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.

MP3 of “Tussy”
MP3 of “Fiery Ring”

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.

S: You’re originally from Los Angeles, but now live in Sacramento? What’s better, Nor Cal or So Cal? Do you think that the environment of each city has had an impact on the music you make?

T: I don’t think one is better than the other.  I loved LA growing up there and had great opportunities to do music at my high school.  Then I went away to UC Davis at 17 and was still very impressionable.  I did a lot of growing up in those years up north so I felt like my identity was connected to that area.  I never made much music of my own living in LA at that age.  I was just a drummer back then so I’d just practice that.  My identity as a songwriter is northern Californian in that respect.

S: You started your career as a drummer for Rooney. What was that like? What did you you learn from that experience that you bring to Appetite?

T: That was so long ago, when I was like 15 or 16.  Being in that band was a trip because they had such good connections in LA at such a young age so our opportunities were absurd, like playing our first show at the Troubadour.  I was so innocent then that I didn’t even realize that was a big deal.  I was always just a drummer at that point and was probably asked to join because I was the best at school.   I think that I still draw a weird urge to prove myself from being in that band, like “hey, I can make a dope record on my own, not in LA, away from opportunities handed to me.“ I’m not saying those guys didn’t or don’t work hard, I’m just saying they were in a really nice place at a really good time and I always felt a bit snubbed for deciding to go to college and not being in a rock band at 17.

S: What are some of the influences behind your project? Where do the inspirations for the songs come from?

T: Musically my influences mostly come from my peers who have encouraged me to just get better and better because they do too.   I think the underdog nature of Sacramento encourages some folks here to make significant and moving music the best they can make it.  In terms of bands, I grew up loving Beck and A Tribe Called Quest and the Beastie Boys.  I hated the Beatles in high school for some reason and now I jam them regularly.  The What’s Up? dudes got me into them on tour.  In terms of writing melodies and arranging songs in general you almost don’t need anyone but the Beatles.  They continue to impress and inspire me, as cliché as that might seem.

S: The new album is entitled Scattered Smothered Covered. What does that
mean, exactly?

T: It was something I heard from a Southern gal I met in San Francisco.  I had never been to Waffle house, the southern institution, and she told me those were three ways to order your breakfast potatoes.  I liked the way it sounded and related to all of those concepts as stages of emotions that I feel regularly.

S: You recorded all of the instruments on Scattered Smothered Covered yourself. Do you enjoy having that artistic control or do you find that it becomes taxing? Do you bounce your ideas off anyone, if not any band mates?

T: Raleigh Moncrief ,who produced and recorded the record, helped out here and there both performing little bits and helping choose what parts we could play on new instruments we had access to in the studio.  I had been demoing all of those songs for a long time before we went into the studio so that wasn’t taxing, I knew everything so well.  I bounce ideas off of friends all the time, playing them demos, seeing their reactions and discussing the track.  I definitely enjoy that artistic control but in those early stages look for constructive criticism.  Also, the song “Little While” was co-written with my friend Mason Lindahl, whose guitar playing really made that into a song worth working on.

S: After Rooney and What’s Up you think you’ll ever go back to the band element? Or do you enjoy making music alone?

T: I have been working with some friends of mine the past few months to turn this project into a live band to properly perform the material.  I love writing and recording alone because the project has a certain sound that I have control over.  Performing live by myself is kind of terrible because I can’t make the songs as full as they are intended to be.  The dudes I’ve been playing with are all very talented and we don’t sound like a carbon copy of the record or anything.  It’s a different thing that still does the songs justice in a way that makes me so happy.  I don’t know how to thank those boys enough.  It has brought me so much joy to hear that material brought to life outside of the studio.

S: Your music has a ton of vocal layers and layers in general. Do the lyrics take the same theme for you? Is there something more to read than the surface level?

T: Definitely.  I try to write lyrics that sound cool at the moment and then I look at them and say, ok, what am I talking about here?  Then I go back and edit certain things to encourage a certain meaning or feeling.  Most songs mean something very specific to me but are meant to be open to interpretation.  One of the songs on there, called “Molecules,” was more or less completely random, and then I started thinking about it and now it means something quite specific to me.  I like those kinds of happy accidents.  After all there’s got to be some reason I’m saying whatever I am even if it is random so the chances they’ll make sense, at least to me, are high.

