Labels: beck, belle and sebastian, pavement, rage against the machine, the faint, the shins, wilco
A while ago, I had the priviledge to interview pop folkist Aaron Schroeder on his new album, "Black & Gold". Due to the hectic nature of moving back to the dorms and adjusting back to the chaos of college life, it took me an unforgivable amount of time to transcribe it, but here it is in all its glory:
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The Milk Lounge- "Interview: Aaron Schroeder" [Removed]
TakeoffZebra: Alright, first of all, is there an official release date for the new album, "Black & Gold"?
Aaron Schroeder: Well, I'm gonna be getting them back from the pressing plant Wednesday, so that's as good as any official date. So what is Wednesday? The 22nd? I guess it'll be Wednesday, August 22nd then.
ToZ: Alright, and was there a goal from the new album that you were looking to achieve?
AS: I suppose that the main goal of the record was to take a style, you know, pop or country music, and stay in those same parameters where you have a verse and chorus and bridge, but do something a little different with it and a little exciting so it doesn't sound like it did 60 years ago. Also, I wanted to make a record where every song is really important, where there aren't any lazy sounding or throw-away sounding tracks.
ToZ: Do you think you achieved the goal?
AS: Yeah, I think we, and not just me, I mean I'm speaking for the whole band as well, that I think that with their help we totally achieved that goal. I'm actually really really excited about the record. I'll listen to it every now and then and there's always something new in there that I didn't even know that the guys were playing. We all kept ourselves very entertained and were able to make a record that's cohesive without being boring.
ToZ: You've lived in Los Angeles, California, Portland, Oregon, Boston, Massachusetts, and now Kennewick, Washington. Did your music differ between cities or at least, did the changing settings influence your music?
AS: Yes and no. It really depends not so much as the city I'm living in, but my living situation itself. Like when I was in Boston I was sharing a room with a buddy of mine and when I was living in Portland I had my own little tiny shithole apartment where the bathroom is down the hall and the hallways were just always filled with people and noise and drug dealers. But as far as the actual city itself, I'm not sure. It's more just my personal situation. When I was living in Portland, I felt like shit constantly because I was in kind of a bad situation, but in Kennewick I feel that everything has gone real well. The songs can take a storytelling aspect instead of being so centered around my journal, or some "poor me" type of shit.
ToZ: One of the more prominent styles on "Black & Gold" is folk. Your personal setting influenced your style more than where you lived, but did you study any of the local folk music in the places you've lived, or were there certain artists that influenced your folk styling?
AS: Not necessarily, I look at the record as a folk record primarily because its got acoustic guitars and I paid attention to my lyrics. I think pretty much the only thing that makes something a folk song really is the fact that its got some kind of lyrical aspect that is very different from a pop song. Generally, folk songs should tell a story, rather than communicate a mood, I guess. So the stuff that influences me is generally older stuff like Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash or something like that where the recordings are not so much what makes them special, but really the thing that makes those are the lyrics that they contain. But I would say in that aspect, Black & Gold is a folk record.
ToZ: What instruments did you play on the new album?
AS: I played guitar, piano, and the band did everything else. They did all the organs, glockenspiel, and violins and tubas, clarinet and mandolins.
ToZ: You have a lot of notable guest spots on "Black & Gold" including Ben Barnett from Kind Of Like Spitting, and Justin Meldal-Johnsen of Beck, Air, and Ladytron. Did these guests help you achieve the diverse sound on your album, because I noticed that every song is pretty different.
AS: That was definitely one of the goals with the album, I'm glad you picked up on that. I guess I wanted to kind of treat it like a hip-hop record, with lots of interesting people guesting on my music. I don't really care so much to showcase myself if I can bring in somebody else who can play something better than me, I suppose.
ToZ: Well, speaking of guest spots, what would your dream collaboration be, as far as artist and producer goes?
AS: Ah, didn't expect that one... guest producer would maybe be Trevor Horn, because I really, and I know that they get a lot of flac for this, but I really like what he did with "Dear Catastrophe Waitress", the Belle & Sebastian record.
