordered (if you're from out of town) through the Free News Projectsweb site online, or at local indie Repo Records (on South Street), the album is a little harder to track down than most because it's a local release, but definitely well-worth the time in searching it out (with a little footwork, it took us about half a day to get one in our hands and on the stereo by the afternoon thanks to some very helpful folks at Repo and Space 1026).
Dig that neon lightning bolt and super hair!
Girl About Town: Who did you work with on Zeppelin 3 or is this just a product of
self-production--tell us about the making of your debut full-length.
Julian Grefe: JG [Justin Gellar] and I did almost all of the production on the record... A couple
of the tracks that both made it and didn't make it were done by myself,
and my friend Mike McHenry (currently in LA doing the new Black Eyed
Peas stuff. Uggggghhhh... dreadful). Jeff Zeigler and I mixed down El
Topo at Uniform Studios--where he also mastered it. Most of it was just JG and I on the computers in our place recording and mixing.
What have you been working on since the completion of Zeppelin 3?
Since the completion of the record we've been devoting a lot of time to
honing the presentation of the live show, and a new EP of some
completely OUT shit mixed with some 'dancier' stuff. Some real head
music. We're also working on a remix for Karin Strom.
Where did the title of the album come from?
It's the best 'Zeppelin record... Who wouldn't wanna be named after the best 'Zeppelin record?!?
How do you choose who you collaborate with--and what is your favorite
collaboration piece that has come out of the release of the Gonzo's
Cointreau EP and Zeppelin 3 so far?
We
just collaborate with artists that we are near and dear with and that
we respect as artists. And I think that feeling is mutual. MY
favorite? On the full-length, as far as collaborations go, I'd say
Bubblelog Aftermath. Since then, the new track with Billy Dufala that we're working on is tits.
How did you get involved with
releasing the album and EP through local org Free News Projects and
what kind of support have they given you for your EP and latest release?
Ah, Max and I have been friends and collaborators for years... Since we
did the final Aspera record together. They're very generous in the sexy
backrub department... Definitely good stress relief when things get a
little much.
What got your involved in the dance music scene, and what is your favorite artist right now?
JG and I have listened to dance music and worked on
dance music since the early nineties. I first got to play on house
tracks around '94, but I'd been going to parties and such since around
'91... I loooooved house music. Justin was fully immersed in the drum
and bass scene. As far as the 'indie dance scene' in Philadelphia...
well.... Dave P and I and our crew kinda started it, I guess... There
wasn't anything like it before we started, and now, its blossomed into a
really exciting/fun thing.
What has become your most inspiring moment to date?
Either playing the Guggenheim to 2000 people or playing a private sex party to 100 naked Czech men. Too close to really make a call. But the Guggenheim did smell better.
What is your favorite thing about Philadelphia?
That people fucking freak-out and know their music. Is that one thing? If that's two things... let's go with Spanish fries.
Last Tuesday, Tokyo Police Club released their much anticipated full-length album "Elephant Shell" through Saddle Creek Records. As any first full length can be, the possibility is there that some die-hard fans will be a little let down.The crunchiness of their first 2 EP’s have been toned down by production and the "indie-rock cuteness" that is so popular right now. Each track of "Elephant Shell" is simple, melodic, and carefree indie rock. It's almost refreshing to hear an indie rock band that are producing melodies and just having a good time doing it. They are maturing and running in more of a Death Cab for Cutie direction as opposed to the garage-style Sunny Day Real Estate direction the first two EPs were heading. But do not count it out, it’s pretty irresistible. You can't help but find yourself bopping along to these short-but-sweet pop songs. After it runs it’s half hour course, you won't change the album once the first song begins to play again. That good vibe and energy of Tokyo Police Club is something you just don’t want to end that quickly.
Although Girl About Town missed Dave Monk’s solo acoustic show at AKA Music earlier on in the evening, we were right in the middle of the sweaty First Unitarian Church on Monday night to catch the full band perform. The sold-out show exploded into energy as soon as the first chords were struck, and you can see why there is such a huge buzz about this band. The rainbow lights that illuminated their faces as they played with the punk-rock simplicity of the Dead Milkman andelectronic overtones to create a smoother, happier Bloc Party. The crowd was gleefully crowd surfing and rocking back and forth. The enthusiam and energy that filled up that small basement was relentless. Monk often reiterated his love for the crowd and how well we kept up with their signature hand clapping.
It’s a rare experience to take a step back to watch a band like Tokyo Police Club play in a great intimate venue that you know they are going to be too big for months from now. That’s what makes the First Unitarian Church one of GAT’s favorite places to see a band. Try and catch Tokyo Police Club on this intimate tour while you have the chance!