S: One thing that really drew me into the album was the unusual rhythm of the songs and great percussive elements. How long have you been playing percussion? Who are some of your drummer idols?

T: The Drums were my first instrument.  I think I started playing when I was 13 or so.  It is the instrument I am most comfortable on.  I love any drumming that compliments the music it is working for but still remains dope on its own.  I love the drummer from Creedence, Pat Wilson’s drumming on Pinkerton, and Kenny Buttrey on Harvest by Neil Young.

S: Which do you think is your most personal song on the record? Can you tell me a bit about what it means to you?

T: “Over Food” is the most personal song on the album.  Of course it is about a girl but also about how girl problems become so personal and defeating.  You can’t let the actions or decisions or behavior of another individual crumble you.  So maybe it’s time you got over it and just work on yourself instead of ruining your mind over something unattainable.  That’s a problem I tend to encounter with my life in general- wanting all these things and forgetting to appreciate or working with what is already in my hands, right in front of me.

S: I think the song that sold me was “Tussy” and there’s a really incredible video that seems to be silly and a bit dark at the same time. Can you tell me a bit about the song and then what the making that video was like? Are you pretty silly in person? Or do you tend to be a typical brooding quiet drummer?

T: I’m a weird, silly dude for sure.  We had a lot of fun making the video, and I think that the song has a definite sense of humor, even though the subject matter to me isn’t necessarily funny.  It’s about frustration and its inevitability so why not have fun with it and make a funky song?

S: What can we look forward to next from Appetite? When can I see you live in LA?

T: We head up to Seattle and Portland on the 10^th and 11^th of August, then we have a few shows locally, including Bottom of the Hill in SF on September 14^th. We’ll be playing live in LA Sept. 17^th at Origami Vinyl.  We just want to play good shows as regularly as possible.

S: Awesome, I’m excited to see you live!

TOUR DATES:
08.10.11 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
08.11.11 – Portland, OR @ Holocene
08.19.11 – Davis, CA @ Sophia’s
09.09.10 – Sacramento, CA @ Bows and Arrows Collective (Record Release Party)
09.14.11 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
09.16.11 – Modesto, CA @ Deva Cafe
09.17.11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Origami Vinyl (free in-store, 7 PM)

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?

Nathan: After SXSW we spent a good month at home. We are in Oregon right now, and won’t be home until 7/5.  Then we turn right around and head to Antiwarpt Festival in FL,  late July and part of August. Full on East Coast run coming in Oct. too.  It doesnt feel like we are gone that much. The road is starting to become a second home.

S: You guys have quite the assortment of instruments between the five of you, including violin, trumpet, cello, banjo, pump organ, accordion, and ukulele. All of you play several instruments on stage, plus your “bird chirps,” “bear roars,” “mouth sounds,” and “earthquake stomps.” When you’re writing the songs, how do all of the parts come together? Do you construct the songs around certain instruments or does each person sort of contribute a bit of what they hear and layer it on?

Nathan: A song starts with guitar, ukulele, or banjo.  Then we just start adding stuff, and taking stuff away, and then adding it back in.  We try a lot more stuff than ends up in a song, which is why you have yet to hear  euphonium, electric organ, bag pipes, marimba, tin whistle, slide guitar, or hammer dulcimer in any of our songs. Vocals come later, and the harmonies are worked out very quickly, our bassist, Aaron, is a genius.

Chelsea: One reason we use a lot of intstruments in our music, is simply because when we got all our gear in one room, we had A LOT of instruments.  In addition to that, we didn’t want to be the kind of band where each person is bound to an instrument, having the freedom to try stuff keeps it interesting.

S: Where did the name Seryn come from?

Nathan: We just kept writing stuff on a dry erase board until something stuck. Seryn is really just a word for the music itself, it doesnt have any of its own meaning.

S: Not a bit about your hometown–Denton, TX. People usually have strong opinions about Texas one way or the other and I’m a big fan (have some friends out in Sherman and Denison). What is the music scene like in Denton? Who are some other bands from the area that we should know?

