Category Archives: Uncategorized

03.16.10
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Here We Go Again: An Interview with Tim Nordwind from OK Go

OK Go has always been one of my favorite bands. The band broke big when their second record Oh No (EMI Capitol) came out five years ago and haven’t slowed down since. Their pop hooks, killer stage prescene and hillarious videos are a force not to be reckoned with. Late last week I had the chance to talk to bass player Tim Nordwind about everything from their split with their long time record label to the future of the band. Oh here we go, here we go, here we go again……

Modern Mystery: What is the inspiration behind the songs on the new record?

Tim Nordwind: A lot of this record was written during the Bush administration and in the economic downfall. It seemed like the world need help. Also stuff that the band was going through, personal times. We had just come off the road after two and a half years. It was what we were going through, that sort of thing.

MM: There was a long span between Oh No and Of the Colour of the Blue Sky (EMI Capitol). What was the reason?

Nordwind: Well the second record, since we toured a lot, it took about a year for us to come up with stuff, and with the label putting it out in the world. We ended up touring with Oh No for two and a half years and that’s three and a half years already. When we got home, we got our heads together and we started to write songs for the next record. And so when we first sat down we realized what we wanted it to sound like. So it took a little while longer and we wanted to go in organized. By the time we got it together and had the label distribute it, it was five years right there. I hope we don’t take as long next time. I don’t think we’ll be on tour for two and a half years with this record. We’ll make and another one and it will pick up I guess!

MM: Did you feel any pressure going into the studio since Oh No blew up pretty big and fast?

Nordwind: All the pressure we were feeling was self inflicted for sure. The label was more or less hands off. At that point they had let us do our own thing. We often feel a lot of pressure, but the pressure was totally self inflicted. We spent a lot of time asking ourselves “It this good?” “What do you think?” We put a lot of time into it. No one else gave us pressure.

MM: Yesterday it was announced that you had cut ties with EMI and Capitol to form your own label, Paracadute. What was the decision behind that and how much involvement does the band have in it?

Nordwind: It was definetly something the band wanted to do. We needed to make a change and start our own business. It seemed like a good time to do it. Our label, it was a very amicable split and they were pretty cool about it. It’s definetly an exciting moment for us. For the first time in eight years we’re an independent band, really an independent band. We started out as an independent band anyway. We’ll now distribute our records ourselves. It’s exciting.

MM: Your videos are always amazing. How do you come up with the concepts?

Nordwind: Concepts come from all sorts of places. Sometimes it’s born out of an idea one of us will have, or a friend of ours will come and say “Hey I have an idea,” and we kind of just go from there. It’s really a collaboration and we don’t do traditional film making. We like to sort of, well we like to act, and like if you want to make a video, what do you do? We try to figure it out rather then going to someone who makes traditional films. We started having friends of ours make our videos. Our ideas come from all over the place and then we work on them.

MM: How do you create your songs? Is it a collaboration or does everyone come in with seperate ideas?

Nordwind: Usually the way we write songs is that we all kind of do it alone. Then we’ll bring it to the band and we all sort of work on it and make it sound just right. Then we sometimes take ideas and sort of jam them out. Usually by the time a song is done, everyone in the band has touched it one way or another.

MM: Where do you see OK Go in ten years from now?

Nordwind: I don’t really know, and the exciting thing is that we don’t what it is. I hope we don’t go the way of we run out of good ideas. Like the new record company, that makes us very excited, and that’s awesome. If we’re still as successful, that’s a fifty-fifty chance. Hopefully we’ll all be there working on songs.

Take a listen to OK Go’s “This to Shall Pass” (Passion Pit Remix)

OK Go – This Too Shall Pass (Passion Pit Remix) by modernmysteryblog

03.15.10
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Secondhand Sunday: Of Montreal “So Begins Our Alabee”


Spring coming automatically puts me in an Of Montreal mood. Okay, more so. Aren’t I always in an Of Montreal mood? Hah. This video is an oldie and a personal fave from The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl). “So Begins Our Alabee,” is one of the greatest songs and the video is just fun and colorful. Yes this is before they glammed themselves up. Notice Kevin’s casual dancing and non-flashy clothes. My my have they come a long way. Either way, they are one of the best bands to ever exist. We can’t wait to see what the band has up their sleeve next.

