Manual Dexterity Music Zine - Summer 2010

PJ Bond SIXES Landland Rooftops If You Make It Love of Everything Jason Gnewikow Hanalei

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Summer 2010 06 09 17 22 27 30 37 39 43

Transmissions: PJ Bond SIXES Scrnd: Landland Rooftops If You Make It Love of Everything A Sound Design: Jason Gnewikow Hanalei Reviews

Cover: Love of Everything Photo: Š Joseph Mohan Here: Rooftops Photo: Paul Turpin Editor: Adam Sever Correspond: mandexzine@yahoo.com P.O. Box 1616 • Monticello, MN 55362 myspace.com/mandexzine // facebook.com/mandexzine Check out music from this issue: mandexzine.podomatic.com

PJ Bond

365 days of debauchery, or so it would seem. My mother has no clue why I do the things I do. Is it just one big party? Not really. Starting on April 15, 2009, I set out on what I was calling my “year of a thousand roommates,” before which I gave up my home and most of my possessions and took to the road. The first few months seemed pretty normal, touring wise. Lots of drinking and staying up late and trying to chase girls, occasionally playing music and singing songs. Well, not quite, but something in that vein. I spent the first part of my year traipsing through Canada, and hitching rides with other bands on their tours. The summer saw me hop into the van with Let Me Run, a band from New Jersey, only to have to cut the tour short after a late night argument led to them parting ways. Originally this situation left a bad taste in my mouth, as not only was my tour getting cut due to something I had nothing to do with, but also that we were headed back to New Jersey, where they all had comfortable beds and at best all I had waiting for me was a hard wood floor. However, all was not lost. By getting back early I was able to complete an unfinished tattoo and head to a party in NYC with a great friend of mine. There, he introduced me to a woman I fell in love with.

Long story short, it did not work out, but this opened up a great deal of possibilities in my head and heart.

For some time I’d convinced myself that I was unwilling to marry or have children, based on my fears about love and the possibility that it might not exist. Surely this is fear, complete and true fear, but it manifested itself in me building walls. But meeting this girl, well, the walls came tumbling down. And the fact that it didn’t work out doesn’t completely discourage me. I know the way my heart felt, and the subsequent tour with Ghosting from Vermont was a mix of longing heart, happy eyes and hoping arms. While touring with Ghosting I both played solo and filled in as their guitar player. Seeing as they are a 90s style screamo band, it was quite the dichotomy and quite enjoyable. I would be lying, however, if I told you I didn’t long for New York, or that I didn’t spend a lot of my time corresponding with or attempting to correspond with my new found love.

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The one big positive thing that came out of this unrealized relationship, other than the obvious newly opened eyes and heart, is the fact that I wrote a load of great songs about it. Sure, this is a bit cliché, but if you can’t write about things that make you feel intense emotion, well, what’s the point? And these weren’t straight 16 year old “boo hoo my girlfriend left me” songs, but more so introspective views into what truly happened vs what it seemed like, the burning questions of how real was it? And thoughts of these nature. It helped me get past some of the heartache, while also letting me hone my song writing craft.

During this recovery period I made my first trek overseas. Touring in the UK and Europe has been a dream of mine for years, but one I never fully believed would come to fruition. 24 hours before my flight was to leave I got an email from my tour mate/driver, that he decided he didn’t want to do the tour anymore and that he was bailing. With a healthy mixture of fear and hope sitting in my belly I got on the plane anyway, determined to make the tour happen. With the help of great friends, both new and old, trains, busses and good fortune, I played the entire tour, picked up some new shows, made amazing mates and had a blast.

Somehow the tour turned out better than it probably should have and by the end of it I had an empty backpack, a beat up guitar, sore knees and back and a beaming heart.

Two days after I returned from the UK I hopped in another van with new friends from Wales, The Arteries, and new buddies from NJ, Static Radio. The 10 of us made our way down the East Coast to The FEST, a 3 day punk festival in Gainesville, FL. Shows all the way down seemed only a dangerous preview into what those 72 rough hours would show us. One of our tour mates consumed 137 drinks in those 3 short days. We were all completely scared for his life while in total and utter awe. Friendships were made and solidified while also strained, as that’s what touring does, especially when 10 dudes are packed into a 12 person van, along with personal bags, food, beer cans and gear.

Regardless, it was an amazing 10 day trek and we were all a bit sad to see it end.

I, however, had no time for rest. The day I got out of their van I got into my car and began a 4 week tour that would take me up through New England, over to the Midwest, and loop down to Asheville, NC for a Thanksgiving dinner and seeing my folks for the first time since August. After what seemed like a non-stop few months I was happy to sit down to a nice veg Thanksgiving meal with my family and friends.

Good times. Luckily I was able to have a short respite after leaving Asheville and heading to Jersey. Some much needed time with friends helped recharge the ole batteries and then it was down south and out west for the winter. Mid December I headed out with Spanish Gamble from Gainesville, FL, or so I thought. Turns out their van didn’t want to cooperate, and nor did the snow. It took me 12 hours to drive from New Jersey to Richmond, VA. This was a harrowing experience I wish on no one. Eventually we caught up again in Georgia and finished out the tour in their hometown, after which we celebrated Christmas Eve together with Jameson, Guinness and a tattoo machine. This was the night we all joined the “Wolfpack.”

