I’ve recently been introduced to the amazing musical project of Teddy Briggs from Sacramento, CA–Appetite. The music on Appetite’s recent album Scattered Smothered Covered plays with rhythms and silly melodies with dark themes. It’s really fascinating and I was so enraptured with it that I wanted to ask Teddy, the creator, a few questions.
S: First off, Appetite. Why the name? Does it mean something for the concept of the musical project or was it just something fun?
Teddy: I was trying to think of cool band names (as usual) and I thought of Appetite. I liked the way it sounded and then thought about what it might mean. I think I initially related to the idea of hunger in making music, being hungry in part to be heard but also hungry to just make music no matter what, even if no one heard it. Now I find even more potential meanings for the name, which is my favorite thing about words and language in general, meanings morph with time and context.
A few weeks ago I had a pleasantly surprised to find an amazing band playing at Redwood when just grabbing a drink with a friend. As I saw them assembling their gear, I became more and more curious of the mystery band. A whole stage full of instruments that could belong to 10 bluegrass band players, Seryn finally took the stage. Their dynamics were amazing, building a complete soundcape with every instrument and vocal part intertwining intricately. It’s as if Freelance Whales decided to make a Mumford and Sons record with Greg Laswell as the front man (and it could not have been a better combination). I was so in awe of them live that I was completely fixated and harassed them the next day for a copy of their recent record This Is Where We Are. Although the record isn’t as visceral and tangible as their live show, both are supreme. I decided to ask Nathan and Chelsea of the Denton band a few questions…
Listen to “We Will All Be Changed” by Seryn:
S: So first off, I saw your guys’ set at Redwoods in Los Angeles and your live show is pretty spectacular and dynamic. Was a great introduction to the band. Had you played Los Angeles before?
Nathan: Thanks so much! Glad you made it out. We have never played in LA before, so it was a great first night there.
S: Did you get to do anything exciting while you were in town? Do any sightseeing?
Nathan: We spent a few hours down in Huntington Beach. We don’t really have Pacific Oceans in Texas, so it was a must.
S: You guys have been touring almost non-stop all year, including a highly-praised stint at SXSW in Austin. Is it taxing to be on the road so much or do you love it? And what have been some of the highlights? (more…)
Kitten’s Chloe Chaidez is incredible. She’s only 16 and making amazing pop-infused indie rock worthy of someone twice her age. I was introduced to Kitten through her Sunday School EP, released in October last year, and her session with The Wild Honey Pie. Now she’s about to tour around the U.S. with Brother and then Electric Six. First, she’ll be playing at The Echo tomorrow sponsored by Futuresounds.com with The Postelles. And before any of that, I got to ask Chloe a few questions about life as a young professional musician.
S: You’re only 16 and already your music is being compared to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, Cat Power and The Killers. How long have you been making music?
Chloe: Well I’ve been in bands since I was 10, so I guess you could say I started young. My first instrument was bass, and soon after I learned guitar and started to write. It was “live, breath eat music” from there on out.
S: Who are some of the bands and musicians that have inspired you? Which do you credit as influences on Kitten’s sound?
Chloe: Fortunately the other guys in the band come from very different musical backgrounds, so as a whole we have a lot of people/bands influencing our music. Personally speaking, bands like New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Iggy Pop have influenced me greatly over Kitten’s short life span.
S: How did you get into such a solid collection of music at a young age? Do you have musical parents or an older sibling you who introduced you or did you find it on your own?
Chloe: Both actually. My dad is a musician who introduced to me all the classics at an early age, which I loved. When I got a bit older and my brother started to become more of a friend than an enemy, he began showing me bands like Justice (in their heyday), Crystal Castles, and Toro Y Moi . But to be fair, both opened my eyes to great music I might have never heard otherwise.
S: Has your taste in music changed over the years? Do you have any “guilty pleasure” albums? Any Ke$ha in your collection?
Chloe: I think the closest artist to a “guilty pleasure” in my iTunes library would be La Roux. But to be honest there’s really no guilt tied to that pleasure , she has great songs!
S: A lot of the tracks on the Sunday School EP are pretty dark, whether through the lyrics or the music itself (“I’m gonna love you till I’m dead / a place to lay my head”). What do you draw inspiration from? Are your songs autobiographical?