03.12.10
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Creating Beats with Javelin


I first saw Javelin back at CMJ 2009. One of my friends and fellow Modern Mystery writer, Joe, told me I just “Had to hear these guys.” Curious, we headed out to see the chill wave duo at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. It was noon time on a weekday. As intimate as it was, it was one of the highlights of my CMJ. The cousins who are currently residing in Brooklyn are getting bigger by the day. Today I had the pleasure of speaking with George Langford who was waiting to pick up Javelin’s new tour ride. Their debut album titled No Mas drops on David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop on April 20th. Be prepared for one of the hits of the summer.

Modern Mystery:The first time I saw you guys was at CMJ last year. At the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn at an early afternoon show. How has things changed for you since then?

George Langford: We played a lot more shows since then. We finished our full length that’s coming out in a few weeks, we just did a tour in the UK with Yeasayer. It’s a new experience. It’s been a barage since then, and we’ve had increase in activity, more opportunities and better shows. Things have been good since then.

MM: How does art play a role in your songs, stage performance, and overall image of the group?

Langford: Tom and I would both agree that a visual experience for us is a valid one in the way music is produced. What we draw inspirations from are musicians and other music but also visual things. We spend a lot of time at record stores and thrift shops and its not always the music but sometimes the cover. The two go hand and hand, the visual and sonic.

MM: Do you find it hard to bring what you created in the studio onto the live stage?

Langford: All the time, its pretty much the constant battle. It’s the fun of the challenge of the band. You’re in the studio and make this song, you try to create them and you can’t. You play that element and try to portray it live and jump around onstage.  It’s a learning process . We’re just two people. It’s a challenge.

MM: How do you create and write your songs? Where does your inspiration come from?

Langford: In the past it had been like two chemists working in the same lab, working on different projects and working with each other. Some of the best stuff we ever made are the instances we work together. Sometimes we make things together or bring it to the other guy and flush it out together. In the beginning we had very different styles and now its more similar. In the start for me it wasn’t competition to out do the other one but try to impress the other one. To come up with something better , try to impress the other person. That’s how it was in the early days.

MM: Have you ever been on the tour this much? Did you think a year ago that is where you would be?

Langford: We’ve never had to tour this much, its always been looming,. Like if we are going to do the music thing we’ll have to be road dogs at some points. Compared to some bands we’re hardly that. The next couple of months we’re going to be on the road a lot and it’s going to change the live show and format, getting loose with it and finding new ways to t do it

MM: Are you excited about the release of No Mas or more nervous?Langford: I’m so excited. So many songs we’ve been sitting on for years, some of the material is brand new, and some is old and reworked. It’s pretty bizarre. It’s like murder to me waiting for this to come out.

MM: How did you get involved with David Byrne’s label?Langford: It was just a lucky thing. We have been burning these cd-rs and selling them at shows, giving them to friends.  This one cd Jamz N Jemz just got in the hands of the people at the label, and here we are. I guess it doesn’t happen like that to a lot of people. We weren’t very active in the pursuits of labels.

MM:  What do you like more? Being in the studio or being on stage?Langford: In the past I’ve been very much of a studio type person. I’m a total hermit and I love being at my house, but it is a tremendous rush I get from performing. I used to have paralyzing stage fright but it went away…like panic attacks and anxiety. It’s now excitement .I could never understand this foreign idea of getting up there and performing but it feels so good. So I guess at the moment I enjoy being on stage. I don’t know how to compare.

Javelin- Oh! Centra by modernmysteryblog

03.11.10
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Robbers on High Street @ The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY- March 6, 2010

Like fine wine, indie band Robbers on High Street have aged perfectly. The band played a special one night only show at The Bell House in Brooklyn this past weekend to a crowded venue all on the edge of their seats to hear the new songs. Talking to our friend, and Robbers singer/guitarist Ben Trokan at the bar before the show, the band’s third record has just been finished and it’s ready to be released. This means not only were old favorites played, but so was a ton of new songs.

