WFMU's Beware of the Blog

Hearing Damage Sessions: An Interview with Trevor Pennsylvania of Human Adult Band

(Photos by Dan Cohoon.  Live at the Charleston, Brooklyn, NY 1.15.11)

Since 2002, the Human Adult Band has served as a vehicle of noisy, sludgy, beautiful rock'n'roll piloted by a Mr. Trevor Pennsylvania and a huge, revolving cast of local musicians. The group values spontaneity and vitality to a great degree and going off to several Human Adult Band shows always result in different, yet extremely rewarding experiences. Due to the changing line-up and gigantic amount of ideas in Mr. Pennsylvania's head, one can see the band as a giant, murky pool of ideas that always feel invigorating.   

In 2009, the Human Adult Band was listed as a part of Bryon Coley and Thurston Moore's Bull Tounge Top Ten in Arthur Magazine, in which the group's music was described as making one "wanna grip some frosty skuzz lose yr brain into the amp squall." The band has a new record, Hearing Damage Sessions, which is now out on Heat Retention Records and Third Uncle. I interviewed Trevor about the new record and other aspects of the group. Check it out after the jump!

Showing some love to New Brunswick, NJ by Mike "K" Kryskowiak

 

(photo of the group 3Jane playing the Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ)

The following article was written by Mike "K" Kryskowiak, who runs the blog hubcitynoise.blogspot.com. 

We all know that New Brunswick has had its share of DIY/punk bands over the years, Bouncing Souls, Hub City Stompers, Screaming Females, etc, but what about the bands that never blew up?

Earth Junk: A Conversation With Neil Hagerty

photo by Nancy Stockdale

Neil Hagerty is truly active. In 2011, he has released an audio book version of his 1997 novel Victory Chimp, has given almost daily updates to a truly great Howling Hex website, created a site which is dedicated to daily postings up until and about the 2012 U.S. presidental election, and put the finishing touches on a new Howling Hex record, the first since 2008's amazing Earth Junk, which is to be released this December.

In addition to all of these things, what amazes me so much about Hagerty is his ability to flow with a natural change, experiment, and create a truly diverse and extremely rich back catalogue of records, novels, poetry, comic books, blogs, and much, much more. I'll be forever amazed by this 1996 electronic press kit for the Royal Trux record Thank You.  Whether it be in Pussy Galore, Royal Trux, on his own, or with the Howling Hex, there is something wonderful to be found in Hagerty's music.

 Check out an interview with him after the jump.

Chris Christie at age 18

R.I.P. Jordan Belson/George Kuchar

(Jordan Belson, Samadhi)

Last week, home movie auteur George Kuchar died at the age of 69. Now, fellow experimental filmmaker Jordan Belson has passed away at 85. While I'm sure there will be much re-appreciation of their work following their deaths, it's always a shame to see things like that happen in the face of careers that went largely ignored by the general public. This holds true for these two especially, whose essence was often reappropriated in "bigger" pictures, with Kuchar's images of suburban depravity finding their way into the work of people like John Waters, or Belson's films serving as the inspiration for the "star gate" sequence at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

Belson's work is widely unavailable, though the Center of Visual Music has a DVD set of five of his films. UBU has a good selection of Kuchar's work, though the actual video quality of the film clips is a bit questionable. Some of his films are on YouTube in better quality, but those are typically subject to be taken down on copyright claims.

Below I have embedded two of George Kuchar's more "experimental" films, the meditative "weather picture" Wild Night In El Reno, which through a series of shots depticts a storm about to rise in Reno, and his 1977 cinema verite movie I, An Actress, a portrayal of a young woman auditioning for a role in a Kuchar film which ends up not being a commentary on Kuchar but the idea of cinema and acting itself.