ToZ: You've been around lots of different cities, so, East Coast or West Coast?
AS: Oh definitely the West Coast, definitely. I don't know where you guys are based out of, so I don't wanna talk too much shit about the East Coast, or say anything bad about it - but when I was in Boston, there's so much old money there, to the point where there are so many kids who go to high school, and then they don't have to get shitty jobs, they go straight to college and then straight from college they'll go to get a job where they'll get overpaid or whatever. I'm not used to that and it kinda freaked me out a little bit. I'm not used to being around people who have a shit ton of money without having to really have worked for it. So I'd say I prefer the West Coast, because people more have to make their own living I think a little more. A bit more DIY attitude, I suppose.
ToZ: You're what, 22, 23?
AS: 23
ToZ: Okay, how long have you been writing music?
AS: I've been writing music since I was like, 13 in various punk rock bands and all that. I grew up listening to stuff like Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Religion, and some of that NOFX stuff. I was always one of those kids that was in a bunch of different bands and had a bunch of different projects going on at all times. I didn't really start writing good music until a couple years ago.
ToZ: With such accessible song structures and pop stylings, do you have any plans to, you know, take over the world?
AS: Haha, I would have plans hopefully to have someone pay my rent long enough to go on tour. That's pretty much as big as my plans reach at this point. I would love to be able to go out on tour, I just don't have a label, so I don't have any funding to do that. But as far as taking over the world, no, I like all my buddies here and I like hanging out in Kennewick, so I feel pretty comfortable where I'm at right now.
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I've been listening to "Black & Gold" for quite some time now, and it still impresses me everytime I hear it. It's calming, yet uppity, and it has such a positive feeling to it. I highly recommend buying a copy, and I think you'll agree after hearing "What We Don't Know", the 1st song on the record. Seriously, you must listen!
Aaron Schroeder- "What We Don't Know" [Removed]
Aaron was also kind enough to share an exclusive demo with us from his upcoming third album. The song is called "Platforms", and "will appear on the album in massively edited form".
Aaron Schroeder- "Platforms [Demo]" [Removed]
So a big thank you to Aaron Schroeder for giving us his time, his answers, and a Milk Lounge Exclusive demo track from his upcoming album. Enjoy!
Labels: aaron schroeder, interviews
Alright, enough is enough everybody. I'm fed up. I know sex sells, and you're all probably getting tons of site visits, but STOP POSTING MEG WHITE'S FAKE SEX TAPE! Seriously, do you want to run a respectful music website or a porn syndication? Make a decision, but think about it first. The White Stripes recently cancelled their remaining tour dates, citing Meg's anxiety as the reason. Do you think this scandal does her any good? Do you want to see The Stripes tour again? Ever? In my high school journalism class, I was taught the difference between hard news, and soft news. Hard news has real world pertinence. Soft news does not. This gossip should have absolutely no bearing on The White Stripes as musicians, but it might now, because Meg, known to already be extremely shy, is probably more embarassed than I will ever understand. And all for a FAKE sex tape that The White Stripes' publicist has completely and utterly denied as Meg White. I really don't know how else to say it, this whole situation angers me to no end and is very very childish.Here is a seemingly appropriate White Stripes song. One of the three that Meg sings lead on. From "Get Behind Me Satan".
The White Stripes- "Passive Manipulation" [Removed]
Labels: rants, the white stripes
Bible Belt born and raised musician Sam Beam has shaken the modern folk music scene with his voice and guitar which combine to form "blog dominating" LPs and EPs. It seems as if the world cannot get enough of Sam Beam. Having already pressed fifteen other records (EPs, Singles, and LPs) Mr. Beam has once again put aside his plans for world domination and decided to instead bring melodic, relaxing, tantalizing rhythms to our ears. The Shepard's Dog is a perfect combination of Sam's beautiful musical composition and soothing vocals. The album is a little more lyrically dark and upbeat than Our Endless Numbered Days and The Creek Drank the Cradle, Beam has said that although his album is not endorse any sort of political propaganda that it does in fact have some underlying themes of political confusion. As of now Iron & Wine is plagued with endless 8/10's at music super-site Pitchfork. This album will hopefully bring a 9 to the review collection. Although its hard to claim a favorite album of any artist, especially one as diverse and broad as Iron & Wine, The Shepard's Dog will be enjoying its spot on my play list for quite some time.Track Listing
1. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car [Removed]
2. White Tooth Man
3. Lovesong of the Buzzard
4. Carousel
5. House by the Sea [Removed]
6. Innocent Bones
7. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
8. Resurrection Fern
9. Boy With a Coin [Removed]
10.The Devil Never Sleeps
11.Peace Beneath the City
12.Flightless Bird, American Mouth
Find more music by this artist at The Hype Machine.