This year's preliminary Popped! festival lineup has been announced, and as all of us here at Girl About Town are The Smiths and New Order fans, we'll definitely be looking forward to having a bit of Salford (home of The Smiths and half of New Order) here in our own home town when brit-pop electro duo The Ting-Tings grace the stage on Saturday night right here in Philadelphia on June 21st. Two members consisting of friends Katie White and Jules De Martino rock out in style, with Jules on the drums, electronics, and backing vocals, and Katie taking the lead on vocals, guitar and bass drum. Their name, taken from when "Katie was working in a boutique with a Chinese girl
called "Ting Ting," which is also Mandarin term for a "band stand". "I
thought it was lovely," Katie remembers. "It can also refer to the
sound of innovation or an open mind. Like the 'ting' you hear when you
get an idea."," fits the duo perfectly, and shows a genuine connection to the crisp snap, and pop of their sound. With a new album, titled We Started Nothing to be released in late May, the timing couldn't be more perfect for the duo to make their first journey into the US and tour! Check out their first sold out B-side Great DJ (below)
The Republic Tigers, a new band on the horizon from Kansas City, MO, is gearing up for a very busy Spring. The quintet just finished an East Coat tour with Tally Hall, and have a pending tour with Nada Surf. In between are some significant milestones for the band, including the release of their debut full length album "Keep Color" (Chop Shop Records) on May 6th, and a visit to the set of David Letterman on May 22nd, who after all these years is still a harbinger of cool music and buzz worthy bands.
The band was founded in 2006 by Kenn Jankowski and Adam McGill, when their respective bands broke up and they realized they shared a similar love of both modern pop and avant-garde electronica. Both are multi-instrumentalists, and when it came time to piece the band together, they added other multi-instrumentalists who also shared their sensibilities. Together they all write sweeping, moving pieces of music that share both intimate, acoustic elements mixed with a more grand symphonic sound. This comes from using actual musical instruments (guitar, accordian, trumpet) in layers with the melodic keyboards, programmed strings, and multi-tracked harmonies.
"It’s a sound that’s half organic and half synthetic, kind of like how all our lives are now,” says Jankowski.“It’s the common theme throughout all of the songs and we tried to approach it audibly as well.”
At the end of 2007, the band released an EP but are better suited for the space that a full length affords them, with songs that border on epic. However, it's not a sound that's easy to replicate on the road. Adjusting their layered approach for shows, the band has had to pare down to what's essential to creating the songs live. They will use only the most neccessary tracks and play live instruments along with these tracks in order to get the most authentic sound they can. Having just seem them live, we can tell you it works well. And being that the band will be on the road for a good while, you can catch them live for yourself. (For those of you who missed them at the North Star Bar on 4/16, you can catch them in New York at Webster Hall on May 2nd, where The Republic Tigers are playing a show for the Tribeca Film Festival).
L to R: Adam McGill, Marc Pepperman, Kenn Jankowski, Justin Tricomi, Ryan Pinkston
The B-52's brought their "Funplex" tour to Philly Friday night, playing to a nearly sold-out sweat box that was the Electric Factory. The B's are touring in support of their new album, their first in more than sixteen years, playing songs both new and old to crowds of fans new and old. The current lineup for the B's is the same core of four - frontman Fred Schneider, the ladies Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, and guitarist Keith Strickland. On stage they were joined by a full band, including a second guitarist (who also played synth), bass player, drummer, and a mysterious guy manning a giant sound board/keyboard contraption. Girl About Town squeezed our way through the crowd to be stage right, about 20 rows from the stage, so we had a great clear view of the band and could admire their outfits and stage presence.
The B's opened up with "Pump", a new song from the new album, and then played two vintage tunes that were unexpected but made the crowd of long-time B-52s fans quite ecstatic: "Mesopotamia" (from their 1982 EP), and "Private Idaho" (from 1980's "Wild Planet"). Okay, so maybe it seems right that they would play "Private Idaho", but "Mesopotamia" was really digging deep and seemed like a treat just for the new wavers. Next was "Ultraviolet", another new song, and then two more from "Wild Planet": "Give Me Back My Man" and "Strobelight". This was one of the show's greatest moments, as it was clear that the B's meant business and that this tour isn't just about promoting the new album, but connecting with fans through their best work. "Give Me Back My Man", sung mainly by Cindy, was an incredible version with strong vocals (except towards the end when Cindy's voice seemed slightly strained), and gave fans chills as she reached the upper registers of her voice while lamenting the loss of her man. Fred accompanied Cindy's singing with a glockenspiel, and the band added an extended ending that was unfamiliar yet interesting. "Strobelight" was fantastic, with Fred in the lead. He acknowledged the crowd by shouting "I wanna kiss your Philly cheesesteak!" (instead of the somewhat risque "pineapple"). After this came "Juliet of the Spirits", one of the best of the new songs, showcasing the magical dual vocals of Kate and Cindy, sounding better than ever and showing us why the B's resonate with so many people. Fred took a break from the stage during this song, and the next, "Roam" from 1989's "Cosmic Thing". "Roam" was another crowd pleaser, and then they played three more new songs: "Funplex", referencing America's obsession with shopping malls, "Hot Corner", a song about the band's early days in Athens, GA, and "Keep This Party Going". In contrast to the great show moments, this particular segment was rather lackluster, but picked up with another song from "Wild Planet" - "Party Out of Bounds". Cindy played the bongos on this song, and Fred played the slide whistle, but the song didn't totally elevate the band's performance. "Love Shack" was up next, and with that, expectations were high for a crowd frenzy, but the song was held back by a slower tempo and more funky rhythm. And with that the main part of the show was over, leaving the crowd wanting more.