Chelsea: You gotta know Doug Burr, RTB2, Sarah Jaffe, Sundress, Western Giants, Leoncarlo Canlas, Sam Robertson, Sleepwhale, Florene, Botany, Sunnybrook…

Listen to “Feelin Today” by Botony

S: Now, you guys released your debut This Is Where We Are in January of this year (I’m a big fan, by the way). What are some of the influences for the record (musical and otherwise)? Any particular bands that have had a big impact on your sound?

Nathan: Tough to pin that down in any way, shape, or form whatsoever. We are more influenced by banjos and reverb than by other bands or certain things. Influences get buried deep, and I could tell you what I think it is, but other people probably hear influences that we aren’t even aware we have.

S: What do you have in store for us next? Any upcoming releases we can look forward to?

Nathan: Next up is an “in-betweener.”  Not really an E.P or an L.P , but it will feature a few new tunes, a cover or two, and alternative versions of some songs off the first record. Expect that out before the end of the year, and then its back to the drawing board for a whole new record, pretty exciting.  We have some ideas for new stuff that we wouldn’t have been able to conceive of last time around.

S: Lastly, what is special about Seryn?
Nathan: I’d like to think nothing, just people, doing stuff, like anyone else.  We play music, which in the grand scheme of things, isn’t that special.

Thanks a bunch!

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.

S: Graham, the bassist and other vocalist, is your little brother. Does it ever become difficult to work together? Do you guys pick on each other during practice? Or do you find a way to differentiate “band time” from “family time”?

Dustin: Everyone in the band gets along well enough.  You have to when you are driving in a van for 30 hours straight trying to get from Chicago to San Francisco in 2 days.  We have our differences and sometimes they get the better of us.  Graham and I got in a fist fight in Boston last tour.  I blame the booze.  Most of the time our band is pretty civil.

S: Are all four of you originally from Long Beach?

Dustin: Graham and I were actually born in Long Beach, but grew up in the suburban desert cities.  Roeland is from upstate New York.  Ivey is from Lake Arrowhead and Joel who recently joined the band hails from Fullerton.

S: I know Long Beach tends to have a tight scene of bands, playing The Prospector and Alex’s Bar and so on. Are you friends with a lot of the bands down there? Who are some of your favorites?

Dustin: There are a lot of great bands out here.  Our friends Greater California and Crystal Antlers are both awesome.  Some aren’t as well known, Milk Babies, Crazy Christ and The Loneliest Grapefruit are among our favorites.

S: You guys also recently played at Long Beach’s highly prized Fingerprints Records in honor of the release of your vinyl. Have you seen other bands play in-stores there? What have been some of your favorites?

Dustin: I saw Dr Dog play there once and it was pretty rad.  I go in Fingerprints like four times a week.  I love that place.

S: The Fling’s music seems to cross genres and decades of influence. What musicians and bands have influenced you the most in your songwriting?

Dustin: I get inspired the most when I hear albums that sound different every time I listen to them.  The Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, Fugazi, the Pixies, and David Bowie are masters of making albums interesting enough to hold your attention for years.  I still never get sick of Surfer Rosa.

S: What, outside of music, tends to inspire your writing?

Dustin: For me, its constantly changing.  What ever is surrounding me at the time is what is influencing me.  Everything can be inspiring depending on your perception of it.  I guess it depends on how I feel when I wake up and what happens throughout the day.  There are days were I am drinking coffee all day because I feel like a zombie on the couch and can’t stop thinking about outer space.  Some days I am really motivated and want to build something or walk around all day.  Whether you are stuck inside your thoughts or you are paying attention to what is around you, there are a lot of strange things happening all the time.  You just have to notice them.

S: Your new album When the Madhouses Appear is available now on Dangerbird Records. Which track on the album do you think is the most personal for you? Can you tell me a bit about it?

Dustin: I think “Dry The Rain” is the most personal for me.  It was the first time I was able to write a chord progression that was weird enough for me, but also had somewhat of a pop melody.  I remember writing that song and being happy with it as soon as I finished it.  That never happens.  I always have to sit with a song for a few days to make sure I like it.  I knew what I wanted it to sound like recorded and the version we did is exactly what I had in my head.  That never happens either.

S: You were the touring band for Futuresound’s The Rumble Tour in May, on the road down the West Coast with a ton of great bands. What was your favorite part of the tour? Any bands that you were excited to see live?