Purchase Iron & Wine music, from the official website.
Labels: iron and wine
Straight to the music! Jazzy instrumental rock-squad, Do Make Say Think, will be here in Jacksonville this Sunday to play a show at Jackrabbits. I hadn't really heard of them until I saw they were coming, but I checked out some of their music. It's really relaxing, jazz-infused stuff that's perfect for that time between classes when you want to rest, but don't want to sleep. Their latest album, "You, You're A History In Rust", is their first to include vocals, however, the band themselves did not do the singing. Several vocalists were called in, including experimental folkies, Akron/Family. Here's a song from the new album that features the collaboration quite nicely, and any Pipe and I look forward to seeing you guys at Jackrabbits this Sunday.
Do Make Say Think- "A With Living" [Removed]
Akron/Family is a great experimental group that blends field recordings, electronics, psychedelia, folk, and a bunch of other stuff. Their new album, "Love Is Simple", expresses this blend of spices through 11 soncally diverse songs and is definitely worth buying. This song has a frightening intro of spider-like plucking that leads into looping vocals and the declaration that "everyone is crazy".
Akron/Family- "I've Got Some Friends" [Removed]
Devedra Banhart is an indie, naturalistic psych-folk singer-songwriter that performs bizarre songs with simple structures. His new album, "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon", continues this tradition and even has a guest spot from The Strokes' own, Nick Valensi. Here's the song with Nick providing backing vocals that starts with a story about being tempted by a rabbi's daughter, and goes on to provide some vocal percussion that wouldn't sound out of place on a Wes Anderson soundtrack.
Devendra Banhart- "Shabop Shalom" [Removed]
I'd like to point out that on The Strokes' website, there's a section in which band members answer some questions posed by fans. When asked what superpower he would like, Mr. Valensi answers "Sexual Healing", and when asked about his favorite meal, Nicholai Fraiture says "Shit Sandwich". I found these answers particularly entertaining, and big props to those that catch the sandwich reference, the sexual healing one should be easy. Anyway, the first single from The Strokes' latest album, "First Impressions of Earth", had a B-Side that I felt was better than any song on the album itself. The album wasn't bad, I just liked this song more, so here it is!
The Strokes- "Hawaii" [Removed]
The Unicorns were awesome. I don't know what else to say, they were just so ironically happy and canadian. Their debut album "Unicorns Are People Too" was limited to 500 copies, but showed promises of what would become their peak achievement, "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?". Here is one of my favorites from the debut. It's a shortened version of Nick 'Neil' Diamonds list of his "52 Favourite Things".
The Unicorns- "52 Favourite Things" [Removed]
Ryan Adams has had a fantastic musical career with the likes of Whiskeytown, his solo outings, and collaboration with The Cardinals. He's also from Jacksonville, but not the Florida one. Anyway, here's a little known project of his called The Finger, a punk collaboration he did with Jesse Malin of D Generation. It's an unoffical Ryan Adams project, and they performed under the pseudonyms Warren Peace (Ryan Adams) and Irving Plaza (Jesse Malin). The name, The Finger, came from Ryan Adams picking his butt as a child and his mother being wary of "The Finger". Gross, but funny all the same. Here's one of the more tolerable of the songs from the "We Are Fuck You/Punk's Dead Let's Fuck" EP collection.