Heart Of Darkness: A Journey Into The Tour Bus of Chad Kroeger

About a year ago, I stumbled upon a video of Chad Kroeger giving a walk-through of his personal tour bus to a man who looks he would have gotten his ass kicked by Patrick Swayze in Road House. Within the nine minutes and eight seconds of the clip, Kroeger reveals **SPOILER** how the painting of Detroit in the bus is actually concealment for a television screen that shows trite clips from Anchorman and discusses the merits of hiring the best possible caterer for big rock gigs with our feather-haired host.

Please, enjoy.

 

 

An Interview with Bill Fay, Part Two: Starting a Career, Deram Records

 

About three weeks ago, I posted the first part of my interview with Bill Fay, where the respected artist spoke of his early childhood and how he first began to play the piano. You can check that out here. Now, we will go a bit further into Bill's life, seeing his first connections with the Deram/Decca label, which would first release his amazing music.

    

After the jump, Bill tells the story of writing his first song and getting label attention, thanking each and every person who helped him along the way. It's truly a joy to read Bill tell his story in his own words. This is only the second chapter in a story that continues to unfold, as Bill Fay was kind enough to answer these questions I e-mailed to him with such care and consideration... so there will be more on the horizon. Check it out after the jump.

An Interview with Bill Fay, Part One: Childhood and Early Influences

 

In the early '70s, the Decca/Deram label released amazing records by artists like Michael Chapman, Egg, T.2., Mellow Candle, and many others. However, for me, the crown jewel of this marvellous era would be 1971's Time of the Last Persecution, an album by a singer-songwriter named Bill Fay, which featured accompaniment from the amazing Ray Russell and his equally talented group. Time of the Last Persecution is bold, unnerving, and ultimately honest in a way few records are. The material Fay sung about on the album could be excluding, but he portrayed it in such a way that one would feel fascinated, envigorated, and immersed within the music. This is not to belittle his other recordings. His first single "Screams In The Ears" and it's follow-up album Bill Fay are beautiful pieces of music, with great arrangements. 

I cannot deny my love for Bill's voice as well. It has an indescribable tendency, a certain "duende".... and coupled with the intense, evocative imagery of his lyrics, brings forward the greatness of Bill Fay's music. I was able to e-mail Bill a few months ago to conduct this interview. He is still in the process of answering the questions, but I figured due to the length of the answers he so graciously provided me with, each of these would read very well on their own. Bill's story of his childhood and first memories of playing piano are about as wonderful to read as his music is to listen to. Please enjoy after the jump.

More to come soon. 

An Interview With Will Oldham

(photo by Valgeir Sigurðsson)

On April 29th, I had the great opportunity to see Will Oldham and Alan Licht read passages from Rudy Wurlitzer's Slow Fade (along with Wurlitzer himself) with musical accompaniment from Six Organs of Admittance's Ben Chasny and a slide show packed with a multitude of dazzling images. I was aware yet unfamilar with Wurlitzer's work as a writer and screenwriter, so to hear these words for the first time in this setting was an awesome experience.

After the reading, I saw Will Oldham outside and asked him if he would want to do a phone interview, a sort of follow-up to the e-mail one we did back in December. He said yes, and a week later we recorded this interview.

This has been a productive year for Oldham, as in addition to reading Wurlitzer's novel live, he's also recorded an audiobook of it, and crafted singles with Emmett Kelly and Matt Sweeney, with more to come on the way. Check it out after the jump!

3x3x3: An Interview with Shintaro Sakamoto of Yura Yura Teikoku

 
Yura Yura Teikoku were a rock'n'roll band from Toyko formed by Shintaro Sakamoto, frontman and guitarist, and bass player Chiyo Kamekawa in 1989. They had a number of other players, but drummer Ichiro Shibata joined the group in 1997, finalizing the line-up. A year later, the group released the stellar 3x3x3, a record that extended the barriers of psychedelia and garage rock, only to be eclipsed three years later with the brilliant Yura Yura Teikoku III, which surely has one of the greatest rock openers of all time in "Huge Question Mark."