Dustin: Seattle was our favorite because we got to play with Deep Sea Diver.  They used to be Long Beach locals, but relocated to the northwest.  It was good to see them and play with them again.  Their new stuff is insane.

S: Aside from your show in Fresno in August, what’s next for The Fling?

Dustin: We have a 3 week tour in July/August.  Mostly West Coast except for Vegas, Phoenix, and Denver.  Fresno is part of that tour.  After that, we should be on tour for the rest of the year.  We might do an EP later this year.  Or maybe a handful of 7 inch singles.  We have a lot of songs we’d like to get out there.

S: What makes The Fling special?

Dustin: None of us are vegetarians.

S: Thanks a ton guys!

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?
Casey: I love talking shop with other musicians, and there’s no compliment like providing personal testimony of “how this song changed my life,” but on the occasions where I have found myself one on one with some of my favorite artists, I discovered that I was less interested in their technical approach and more interested in essentially just getting to know them. With that said, if I could host a party with my favorite musicians present, I would definitely make sure that John Lennon would be the MC, and that Jim Morrison would be the bartender.

S: You’ve been performing recently around the LA area on the East and West side. If given the opportunity, which LA band or musician would you want to make music with?
Casey: There are so many talented LA musicians that I would love to make music with. A few on the top of my list would be Mark Mothersbaugh, Jon Brion, Butch Vig, and Danny Elfman.

S: You’re a musician by night and a photographer… by night. Do you think that has any impact on your music-making?
Casey: Not gonna lie, it is difficult to full heartedly pursue both passions at once. However, the further I dig in the more I am finding that the two go hand in hand. I’ve never like putting a label on who I based on what I do. I’m not Casey the photographer or Casey the musician, I’m just an artist who wants to share his vision with the world. Whether my art manifest through a song, photo, or one of my other passions isn’t as important as the opportunity to create.

S: Who are some of your favorite acts that you’ve gotten to photograph?
Casey: I will go on record saying that is IMPOSSIBLE for ANYONE to take a bad picture of Andrew W.K. I recently had the pleasure of working with the king of partying and it surely was a party. Whereas in most cases I will coach my talent into character, with Andrew I simply threw him on an epic volcano set, handed him some styrofoam lightening bolts, and let him interact with the space. Photographing individuals like Andrew reminds me why I fell in love with photography in the first place. Beyond that I have had the privilege to work with some amazing and iconic artists, but the most memorable shoot I’ve have to date was my evening doing conceptual photos with Sebastian Bach. Unfortunately, if you want the scoop on what went down with the former Skid Row frontman you’ll have to get some whiskey in me first.

S: Tidal Tales From The Other Side is your upcoming debut LP. What were some of the inspirations for the album?
Casey: In no particular order: Most music from the 60′s, shoegaze, the cosmos, the ocean, neon lights, red wine, anything associated with Rod Serling, late night drives, hope, loss, regret, and a cornucopia of many other emotions.

S: How was working with Frankie Siragusa on your album? Is there anything that you learned from him that you now bring to your songwriting or performing?
Casey: I have had the pleasure of working with Frankie on past projects and I knew the moment I decided to record the album that he was the man for the job. Not to mention he has a tracking room with 30 foot ceilings. The thick reverb that soaks over the songs is a result of his amazing studio. Frankie is one of the most creative and talented individuals I have ever met. During the entire recording process, he had such an exciting and objective approach with no ego involved.

My favorite day in the studio was when we recorded “Surge.” Unlike the rest of my demos where I had already written all of the parts, “Surge” came into the studio with just the guitar, vocals, and strings. My original idea for the song was to approach it in a similar style to My Bloody Valentine’s song “Sometimes,” but Frankie envisioned it more as a sea of glass and less of a murky shoegazey pond. Although I wasn’t sure at first, the moment he opened up the grand piano and started strumming the strings, I was sold.

S: What makes Belize special? Why should people pick up your album when it’s out on June 21st?
Casey: Belize was born out of an expression that most people can relate to. I wrote and recorded the album almost exclusively during the night time hours. One reason is that I have always viewed the night hours as a period where one seems to transcend time. It is during those night hours where the most unattainable dreams can become reality. The ten song album is a concept piece which takes place from dusk to dawn with each song representing a different hour of the night.