The Finger- "What Is It" [Removed]
Well, there you go guys, hope you enjoy. And to any Jacksonvillian readers, we hope to see you at the Do Make Say Think show on Sunday.
Labels: akron/family, devendra banhart, do make say think, the finger, the strokes, the unicorns
Tigercity - "Powerstripe" [Removed]
Tigercity - "Solitary Man" [Removed]
The Milk Lounge - "Interview: Tigercity" [Removed]
Pipe- Is there a reason why you chose to release on iTunes?
Joel- We chose a digital release because we had a slew songs we needed to get out in some way, we didn't want to pay to do our own physical copies. Where all of the sudden we have 10,000 copies and we have to work by ourselves to get them all to stores or wherever we are touring. Versus a simple digital release; where it can still be treated as a real release, like as it has been. More and more people don't real care, they get their music. Go listen to it and throw review up. So it's the easiest thing we could do, for where we're at. We don't have a label.
Pipe- Do you guys ever plan to release a physicial copy of the album?
Joel- Yeah! I mean we have pro cd-r's that we made, with nice graphics and pictures and such, we sell them at shows.
Aynsley- If someone would've wanted to put it out we would've taken the deal. Or if the timing is not right and we have more music by the time we get in touch with a label that is going to be a good situation for both parties, it might just be new music.
Joel- And the other thing is that we've been offered a couple of deals and they're just shitty. And there is no reason to sign five years of your life away for something thats just not right.
Bill- We had already gotten the work done and stuff. So with the means that we have, it was the easiest way to do it. And get it to the most people.
Pipe- Being unsigned... Where are you guys most excited to go or where have you been most excited to be?
Bill- This tour has been awesome 'cause its been all about swimming in peoples pools and the ocean. So I'd have to say that I'm liking the East Coast tour better than going to the Mid-West. Not that to diss the Mid-West or anything. We did a West Coast tour back in June, that was awesome 'cause a bunch of us had never been to California... It was also our first expensive tour. So it was just a really awesome expierence and we got to see a bunch of friends we haven't seen in a long time... I don't know; do you guys have any one place?
Aynsley & Joel - Well, Miami.
Bill- Miami was fuckin' awesome.
Aynsley- Miami has been good to us. We went there before, we have a friend there who threw good parties. We're confidant that shows going to be the best show so far.
Pipe- Something I've just got to ask... Your album cover is four white stallions galloping on a beach, what drove you guys to choose that?
Bill- Actually our friend CAS who's done all of our design work... showed it to us one day - he's like, "I think I just found the cover of your album." We're like, "Fuck yeah you did!"
Pipe- You guys are currently unsigned, how much longer do you plan to stay unsigned?.. What would your dream label be?
Joel- I think its about the terms of your agreement. Could be an unkown label... it doesn't matter... It could be a major label or totally unknown... Working with the right people... the right personalities... people who understand what you're doing, and meeting good people.
Pipe- ...How's it been touring with Stylofone?
Bill- Dude their awesome, their amazing. First of all their not only one of our favorite band in New York, but their some of our best friends in New York. Their an absolutely amazing band. For that reason this has been my favorite tour.
Pipe- You mentioned the West Coast-California, so you have no intentions of leaving the East Coast to go to the West?
Bill- ...Well when we get our huge acting contracts and movie deals, then we'll definantly move to 90210. I don't think we have any plans right now. We dream about pretty much about every nice place we visit, we're like, "Yup we'll have a house here" so far we have no houses anywhere. [Laughter]
Pipe- You guys list influences such as Prince, Daft Punk, Chic... if you could share the stage with anyone who do you think that would be?
Bill- Current band? I'd say Daft Punk, for me.
Pipe- Each song has its own unique stylings, does the album have a specific theme you were trying to follow or does the theme differ from song to song?
Bill- I feel like there's actually a trend that runs through all of them... Joel and I wrote pretty much all the lyrics together... we didn't start off with them like "this will be about that" It was just kinda what we were thinking about... It's about living in New York being single... Just dealing with the ridiculous New York lifestyle. Just the way relationships come and go, the different kind of modes your in throughout that track.
