Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
By Brittany Coleman
After listening to the Arcade Fire’s new album The Suburbs I must admit I was moved. And not just because I’m naturally an emotional person, but because the album’s smooth rhythms and proverbial lyrics left me in an amazing place.
Lead singer Win Butler’s haunting voice set the mood for the whole album. Butler’s delivery in “Rococo,” was especially fantastic. To me, rococo has always been a particular art form. But in this epic tale of mayhem, rococo is somehow a “horrible sound,” brought to fruition by the strings of the violin. Butler’s voice truly brought depth and funky substance to the tracks such as “Deep Blue,” “Ready to Start,” and “The Suburbs.” “The Suburbs” definitely offers a snappy 80′s pop-beat that’s new to the AF’s repertoire. Led by front-woman Régine Chassagne, the ladies of the Arcade Fire are dually represented with the tracks “Empty Room,” “The Spraw II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” and “Half Light I.”
Not lost is the perfect harmony between all the instruments that I love the Arcade Fire for. And you can hear each and every instrument, right down to the dramatic synth. So simple and pure, the lyrics meld together perfectly with the guitar, base, cello, violins and keyboards. I’m sure I’ve left some instruments out, seeing as how the AF plays up to 16 different instruments. What other bands can boast of playing 16 different instruments, playing them well, and being able to create the most modern, yet unique music? Very few. And debuting a third album can sometimes be a daunting challenge for a band. Sometimes artists can lose their musical caliber. Some even try so hard to make “fresh” tunes that the new album falls completely out of their artistic zone, causing confusion and heartbreak to eager fans. But the Arcade Fire found a happy medium between fresh new tunes and brilliant lyrics. Some of my favorite lines include “All the kids have always known that the emperor wears no clothes but they bow to down to him anyway, it’s better than being alone” (from Ready to Start), or “So can you understand? Why I want a daughter while I’m still young, I wanna hold her hand and show her some beauty before this damage is done, but if it’s too much to ask, it’s too much to ask then send me a son,” (from The Suburbs).
The same old chemistry and continuity the Arcade Fire had before is definitely present on this new album. The nostalgic lyrics will certainly leave you thinking of home, the street you played on, that summer you spent with your friends, the ex you never want to see again, or even the person you’re secretly in love with now. True artistic expertise at its best, The Suburbs will leave you feeling as if everything really will be okay after all.
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
I recently was able to catch up with Meredith Godreau of Gregory and the Hawk
What’s the reason for going by Gregory and The Hawk? Have you changed the name before?
It’s a pen name which has an abbreviation of gath sometimes.
How long have you all been playing? Self-taught?
I think most people who have collaborated are the take-lessons-for-a-few-months-when-they-were-teenagers kind of thing.
Who are your major influences? Any major comparisons to certain bands that your music may receive?
My influences are more based experience than other bands, I have varied taste, but I listen to music when I drive a lot so I listen to a lot of classic rock or old Indie rock. This year I really love the band Land of Talk.
What inspired you to make music?
Probably feelings and playing piano.
What can you tell me about your instruments?
Well, mostly I play guitar. Right now I play a Tacoma but only because it has an ok sound when it is plugged in at shows. I have a love hate relationship with that thing and it knows it I think! I play an old viola and violin on recordings and I really love those, and have started playing a table harp with nylon strings that belongs to my boyfriend. Think he got it a while back in Chicago that has a good playing personality.
What made you choose the instruments you have now?
Convenience I like to try and play whatever falls into my hands because I do think it’s a sort of fate.
Where have you performed? What are your favorite venues in the Bay Area?
Never played in the bay area, I will have to do that this winter. Right now my favorite place in the first Unitarian church side chapel in Philadelphia because I’m a sucker for mini things.
Do you have any upcoming shows?
This fall I’m touring around my new album – out November 1
What albums are you currently listening to and would like to recommend?
Land of talk – Some are Lakes, Juana Molina – Tres cocas, Silver Jews – the natural bridge
Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers?
The ones in drop d, and yes, sometimes then I forget how to play them
Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Either I make an idea of a chord cycle and put words to it based on how the chords go, or record something and play over it
What are some challenges you may face playing at a new venue and not knowing what the sound will be like?
Possible bad sound I guess. You can break a string even if you’ve played somewhere a bunch of times so that doesn’t count for this question
What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
There aren’t any rehearsals, but the few we have had been pretty unfocused. Like, show up late and hang out.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music?