While the group pulled out some of their most notable tunes like “Fatalist,” and “Crown Victoria,” the audience was even more excited to hear the new tracks that the band have cooked up. It has been, after all a mere two and a half years since we last got a record from these boys. The new songs show the band in an even more mature light, and it suits them well. It’s almost as they’ve finally found the perfect mix within the band. Amongst the highlights of the night, as well as newcomers, were “Electric Eye,” “Face In the Fire,” and one of the band’s favorite newly penned songs they’ve been playing since last summer, “Watch it Disappear.” I would have no doubt that it would be the first single from the new record. Keyboardist Dave Sherman’s piano is haunting, as Trokan’s voice stands out more than it ever has.

The audience didn’t stop all night. Cheering the band on. You couldn’t help but smile for the support of one of the greatest bands to ever come out of Brooklyn. The band ended the night with a cover, that I cannot recall the name of (Forgive me I was having so much fun!), and brought a fan up onstage to play the cowbell. He rocked out accordingly, but once he got off the beat, guitarist Steven Mercado took the bell, laughed and showed him how it was done. If all bands could put on a show like Robbers on High Street, hell, they’re would be a ton of great shows out there.

Robbers on High Street are set to release their third, yet untitled album, some time this year.

03.09.10
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Army Navy Keeps Everything In Line

Army Navy Interview @ CMJ by ModernMystery. //  

Recently we met up with indie darlings, Army Navy. You may know them for their catchy songs, their tracks in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and their stellar cover of “Right Back Where We Started From.” The band’s second full length will be out this year and they show no sign of slowing down. This is surely an interview to read. Ben Gibbard geekery included. We talked to singer/guitarist Justin Kennedy and guitarist Louie Schultz about the history and future of Army Navy.

Modern Mystery: Where is your favorite place to play?

Justin Kennedy: We actually have better shows in New York. People are more excited about music here, or maybe people know about us more here for some reason. I honestly have no idea why, but we always have great shows here. We always have a great time.

How did you get involved with the Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist soundtrack?

Kennedy: The music supervisor who got the CD turned it into the editor who was putting together an early edit of the movie and was throwing in music. She was giving him stuff she thought was cool and it stuck, and kept sticking. Edit after edit the songs kept staying in and they got really attached to the song. We got two songs in the movie. The supervisor called us and said we’re the only band that has two songs in the movie, and they one of them was going to stay because they were getting down to the wire. They wanted to get rid of the second one because they wanted to feature as many bands as possible and they tried and tried to replace it, but there was so many viewings of the edit, they were totally attached to it and couldn’t get rid of it. Which was great for us. They wanted one of the songs for the soundtrack which was exclusive to the album. It was great for us because there was way more money going into the press than we could ever put into it. We gave them that song as an exclusive. We went to the premiere and us and The Submarines were the only bands representing. The director who we ended up chatting with and was super awesome…His manager was one of the producer’s husband of the movie and it was his Birthday the nigh of the premiere. They wanted us to sing Happy Birthday. I didn’t know they realized they wanted us to sing it to 300 people. We’re trashed. They took us backstage and announced us. It was the most uncomfortable and hilarious moment. Then the DJ tried to put a beat to “Silvery Sleds!”

How did everyone in the band meet?

Kennedy: I met Ben through a friend who had some early demos that I had. He was a musician looking to play something, and he was played with our old drummer Josh in another band. Josh was playing like avant garde Brazilian music. He was into it. We had a couple of other members including an ex-girlfriend of mine which was a bad idea who was playing keyboards at first. Then we had another girl playing keyboards and that didn’t work out. So we were like we need a guitarist who plays keyboard:

Louie Schultz: I played in another band with Josh briefly and the band broke up largely because the singer was heavy into crystal meth and tried to steal some of the band member’s equipment. I hadn’t talked to Josh in a while after that and I was going through my phone and was about to delete him. Then I figured I’d call him one more time before I delete his number. He picked up. It was a really awkward conversation. Before I hung up he said “Wait wait! Don’t you play keyboards too?” So he said come to the show, and I came and saw Army Navy, which was the Fever Zone at the time.

