I finally caved in and brought the new Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks record, ‘Real Emotional Trash.’ I am especially in love with the super happy track, ‘Gardenia’. I always wish I was lucky enough to be part of one Malkmus release. At my time at Matador I was never lucky enough to be there when the Jicks put out a record. I would have been in my glory. I know more about Stephen Malkmus and Pavement then he does. I must say I’m really loving the new record. It brings me back a little to old Pavement around “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’. The female harmonies on the track are superb. There is always a few Malkmus/Pavement tracks out there that make me feel like dancing around the room. ‘Gardenia’ wins the grand prize.
One day if you’re lucky i’ll tell you the story about the time I met Stephen Malkmus and made an ass out of myself. If you’re super lucky I’ll post the drawing of it.
Download Stephen Malkmus & The JicksGardenia Check out The Jicks on Myspace
It seems like a while since we got a new record from singer/songwriter Andrew Bird. Though the record still has a few months to go until it’s release, “The Noble Beast” will be released on January 27th. Bird is a very unique musician and one great multiinstrumentalist. I can’t even imagine what he will come up for the new record, which hasn’t even been leaked yet. A video of one of his new tracks titled “Oh No” has been floating around on the internet. The first two minutes include him playing ukelele, violin, guitar and whistling before he launches in with his heavenly voice. If the rest of the album sounds like “Oh No” we are really in for a treat. Even Bird was quoted in the New York Times recently stating that even he liked the new record a little too much. Apparently he can’t stop listening to it. Oh no indeed. It must be brilliant.
Hollerado is perhaps my favorite new musical discovery of the year. When I heard that they were opening for The Stills at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, I was very intrigued to see what they had to offer live. The Montreal quartet will be a name to look out for in the next few months. Quite frankily, they gave The Stills a run for their money onstage that night.
I had the opportunity of sitting down with the band after the show for an interview. The band is made up of singer/guitarist Menno Versteeg, guitarist Nick Boyd, bassist Dean, and drummer Jake Boyd. These are the nicest and most entertaining guys you’ll ever meet.
As I turned on the tape recorder to start the interview, Menno looks at it and says “Thats the part where we get unfunny!” At this point the whole band stares at it and agrees, but its only the beginning of the amusement.
How did the band come together?
Menno: We lived on the same street. We grew up in the same neighborhood. These guys (Nick and Jake) are my next door neighbors and they’re brothers. Then we met Dean.
Jake: Where is Dean?!
Menno: Who knows! at this point Dean returns
Who are you influences?
Menno: Very wide ranging. I like the classic American bands. Tom Petty’s my favorite, Billy Bragg, Bruce Springsteen.
Nick: I like British people like The Beatles and David Bowie.
Menno: Did you say The Clash?!
Nick: Oh yea The Clash for sure.
Jake: As far as drums go for me, Nirvana, Dave Grohl, the obvious ones. Some say Ringo or John Bonaham, so I pick Dave Grohl as my favorite.
How does the new record differ from the ‘Demos in a Bag’ idea?
Menno: Well we just hear the new record yesterday so that makes me not qualified to answer it (laughs)
Dean: Its a lot slower, its more diverse…
Jake: Its more one headspace!
Nick: Yea, “Demos in a Bag” we were recording it at different sessions that were months apart from each other.
Dean: We were in different times and all and doing different things, different friends getting drunk at different times. This time we all got drunk together!
Jake: And tea, we drank the same tea. I think it was Lipston, it was totally only Lipton. I guess the other one (“Demos“) was all different types of tea and the new album is like Lipton Tea…
Nick: And there’s coffee a lot on the last one too
Jake: Yea we weren’t drinking any coffee
Nick:I had. I couldn’t get to sleep at 4 in the morning and I had to drink 6 straight beers. There was no way I was getting to sleep. I prayed to God I could get to sleep.
Jake: Coffee is a crutch man, I’m off that.
Menno: So we were praying a lot during the record…This record in conclusion is more tea and more praying.
Jake: But nondominational praying, its not a specific God we were praying to.
How did you come up with the “Demos in a Bag” idea?
Nick: Its cheap! We found out when we went to try and make it, that packaging costs more than what you put into it. We had a bunch of plastic bags hanging around…
Was it a specific brand like Ziplock? Did you try anything else?
Menno: We tried a demo in a vase but it was a pain in the ass. We also had a demo in a box.
How did you get Dave Foley (From Kids in the Hall) to star in your video for “Americanarama”?
Menno: We asked him nicely!
Jake: Yea, its just a really good way to get what you want in life. Just ask them nicely.
How did you get to be on tour with The Stills?
Jake: I think we actually asked them nicely too! (laughs)
Menno: We also have the same manager so that made it easier.
Jake: We also asked our manager nicely (laughs)
What is your least favorite part about touring?
Dean: Waiting around like the last 4 minutes before you go on stage and you have to ‘poo’. Usually we deal and talk about how badly we have to go.
Jake: You need to be full of shit when you’re onstage!
What is your favorite part about being on tour?
Dean: The 4 minutes after you get off stage!
Jake: Hanging out with the other bands man.
Where did the name Hollerado come from?
Jake: I think we asked it nicely! (laughs)
Menno: Sam’s cousin! Sam’s cousin came up with it. That kid right there (points to a guy in a blue sweatshirt)
Which album do you wish you had written?
Menno: Bruce Springsteen “Born in the USA”
Jake: I don’t know, probably a photo album with pictures of parties and people looking like they are doing fun stuff.
Nick: Thats a different kind of album.
When is the new album out?
Menno: Uh we have no clue. If it comes out we’ll be stoked (Laughs)
Nick: Around November or December we think. Late this year.
Do you have a name for the new album yet?
Dean: We have nothing yet.
Jake: Melissa, do you have any ideas?
Yea I got nothing!
Menno: I like “More Awkward Than Heavy”
Band nods in agreement
Nick: Thats cool, yea. I like that lot.
Jake: How about just “Awkward”? We’re pretty awkward guys (laughs)
What do your parents think of your music the first time that you played it for them?
Nick: You mean Hollerado?
Dean: They like Hollerado.
Menno: They like it because its so much better than all the other shit I ever made, like throughout my life. We take it seriously and they’re really happy for us.
Okay, last question…What game can you totally kick anyones ass at?
Dean: MONOPOLY JR! (with such excitement it was hillarious)
Jake: Really you said Monopoly?!
Dean: Yea!
Jake: Oh then, real Monopoly.
Nick: I don’t know. I’m not a great board game player….Oh! Risk!
Jake: When we were kids Nick would want to play Risk and I’d be like ‘Dude, we have to play Monopoly so I can beat you!’
Just in time for the interview to end, The Stills were hitting the stage. Hollerado was excited about seeing them play tonight. Maybe its because in a year they’ll probably be headlining the Bowery Ballroom themselves. Trust me, they will.
When Of Montreal takes a band on tour you expect them to be good. Upon hearing the news that the Swedish rock outfit Love is All is opening for the band at the beginning of the tour, including their NYC date, I got pretty excited. You probably don’t know this about me, though why would you, but I absolutely adore Swedish indie bands. There is just a super energy that they have. Its almost like they are trying to kill you with excitement.
Love is All may remind you a bit of The Sounds at first, but they mangage to pull off a real retro sound to their recordings that is almost like a warm vinyl sound. You can also dance your ass off to them. Love is All will be releasing “A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night” on November 11th.Be sure to also make it out early if they are opening for Of Montreal in your town. Its going to be one hell of a show. Of Montreal and Love is all blend perfectly together.
Modern Mystery 