Christmas Day I made eggplant and veg chicken parmigiana, and we feasted on delicious sides and mains.

Later, as everyone dozed off, I stole off with Austin Lucas for an evening of drinks and dancing at the Common Grounds.

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The next day I was off, headed for Texas where I’d be spending New Years Eve with complete strangers and hoping to scrape some fun out of the night whilst not getting arrested. I succeeded, happily, and then made my way north to fight through the horrendous ice and snow storm that was whipping its way across the country. This, my friends, was not fun. Eventually I made my way up to Washington State where I met some hip hop kids who let me stay with them for a few days and despite my consistently wet boots and socks, I was a happy boy. I slowly crawled down the coast to some shows in LA that proved as uneventful as I assumed but also gave way to rekindling an old friendship, which was exciting. Further climate shock took me across Arizona and New Mexico before giving way to more ice and snow that kept me from playing a great show. Heading north!

I met up with Billy Wallace, and the two of us sang/song wrote our hearts across the Midwest and eastern US, joined by my friend from LA. We ended in Philadelphia where the streets were a mess and cars were abandoned in the middle of the road atop snow banks. Amazing.

5 days off. Three shows. One video. Three states. Fly to the UK. They lose my bag. 4 hours sleep. Fly to Mumbai. 5 hour layover. Fly to Delhi.

To attempt to sum up 22 days in India in a short paragraph would be insane. Suffice it to say, everything you’re thinking, it’s pretty much true. Plus there’s loads more. I went at the perfect time though, as the weather was just getting warm but not scorching hot and the mosquitoes were not in full effect. Furthermore, it just so happened that I was there for a variety of festivals celebrating this lovely weather change and I was able to see some beautiful ceremonies I’d otherwise completely miss. I was mostly in the north, and if you’re so inclined as to check out a map, I landed in Mumbai (Bombay), headed to Delhi, stayed a few days then up to Haridwar, Rishikesh (on the foothills of the Himalayas) then down to Lucknow, where my brother was studying. I then left him and headed east for Varanasi (Banares), back west to Agra to see the Taj Mahal (one of the most beautiful and mind blowing things I’ve ever seen), back to Delhi, fly to Mumbai, then back to the UK. You’d think after all of this a rest would be nice. It probably would have, but instead I toured the UK again, again on trains and busses, though with a bigger, heavier backpack this time. Eventually I blew out my knee, though due to my lack of health insurance, I don’t know how or to what damage. So, I limped my way around the UK and eventually befriend a lovely band called Caves, from Bristol. They took me over to Europe and helped me fill in a few holes I had in my tour over there. Three weeks in the UK, three weeks in Europe, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. Crisscrossing about on trains and in vans, singing songs, drinking beer, eating too many egg salad sandwiches and somehow having the time of my life while feeling lonelier than I ever had. I knew that when the year of a thousand roommates ended in Europe I’d still have a few weeks before returning to the States, but the idea of turning the final page on the living aspect of this project was exciting, scary and enticing. April 15 saw me end my year, and then I finished up my Europe tour, headed back to the UK with the aide of Antillectual, from the Netherlands, and played a few more shows. I then flew back to Newark, had a beer with my buddy Brian and woke up the next morning to begin practicing with a band I planned on bringing to Rad Fest, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Two days ago we finished that tour and yesterday I picked my brother up from the airport. So, he’s home from India, I still don’t have a place to live, and the world is once again my oyster. Let’s get tasting.

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SIXES RESTORATIONS EVERYONE EVERYWHERE HELEN EARTH BAND CHARLES THE OSPREY GROWN UPS CASTEVET

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RESTORATIONS Jon Loudon

With physical album sales at an all time low, do you think album art and packaging is as important as it was 10 years ago?

Absolutely, maybe more so now than 10 years ago. Nobody really makes money from album sales anyway. It puts more emphasis on making an interesting physical product. It seems like people gravitate more towards buying the record if it is a unique piece of art.

This is one of the things I’m really excited about with working with Paper + Plastick. Vinnie really spends a lot of time developing how the entire label presents its releases. All of the records look fantastic and have a lot of interesting ideas and executions.

With MP3s on the rise, do you think album art and packaging is important to the consumer?

As a companion piece to the music, I think artwork and packaging is very important. Music and art go hand in hand. The album art can set the tone for the music. MP3s are important to get your music out there in the general consciousness, but the people that really like it will buy it and support the band. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with people stumbling across our records on the internet and then coming to see us at a show.

What do you look for in album art and packaging?

As a designer, I generally geek out over type and paper stock and printing - all the things nobody pays attention too. I’ve found that the bands that really think through their packaging oftentimes spend more time thinking through their songs.

Would you be more likely to buy an album with unique art and packaging over one that was generic and plain?

Definitely. Even if it’s more expensive. It’s a bold move to put out a record that was a little more expensive to make. I like that in a band.

What are some albums with album art and packaging that have stood out to you and were memorable?