When the band came back out, the opening space-age bleeps of "Planet Claire" could be heard, and everyone went crazy with excitement. What a great choice for the encore opener - the first song from their first album, epic in every way. Cindy continued on bongos, Fred made noises with a walkie-talkie, and Kate sang all the spooky high vocals. This was indeed the highlight of show, capturing all the things past and present that still make the B-52s the greatest party band ever. After came one more new song, "Love in the year 3000", an odd choice for the encore, and then as a second encore, the iconic "Rock Lobster", which was the best way to end the show. Overall, the show wasn't slick or disco or Vegas (recent complaints about the band), but authentic - a little sloppy, lots of guitars and synths, and a whole lot of love from the Funplex.
The Girl About Town Spring Fling was on Thursday night - thanks to all the bands that participated and all of you who came out for a great night of indie rock. We are especially grateful to Cary Ann Hearst and her partner Michael Trent for making the trip up to Philly from South Carolina (Cary Ann's second time ever crossing the Mason Dixon line!). They won over lots of new fans and we think Cary Ann may have even broken a few hearts with her sweet southern charm. We hope they'll be back. And as for the other bands - Cheers Elephant, East Hundred, and National Eye - we're looking forward to more great times and great shows.
Girl About Town is STOKED to introduce Cary Ann Hearst to Philadelphia this Thursday for our Spring Fling (9 PM at the Khyber). Cary’s a southern country girl full of soul and charisma. As the Charlestonians (as Cary likes to call people from her hometown of Charleston) will tell you, seeing Cary and the Gun Street Girls live is a twangy, feet-stomping, REAL southern experience. It’s not the modern country or alt-country that you are used to now. It’s the emotional performing and songwriting that Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash were known for; delivered by a sultry, raspy, little spitfire of a gal. Girl About Town caught up with Cary to get some info on her inspiration and to find out how she likes to spice up her live shows.
Girl About Town: Your sound plays a great ode to classic, whiskey-soaked country (when country was at its best with the likes of Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash). Do you strain your influence from those roots? What inspires your style and songwriting process now?
Cary Ann Hearst: I am deeply stoned on the intoxicating effects of that kind of music. I grew up with it and despite all my resistance as a punk kid in Nashville, TN, I was inevitably captivated. I have a hard time pulling loose of those apron strings when I write, but I find inspiration where ever someone leaves it around. I am currently obsessed with the Shangri-Las and I hope they influence me, though I would not have wanted to be lumped into their girl gang.
You have been playing the Charleston music scene for over a decade. What part has Charleston played in molding your sound?
We are pretty isolated over here. We Charlestonians spend all our time with each other, stealing from each other's ideas and changing it up enough to turn into flattery. I am constantly making self righteous commentary on my peers, so if it weren’t for the debauchery of the average Charlestonian, I wouldn’t have much of a schtick. I suppose. HA!
You are signed with Taylor Shults of TKO Artist Management who represents Toby Keith, among other big names in country. How did you connect?
On a musical level, we don’t connect. Me and TKO that is, although they are all wonderful to me and he does my business the way I would want it done. I have nothing to do with commercial country music and I want nothing to do with it for the most part. I met Taylor at a gig and I was SO VERY RETICENT to trust anyone out of Nashville. I pretty much wrote him off when I found out who he works for. I was afraid he would wanna put me in pink lipstick and tell me my music was too country or not country enough or whatever it is everyone likes to say to an artist who can be easily classified. He swore up and down after much persistence that I ought to give it a shot. Schults rocks and he gets done that which I can not. Now I make no apologies. Hell, Toby Keith’s having a nice career.... maybe these guys know what they are doing. Hell, he's my own personal Albert Grossman.
We came across some interesting information about you producing a rock & roll Burlesque/Cabaret show a few years ago along with a Rock n' Roll Rejects Prom...tell us about that! Are you still involved with putting on these shows?Also, when can we expect a new album; what's in store this summer?
Since I play Charleston pretty frequently, I try to mix in some other visual or thematic aspects to show productions to keep it interesting and fresh for the folks (and for the band too). My interests are 'schitzo' so it works out that I can do whatever I want and everyone goes along with it... "That Cary Ann, she's just so capable!" That’s what they say! (Laughs at own joke here.) Summer time has more of the same... country band practices on Sunday. Rock and roll on Monday. Cabaret KIKI in May, Gun Street Girls tour in July. Shovels And Rope record will be coming out, hopefully one from The Gun Street Girls, and somewhere in there I am gonna find myself. "We haven’t located our selves yet....," gratuitous Wes Anderson reference.
Last but not least, what's your favorite thing about Philadelphia?
Freedom and Hoots and Hellmouth. Honestly, that’s all I know about Philly. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a hot romance with the city of Bro-Love. If you will have me back that is.
Don't forget, you can catch Cary Ann Hearst and the Gun Street Girls THIS THURSDAY at Girl About Town'sSpring Fling!
Singing folk songs in an old church setting along with a fake campfire sing-a-long wasn't exactly what the crowd had in mind for a show last Tuesday night at The First Unitarian Church (Church of the R5, for those of you not in the know), but sure, we'll play along. Okay, so there was no 'Kumbaya.' But there was a fake campfire sing-a-long, we can tell you that much!
Grand Ole Party photo by Jeff Beauman
San Diego's swingin' Grand Ole Party rocked the opening of a hot set for Oakland, CA's Rogue Wave. Both artists were supporting eachother for new albums; Grand Ole Party on tour for their debut release on DH Records (label of Magnetic Morning) entitled Humanimals (which is nothing short of amazing), and Rogue Wave for Asleep At Heaven's Gate, a departure from the SubPop label and their previous releases (soft, melancholy, and maybe a little bittersweet) this is the band's 3rd album since the release of Out of the Shadow in '03, and 2005's Descended Like Vultures.