In the last decade, Yura Yura had released more great music, pushing their sound to include even a strong disco influence, and toured outside of Japan for the first time, including a trailblazing stop at Maxwell's in 2008 that had to be one of the best and most entertaining shows I had ever seen. Sadly, the group's story came to a close around March of last year.

Check out an interview with Shintaro Sakamoto on the group's ending and future projects with a few video clips after the jump.

An Interview With Big Troubles

Big Troubles are a group from Ridgewood, New Jersey who specialize in a kind of music that floats somehwere between Loveless and Music From the Adventures of Pete and Pete. Their songs are full of hazy guitars and fuzzy keyboards... and on their debut album, Worry, a drum machine stabs itself into the mix, adding an even greater intensity to the music. 

The band appeared on Talk's Cheap with Jason Sigal around this time last year, and guest DJ'ed a block of music that included Lilys, Sugar, and Cleaners From Venus. Check that out here. The group isn't touring, but they will have several shows come up in May, including May 20th at The Bell House with Real Estate, May 6th at Webster Hall with the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and with Real Estate again at Maxwell's on May 21st.

Check out our interview after the jump!

Warpaint Interview At Bowery Ballroom

Photo by Natalie Raketic

Text and Interview by Florenz Cruz

Two guitars, one bass, and drums—Warpaint is set up like a pretty conventional rock band, yet everything about them is anything but run-of-the-mill, not necessarily unconventional but definitely utterly new.  Currently they’re on a US tour (with supporting acts PVT and Family Band) and the general consensus is that every performance is an ethereal trip; Europe will get the opportunity to experience them as well in the coming months.

On the lower level of Bowery Ballroom, guitarist Emily Kokal, bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg, and drummer Stella Mozgawa—guitarist Theresa Wayman absent for the interview—had a chat with me about how they’re inspired and how they inspire.   Even after being featured on the cover of numerous mainstream magazines and selling out shows over a month before the show date, the band members showed incredible modesty and enlightening levity. 

Talahomi Way: A Chat with Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas

(photo by John Knights)

Sean O'Hagan's High Llamas have spent the last twenty years discovering a place in sound that relates brilliant, memorable melodies and lyrics with sharp arrangements and a sense of history rooted in music from all over the world. On an album like Gideon Gaye or 2007's Can Cladders, the Llamas provide such a sense of brightness and craft, it is nearly impossible to not feel enlightened upon listening. This month, the band will release their first album in four years, Talahomi Way.

I am grateful to have interviewed Sean O'Hagan about all of this and more, which you can check out after the jump.

A Conversation with Jonathan Pfeffer of Capillary Action

Capillary Action is a group comprised of intense musical changes, soaring arrangements, and on their latest album, Capsized, they do this using only acoustic instruments. To hear these speedy, disjointed playing tunes being played with the most passionate concentration is a worthwhile, interesing experience, especially considering the fact there is neary a distorted electric guitar or bass present on the record.

Capillary Action is currently embarking on a 6 month tour, with a stop in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge on April 7th. Along the way, the band will be playing dates with  Lightning Bolt, Wolf Eyes, Dengue Fever, Nisennenmondai, Group Doueh, Soft Circle, and Charles Hayward of This Heat.

Check out with my interview with Jonathan Pfeffer, frontman and composer of Capillary Action after the jump. We discuss the idea of composition versus improvisation, more comical side of touring with Primus, meeting Craig Wedren, and more...

An Interview with Ray Russell

(images taken from Ray Russell's website)

Ray Russell has done a lot. From working with people as varied as John Barry, Bill Fay, Lulu, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Heaven 17, and Scott Walker, releasing solo albums that run the gamut from funky free rock improvisations (Secret Asylum, Rites and Rituals) to tributes to Gil Evans (Goodbye Svengali), not to mention being part of forgotten early '70's greats Mouse and The Running Man, it's obvious this guy has something going for him.