Joel- A lot of the lyrics kind of reflect a fantastical-exgeration of that.
Pipe- What do you guys have planned after your final tour date?
Bill- We go back to New York, and we're gonna record some stuff. We have a bunch of CMJ shows... a show in Boston.
Joel- A couple of one off shows, we're recording a new track or two. One of the songs we play "Red Lips" has yet to be recorded.
Bill- We're gonna work on that. We'll be back during October, and then we leave again for all of November.
Pipe- Would you ever like to do a European tour?
Bill- Of course!!! Fuck yeah. No... I've heard that place is lame and doesn't believe in freedom... [Laughter]
TakeoffZebra- I don't wanna fool any suprises but do you guys play any kind of cover songs or anything like that?
Bill & Joel - We have. But not so much on this tour.
Pipe
Labels: interviews, live reviews, tigercity
Welcome to the glorious and what I'm sure has become (to returning visitors) a very exciting moment of the week! Although my heart was set on other gems, I've got some great remixes for your enjoyment.One of the Milk Lounge's first posts was the "Must Be the Moon [Hot Chip Remix]". That was close to six months ago, since then the !!! original has been sliced diced, looped, sampled, edited, remixed, and God knows what else has been done to the glorious one night stand jam. The Midnight Juggernauts did a great job throwing a house-sci-fi twist onto the track. Enjoy.
!!! - "Must Be The Moon [Midnight Juggernauts Remix]" [Removed]
Take indie-Brit-rock legends Bloc Party and the dance-rock-Canadian duo Death From Above 1979; mix and mash them together and what do you get? A transatlantic synthed out, bass thumping, drum pounding bundle of joy. From the Silent Alarm Remixed [Disk 1]
Bloc Party - "Luno [Bloc Party vs Death From Above 1979]" [Removed]
A while back when I began reading blogs, I stumbled upon the glorious shrine of remix goodness known as Palms Out Sounds: Remix Sunday. One of the first (if not the first) Remix Sunday download I ever indulged in was a glorious remix of a Faint original.
The Faint - "I Disappear [Matthew Savant Remix]" [Removed]
I mentioned Hot Chips remix of "Must Be The Moon" in this post. So might as well put up a DFA remix of Hot Chips "Colours." Speaking of colors, the season three premier of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia was, needless to say, amazing. Acid was involved in both episodes... colours.
Hot Chip - "Colours [DFA Remix]" [Removed]
Cheers,
Pipe.
Labels: bloc party, chkchkchk, death from above 1979, dfa, hot chip, matthew savant, the faint, thirsty thursdays
Interview: A Place To Bury Strangers
0 Comments Delivered by Anonymous on 11 September 2007 at 11:27 AM.
The psychedelic-thrash-noise-pop three piece, A Place To Bury Strangers, isn't just another band that is lively sprouting up out of the New York underground music scene; they're just starting their take over... The Milk Lounge recently has had a chance to do an interview with APTBS's guitarist/vocalist Oliver Akerman:Anywhere you read about A Place to Bury Strangers you're bound to read "The Loudest Band in New York" - Many readers have only heard your studio recordings; how would you describe yourselves in a live set?
We're loud as fuck, blistering guitars, lights, 16mm film projections, smoke, chaos. We have as much going on as possible so it's a sensory overload for ourselves and the audience. To experience the full effect is like being on drugs.
You only released 500 copies of your album which was recently reviewed on Pitchfork with a 8.4/10. Do you think this has encouraged you to manufacture more of the album? If so when will these be available?
Definitely. The second pressing will be ready to ship by September 23rd from Killerpimp.com
While listening to your music I made a special notice that no one song sounds the same, was this a major goal for the release? What other goals did you have for the album?
This was not a major goal for the album. Every song on this album was recorded and written as a song; as apposed to the album being written as an album. There was no goal for this to be an album at the time that it was conceived. The next album is going to be similar in that respect it is just a lot of songs that we have held on to and didn't ever release or record on purpose... When recording a demo or the first time you record something really magic happens in that you are writing the song while you record it. When you capture that, it is fresh and really makes the track what it is meant to be. Not some rerecorded rehashed idea.