Listen to “Kill the Light” by Kitten
Chloe: I think there are always going to be bits of yourself in your writing. You can’t really help that. But I wouldn’t necessarily call my songs autobiographical, they’re more like a lot of little ideas and images being put to music that usually seem to tie together in the end.
S: Are you writing new songs? When can we expect a new release from Kitten? Maybe a full-length?
Chloe: Yes! We’re actually in the middle of recording a full length right now that will be released sometime in the fall.
S: Being such a young starlet, and given how outrageous previous young female artist have been, is maintaining a strong female image important to you? Are there any strong women you’ve looked up to as a role model?
Chloe: Strong men and women are the same to me. If I find someone that I feel is worth looking up too, they’re gender really doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be known as one of the greatest “female” musicians of all time , I want to be known as one the greatest musician’s of all time.
S: This year has been pretty spectacular for Kitten–great performances at CMJ and SXSW with praise from everyone from MTV to Spin. Did you ever expect all of this when you first demoed your songs for Bill Racine? Did you think “these songs are gold”?
Chloe: I wasn’t expecting much to be honest, it was just an EP and i’m glad its done well for us. I’m really excited for everyone to hear our full length and see how much we’ve grown.
S: What has been the highlight of it all? Any point where you thought, “wow, I’ve made it” or is that yet to come?
Chloe: Definitely yet to come. That said, I’ve hit some goals that I wouldn’t think I’d meet until much later in life.
S: Your video for “Chinatown” is really cool with its special effects. Tell me a bit about the video and the idea for it. Does it relate to the inspiration for the song?
Chloe: Basically we were sent a couple different treatments, and the concept that ended up being the video was the one that really clicked with all of us. Bryan (the director) could tell you more about the effects. As far as the band were concerned, we wanted something different visually and not what you would expect for the song.
S: You’re about to head on tour with Brother and then Electric Six. Do you enjoy being out on the road? What are some of the best/worst parts? What do you plan to do about school?
Chloe: I enjoy being on the road more than anything else in the entire world. I would spend all year touring if i could. The best part is simply devouring that energy from a crowd every single night and having such a luxury be your only responsibility. The worst part is having to wear the same pair of underwear two days in a row, sometimes..
As far school goes, I homeschool online and it seems to be working well.
S: Thanks so much, Chloe! I’m excited to see you at The Echo. Do me a favor and play “Apples and Cigarettes”!
I caught The Fling on FutureSound’s The Rumble Tour in May so of course when I was offered an interview with frontman Dustin, I was stoked. Their recent release When the Madhouses Appear is available now on Dangirbird Records and it it’s hot from start to finish. Somehow When the Madhouses Appear draws inspiration direct from the classics, and manages to stay fresh, with twangy guitar riffs, lots of cymbal, winding guitar solos and classic rock voice, often breaking into four-part harmonies. They certainly slot well among the psychedelic-rock alt-folk acts like Dawes and Delta Spirit and I’m excited to hear more from them in the coming months.
Listen to “Wanderingfoot” by The Fling
A Chat with Dustin…
S: Dustin, you started out making music for The Fling as just a one-man project. What were you doing before The Fling? And did you always see The Fling becoming a five-piece?
Dustin: I have been in bands since I was a teenager. I was always the guitar player. I’d write a guitar part, and have somebody else write a melody and lyrics over it. To me, it was like making a painting and having somebody else give it color. A lot of times the colors wouldn’t match and the painting would get distorted until you couldn’t even tell what it was originally supposed to be. I kept getting tired of losing control over my ideas, so I started writing my own melodies and lyrics to keep myself happy. I did a batch of home recordings and came to Long Beach with the idea of putting a band together. Eventually we all sort of found each other and evolved into a five piece band with four main songwriters. (more…)
Los Angeles project Belize will be releasing Tidal Tales from the Other Side on June 20th, 2011. Singer/songwriter Casey Curry is also a professional photographer in Los Angeles and he’s taken time out of his crazy schedule to chat about his new album, photographing Andrew W.K., and working with Frankie Siragusa in the studio.