Luckily I have more things to base my writing on now than when i was 15
What has been your biggest challenge as an artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Remember that you have your own path, not someone else’s which is a subconscious ongoing thing, I think.
What’s the ultimate direction for your music?
Ultimately, I’d say NNW, or due S if I become more brave
What advice do you have for people who want to pursue a career in music?
I read this quote the other day “a wise man is always similar to himself” something to think about
Which famous musicians do you admire?
Couldn’t say specifically, but I love to watch people improvise so a good improviser
Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
People who have come to see a live show, this is most special for an indefinable sort of support
What does music mean to you?
Good times.
You can check out her music here:
http://www.myspace.com/gregoryandthehawk
Follow her on Twitter: @soakedoak
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
We had a chance to catch up with The Famous, from San Francisco, CA! Check out their video and an interview below!
What’s the origin of the band name?
‘The Famous’ is the name of a dry goods store in Central Texas that my family operated in a small town called Marlin. We’re talking from the ‘20s to the early ‘80s.
In our own way, we try to pay homage to life in small towns in America, and also to help folks remember that there was a time before Wal-Mart ran Mom and Pops out of business in agricultural areas across the country.
There have always been strong communities of people working together in our country and we try to tell those stories.
How long have you been all been playing?
The band’s players have all been lifelong musicians. Vic our lead guitarist can play anything, any instrument, he’s outstanding. G.D. our
bassist toured for years in a very successful punk rock band and brings a true pro experience to the band. Our drummer Chris is the backbone. My background is with storytelling.
Who are your major influences? Any major comparisons to certain bands that your music may receive?
Since we are something of a marriage between classic country and punk rock… we are definitely influenced by the likes of Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, X and The Pixies. People say they hear Rev. Horton Heat, Social Distortion, Old ‘97s, Modest Mouse influences… and they’re right.
How long have you all known each other? How did you meet? When did you form your band?
I’m taking the easy way out… we met 7 years ago, but the story is best told here…
“You can pound your fist on my front door / But it’s been too long, I don’t need you anymore.” Laurence Scott sings the opening line of “Better Things,” from the Famous’ 2005 debut Light, Sweet Crude, like he really means it. He might be singing about an old lover, an old friend — heck, even an old car — but the line could just as well be a kiss-off to the staid country and Americana his band seems all too happy to leave behind in a cloud of dust.
Mix that with the exhaust fumes of a 1965 Ford Galaxie — the four-wheeled talisman that led to the formation of the band in 2003 when Victor Barclay (lead guitar, vocals) spotted Scott (lead vocals, acoustic guitar) and his ride outside a Bay Area laundromat and remarked that he owned the very same car — and you get an idea of what the Famous is all about. To put it another way: take the ‘50s-era country of Hank Williams, Sr. and filter it through ‘70s punk rock, ‘80s psychobilly, and ‘90s post-punk. You’ll find yourself staring eye-to-eye with San Francisco’s own “Pixies in a cowboy hat.”
The band’s latest, 2010’s Come Home to Me, finds Scott and Barclay refining Light, Sweet Crude. They’ve perfected their signature
raw-country-meets-post-punk sound while maturing some of the more manic elements that made their debut such a bold statement.
Do you have a record label?
We self release our albums as Leading Brand Records. (the alternative to the alternative)
Where have you performed? What are your favorite venues in the Bay Area?
Bottom of the Hill, Café Du Nord and Thee Parkside have become our true homes in the Bay Area. We play all around Northern California, but those San Francisco clubs are home. We’ve also played festivals in Colorado and NXNE in Toronto.
Coming up on August 27th, The Famous open the show for SF honky tonk stalwart Red Meat’s CD Release Party at Café Du Nord.
What albums are you currently listening to and would like to recommend?
We’ve been listening mostly to bands we’ve played shows with recently including Drag the River, The Toadies who have a brand new album ‘Feeler’ and the NickelSlots, a very cool band we played with at their hometown club, Old Ironsides in Sacramento.
What are your rehearsals generally like?
We rehearse at least once a week and it is usually a five-hour session of working on new songs, a few classic country covers and staying sharp on our songs.
What’s the ultimate direction for the band?
We hope to keep finding audiences and bands who appreciate our approach and want to join in at our shows.
What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
It’s really simple… just have fun.