I have a lot of favorites, but off the top of my head I’d say Giants’ new LP from Cavity Records really stuck out to me. Spot gloss, spot enamel for the text, gatefold, heavyweight vinyl with an awesome splattered color scheme.

I also really like Pattern Is Movement’s All Together LP. It’s on really nice uncoated heavy paper and comes with a printed dust jacket and a small pack of photos that go with each song. Even the CD version of it looks nice.

As a whole, I really like what Deathwish has been doing. Though I’m not always a fan of all their bands, almost all of their packaging is fantastic. There’s a good example of setting the tone for the music you’re releasing.

What is the most ridiculous album packaging concept you can think of?

I think Torche’s Meanderthal was pretty ridiculous. Everything is die cut with pockets and foldouts. I enjoy that it takes a little bit of time to take out and sort through before you can listen to it or put it away. It forces you to spend time with the art. I like that.

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EVERYONE EVERYWHERE

Brendan McHugh // Matt Scottoline With physical album sales at an all time low, do you think album art and packaging is as important as it was 10 years ago? I think album art is probably just as important as it was 10 years ago.

With MP3s on the rise, do you think album art and packaging is important to the consumer? No, but I think to most consumers album art has never really been all that important.

What do you look for in album art and packaging? I’m interested in making sure it protects the physical media contained inside. I prefer a digipak to a jewel case if we’re talking CDs, but then we’re probably not talking CDs in 2010.

Would you be more likely to buy an album with unique art and packaging over one that was generic and plain?

What would you rather buy on vinyl, Sgt. Peppers or The White Album?

What are some albums with album art and packaging that have stood out to you and were memorable?

Tristan Perich’s 1-Bit Symphony. Playstation 1 demo disc that features a Tony Hawk Pro Skater playable demo included when you order two Stuffed Crust pizzas from Pizza Hut in 1998.

What is the most ridiculous album packaging concept you can think of?

A turkey with a minidisc inside. A shoe.

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HELEN EARTH BAND Marc Allen

With physical album sales at an all time low, do you think album art and packaging is as important as it was 10 years ago?

From an artistic perspective, album art has always been an extension or representation of what the album conveys and I don’t think that has changed.

If anything, I think the need is greater these days to have something that comes across as collectible.

With MP3s on the rise, do you think album art and packaging is important to the consumer?

Since the digital medium has gained so much ground, I think having attractive, high-quality packaging is more important than ever. There needs to be an incentive for choosing the physical product which usually costs more than the digital version.

Would you be more likely to buy an album with unique art and packaging over one that was generic and plain?

That’s tough to answer because a plain, generic package sometimes sticks out in a unique way. However I usually prefer an interesting, artsy presentation.

On a side note, it’s pretty rare for a CD to stick out amongst hundreds of others, which makes looking for music at brick & mortars overwhelming. Sometimes, in that regard, I wish album covers would just have a block of text that describes what the music sounds like. Although, now that I think more about it, that’d be a whole lot of reading.

What do you look for in album art and packaging?

Something genuine that actually contains information about the recording process, etc. ...Something that might actually motivate me to explore the packaging more than once.

What are some albums with album art and packaging that have stood out to you and were memorable?

I have one of a limited run of Coalesce Give Them Rope which had a little piece of rope in the spine of the CD case. Cool, quirky packaging.

What is the most ridiculous album packaging concept you can think of?

How about a CD case that doubles as an ant farm?

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CHARLES THE OSPREY Derek Lancioni

With physical album sales at an all time low, do you think album art and packaging is as important as it was 10 years ago?

We think it is actually more important now than ever. It has to attract the buyer not only to the music, but the artwork they’re purchasing. A glossy white one-sleeve jacket with black vinyl is boring. We went with a custom illustration done just for the record, rather than a Photoshopped collage, gatefold unbleached cardboard, and colored vinyl because it makes an impact when the listener picks it up.

It’s gotta be more than just the music that draws them to a physical copy. It has to make them take action, and that’s very hard in this crazy digital world.

With MP3s on the rise, do you think album art and packaging is important to the consumer?

Yes, absolutely, in the case of LPs. I think for CDs, it really doesn’t matter. They’ve become so disposable that after the CD has been ripped to the computer, the CD goes in the car, maybe on the floor or in a glovebox, and the case goes in a junk drawer, or just thrown out. For an LP, it should be worthy of going into a frame on the wall. They should want to take it out of the cabinet and show friends. They have to feel something with it in order to spend that extra money, take up the extra room in their house, and without that connection or interest, they simply see it as a burden.

What do you look for in album art and packaging?

For artwork, either a really great photograph with clean, small text or a custom illustration that fits with the theme of the band. Packaging doesn’t have to be elaborate by any means, but just the little changes are nice.

If there’s an extra flap that serves as a clasp, or a sash around the outside, those are the types of things that show you put some thought into making your album stand out.

Would you be more likely to buy an album with unique art and packaging over one that was generic and plain?

Depends on the band I think. If it’s some garage band whose mantra is to not care about image or being flashy, or a guy with just an acoustic guitar, a plain package could be a statement. It’s less about whether the artwork is plain and more about whether it reflects the music being presented. I have no respect for a cover that’s an obvious collage of stock photos put together poorly in Photoshop, with all sorts of filters and effects. Fonts are also very important – not only the right font, but sticking with a theme and not having 40 different fonts on the record.