Grand Ole Party were playing their 2nd show ever in Philadelphia and as a trio; lead-singer Kristen Gundred on drums, guitarist John Paul Labno and Michael Krechnyak on bass, the band cut an interesting set-up across the stage, with Kristen taking lead in the middle front behind the drums, and fittingly, wearing a white shirt with silver sequins lining a fire pattern around her torso. Looking part 80s pop, part twenty's flapper era with her hair and microphone headset, but sounding like the second coming of Ann Wilson mixed with Jack White and Beth Ditto; girl can sure rock a stage behind that drumkit like no other on her headset microphone! Somewhere between a cat yowl, and a blues-tinged classic rock riff, Grand Ole Party stole our hearts and beat the stage black and blue with their distinct songs and Kristen's shoulder shimmy drum-rolls, at one point sounding like she was shouting over and over again, "HONEY, I AM FAME" and ending their set with the first track off their album, Look Out Young Son, the lyrics begin, "I must be the devil's daughter,"... feral rock, indeed.
Rogue Wave photo by Jeff Beauman
Rogue Wave continued to move the standing room-only crowd at The Church with their incredible energy, mentioning their pre-taped appearance on Letterman earlier in the day. Playing ear-marked songs off of their two previous releases such as "California", "Bird On a Wire", "Love's Lost Guarantee" (a conversational segue into lead singer Zach Schwartz's-a.k.a. 'Rogue'-love of collecting hot sauce) and "Publish My Love", introduced by Zach as 'a sad one you know', along with newer tracks such as "Phonytown", ('This song is for all the haters. Someone recently told me that this was a song for Haters, and I had to re-think the song again and why I wrote it... I'm a rehab-Hater now'), and the jagged rhythm of "Like I Needed". Asleep At Heaven's Gate reflects on and marks some of the band's most heavy and amazing life experiences (probably to date). Taking it like champions, the group has bounded back onto their feet with the new release and seem to be taking everything in stride. It was only one year ago when Rogue Wave felt the loss of a band member (bassist Evan Farrell passed away near the end of December in an apartment fire due to smoke inhalation), the birth of a baby (Zach became a father to a baby girl), drummer Pat Spurgeon had to have a kidney transplant (the new album is dedicated to all of their friends who came together to hold a benefit concert for Pat), and adjustments were made for a new bassist--Patrick Abernethy (who is formerly of the band Beulah).
Rogue Wave with The Silver Ages photo by Jeff Beauman
In some of the truest naked form performance we've yet to see, while asking the crowd to sit on the floor for their unexpected encore performance, members of Rogue Wave came off the stage to join the crowd with nothing to prove, but little to hold back. Joining them in a semi-circle 'just think of it like this being the campfire, and you gathering around us' were Philadelphia's own men's chorus group The Silver Ages, singing back-up to Rogue Wave songs as the band themselves circled the wagons around the The Silver Ages strumming three acoustics along to eachother while performing beautiful and heartbreaking renditions of "Chicago x 12" and "Christians In Black"--just two of the many wonderful highlights of the full encore they played on this evening. An emotional, and beautiful ending to a very memorable performance.
Click here for Girl About Town's online gallery of the show.
East Hundred has had quite a lot to deal with in the past year. From taking the top spot in one of the city’s biggest music competitions to taking time in the studio to finish their first full-length album, the band is making the most of being on the move, and fans (and music critics) couldn’t be happier. Luckily for Girl About Town, East Hundred is taking something else--the stage this Thursday, April 24th at The Khyber as they join us in celebrating Girl About Town’s annual Spring Fling. We got a chance to catch up with these fast-paced Philadelphians to ask them a few questions about their many upcoming projects, music in movies, and their beef with journalists (And we don’t mean us!)
Girl About Town: First, we gotta say “Congratulations” on recently taking first place at this year’s Philly Sound Clash! How was the experience for you all?
(Will Blair) Thanks so much. The experience was shocking, in the sense that there were so many great bands that night, it really could've gone to anyone. Music, in nature, is about collaboration, and not competition, so the whole thing was bit strange...the "Battle" idea is strange to us. It fits more into sports or politics and less into music. Part of us wanted to split the prize package evenly with the other bands. (However, the other part of us needed to get our new record financed.) But we were just so happy to be recognized, to be appreciated, and to be exposed.
You’ve played with a slew of local bands for the Philly Sound Clash, and worked with some great local musicians on your past albums, such as Devin Greenwood and presently, Brian McTear. What are some other Philly bands you love to share the stage with or would love to share the stage with in the future?
There's a lot of eclectic talent in this city, isn't there? I think that's refreshing...we've enjoyed playing with everyone for the most part really...as long as there's whiskey involved... those are my favorite shows. For the moment we're excited to be sharing a few bills with An American Chinese and look forward to playing with Eastern Conference Champions again....
You all are currently in the studio working on your first full-length album, after having previously released two EPs. Is the recording process any different when dealing with a full-length rather than an EP? If so, how?
