Recent Posts in interviews
September 4, 2008
an interview with TRICKY (on his new album, dubstep, grime, Bernard Butler, Switch, M.I.A. & more)
by BrooklynVegan Mike
A friend of mine played me some stuff and said "you're the father of dubstep."
Tricky (who kicks off a US tour at Irving Plaza in NYC Thurday night) is never at a loss for words or a strong opinion. His career has been defined as much by his viewpoints on artists and music past and present as it has his ever shifting sound pallette. He has been called "the king of trip-hop," a moniker that he never liked and never quite fit. Though his debut Maxinquaye helped forge and popularize, along with Portishead and Massive Attack, the "Bristol" sound, every album since has steadily moved away from simple categorization.
"It's coincidence. To be honest with you, Portishead and Massive Attack, I don't know anything about their music; last time I heard Massive Attack's music was when I was in it, and I've never listened to Portishead. Even if I hadn't been in Massive Attack, that's not something I would listen to, it's not my thing. I don't know much about these bands." [said Tricky recently to The Skinny]The forty year old, who was worked with everyone, from Bjork and The Gravediggaz, to Tool and Live, is back with his first album in five years, Knowle West Boy, and many are calling it a return. When we spoke, he was in a relaxed mood. He speaks with a hyper active patter that is engaging and contagious.
We began our conversation by discussing his absence away from music. Despite being quite consistent with his releases (putting out eight albums in eight years), this is his first record since 2003's Back To Mine. When asked about the long break, he suggested that he started to break away mentally before 2003. "September 11th took me off my stride," he said. "I was in the cycle of tour, record, tour, record. I was in L.A doing some work. I was to leave on a European tour on the 11th and everything happened. I didn't want to travel for a long time. I moved to L.A. And that took a year of my life. I was also looking for another label, and that took another year of my life as well. So really, the 11th of September just changed everything for me."
He has since moved back to England, a decision that has certainly influenced the new record. But when asked why at this stage in his career he would make a concept album about his youth (as was written here, and here), he replied "That's not really true. It's not just about my youth. There are a couple of songs [including the first single, 'Council Estate'] that are about my childhood but there are other songs on there. I think people are thinking that because of those songs as well as the title. Knowle West is a place where nothing good is supposed to come out of. I named the album Knowle West Boy to say, "look at me. I'm still here." He also scoffed at the notion that the record, which has received some of his best reviews since Angels With Dirty Faces, was a return to form. "That's basically because it's more accessible then say Pre-Millenium Tension. I could have put this kind of record out then but chose not to."
This got us talking about the Tricky "sound" and if, in fact, there was one....
Posted by brooklynvegan at 11:42 AM | Comments (33)
August 18, 2008
another interview w/ Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs
by BrooklynVegan Mike
"For me the most depressing, the worse thing, that has happened with Wolf Parade, is how the media pit me and Spencer against each other."
Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade) @ Terminal 5 (more by Kyle Reinford)
We first spoke with Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade two years ago. He had just had a rough set and a kerfuffle with a mid-90s college act. Last year we caught up with him again - that time with Alexei Perry and we talked Handsome Furs. Another year has passed and the ever prolific Boeckner (and the rest of Wolf Parade) are back with a new record called At Mount Zoomer. We spoke with Dan AGAIN - this time after Wolf Parade's biggest Montreal (August 3rd) show to date (a show that was still smaller than the two NYC shows they played a few days earlier). We talked about the NYC shows, the record, the upcoming Furs record, Fine Young Cannibals, and those persistent Dan/Spencer rivalry questions.
--
Before we talk Wolf Parade, I just read online that there is already a title for the new Handsome Furs record?
Continue reading "another interview w/ Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs"
Posted by brooklynvegan at 1:05 PM | Comments (15)
August 11, 2008
an interview w/ (Saddle Creek's) Sebastien Grainger (DFA79)
by BrooklynVegan Mike
"I was like, 'this is a fucking heavy record'."
Sebastien Grainger @ Osheaga - Aug 3, 2008 (crazytvdreams)
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian drummer and vocalist of the too short-lived DFA79 (not to be confused with France's Sebastien Tellier who just came through NYC last week), has emerged since the duo's split with an upcoming Saddle Creek record..
Best known for his contributions as singer and drummer for Canadian dance-punk duo Death From Above 1979, whose decadently catchy anthems took the world by storm with the release of their breakthrough record You're a Woman, I'm a Machine in 2004, Sebastien Grainger is soon to be even better known to the world as a singer and songwriter of sophisticated distinction via his new solo works. Fans of his prior music will likely be surprised by his new direction: delicately layered ruminations rich with energetic arrangements and deep melodic undercurrents. With his first full-length album Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains he further expands upon the well-received melodic endeavors of his digital EP American Names.Sebastien's new work is a departure from both his previous outfit, and that of his former bandmate Jesse Keeler (one half of MSTRKRFT). Sebastien's band has played more than a handful of shows in the past eighteen months, including one recently at Osheaga in Montreal, That's where I spoke with him about the new sound, his old band, and the Canadian government promoting ejaculation..