What are some albums with album art and packaging that have stood out to you and were memorable?

Shellac – At Action Park, 1,000 Hurts, Denison Witmer – Philadelphia Songs, Foo Fighters – In Your Honor, The Promise Ring – Wood/Water, The Dead Weather – Horehound, Mum – Finally We Are No One. What is the most ridiculous album packaging concept you can think of?

Doing a complete discography as a series of 45rpm 7” records.

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GROWN UPS Doyle Martin

With physical album sales at an all time low, do you think album art and packaging is as important as it was 10 years ago?

Well, as far as 10 years ago, hand packaging was just how it was done for a basement touring band. You wouldn’t pay someone to put your album in a jewel case that’s going to get shattered on your girlfriend’s car floor. If buying envelopes from Staples and screening them in your garage was cheaper, than that would naturally be the course of action. 10 years later and that’s usually still the case.

With MP3s on the rise, do you think album art and packaging is important to the consumer?

Totally. I like knowing that a musician folded up his or her own compact disc that he or she spray painted in some sort of packaging, whether it be handscreened or puff painted.

What do you look for in album art and packaging?

Interesting ideas, time consuming shit. Things that I know someone had to cut out 500 times, or sew for that matter.

Would you be more likely to buy an album with unique art and packaging over one that was generic and plain?

Of course I would. Simplicity is the key, but I think something can be tasteful as long as it’s not too extravagant.

What are some albums with album art and packaging that have stood out to you and were memorable?

In First Person – Lost Between Hands Held Tight, Circle Takes the Square – As the Roots Undo, He Who Corrupts – Microeconomics, Graf Orlock – Destination Time Tomorrow.

What is the most ridiculous album packaging concept you can think of?

There’s this record label called Ponyhell from Germany that only releases on mini discs with crazy wood silk-screened cases. Awesome stuff.

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CASTEVET Ron Petzke

With physical album sales at an all time low, do you think album art and packaging is as important as it was 10 years ago?

I think album packaging might even be more important than it was 10 years ago. Back then people were not downloading, so they were buying records regardless of what they looked like. Of course, good packaging and art was absolutely appreciated, but not in the same way that it might be now. Speaking in our band’s case we try to put out records on formats that the people who still buy music like. This means vinyl and cassette for the most part, in our experience those two formats out sell our CD’s all day, every day. When we do put out CD’s we try to make them more unique than the standard jewel case CD that everyone owns. This means either a nice digipack or handmade/screened CD’s usually limited to a smaller number. It puts the collectability and heart back into the mass production of CD’s. Our preferred format is vinyl, because it is just a different experience buying and listening to music on LP. It’s more substantial from a physical standpoint, it’s bigger and you have more to work with while making an exceptional looking record.

With MP3s on the rise, do you think album art and packaging is important to the consumer?

It depends on which consumer we are talking about. The people who only download music are going to download, most of the people I know who do this will seek out the album art and have it on their iTunes or whatever, so it is good to have a sharp looking cover for that sake. But to the people who are still out there buying records, we absolutely try to make our records look as good as we can. Obviously it is the music that counts, but having an album that stands out in a collection or is easily recognizable or dare I say iconic well then you have really accomplished something. Maybe it is because I am a bit of a nerd but I know that if I get a record with great packaging I will show it to my other nerd friends when we are hanging out near my collection. Plus great packaging gives other bands ideas as how to “up their game” so we just keep getting better and better looking records.

What do you look for in album art and packaging?

Personally I am a sucker for gatefold, it is really expensive to do but it sure is cool. Hopefully one day we will get to release some stuff with that cool little hinge. I am also a sucker for albums that have music equipment on them. The key to this is to have cool gear though, I think that makes me sound like a snob, but if I pick up a record and they have an amp-wall of Matamp’s and Hiwatts I’m going to be more impressed and likely to want to hear what those dudes are doing, over seeing a pawn shop wall of Solid State Marshall’s and B-52’s or something. But again, that’s just my opinion on the matter. A great example of a cool gear related album cover is My Bloody Valentine – Loveless. The dreary washed out cover with the close up on Kevin Shields’ Jazzmaster is still one of my all time favorite album covers.

Would you be more likely to buy an album with unique art and packaging over one that was generic and plain?

It depends, if I like the band who is putting out the record I am going to buy the record whether it looks great or not. But some great looking packaging has put me over the edge on a few bands that I thought were good, but could have lived without their record. For example we had played with this band on tour last winter who I really enjoyed the set of, I wasn’t blown away but they were good. When I saw the packaging on their record I knew I had to have it, and I am glad I did because the record gets played way more than I thought it would. Pretty much the moral of that story was that if it weren’t for the great looking packaging I might not have picked up the record and thus missed out on a band I now really enjoy.

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What are some albums with album art and packaging that have stood out to you and were memorable?

I really like getting anything that Robotic Empire puts out, they always outdo themselves with packaging.