(Will) There are a lot of differences with this new record. Mainly, the inclusion of all 5 of us. The band started as a recording project, with Brooke and Beryl and I, and less of a live band. Dave (bass) and Susan (keyboards), have brought so much to the table over the last few years, and in playing live so much more, that has now become a huge part of our sound. We are now recording as a band, as a 5 piece. This is so exciting for us. Also, in preparing 10 songs for a full length, as opposed to 4 or 5, things get a little spread thin. That’s cool with us. In other words, instead of adding every little perfect texture and sound and noise and part...we just want to get 10 songs to sound like the way they might in our basement, or on stage. 5 people playing in a room...that was what may have been missing from the first two releases.
Beryl, you were a film student at one time and came into music, by accident in a way. And Brooke and William, you both used to score music for films. Do you all feel that your background in film has impacted the way in which the band addresses music? Do you think the visual arts have given you a different perspective?
(Beryl) Actually music was by no means was an accidental direction for me. If anything, I studied film because of music. It was just another less confrontational outlet where I could incorporate making music. I grew up on piano lessons, school orchestras, and other nerdy shit....I do love film and everything about the visual arts. I didn't major in music because I was paralyzed by insecurity - my theory comprehension was poor and I hated competition – that’s not what it’s about for me. Meeting Will and Brooke never felt like an accident (or coincidence) either. I'm positive it was a result of pure creative visualization. They're my ultimate homeboys.
(Will) Brooke and I just finished our first feature film score last year, (check out "Murder Party" online.) It was a totally new experience for us and had us thinking so far outside of the box. I think its given us a new perspective on subtlety, and dynamics. A rock band needs to be heard, but a film score needs to just be absorbed, almost subconsciously, and cannot dominate. But ultimately, both set a mood. East Hundred has always tried to set a consistent mood, not too dissimilar from a film score.
The band recently had the opportunity to be featured in a documentary in which you all were filmed traveling with a, shall we say, “journalist” who was trying to capture life on the road, and instead created a “mockumentary” of sorts, at the band’s expense. You all haven’t been shy about your disappointment both with the “journalist” and the documentary, itself. What lessons have you learned from this experience and do you have any advice for other bands that might find themselves in a similar position?
(Will) Oh, Jesus. Will Kenny. What a complete douche-bag. But here’s the deal. We were touched by the response we got from fans sympathizing with us through that experience. Everyone truly felt we deserved better, and were sorry we were "taken advantage of." But, I wish we posted those videos on April Fools Day.
For the record, I am Will Blair, the drummer for East Hundred, and I am also Will Kenny, the self-proclaimed "Television Journalist." I put on different glasses, a stupid hat, and a tight zip up. I put on a pretentious voice and tone. We thought it would be obvious, especially when Will Kenny appears in a scene with myself. Total in-house parody. Keep in mind, we take our music rather seriously, we take the business of our music, relatively seriously. But we don't take ourselves too seriously. So we were OK making a complete joke of ourselves. We did want to "document" the tour, but really who wants to see another indie-band tour diary. Sleeping on floors, driving, drinking, blah blah. Its been done. This was a way to capture the tour on film, but in a different way. And honestly, there is a lot of down-time on the road. Making this mockumentary, kept us busy and entertained. So thanks for all who supported us, and although there probably are plenty of "Will Kenny" types out there, he doesn't exist. And for the record I'm a nice guy, but if music doesn't work out, I can always fall back on being a complete asshole.
And lastly, what’s your favorite thing about Philadelphia?
(Will) Will Kenny lives in L.A., so I love being as far away from him as possible. (Brooke) It’s a walkable, small town/big city. (Susan) The Parking Authority. (Beryl) The convenience of all the one-way streets (Dave) The lack of casinos, for the time being...
We've seen set lists written on all sorts of scraps of paper and napkins, but a pizza plate? Sure, if you're the Spinto Band! The guys in the band ripped the plates in half and each wrote in the songs they chose to play at Mojo 13 on April 11th . Girl About Town managed to salvage two of the plates after the show. As you can see, The Spintos played a mix of new tunes from their forthcoming "Moonwink" album, and fan favorites from their previous album, "Nice and Nicely Done". By the way, GAT's new favotite song is "Summer Grof", which was the show opener (as seen on the plate by GROF). We can't wait for this album to come out! In the meantime you can check out the "Summer Grof" video:
National Eye's The Farthest Shore album art, adorned with their name by GAT (with permission, of course).
With two well-acclaimed albums out to date, (2006’s Roomful of Lions and 2003’s The Meter Glows) Philly’s National Eye will be playing Girl About Town’sSpring Fling along with a host of new tunes from their forthcoming album, The Farthest Shore. With no concrete release date announced, this will be a great chance to catch National Eye before the album is released. Guitarist/vocalist Rick Flom was kind enough to indulge Girl About Town with some pre-show inquiries.
Girl About Town: You have a new album coming out, correct? Tell us about it.
Rick Flom: Well, it's entitled The Farthest Shore and it's a story about a young boy in the bottom depths of showbiz who embarks on a journey to track down a girl he mistakenly rendered invisible. And when I say it's "about" that, I hope you don't take me too seriously. It was recorded in a fancy studio that costs around ten thousand dollars a day, but I give myself a good rate because this studio is also my house.
At the beginning of the year, you previewed the new album at Johnny Brenda's...how did that go?