S: Starting with the name, what made you decide to dub your project Belize? Do you have any associations with the country? Casey: When writing and recording Tidal Tales, my goal was not just to create dynamic and evocative songs that would be compiled on a record, but to essentially create a score for the lives of my listeners. I geek out on space, and I love the ocean. In my opinion, Belize has some of the most inspiring oceanography one can encounter on this earth. The name of the band was not premeditated in any way, shape, or form. It is simply a result of the journey traveled while making the album.
S: Your music draws influence from a lot of the classics like Brian Wilson, Nick Cave, and Pink Floyd. If you could chat with any musician, alive or dead, who would it be and why? (more…)
Sleeper Agent’s debut albumCelabrasion has not stopped spinning since I received it in the mail less than a week ago. It will be out on Mom & Pop on August 16th and they just set out on a tour with Cage the Elephant and Manchester Orchestra. If the above points aren’t enough to tell you that “these guys fucking rock,” then I’ll spell it out for you: their take-no-prisoners high-energy garage rock is only properly experienced at high volume and with repeat listens.
I was recently given the opportunity to interview Sleeper Agent. No bullshit.
S: First off, Sleeper Agent is a sextet, which is a pretty large group. How did you all meet? What’s the dynamic like?
Sleeper Agent: A lot of us have been playing together or watching each other’s bands for years (as far back as 2004). Bands would crumble and I guess we’re the hodgepodge of a scene from yesteryear. Alex, joined in 2010. She’s from Ohio, we met her whilst she was opening for Sleeper Agent’s original lineup in 2008.
S: Also, you all have nicknames–Tutone, Kidd, Keyser, Grizzlee, Saga, and Junior. How did those come about and do you go by those on a daily basis?
SA: We don’t take ourselves too seriously and the nicknames have become a way of rib-poking each other (i.e, Alex is by far the youngest [Kidd], Tony plays with no pedals using only a clean or distorted channel [Tutone)]) Depending on our mood, we’ll interchange the real names and nicknames.
S: You and Cage the Elephant are the only two bands I can think of from Bowling Green, KY. You’ve also toured with them quite a bit. Are you all close?
SA: Justin, Tony and Scott have been stomping around with those guys since they were in Perfect Confusion. We consider them family.
S: Are there any other bands in Bowling Green that we should know about?
SA: Schools ( http://www.reverbnation.com/schools ). They’re on their way up. By far our favorite show to catch on break. We saw them four times on our last break.
S: Some of my favorite bands have guy/girl duo vocals. When you started the band, was there anyone you were emulating or did you just think “we both have great voices, let’s both sing”? … (more…)
So after seeing A Sound Aside play with Eye Alaska in June, I decided to make it out to Chain Reaction for their show on Friday, August 27th. I got to talk to the boys a bit before the show and they talked about recording some new demos and a possible West Coast tour this winter.
Their set was great! The vocals were spot-on and so lovely. These guys are the kind of pop rock with a slight twang reminiscent of The Fray. However, don’t be quick to lob them into the adult contemporary genre because they’re strapping young men ready to rile up the pop rock scene. Even in a show with the great Lydia, they stood out and held their own. It won’t surprise me if they’re caught up on tours with bands like The Rocket Summer or The Summer Set soon.
Check out one of my favorite songs of the night, “Perfect Thing To Say.”
At House of Blues in Anaheim on June 11, The first band to take the stage was A Sound Aside. These guys were very wholesome-looking white-boy foursome with the lead singer dawning a super-scene scarf. A rowdy high-school-age fan club was already ready to rock out at the sight of this otherwise unknown band and when they started playing, I could see why. They reminded me of The Fray with the southern piano rock and vocals, but their music was generally more upbeat and pop with the occasional heavy guitar. The solid harmonies on “Perfect Thing to Say” got the crowd clapping and on “Summertime” the guitars were shredding! They closed with powerpop sing-a-long “You’re the One For Me” to which the crowd knew all the words.