The last couple of Torche records come to mind (In Return and Meanderthal). I’m a total sucker for gatefold and box sets as well. I have the A Year with Sigur Ros 8 LP set that is just beautiful, and Earth – The Bees Made Honey In The Lion Skull, which looks like a mock bible, are a couple more records that just came out looking phenomenal.

What is the most ridiculous album packaging concept you can think of?

One of our members plays in a doom band called Bongripper that specializes in ridiculous packing ideas.

They released an album called Heroin that came packaged like a junkie’s shoot up kit complete with rubber tourniquet, lighter, and charred spoon. They also were in talks of packaging 3” cds with dry ice so that it smoked when you first opened the album. Other than that the idea of a Big Lebowski themed release that would be packaged in a suitcase full of dirty laundry...the whites and it would be called The Ringer Edition.

That would be an epic thing to get your hands on as well.

Draw an album cover for a real or fake band and we’ll post it on online.

Email submissions to mandexzine@yahoo.com - Best one wins a prize!

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Scrnd:Landland

Words by Dan Black

Landland is a small screen-printing studio operated by Dan Black & Jessica Seamans. Located in Northeast Minneapolis, they have designed and printed posters for artists such as: Bob Mould, Cap’n Jazz, The Swell Season,The Appleseed Cast, Circa Survive, Built to Spill, Japandroids, Bon Iver and many more. They are also responsible for the amazing Little Otsu Annual Weekly Planner. Find more info about them at landland.net

Growing

We wanted to make a poster that felt in line with the band’s aesthetic...because they definitely have one. Jes and I teamed up on this one to try to make something that felt slightly mundane, but also really manipulated, if that makes sense. As far as technical information is concerned, it’s basically a four-color process (CMYK) print, except that to create the layering effect, we actually printed two screens of both the cyan and magenta layers...so it ended up being six screens in all. Otherwise, the parts where the right-side-up image overlapped the upside-down image would have flattened out and gotten kinda confusing or messy.

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Summer Ghosts / Winter Pool Party

There really isn’t much of a backstory to this, and it doesn’t have anything to do with skateboarding...I’m totally fascinated by broken down motels out in the middle of nowhere and ghost town remnants and all of that. I was on a trip with my then-girlfriend to move all of her stuff from Minneapolis to Philadelphia and we stopped in this small town that was pretty much full of failed or failing motels...We just spent a couple hours biking around taking pictures of all of it before finally getting a room in one of them. This pool was across the street from where we stayed...

It looked pretty much like this, except without the swarm of ghosts.

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Bob Mould

The drawing for this came from a photo of an actual rollercoaster that used to exist somewhere in Ohio...There was this amusement park that shut down in the 70’s and the way they dealt with it was to just put a fence up around it and let the thing just decay and get all overgrown. The photos (which are all over the internet) are completely beautiful. I thought that it was a kinda nice metaphor for Bob Mould in a way, because he has this history of having been this punk dude in Hüsker Dü, but since then he’s become something else entirely...There’s an evolution to his work that really leaves off in a way different place than he started. Of course, that’s all overthinking this thing a bit...I really try to not do that.

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The Swell Season (Seattle)

The Swell Season posters were our first attempts at CMYK printing...we’d been afraid to do this for a really long time, and for some reason decided that we’d just leap in. I think it went a lot better than we expected. Jes does all this amazing watercolor stuff all the time, so it was really great to figure out a way to work that into our poster work.

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The Swell Season (St. Louis)

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Interview with Mark Detrick Photos: Paul Turpin

Whose idea was it for all the song titles to be anagrams of each other? Is there a hidden meaning behind those titles?

Basically, we are pretty awful at coming up with names for our songs and usually rely on a sort of bastardized onamonapia of the melodies in our communications with each other. I thought the idea of having anagrams for the song and album titles would provide a sort of cohesion, as well as excusing us from coming up with unique titles for all of the songs. There is a sort of cryptic logic at work here, but we are leaving it open to interpretation. I will say that Jonny was reading a lot of the Brothers Grimm stories when he wrote the lyrics and that those lyrics tie into the song titles, if only in an opaque way.

On your latest album, A Forest of Polarity, you enlisted some outside help to come in and play horns and stringed instruments. Do you include those same elements in the live show? How does the album translate into a live setting?

We wanted to make our album a proper album, not just a carbon copy of our live show, and we were extremely fortunate to have such talented friends who were willing to offer their time and skill in the studio. We are lucky to have Sarah Jerns and Kat Bula, who played horns and fiddle on the record, play with us in

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Bellingham fairly often. Unfortunately, with so many conflicting schedules to coordinate, they haven’t yet been able to accompany us out of town or on tour, but we hope that it will happen in the future. Our live show is pretty dynamic and energetic, while the album focuses on pacing, arrangement, and attempting to be a singular experience. So yes, our album and our live show are different experiences, but we think they compliment each other well.

Your music stands strong on its own without any additional instruments, why did you decide to add the horns and stringed instruments on A Forest of Polarity?

First and foremost, we simply wanted to have a broader and more orchestral palette to work with. We were interested in a challenging recording experience and in pushing our creative boundaries. In a town like Bellingham, with such a strong artistic/musical community and so many talented players, it would have been foolish to not enlist the help of a few of our overly generous friends.