It pains me to say that it went very well. I say that because I wish we could take that show on the road, but since it involves a great many people with their own happy lives, the cost would be prohibitive in more ways than one. And while it was really satisfying, it's tricky to present an entire program of new songs that are sort of linked conceptually at a concert, so for the next few shows I think we'll just "play de tunes," if you get the distinction. But at some point it would be wonderful to try it again with all the instrumental accoutrements and maybe a slideshow and a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company reading text. The whole project could be really interesting if we had the chance to expand and perfect it and show it to America and beyond. Perhaps I'll receive a grant.
You have previously defined your sound as "weird". Are you sticking by that to help describe the new album? If not, how would you describe it?
"Weird" is a useful word. It's non-specific and fun to say. If music isn't weird it's normal and can you imagine anybody saying their new album was "normal?" So the new album is still weird.
You started as a band in Colorado, then moved to Philly...what is it about this city that keeps you here?
We started as a bunch of pals/college students in Colorado, but I'm not totally sure we were a band. As for what keeps us here, it's worth pointing out that it hasn't kept all of us here: Jeff Love and Doug Kirby have both left the area (though they are still indispensable contributors to the group). The rest of us see no pressing need to leave since all our stuff is here.
After reading some of your press, I find it amusing that in so many instances, you have been tagged as "indefinable" of "unclassifiable." Most bands strive for this, how do you feel about it?
I'm relatively certain that there are few things about National Eye that most bands strive for. At any rate, music writers have a hard job because they have to define and classify music and every once in a while a band sounds almost nothing like Swordfishtrombones or the original cast recording of "Hair" so they settle on "indefinaclassable" and other synonyms. It's also tricky because, up until this new album (which obviously hasn't had any press yet), there have been four principle songwriters in the band. And, at the risk of sounding reductionist or underestimating the resourcefulness of music critics, the mere fact of different voices singing songs can throw people off enough that they just don't know what to do with it. Which is Reason #3456 we are not massively successful.
I haven't seen you guys live, so give me the rundown on your stage set-up…you have a plethora of instrumentalists listed on your site….does that all happen live as well?
I think what you read is a rundown of all the various things that have happened over the years, so no, we don't have 50 people up there. We do our best to make music in venues that sound reasonably like (or, as good as) the music we record while keeping the back-breaking gear-humping to a minimum. This GAT show will feature 7 of us in total. And we recently managed to remove a 50 ton keyboard from the equation, so we are making progress.
You're playing the GAT Spring Fling on Thursday, do you have plans to do any extensive touring this year (or beyond)?
Not sure yet!
What's your favorite thing about Philadelphia?
Sitting in my back "yard" (which is where I am right now) and making noise with my friends and loved ones with a cat sitting in a chair in the sun (which is what he's doing right now).
Grand Ole Party opened for Rogue Wave at The First Unitarian Church earlier this week. We have a large photo gallery to accompany these shots that will be posted along with a show review and Grand Ole Party interview coming soon! Stay tuned, and in the meantime, let the images do the talking... Thanks to Jeff Beaumont who was able to accompany us to this gig for these great shots.
You've been to The Khyber, and the North Star, and Johnny Brenda's. You've also been to the M Room, the Tritone, and the Church. Starlight Ballroom? Check! The Troc? Yeah, been there too. Why not see a show in a venue that's new to you? Just 25 minutes by car from Center City, MOJO 13 is a quick getaway from Philly that promises to fill your belly with beer and your ears with sweet music. MOJO 13 is a still somewhat new music venue in Wilmington, DE that is quickly becoming a favorite place for bands to play. Ask The Cobbs - they've played there. Or National Eye, Gildon Works, The Three Four Tens, Like A Fox, The Capitol Years, Adam Arcuragi, Elevator Parade, Grammar Debate, The Swimmers, and Sunsplit. Yup, they've all played there. And the Spinto Band plays there to a hometown crowd whenever they can. Owner Jerad Shaffer is the proprieter, and he did a swell job turning what was once a sports bar into what can only be described as the hub of the Delaware music scene. You'll come for the music, but you'll keep coming back for the free popcorn and hot dogs, edgy staff, and carnival side show theme. MOJO 13 has been open for two years now, and has logged hundreds of shows usually manned by Danny Boles, house sound guy extraordinaire. The venue has been a beacon for Delaware bands, a new audience for Philly bands, and a stop for many national (and some international) touring bands. And for a group of local promotors, MOJO 13 has been the new home of Tric Town for the last two years.
This Saturday, April 16th, marks the 6th anniversary of Tric Town, which is the only indie rock monthly in Delaware and mixes both local DE bands with local Philly bands. Tric Town grew out of the scene around Trixine (or Tric Zine), a printed zine founded and produced by local music impresario Casey Grabowski. The first Tric Town was held in April 2002 at The Barn Door in Wilmington, which is now defunct. Tric Town bounced around to various venues (Pirate BBQ, East End, CJ Barts, and the 4W5 cafe) until MOJO 13 opened its doors and created a permanent home for the monthly and found a dedicated promoter, Andrew Miller. Which brings us to tomorrow, the 6th anniversary of Tric Town and the 2nd anniversary at MOJO 13. Come on out to help celebrate and catch some great bands, including headliner JOTTO from Philly. There is nowhere else you can see five bands for $6, so come on out and get your mojo on.
