by BrooklynVegan Mike

DOWNLOAD: Lightspeed Champion - Waiting Game (MP3)

When schizophrenic dance-punk outfit Test Icicles called it a day not long after the release of their debut album, it seemed like a one and done, flash in the pan output attached to the musical trend at the time. Fast forward a year and one of their members, Devonte Hynes, reappears with a new project called Lightspeed Champion, and one of the goofiest videos in recent memory. Musically, it was a complete turnaround from his old band in everything but one element. It was really good.

As it turned out, he had hooked up with the Saddle Creek crew and recorded an album featuring input from Tim Kasher, members of Tilly and the Wall, and Emmy the Great. With three videos already done, the debut album, Falling of the Lavender Bridge, due this month on Domino Records, is one of the most anticipated records in the UK, and will be stateside as well. And it is a Saddle Creek record in every sense of the word; lots of strings with flashes of country, folk, and emotive lyrics. We spoke with Dev about the demise of his old band, the Omaha mystique, and fanatical fans.

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So, should this be titled Interview: Lightspeed Champion, or Interview: Dev from Lightspeed Champion?

Dev: That's been something on my mind lately. It's really silly. I don't think I'll ever refer to myself as Lightspeed Champion, but if other people do, that would be okay.

I read in a couple of places about how Test Icicles split because, quite frankly, you guys didn't like the music which, if true, is fascinating to me. Mainly because if three friends still like each other but don't like the music, they would change the music, not the group..

It's semi true. It was taken out of context somewhat. We had just grown up. We wrote those songs when we were seventeen. Three years is a long time when you are that age. You get in and out of things. During that time, a bunch of us had the attitude of “Hey, let's form a band, play a show, and break up.” We did that for a year. Test Icicles was a band that just stuck together but it got out of hand really fast.

Our live set got weird near the end. We would play thirty minutes of noise. I would imagine the fans didn't want to hear. I mean, I didn't want to hear it, either.

continued below....

Continue reading "An interview with Lightspeed Champion (Devonte Hynes)"

Lightspeed Champion (aka Dev Hynes) is returning to the United States soon. He's playing Mercury Lounge on March 5th, Philly two days after that, and Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn the day after that. Tickets are on sale for the Mercury Lounge show. His "Galaxy Of The Lost" EP is out now. His full length album called Falling Off The Lavender Bridge is out on February 5th - both are on Domino Records. All tour dates, and a new video, below.....

Continue reading "Lightspeed Champion - 2008 Tour Dates, new video"

Ex-Test Icicle Dev's new band (of muppets?) Lightspeed Champion....

Continue reading "VIDEO: Lightspeed Champion (ex-Test Icicles) ------------ 'Galaxy Of The Lost'"