Do you think you’ll continue to add other elements like horns and stringed instruments into future recordings?

Absolutely. We hope that our creative evolution continues and that we have the opportunity to work with an even wider base of our talented Bellingham compatriots.

You use lyrics very sparsely on the album. When writing the songs, do you write the songs specifically for those lyrics or do you insert the lyrics into whatever song works best?

We write our music collaboratively, with everyone bringing parts to the table and everyone having equal veto power. After we have merged, edited and re-edited and re-edited all of the parts, Jonny, who is a fabulous songwriter, will add lyrics and vocal melodies as he sees fit. He will then bring these back to us and we will edit, re-edit, etc., until we have something that we are all happy with. We don’t really have an official policy, but in general the music comes before the words.

Is there anything you’re trying to convey with the music on A Forest of Polarity? If anything, what would you want the listener to take away from this album?

We don’t really have an agenda, but we do hope that the album encourages listeners to embark on their own creative ventures and we hope that our music is a semi-durable testimony to the fact that (mainly) instrumental rock music doesn’t have to be overly cerebral, obtuse, or uninspired. We hope that our music will open doors and provide a unique and pleasurable experience.

Many of the band members have played in some regionally influential bands in the past. Do any of those past bands have any influence on how Rooftops sounds?

All of our past musical experiences inform the sound of Rooftops. Specifically, Lands Farther East and In Praise of Folly/Members Of have had a big influence on our guitar and percussive work, while Jonny’s offerings as a singer/songwriter has played a big role in our development of melody.

How did you feel about A Forest of Polarity being ranked so high on many 2009 year end lists?

We feel tremendously lucky and surprised. It’s pretty humbling, we just hope that it enhances our opportunity to play for more people.

Outside of Rooftops and Death Cab for Cutie, I haven’t really heard much about he Bellingham, WA music scene. What is the scene like there? What bands should people be paying attention to?

Bellingham has one of the most unique, energetic, engaging, durable and supportive music scenes that I have ever experienced. It’s a university town (WWU) and the school brings in a steady stream of creative youth. On any given night of the week there are always several shows to choose from for any number of musical tastes. People here have worked very hard to ensure that there is always an all-ages club, coffee shop, basement, bar, art gallery, or living room to host our ever changing base of talented individuals and acts.

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There is also tremendous cross pollination among creative types in our community with musicians constantly sharing bills with film-makers, performance artists, dancers, visual artists, poets, storytellers, bike workshops, etc. It’s the only place that I’ve ever been where having a metal band, a folk quartet, a dance troupe, and an art showing all at the same venue and on the same night is normal and to be expected. It’s wonderful.

Some of my current favorite Bellingham acts are: Pan Pan,Todos Somos Lee, Biagio Biondolillo, Four Players, Dog Shredder, Thimble vs. Needle, Catcher, Go Slowpoke, Rhombus, Frozen Cloak and so many more.

A Forest of Polarity is also being released on vinyl, what do you think the importance of vinyl is in today’s indie music industry?

We are so happy that Top Shelf has released our album on vinyl. It sounds so good and it’s so nice to have a tangible product that you can actually hold in your hands. It’s an investment and people generally take better care of their records than they do their CDs: it’s what separates casual consumers of music and deep enthusiasts. The collectors market is keeping indie music alive, in a way. We are all fans of digital media, but I think that vinyl will always have a place in the industry.

While on tour in Sacramento in 2008, you got severely injured climbing down a tree resulting in a torn and bloodied right arm. How long did it take to come back from that injury and did the injury affect your guitar playing at all? Also, have you learned your lesson about climbing tees?

Wow. I can’t believe that you know about that, but I guess it is on one of our old Myspace blogs. It’s was a crazy and traumatic experience: I was swinging down from a cherry tree (not 7 feet from the ground) when my arm caught on a pruned branch. It tore my bicep from the base of my upper arm and I was terrified that it would ruin my guitar playing. Fortunately, the surgery went well and I had full mobility after about two months. I consider myself very lucky. I still climb trees, but I keep a keen eye out for those damned pruned branches.

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IF YOU MAKE IT INTERVIEW WITH David Garwacke What motivated you into starting If You Make It? I lived in a house in New Paltz, NY where we used to have shows all the time. We had a lot of great bands come through, and when we moved out I realized that we had no documentation of anything we did. It kind of bummed me out and I knew that I wanted to change that once I moved to Brooklyn. So I bought a miniDV camera and started recording shows.

What is your role on the site?

I do 99% of the work that goes into the site. I designed/coded the website, and filmed almost all of the footage that’s up there (except for the Series section). Recently I’ve started incorporating more outside help for show/series videos. There are people out there with better setups than I have, and it takes some of the stress off of me.

You’ve got a number of people who help out with the site; does anyone get paid to do what they do?

No one gets paid for anything really. IYMI is donation and ad supported, but in the end it really doesn’t amount to too much. Most of the money goes into paying for server costs or making it worthwhile to work on this site as much as I do.

For the free album section, I set up a donation system for bands, some get it directly sent to them.