Kate Nash and backing band played a stunning live show this afternoon at World Cafe Live for her performance on XPN's Free At Noon show which was broadcast live. A small set for the live performance meant that switching from keyboard to guitar between songs wasn't as fluid as it could have been, but she definitely won over the sold out crowd there to see her perform hits from her latest CD Made of Bricks with her warm demeanor and a powerful performance on stage.
Girl About Town was there when Grand Ole Party opened for Rogue Wave this week at The Church, and we'll be there when singer/songwriter Kate Nash is here this weekend for her sold out Philadelphia performances, and playing her free at noon sponsored event for XPN. So we thought, what better way to celebrate two great artists? We're holding a contest!Girl About Town along with Filter will be giving away a six CD prize package along with a hoodie and the latest issue of RAGGED magazine (Issue #4) to one lucky reader! We'll collect all entries and have a draw on Thursday April 24th for Girl About Town's Spring Fling at The Khyber! It's simple..just send your name and address to the email below for entry!
The Mural & The Mint will be performing some brand new songs
in conjunction with one of their special performance events filled with
musicians and artists over at The Parlor (1170 S. Broad Street,
Philadelphia PA) this Saturday night, and would like you to be a part
of it! They are raising money for the recording of their first
full-length album, to take place in July. Everything begins at 10pm,
and door is only $10. The Mural & The Mint presents: Wayward Wind,
Pillars of Heaven, Emmanuelle Delpesche-Ramey, Moving Research/Meg
Foley, Nichole Canuso Dance Company, Niki Cousineau, Mark O'Maley,
Joshua McDowell, Eliza Jones and headlining, of course are The Mural
& The Mint. With visual art by Allison Giantisco, Emily Metro, Kat
Moran and a silent auction, it should be an eventful night!
Girl About Town was able to steal a few moments alone with The Duke Spirit's brilliant lead-singer Leila Moss in the green room, and standing next to a few pipes in a back room lit by a small light, "This is about as glamorous as it gets,"
quipped Leila, we spoke to one of London's girls about town about many
things, including; their new label, International Record Store Day,
being on stage for the first time, and of course--posing for the rock...
Girl About Town: Both Rough Trade's in London are taking part in International Record Store Day
(April 19th--a day where all independently owned record stores
celebrate a day of giving back to their customers with live
performances, new releases, and giveaways), will you be back for this
or is The Duke Spirit involved in any Record Store Day activities?
Leila Moss:Oh yeah! Well, in fact, we're going to be
in Kentucky, our distributors are down there. We might go to a record
store and hang out with them. Maybe even work in the shoppe or
something fun, to celebrate indie record store day...! We're on tour
with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at that point, and we're supportso
we'll soundcheck later in the day, which means that we've got all day
to do our own thing, and we'll be a part of that hopefully...!
Your on-stage movements and posturing are very rock n' roll, you
could be a young Joan Jett, or Mick Jagger with that swagger and posing
on stage...
I suppose when I was a kid, I liked watching old footage of television shows, that era when Ike & Tina Turner were all the rage. And, I remember my mum saying, 'You know, Mick Jagger stole all her moves!'.
It's not something that I particularly consciously tried to emulate,
but somewhere in the back of my mind, there's a 7-year old going 'Oh, yeah! That's cool!'. It's kind of sexy, but there's something else... it's more passionate
than sexy, if you know what I mean. Explicit without being tacky.
There's something about that sort of sexuality that I love expressed,
which means that rather than being coquettish, or being 'I'm so
pathetic' or 'I'm so sexy'--like, 'oh, c'mon I really need you,'
it's much more of a force being demonstrated. And whether, it's visual
arts, or dance, or music, or theater, or, whatever. When I spot it, I'm
just like 'Yeaaah!'. Someone once described it as being "duende"*. And I thought, 'yeah, maybe that's what it is,'
maybe that's what I'm into. I don't really know where it comes from. I
kind of laugh in my head sometimes... I'm like, punching my fists in
the air and I'm obviously one part of me is being a teenager who loved Riot Grrl and how it works its way back to punk, and then another part of me is just totally into Motown singles.
I don't know where I am in the middle of it, but secretly, my guiltiest pleasure is probably, you know... loving Queen when I was little. So part of me laughs, when that hand goes in the air, and I'm like 'Oh fuck, stop it; you're being too Freddie!'
(*ed: a Spanish term; emotion, expression and authenticity--having soul; which Leila Moss definitely has a lot of)
I think that possibly, perhaps in the past, in Britain, people have
thought that we're too pretentious and dark, maybe because of this, but
in my mind; we're not... we're just having an absolute ball!
And inside, all of those powerful, angry faces--it's just about
summoning up the next little bit of adrenalin. It's not really about
creating this separation. About like, 'oh, I'm so cool.' It's more
like, 'Alive! Alive!'
Was performing on stage and in front of an audience always a goal of yours?
Yeah, I mean, I wanted to do it since I was an early teenager
because I went to see bands. My first influences were probably male.
From, Jarvis Cocker to, oh I don't know--even Liam Gallagher, as tacky as that might seem. Those proper indie-schmindie
90's men. And even though I wouldn't put them up there now, they were
probably an influence, and women less-so, you know. I went to Riot Grrl
gigs when I was still pretty young, so I had to have my dad pick me up.