Also if you’re a fan of My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and The Mary Chain,  The Beatles, The Doors, Pink Floyd, and other amazing bands, then you’ll definitely dig Tidal Tales.

Listen to Belize’s “Everyone Falls”

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”? …

SA: Tony was really into the XX at the time (he just wondered what it would sound like faster). Lady Antebellum is pretty rad too… just kidding.

S: I know you were at SXSW this year and I’m certainly regretting missing your sets. Were you able to see any good bands while you were there? Any favorites?

SA: We were charmed by the lovely duo An Horse. We caught an amazing guerilla style set from Vicente Gayo. We cut loose to the Queens of Stone Age and caught up with our buds in MONA (two of the members are from Bowling Green too).

S: You just started on a West coast tour with Cage the Elephant and Manchester Orchestra. Is there any truth to the rumor about dates with Biffy Clyro? Are you a fan of theirs?

SA: We actually did 11 shows with them and Cage back in April. We haven’t heard of any future dates with the Biff. But, we miss them and would love to throw down again someday soon. We all still hum “The Captain”.

S: How was it working with Jay Joyce on your album Celabrasion? Was there anything specific you learned during the process?

SA: Jay could be in Sleeper Agent. He works fast and hard and isn’t afraid to be a punk. We like to churn out songs and Jay helps us crank it out.  We learned how to work our asses off. Celabrasion was recorded in 7 days.

S: You mentioned that, among other things, horror and sci-fi flicks and stand-up comedians were inspirations on the record. What are some of your favorites?

SA: Halloween. Sleepaway Camp. HauntedWeen (filmed in Bowling Green, “Imdb” it), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Evil Dead 2.

Battlestar Galactica, Terminator 2, Children of Men, Moon, Fifth Element and loads of Sci-Fi novels.

Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedberg, Louis C.K. (his show on FX is amazing and got us through some rough patches over the last year)

S: You guys have been getting a lot of attention in recent months. What do you consider your biggest success so far? Anything that made you say, “wow, we’re on our way.”

SA: Listening to the record together for the first time was a great experience. However, recently our biggest success has been the overwhelming response from the people at our shows. It still surprises us.

S: Is there anything particular that sets Sleeper Agent apart? What makes you special?

SA: There’s no bullshit.

S: Thanks for chatting!

Sleeper Agent by Sleeper Agent

Sleeper Agent Website | Sleeper Agent Facebook | @_sleeperagent

A Sound Aside

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.”

Before the show we interviewed Brandon from Eye Alaska here. Check it out here: Interview with Brandon of Eye Alaska

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.

Subscribe to our iTunes podcast to get all of our interviews straight to your iTunes!

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.

Interview with Joey Signa of Paper Tongues on our iTunes Podcast

For more about the band:

papertongues.ning.com/

myspace.com/papertongues

Pictured from left: Matt Mole, Amina Bates, Tom Hutt and Sarah Daly

by Mary Waldron

Inside the crowded ladies room of the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa, Calif., a herd of indie 20-somethings anxiously swarm around Sarah Daly, lead vocalist and bassist for the quickly rising London rock band Scanners, questioning her about her music and travels.  Music violently booms from the nearby DJ booth as Daly, a haunting beauty with bangs in her face and blue eyes beaming through, answers politely in a humble and enchanting British accent.

Ten minutes ago, Daly was on stage growling, “I’ll take you to my grave;” lyrics from her band’s latest single, “Salvation,” with fury that you’d imagine would startle the meek English girl from the bathroom. On the crimson-lit stage tucked away in the bustling club, Daly’s slinky silhouette jolts and sways along with her melodic moans, which are pleasantly reminiscent of PJ Harvey and Siouxsie Sioux. Her showmanship and poise are infused with a fiery passion that’s quite refreshing.

But Daly didn’t always put her dark side on display.

Sarah Daly

“I used to sing when I was little, but I got shy when I was a teenager,” Daly says of her musical roots, which began at age 2 when she asked her mom for violin lessons.  “Playing with my first band was quite good practice for getting through my stage fright,” she adds. Raised in London, Daly’s childhood was flooded with classic rock acts like David Bowie, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, as she and her friend used to steal their older brothers’ records.  Naturally, she took up guitar as a teenager.