For the rest, I give the bands anything that’s over $20, to offset some of the cost of the site. So far donations have been pretty low and infrequent, but a few albums have been doing pretty well. Some people have been amazing and helped out a lot with the site, especially Jeff Ledellaytner, who made the awesome intros for the PCS and Live videos. I don’t think the site would be as great as it is without those.

My roommates throughout the years, Mike Campbell, Dominic Armao, Katie Pallatto and Pat Schramm have been incredibly supportive. If they weren’t cool with this, the Pink Couch Sessions would never happen. They also have taken the helm

at various times and filmed PCS when I was unavailable. I also have a bunch of friends who help me get in contact with bands that I’m interested in having over. I spend a lot of time working on this site in my apartment alone, but it’s these people that make it worthwhile.

How much time do you spend on IYMI? As it is, I spend way too much time goofing around with design and user interface tweaks. I should probably put up more Pink Couches, but I can never set aside the time to render all that footage. I also recently lost a laptop due to a faulty logic board, so I’m trying to play catchup and retrieve some lost audio files. I work as a freelancer so it’s really easy for me to get distracted and fool around with IYMI, instead of doing the work that gets me money.

You play in bands, do creative work and run IYMI, how do you balance it all out?

I’m actually really awful at keeping it all together. My main move is saying “yes” to everything and just waiting to the last second to deal with conflicts. It’s an awful habit that I’m trying to break. Luckily it’s still working on some level.

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The Pink Couch Sessions is one of the more popular features on the site. Where did the idea come from for this segment?

I started the site after 6 months of recording live shows in and out of New York. The audio from the shows always sounded awful, so I had to come up with some way to save my sanity and start something in a controlled environment. I bought the Pink Couch when I first moved here, so it was the only object that was comfortable to play on. I got the idea to film “sessions” from some great sites like La Blogotheque.

You’ve been fairly vocal about having Ted Leo do a Pink Couch Session, has he responded back in any way?

I think I got lost in the crowd on that one. I’m trying to get other people to do my dirty work so he doesn’t get annoyed by my constant battering. If anyone has the ear of the Ted, tell him to stop by my apartment.

Besides Ted Leo, what artists, broken up or not, would you love to do a Session?

If I could get anyone over here, it would definitely be John K. Samson. I am in love with The Weakerthans. If he came over I would probably be fine with ending the site right there. There was a slight chance that it would happen the last time they came through, but it all fell through as we got a little closer. They have kids and families on tour with them, the last thing they’d want to do is stop by a gross Brooklyn apartment.

From what I can tell, IYMI has been getting more of an audience, what do you think has been contributing to its growing popularity?

As far as popularity goes, I think it’s something that comes with time. I’ve made tons of mistakes while doing this site, like refusing to upload to sites like YouTube and Vimeo. I missed out on a large audience and am now playing catchup to get people to watch the videos. If you do anything for long enough, someone is bound to notice. Everything is interconnected and eventually I’ll film someone’s friend’s band or film a show that they were at. I also think the bands I feature are amazing, and it’d be criminal if they didn’t get some attention.

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You have a lot of content on the site and it would take hours to view it all. What are some of your favorites or what would you recommend everyone to check out?

It definitely takes a long time to go through the whole site, and every band isn’t for everyone. I wish I could come up with a better recommendation system to help people navigate through the mess.

Some of my favorite videos are Defiance, Ohio’s Pink Couch, any of the Maps & Atlases videos, the For Serious This Time record, and any of the Get To The Point videos. The site is a testament to everything I love about music, and there is something in each album, video or recommendation that I love.

I encourage anyone to spend a little time on the site and just browse through, hopefully you’ll find something you like or love.

Why did you decide to start advertising on the site? How has the response been since putting ads on the site?

Donations weren’t really working for IYMI, they were too infrequent and I was spending too much time working on it to keep it afloat that way. Ads are going great, the site has so many great ad sponsors, and I only do it with companies/labels that I support. I don’t really try too hard to get advertisers, it’s a little stressful dealing with money, especially when I update the site so randomly.

Hopefully they are getting something back through their investment.

For bands wanting to know, how can they get their albums into the “Free Albums” section?

The Free Albums section is kind of confusing, it’s really a collection of albums that I am really into or

expressed interest in putting up. Taking cues from Quote Unquote records, I realized I had a small amount of pull through the traffic on IYMI, and could get people interested in albums that I love.

One Reason’s record is a perfect example of that.

I also use this section to chronicle the numerous bands I’ve been in, like Halo Fauna, Air Raid Barcelona, Thousandaires, Golden Age of Radio, Kudrow and The State Lottery.

Bands are free to send in their records through email or the mail. I try to check out everything, but I never have time to write anyone back. I wish I could but there is never enough time in the day. Candy Hearts sent me their album and I was instantly into it. Now it’s up and has over 2,000 downloads.

What is your ultimate goal for If You Make It? My ultimate goal is to give up the reins a little and have a crew of people working together to keep it up to date. I would love this to be my only job, and I’m struggling right now to figure out a way to do this.

Do you have any plans to add new features or expand on current ones?