The next band up was a band called Stereofix and suffice it to say they were a little difficult to watch. Their sound was a rip-off of The Killers, complete with super-scene leather-clad frontman, shakey vocals, and an eerie electro drum machine. Ray, the singer and guitarist of Stereofix performed while making awkward movements replicating jazzercise routines. They had keyboard in the tracks, but no keyboardist and I couldn’t understand the lyrics at all, but we can blame that on House of Blues acoustics. I thought that maybe I could better appreciate the music better on the album and while it is a bit better without all the distractions of their performance, I’m not sure that’s a compliment.
Colorist, up next, was a great and unexpected surprise. The first thing I noticed was their girl drummer! She also sung back-up vocals so I was doubly impressed. Their sound was dance rock, heavy on the snare, a solid dash of guitar with a little pinch of folk. It was extremely hard to name comparisons, which is definitely a good thing for this foursome. To try to give you an idea, they’re like Like Matt & Kim meets Slow Club – a little dance, a little folk. Groovy electro pop-rock made an appearance on “Fire Out.” “Yes Yes” displayed echoey vocals similar to Dear and the Headlights or Death Cab for Cutie with little piano tinkling. These guys announced that they’re recording a new EP and it couldn’t come soon enough. Their newest unreleased track entitled “Wishing Wells” was so much fun. There was a hint of dance rock a-la Hot Hot Heat with lyrics like “I found the beat to your heart and I’ve been dancing to it night and day” and dummer Maya rocked her vocal solo. On the song that went something like, “I don’t wanna fall in love,” the harmonies were GORGEOUS. It reminded me of something that you might find on the Paper Heart soundtrack—sweet and delicate. The last song had a xylophone and bass beat intro and featured Maya’s light airy whispers with “Hey where are you going? We won’t go home.” I loved these guys and I think they’ll go far.
Bad Rabbits, the only band from out of state (Boston, MA) I wasn’t too crazy about, considering all the praise they got from Brandon’s Eye Alaska in a pre-show interview. They were funky, groovy, electro rock, but mostly they seemed just retro. They were rockin’ the falsetto Michael-Jackson-style and had choreographed synchronized dance moves for the stage. Their soul rock to me really just sounded like the theme from The Ghostbusters.
Then came Eye Alaska, the stars of the night. Their sound was much harder than I expected. There were shredding guitars, badass drums, even some screaming with sweet pop vocals. Comparisons were difficult to draw because one moment they’d sound like The Cab, the next Our Lady Peace, then Chiodos or Gym Class Heroes—a definite eclectic mixed bag of genres. While Brandon Wronski in person is a quiet and smart intellectual, the minute he stepped on stage he transformed into this commanding presence, a totally different animal. The band was joined on stage by a small orchestra who dawned black and white face paint, exacerbating the cinematic element of the band.
The Hip Hop beat influence was present in songs like “This Life Start To Question,” which included an almost rap interlude, while violins gave each song an element of cinema, creating a story. After having worn a knit hooded garb for the first portion of the set, he traded it for a fox pelt (watch out for PETA!), which he wore on his head and delved into a song that seemed to represent the “struggle montage” of the story. “Mutiny Off the Aleutian Coast” was my favorite song of the night. With a big arena sound and borderline noise rock, this part of the set showcased Brandon’s vocals and the song lead into heavier rock with guitarist Cameron Trowbridge rocking the eff out.
Hands were pumping in the air for “American Landslide,” but in general people seemed to not know what to do with themselves. To bounce their hands or mosh or dance? Little of everything? This was the effect of a sound dedicated to being genre-less and while it did at times seem a little overwhelming or confusing for the genre-trained ear, it was definitely enjoyable and made for a good show. For “My Soul My Surrender” even dudes singing the lyrics! They closed with their single “Walk Like a Gentleman and everyone was singing. I commend them completely for defying expectations, trying something new, and putting on an amazing live show.
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On Friday April 9th, the guitarist of Paper Tongues, Joey Signa, gave me a call to chat about the band. Paper Tongues is an up-and-coming band that wants to create something fresh. The music has an organic feel and is a mesh of more genres than you can count on one hand. They had an iTunes single of the week earlier this month, “Trinity,” just after the release of their new self-titled album on March 30th. To hear what Joey has to say about the band’s music, their new album, and upcoming shows with bands like Matt & Kim and Flyleaf, click below to listen to the interview.