But I didn't do anything about it. I didn't do anything about creating
a group or a band, which was probably the most pathetic and the most
power -less thing that I probably ever did. Most of the guys at school, they were real 'shredders', you know? They were 'metalers'.
I wasn't really into metal, and I wasn't really into the dumb or
arrogant thing that came along with guys being in bands. I said to
myself, 'I want to do this, but when I do it, I want it to be a fuck lot better than what you're doing!'
I was almost ready to just shelve it. I mean, I was a total geek at
school, a total geek. Didn't have a boyfriend, never went out, worked
hard... And I just, I waited until the right time. You wait until the
right time and for someone else that's got the same ideas. For someone
that helps you and you help them. I met Luke [guitar/vocals], eleven
years ago, we shared apartments together and were moving around the
same time, we lived in flats around London, and he definitely
encouraged me very, very, much so. You know, in terms of singing and
stuff, because I was terribly, terribly, embarrassed by it, and singing
in front of people.
When was the first show that you felt comfortable on stage and that this was what you wanted to do?
Probably the second time that we played in a bar. It wasn't The Duke Spirit
at all. I mean, it was us [Leila and Luke], but it wasn't us as we are
now. It was the second show, two weeks later (during the first we were
just on two stools, and it was just really lame, just ditzy) and I was
stood up with a microphone and I was so nervous, so nervous.
And one of my best school friends came, and she sat up at the front,
and she was right there, and just smiling, smiling(!), the whole way
through. And when I came off, I was like 'Oh, well, that wasn't so bad!'
and I stood up and looked around, and I was composed... and that must
have been eight years ago now... And that was the moment where I
thought to myself, 'This is going to be fine. This is it.'
Who came up with the idea for the new album cover and the
specific look with the favorite record covers switching around on The
Duke Spirit web site?
It was Luke's idea! We had a photo shoot scheduled with somebody,
and they wanted to do it on the roof of this building. And I think Luke
had half an idea that it was gonna be lame, and said 'We're gonna feel really uptight and really posed' or something. And he said to us, 'Just
look, just... bring a couple of things from home, just bring anything!
Grab something on your way out... like an object, a little treasure.
Something you really like. Or just a couple of records, or something.'
And we were all in a hurry, and not everyone got to do it. But we
brought a few things, and I remember, we all piled into Toby's flat,
and we had arrived and we were going to do the shoot upstairs and as we
were posing, we kind of knew we hated it. And then the photographer was
encouraged to do five minutes for us each at the end against this black
screen where we would all go up and do, just something individual, and
silly. And he was like, 'C'mon, you got five minutes!' and I was blowing this funny little whistle, someone may have given it to me, or I may have bought it...
It's almost iconic. Either because you're blonde and it's a canary, or maybe, in a singing bird out of the cage kind of...
Yeah, I think so too. It's just funny. Luke had said, 'oh, I'm gonna bring my Ronnie of the Ronnettes picture with me,'
which was a gift to him from a guitar tech. So like, thrift shoppe
stuff, and, eh, Toby had just gotten a new guitar also. And we did
other pictures where people were just holding books and one with a
ring, maybe... In the end they just selected the ones that had good
shapes and colors... Honestly, it took about five minutes, but
sometimes these are the things that work out the best, things that are
just a laugh or silly, instead of the painstaking ones...
How did the band sign with Shangri-La to release the latest album, Neptune?
Our UK label are friends with the guys who just started up
Shangri-La. Around the time when we had finished our album, we did a
show in LA and a bunch of labels came down. I remember them, sort of
not telling us about everyone who was coming. And I remember, even
though the majors had turned up, we were like, 'They're not going to
sign us. Everyone's scared shitless right now. And no one's got any
money.' So we were like, 'Whatever.' Those guys from Shangri-La, who
are previous record execs, and who had twenty, and thirty year careers
between the whole and don't need to prove anything to anyone, and don't
need to protect their jobs because they've created the label
themselves... just walked into the dressing room and were like, 'We
just really want to work with you.' And then went on quickly to tell us
about everything they'd done and who they'd worked with over the years
and 'wow'-ed us in a glitzy way, but also in a sincere way. And telling
us, 'We're a different kind of label and we've got a different kind of
plan. Come and meet with us tomorrow and we'll talk more.', and it was
all just a kind of whirlwind, really. But, they're really good guys.
Will you be releasing another album with them?
I think this year we're just concentrating on this album. We're
going to tour the fuck out of this album, and then I think in the
spring, we'll start on a new one. I'd love to be recording by next
summer.
What's your favorite thing about Philadelphia?
Last time I was here, I ran up the 'Rocky' steps, and that
was like a little childhood ambition. When I was little, me and my mum
used to watch that movie. And everything about it; love it! And
recently, was um, well the other dreadful one. The recent one... was
just appalled... but the first few; classics! There was a six year old
in me, just running up those steps and going, 'Yeeeahhhh!' It
was great, and outrageously superficial and tacky of me to do that--but
what was fun, was that it was all the band, and the tour manager, and
our crew--and we made it together! All at the same time! And that was
like a little moment... and we were actually saying it to each other,
like, 'Well, that was a moment.' What I would have really loved to do was visit the Frida Kahlo exhibit. though. We only saw that the exhibit was on when we were going past in the cab and I was like 'I fucking love Frida Kahlo'. Next time, though, maybe.