The New York music scene is blowing up right now, what do you think separates your band from the others; besides genre?
We are just doing our thing. There is little musical inspiration coming from other bands in the area except the whole raw energy of the scene. It just feels great to be in New York. It is expensive, hard to afford to eat, live, work and that just makes your own personal inspiration stronger. I feel like the scene is blowing up because some people who really want to make something happen in their lives are gravitated towards New York and those people are amazing players/songwriters who thrive on ambition.
Most of your live performances stretch across venues in New York City; where would you prefer to tour/where will you be touring?
We would love to tour all over the world. I think that should be a dream of everyone in the world. Getting to travel and experience new things, it can only help you as an individual.
Pitchfork put up an article stating that APTBS had landed a record deal with Chicago based Highwheel Records and have begun to book a tour. Be sure to look out for these guys in your home town; Oliver's description of their shows is reason enough to go!
A Place To Bury Strangers - "To Fix The Gash In Your Head" [Removed]
Find more music by this artist at The Hype Machine.
Labels: a place to bury strangers, interviews
Welcome to Thirsty Thursdays: 20! We've been goin' at it for at least 20 weeks, so to commemorate the occasion, we're going to take you 20 years back, to the 80s! It was a glorious time, a time I don't remember, but one that Pipe and I were born in. But enough about us, here's some music!First up is a song by Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. If you've ever seen National Lampoon's Vacation, or the European and Vegas sequels, you've heard the song. "Holiday Road" is a road trip song driven by its steady bass line and sing-a-long chorus.
Lindsey Buckingham- "Holiday Road" [Removed]
Thomas Dolby released the album "The Golden Age Of Wireless" in 1982, and revolutionized the synthpop genre. This quirky album was a huge hit, and is still his magnum opus, but Mr. Dolby has gone on to do much more than making records. He was known for being the CEO of Beatnik Inc, which developed polyphonic ringtones, and is creditted with the Nokia theme. But here's "She Blinded Me With Science", a truly great synthpop song.
Thomas Dolby- "She Blinded Me With Science" [Removed]
R.E.M. are alt-rock legends and one of Athens, Georgia's greatest bands. Without further adieu, here is "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" from "Document".
R.E.M.- "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" [Removed]
Van Halen is awesome. Well, they were awesome until David Lee Roth left, but "Jump" from 1984's appropriately titled album, "1984", showcases a good 80s vibe with happy lyrics, peaking synths, and Eddie Van Halen on guitar.
Van Halen- "Jump" [Removed]
Queen was around for a while before the 80s, but didn't start using synthesizers until 1980's "The Game". The song "Rock It (Prime Jive)" is a good example of Queen + synth, and is much better than Queen + Paul Rodgers.
Queen- "Rock It (Prime Jive)" [Removed]
I figured a good end to the 80s music post would be a Guns N' Roses song. They really do seem to bridge the decade gap pretty well. "Appetite For Destruction" really is a fantastic album. Here's the song that, back in middle school, was the sole reason I became interested in music other than hit radio. Thanks guys, but Axl, seriously, where's "Chinese Democracy"?
Guns N' Roses- "Welcome To The Jungle" [Removed]
Alright then, sorry for the late post. College proves to be busy, but we have much more on the way. Hope you enjoyed this short tour of the 80s. Enjoy.
Labels: guns n roses, lindsey buckingham, queen, rem, thomas dolby, van halen
GO GREGG GO!Hope everybody has been having an amazing holiday weekend, I know that we have (Hell it's not even over yet). Just a little list of what's to come:
-Interview w/ "A Place To Bury Strangers"
-Interview w/ "Aaron Schroeder"
-Interview w/ "Tigercity"
-Thirsty Thursdays 20
-Exclusives
Cheers,
Pipe
Popular mash-up artist Girl Talk, from the album "Unstoppable."
Girl Talk - "Cleveland, Shake" [Removed]
Find more music by this artist at The Hype Machine.
+Website
+Myspace
+Buy [Unstoppable]