When did the name change?

Kennedy: It was after that. After Louie joined the band. Then Josh quit the band because he became a famous screenwriter. Pete Thomas played on the record who was from Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Through Josh then we found Doug, and he was amazing. We knew. He could do his own thing and sing. He responded to our Craigslist ad at the exact same time.

Does everyone bring in their own songs to a recording session or is it a collaboration?

Kennedy: I write the songs but everyone collaborates on everything that happens. When I first started making the band which I didn’t even know was going to be a band, I would just make up everything on fake drums and keyboards. Once everything solidified and everyone knew what to do and was confident about what the band was, I just came up with ideas and acoustics, and made Garage Band recordings of acoustics of that song and send it to those guys and we’ll just go into practice and jam on it and everyone will come up with their own ideas.

Are you releasing the new record on your own label?

Kennedy: We don’t know. To be announced!

What is the new album going to sound like?

Kennedy: Is Ska popular now? Because it’s going to be in the next year. It’s coming back. Swing dancing is making a resurgence! It’s adjacent but it’s definitely a new batch. It feels like a whole new thing to me. It’s a new wave of what’s going on. It’s totally going to make sense. All of my songs make sense together but there’s definitely too and we’re going to be really focused on getting it done. It’s going to be bigger and better and really strong.

Do you prefer being in the studio or being on tour?

Kennedy: I think studio probably. You can’t have one without the other. One feeds the other. The songs we worked on during the first record became what they did in the studio then playing them out so much. The band that we’ve become after releasing the first record has a lot to do with touring.

You used to be in a band with Ben Gibbard, is that right?

Kennedy: I knew him from high school. He’s one year younger than me and moved to my high school from somewhere in the east coast. His dad was in the military. We met because he either had a Spinal Tap tee shirt on or a Lemonheads tee shirt on. The Lemonheads tee shirt he wore all the time was a handmade tee shirt and it was so stupid. It was like the Lemonheads candy, he printed it out and made a tee shirt of it. I was like “Are you a fan of the candy or the band?” He made his own in art class. He was like “I’m a fan of the band,” and then we were best friends.

Do you still keep in contact?

Kennedy: Yea. He had a band before we started in high school called, it was the name of an R.E.M. song “Oddfellows Local.” I played one song with them during lunchtime and then we started our band towards the end of high school.

At what point in your life did you know you wanted to become a musician?

Kennedy: I kind of tried to kind of give it up for a while actually. I guess I’d write songs and stuff but I wasn’t enthused to be in a band. I wanted to play in bands and not do my own thing. I played with Ana from That Dog and her first solo record. Played with her, toured and recording a little bit. It got me excited and I thought I have these songs maybe I should do something with it. It got me focused like I really need to do this. Even if it was just me in my bedroom with my M-Box and my computer, I was just drawn to it and it feels right. We’re happy with the things we have done on our own. Putting this record out, selling records, touring, the movie, videos, kind of doing it our own way feels great. It makes us want to keep on doing it.

Where do you see the band 10 years from now?

Kennedy: It’s hard to say. We’re happy doing it now I’m sure songs keep coming, we’ll be inspired. I’d love to do it as long as we can. Hopefully not a reunion tour or covers night!

03.09.10
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New MGMT Song,”Flash Delirium.” Gone is the Electric Feel…

I’m not sure what to make of the new MGMT song. Titled “Flash Delirium,” it sounds nothing like their prior work. This of course can be seen as a good and bad thing. The good being that the group has evolved into another animal. The bad being, well, it comes off a bit as an Of Montreal copy. Yes we know that the boys are tight with Barnes and Co., but what we didn’t expect is this. Where is the dance beats we’ve grown to love? Why are there flutes in the song? (That’s right, flutes). I guess we’ll have to hear the whole album to come to a final decision but right now MGMT  has us a bit baffled. Will they be able to come out of their sophomore slump with a victory? Wait and see.

Download “Flash Delirium,” and check out the band’s second record, Congratulations (Columbia) due out April 8th.