I was able to interview Mr. Russell via Skype a few weeks ago. We discussed a big chunk of his career, which I was able to transcribe after the jump. Check it out!  

Suicidal Empire: A Conversation with Ugh of Satanicpornocultshop

Satanicpornocultshop are a band from Osaka, Japan who specialize in creating music that blends hip-hop, glitchy noise, traditional folk music, pop standards, and much more into a sound that is both frantic and reassuring, comforting and hysterical. In 2007, the group appeared on Cyclic Bits: The Raymond Scott Variations, the special created for Ergo Phizmiz's Phuj Phactory on WFMU, which is now available for download via the Free Music Archive. Since then, the group has released a few stellar records, including the impossibily-long titled yet brilliant Arkhaiomelisidonophunikheratos and the super funky Catholic Sunspot Apron.

I was delighted to e-mail core Satanicpornocultshop member Ugh via e-mail. Please check it out after the jump.

Split: A Conversation with Tony McPhee

The world is not a fair place. If it were, Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs would be championed across the board as the purveyors of some of the greatest classic-boogie rock of all time. There is no song that rocks harder than "Strange Town." Seriously, listen to this! Packed with stellar riffs, great lyrics, and awesome grooves, Split, Thank Christ For The Bomb, and Who Will Save The World? amongst many of their others stand as titans of rock'n'roll. This music will kick your ass and leave you crawling back for more.

I was delighted to interview Tony McPhee via e-mail about a week or so ago. Check it out after the jump!

Tamaryn live at MoMA PS1 + Interview

Over the weekend, I had the oppurtunity to see Tamaryn and Mirror Mirror with my friend Florenz Cruz at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. Despite being a bit out of the way, it was a great place to see a show, especially with the great stage set up the museum designed for it... complete with a giant white drape leaning over the stage and part of the audience. This seemed the perfect setting to see a group like Tamaryn, with this cavernous make-shift ceiling reflecting colors and allowing the group's music to be as big as it can be. Each song seemed to start off with a simple bassline and then explode into much more, never getting old.

After the show, we had the opportunity to go meet the group's guitarist and singer, Rex and Tamaryn, respectively, and Florenz nabbed a couple of photos and got the chance to record some Q+A with the band. A transcription of that is available to read after the jump.

An Interview With Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields by Florenz Cruz

(photo by Micky of lecargo.org)

This is an interview my friend Florenz Cruz did with Jennifer Charles of New York band Elysian Fields. The group performed live on Irwin's show in 2004 and in 2009, Charles was a special guest on the same program. Those two can both be listened to here.

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With Oren Bloedow’s riffs ranging from dangerously aggressive to sensuously soft and Jennifer Charles’ distinctly tranquil, almost hushed, inarguably beautiful  vocal stylings, Elysian Fields has been one of New York’s musical mainstays for over a decade.

In the midst of finishing up their latest album, Last Night On Earth, they will be performing with Lucinda Black Bear at Le Poisson Rouge this Friday, February 18, and at Amiens Jazz Festival in France on April 2.  Jennifer Charles kindly agreed to answer a slew of personal questions that puts the band’s music into a more multidimensional perspective, allowing a brief look into the inspiration incorporated into her past, present, and future work.

In the Presence of Kurt Heasley: An Interview

(photo by Noah Greenberg)

Since 1988, Kurt Heasley has headed the Lilys, a group which has gone from shoegazed dream pop to Kinks-ian rock to spaced out meditations to much, much more with a revolving line up that has included more than seventy-two different musicians. Heasley's vision is constantly changing, and he is well aware of this. The element that remains constant, however, is the brilliance to which this man approaches his craft, with certain points of his career almost reflecting a Trout Mask Replica for the 21st century, with the disassembled and rearranged fragments of both brilliant pop songs and the social idioms to which we hold them in place of Captain Beefheart's skronk and blues.

I may be getting ahead of myself here... but I cannot contain my love for this music. I was delighted for this chance to interview Kurt. Check it out after the jump.