--
The obvious first question would be the timeline. It's been a couple years [since DFA 1979], so what has occurred in that time?
Continue reading "an interview w/ (Saddle Creek's) Sebastien Grainger (DFA79)"
Posted by brooklynvegan at 2:47 PM | Comments (9)
August 7, 2008
an(other) interview w/ Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste
Ed Droste @ Lollapalooza 2008 (by Bao Nguyen) (Zach shot them too)
Currently on tour with Radiohead, Grizzly Bear's next NYC-area shows are this Friday at the All Points West Festival and the very next night at Music Hall of Williamsburg. I sent Grizzly Bear frontman Ed Droste a few quick questions to see how he was doing....
---
How is the Radiohead tour going? How was Lollapalooza? Any good stories?
Ed: It's been so amazing. It's definitely an entirely new experience for us, we aren't used to, and will likely never play spaces this big again, and we're still getting our festival legs. As many people might imagine our sound isn't exactly catered to a massive outdoor setting, but we are giving it our best. Playing Montreal was insane, the biggest crowd we've ever played for, about 30K people actually in the pouring rain, just incredibly amped up for Radiohead. It was extremely surreal. A rainbow came out as well at one point.
Paul Simon or Radiohead?...
Continue reading "an(other) interview w/ Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste "
Posted by brooklynvegan at 1:57 PM | Comments (21)
August 5, 2008
an interview w/ Neil Halstead (Slowdive, Mojave 3) +++++++++++++++++ 2008 Tour Dates (All Points West)
by BrooklynVegan Mike
"There isn't any artistic integrity in just getting the band back together
and playing the old songs."
Neil Halstead, as a co-founder of Slowdive, was one of the architects of shoegazer, a genre that has seen a revival as of late with the reformation of My Bloody Valentine and Swervedriver. In 1995, most of Slowdive morphed into Mojave 3 and has since been making beautiful countrified dream-pop. Halstead also mellows things out more on his solo records. His sophomore release Oh! Mighty Engine dropped last week on Jack Johnson's label Brushfire Records. He is also currently on tour with Jack. (yeah, we know).
This Sunday he opens the third day of the All Points West festival in Jersey City - the same day Jack closes. You can also catch Neil one day earlier at the Surf Lodge in Montauk. We caught up with Neil after he opened the second day of the Osheaga Festival in Montreal on Monday. We discussed tour mate Jack Johnson, a Slowdive reunion, and the re-emergence of shoegazer.
---
You've played a lot of festivals in your twenty year career. How does it feel to open a festival?
Neil: It's a dubious honor, isn't it? [laughs]. I would trade in the honor for a few more people. But the people were really nice. Very sweet. We enjoyed it.
You've been opening for Jack Johnson on his tour. How has that been?...
Posted by brooklynvegan at 5:31 PM | Comments (10)
July 31, 2008
an interview with BROTHER ALI + 2 MP3s & a free show
by Black Bubblegum
DOWNLOAD: Brother Ali - Truth Is (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brother Ali - Original King (MP3)
"People think I'm in the independent category by choice."
Brother Ali is a minority, but not in the ways you might expect. First, he's a white rapper in a genre filled with mostly black artists. Second, Brother Ali is an albino.Brother Ali came up in the same midwest hip hop scene that birthed fellow indie b-boy and Rhymesayers co-owner Slug, making a name for himself through his self-produced and self-released debut Rites Of Passage. On the strength of Rites, Ali signed to Rhymesayers and dropped Shadows On The Sun, followed by the Champion EP and ultimately The Undisputed Truth in 2007. He's not strictly a "booth" rhymer either. He battled and triumphed over freestyle champ and Rhymesayers MC Eyedea at Scribble 2000, and he has logged more than 500 shows on four continents.Ali, who was born Jason Newman, converted to Islam when he was 15. He says that he felt like an outsider among white people, and has never identified with the word "white."
"I was taken in, early on, by black folks," he says. "Those are the people who taught me the things that I needed to know to survive being who and what I am." [NPR]
Brother Ali will be back in NYC to play a free show at South Street Seaport on Friday, August 1st (8 pm) with notorious DJ Crew The Rub (7 pm). We cornered Ali for a moment before that show as he dropped two pennies on working with Rhymesayers go-to guy Ant, the follow-up to The Undisputed Truth, and why he thinks 50 Cent is ill.
---
BrooklynVegan: Ant has produced each of your last few records. Is there something about Ant's production that you feel complements your own style/flow? Are there any plans on working with any other producers and if so, who?
Brother Ali: Ant and I have been working together for several years and he's one of my closest friends. Not only do I love his beats but we share a similar outlook on music and life. He's a true producer in the sense that he sees elements of the people he works with as human beings and creates musical beds that allow those things to come out in the work. He has an ability to read people and help them present themselves in a really raw and personal way. There are other producers that I like and respect but I just can't believe that I could have the same creative chemistry with someone I don't really know.
interview continued below...