As Daly grew musically, she became a fan of the minimalist music movement, following founding composers such as Steve Reich, Michael Nyman and Arvo Pärt.  Inspired by the movement, she later enrolled in the University of Salford in Manchester to study music composition. Around this time, Daly joined her first band, Delica, playing guitar with the group until she met Matt Mole in 2004.  The couple began songwriting together, and pretty soon they were playing shows with only a drum machine to back them up. Throwing around many band names that just sounded “silly” to them, Daly and Mole finally decided on the name Scanners while watching the 1981 sci-fi film of the same name. “I still haven’t seen the end of the film.  I should probably get around to that,” Daly jokes.

Frustrated with the band’s limited abilities with only two members, Scanners sought additional band mates.  “We could just never get all the parts,” Daly said of the early Scanners duo. The group finally took shape in 2005 when mutual friend Amina Bates joined on guitar, keyboard and backup vocals and recent London implant Tom Hutt took over for the drum machine.  Daly learned to play bass and assumed lead vocals.  Mole remained on guitars, synths and backup vocals.

Scanners released their debut album Violence is Golden through Dim Mak Records, the label of Los Angeles DJ and record producer Steve Aoki, who signed bands like Bloc Party and The Kills.  When the record dropped in 2006, Scanners toured the world with bands including The Horrors, The Wedding Present, The Charlatans, Mindless Self Indulgence and more.

The group continued writing and recording the next album Submarine during a busy touring schedule.  Finally, the album was done in late 2008, but record label bureaucracy delayed the U.S. release until last February. Daly describes their sophomore release as “more coherent” than the first album, saying, “These songs were written closer together.  Violence is Golden has some really early songs and represents four years of writing.” Submarine was recorded in Daly’s living room, saving the band studio time expenses.  The group was also able to experiment with a variety of instruments on this record, thanks to Bates’ collection she acquired while working at a music shop in London.  This, along with the support of Daly’s violin and cello playing, created an array of moods on the album.

These collages of emotions can also be heard in Scanners’ other work.  The band’s ability to produce such a range of songs that sound very distinguished from one another is something Daly says she quite likes.  “I don’t like all the songs to sound the same,” she says. Even in the song “In my Dreams,” from Violence is Golden, Daly gears back and forth between an ethereal Hope-Sandoval-sounding serenade and a PJ-Harvey-like power belt in seconds flat.

After wrapping up a European tour last winter with actress Juliette Lewis’ band Juliette and the Licks, Scanners recently traveled to the U.S. to shoot the music video for their single “We Never Close Our Eyes.”  Besides playing Costa Mesa’s Detroit Bar, they did a mini-tour of Southern California and Texas.  Scanners will play a free show with So Many Wizards at the Silverlake Lounge tonight, April 5.  The final show of the tour is with Transfer this Wednesday, April 7 at Beauty Bar in San Diego.

Pictured from left: Sarah Daly, Matt Mole, Amina Bates and Tom Hutt

With a collection of songs written and ready to record, Scanners will return to London next week to start composing their third album. “We’re just going to concentrate on being together and just playing—banging things around and seeing what happens,” Daly says. Daly also revealed her plans to go to film school sometime in the future.  A longtime fan of black-and-white suspense films and directors like Alfred Hitchcock and George Cukor, she says, “I love the beauty of the cinematic experience.  It allows you to create an atmosphere like in music.”

In between writing and recording, the group anticipates touring more of Europe as well as Australia and Japan to promote Submarine; something that Daly says just makes her happy. “I don’t sit around thinking, ‘Is my face on a billboard?  That would make me happy.’  It’s the music that makes me happy.  I get to travel and play music.  That’s what makes me happy.”

—-

Scanners with So Many Wizards, Big Whup, Voice on Tape and The Fall Trees at the Silverlake Lounge

Monday, April 5, 2010.  Show starts at 8 p.m.  Cover is free.

2906 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026

323-666-2407

Scanners with Transfer, Lyon Crowns and DJ Al Squared at Beauty Bar in San Diego.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010.  Doors are at 9 p.m.  Cover is $14.

4746 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92115

619-516-4746

For more information, visit:

http://www.foldsilverlake.com/framesschedule.html

http://www.beautybar.com/sd/home.php

http://www.myspace.com/scanners