Continue reading "an interview with BROTHER ALI + 2 MP3s & a free show"
Posted by brooklynvegan at 8:11 PM | Comments (17)
June 3, 2008
a spotlight on (and interview with) Envelopes
by BrooklynVegan Mike
DOWNLOAD: Envelopes - Party (MP3)
Last time out, we spoke with Deep Sleepover in Montreal. This time, we go to Europe. Envelopes is an international affair, with members splitting time between France and Sweden. The dual vocals of Audrey Pic and Henrik Orrling, along with guitarist Fredrik Berglind-Dehlin, were initially the core trio of the group but they have since added Martin Karlsson and Filip Ekander as a rhythm section.
Their debut record, Demon (Swedish for "demo"), was the first release for Brille Records, the UK indie label also home to Good Shoes, Whirlwind Heat and The Knife. Envelopes' music embraces and distills the idiomatic qualities of bands like The B-52's, Stereolab, and Talking Heads and interweaves them with intricate melodies and a pulsing electronic presence. Just don't call them quirky.
Listen to the Pixies-esque bass drop-in on Party followed a minute later by appropriated Bonnie Tyler lyrics. Their music is a frantic pastiche with a not-so-obvious wink. And it's incredibly addictive. We spoke with Henrik Orrling while on tour to discuss the formation of the band, their name, and LEGO's.
Interview with Henrik Orrling of Envelopes below...
Continue reading "a spotlight on (and interview with) Envelopes"
Posted by brooklynvegan at 12:56 PM | Comments (6)
May 22, 2008
an interview with Adam Franklin of Swervedriver, tour dates
by Asa E
DOWNLOAD: Swervedriver - Mars (Tramps, 07.16.1997) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Swervedriver - Cars Converge On Paris (Maxwells, 10.31.1998) (MP3)
Swervedriver @ Coachella 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)
As previously, previously, and previously noted, legendary shoegazers Swervedriver are back. Their recent performance at Coachella was an 'artistic triumph,' according to the LA Times, which makes their upcoming dates (see below) all the more enticing. In the following interview, singer/guitarist Adam Franklin relates his desert island pedals as well as his distaste for the MySpace "shoegaze" category.
----
When I listen to Raise, I hear a lot of Dinosaur Jr. worship going on. You guys really work the guitar effects (wah pedals especially) and your vocals are buried. Any accuracy to this perception? And why is your singing so low in the mix?
Adam Franklin: Dinosaur were a big influence around the time of You're Living All Over Me and Bug, for sure. I don't really know why the vocals were so low but I certainly wasn't that confident with the vocals at the time plus it was also perhaps a prevailing stylistic trend at the time.
Did you receive any vocal training between Raise and Mezcal Head? The your voice is mixed much better and it carries a lot of melody as well.
Actually, I did have one singing lesson that may have been around that time. She was an opera singer and she had a picture of her with Pavarotti on her piano and she had at one time given lessons to Johnny Rotten. At the start of the lesson she got me to reach for my lowest and highest notes and then said "right. I guarantee that in an hour you will be singing 2 notes higher and 3 lower - and she was right.
More interview, as well as tour dates, below...
Continue reading "an interview with Adam Franklin of Swervedriver, tour dates"
Posted by brooklynvegan at 9:02 AM | Comments (13)
May 21, 2008
Tom Waits' True Confessions (a conversation with himself)
Continue reading "Tom Waits' True Confessions (a conversation with himself)"
Posted by brooklynvegan at 10:10 AM | Comments (18)
March 24, 2008
spotlight on Deep Sleepover (Sunset Rubdown) MP3/interview
by BrooklynVegan Mike
DOWNLOAD: Deep Sleepover - True Blue (MP3)
Last month, we looked at the Swedish band Melpo Mene (who never ended up making it to SXSW by the way) and this month we'll be highlighting an artist a little closer to (my Montreal) home.
Sunset Rubdown are one of the best bands going (in my opinion), and while a lot of the pub goes to Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug (top right), the rest of the group has musical endeavors that are just as exciting and adventurous as the SR mothership. Those include Jordan Robson-Cramer (bottom left) who is behind XY Lover and Magic Weapon in addition to playing in Miracle Fortress, and our spotlight for this month: Michael Doersken (bottom right) and his musical project, Deep Sleepover.
As the name suggests, Deep Sleepover is a mellow affair. The music resides behind a soft pall of reverb, a mid-tempo, wistful contemplation never going above a whisper. The debut album Voyage To The Other World - A Tale Of A Liar is definitely a mood record. On songs like "Catapillakilla," and "Through and Through," the familiar guitar sound and styling that greets the listener at the beginning of Random Spirit Lover is reimagined, taken out of the sardonic and surreal world and placed in more gentle hands.
The album has been a real find for me in the last six months - lots of steady listening. I sat down with Michael to chat about the record, the genesis of the sound and future plans for the band.
* * *
How long has Deep Sleepover been a project of yours ?
Michael Doerksen: I gave the music a name about a year ago. I've been writing music for awhile, now. I haven't had the opportunity to record anything. I had to give it a name and develop it slowly. So, about a year now.
Continue reading "spotlight on Deep Sleepover (Sunset Rubdown) MP3/interview"
Posted by brooklynvegan at 12:34 PM | Comments (1)