I started doing some interviews, and they are fun to do, but I usually feel too awkward to get them going. I want to get more up there along with some video interviews to mix it up. I also want to try and get daily updates to the site. The hardest part of running IYMI is keeping the site up to date so it’s less work getting people to come back.

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Best In Tensions was released with a very limited vinyl pressing. Why did you choose to do such a small pressing? Do you have any intentions to release a CD version as well?

Bobby: I wanted to make the amount of records that I thought there was a demand for. We have a CDR version with hand colored covers that we sell at shows, we are limiting those to 100 copies. If we end up selling everything and there is a demand for more physical copies, we will have to figure something out I suppose.

What kind of recording process did you use? Was the album recorded live in the studio?

Bobby: We played all of the music live and then overdubbed the singing, and a few other embellishments. I overdubbed a bunch of acoustic guitar on the album but I was conscious to not add any new notes with it. I would just double the existing guitar part to brighten the sound and add another texture in places. Acoustic guitar as effect pedal was the idea.

Does the lyrical content differ form past albums?

Bobby: I don’t think it does, especially since many of the songs were already on past albums.

What was it like working with your wife Elisse on this album? How did she get involved?

Bobby: It is both rewarding and challenging working with Elisse. It is great getting to travel together and feel like we are making something creatively together. Since Elisse is new to playing music, we are really pretty free as far as some newer songs and arrangements being in weird timings. She isn’t locked in to any “old habits” in her drumming so that is really freeing, she can play a part that is in 7 or for example the other day I suggested she play 4 sets of 3 followed by 2 sets of 2. She could do it just as easily as playing a traditional 4/4 drumbeat.

That is what is getting me excited for making new songs together, I want to take advantage of the fact that since all drumming is new to her, she can do things that more experienced drummers would have a hard time with.

Have you played in any other bands before or do you have any background in music?

Elisse: I have never played in a band before Love of Everything. My musical background consists of Grade 6 band where I played the clarinet. I think I was pretty good at it too.

You had never played drums before, what made you want to play drums with Bobby?

Elisse: I don’t think I ever even fucked around on a drum kit before I started playing with Bobby. It was a pretty natural choice to play the drums. Bobby was already playing guitar and at the time also a tiny keyboard, so drums were kinda needed. I also think drums are rad. I’ve noticed that when people find out I’m in a band they assume I’m the singer or maybe play bass, but when I say I’m the drummer, they’re taken aback. Michelle Obama’s brother, for example, who I met in an elevator while holding a snare, was stoked on it.

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Interview with Bobby Burg & Elisse La Roche Live Photos: Robert Loerzel

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Do you have any interests to play other instruments?

Elisse: Totally would love to learn to play guitar, I bet I could play bass if I tried. The dream is being able to sing. I am hands down the worst singer. Ever.

How was Bobby as a teacher?

Elisse: Bobby wasn’t my first drum teacher. My friend Matt, who is now the drummer of Bobby’s other band Vacations, taught me the basics. It was a really slow process. I would go over to his house, he would bust out his practice pad and some sticks, light up a cigarette and we’d talk about rudiments for maybe one minute. Then we’d get distracted and talk about other things. Then an hour would go by and I hadn’t done anything yet so I’d work on my paradiddles then I’d go home. A week later I’d come by and pretty much the same thing would happened. Eventually I learned how to play a simple beat and stopped showing up.

Then it was up to Bobby to try to figure out how to get me to play songs that already existed. In retrospect it was really hard at first because I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me. It’s only been recently that when Bobby says play “flackada flack shhhhh” that I understand what he’s talking about.

How long did it take before you felt comfortable behind the drum kit?

Elisse: I still don’t. Luckily I’m comfortable being on stage and performing in front of people. But like when people talk about drum stuff or ask me things about what kit I play, I get super uncomfortable. I don’t think I’d be comfortable playing drums in another band. Unless that band was really really patient and understanding.

How did the first live show go that you played? Were you nervous?

Elisse: The first live show was epic. I bet most people’s first time is like in the basement of their local VFW hall or at some shitty bar that you have to pay to play or something. But for me, I got to open for NO AGE. Also Soft Circle and Lichens played that night. It was definitely the start of something super fucking rad.

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I played on 3 songs, I had only picked up drum sticks a month before the show, and I totally fucked up every single song. Luckily I was not really nervous. Shit like that doesn’t phase me, but having to hand out resumes or call my grandparents is major cause of anxiety.

Whose idea was it to use tennis balls for drum sticks in the “Fear of Missing Out” video?

Bobby: That was my idea, I thought it would be visually exciting and way less dangerous than fireworks, which were my first choice.

Do you plan on doing any other videos for the songs off of Best In Tensions?

Bobby: No plans for more videos yet. We got hooked up with the Giant System Chicago guys who made the video for a budget of $100. We had been talking about making a video for that song because of the visual element for a few months, I saw what they were doing and thought it would be perfect for the video. I thought spending the money on a video made so much more sense than taking out advertisements or something like that. The video created a way to promote the record.

Did you get a chance to skate that mini ramp in between takes?

Bobby: I have a key to that ramp and skate it all the time. We shot the video on a Sunday morning between 8am and 11:30am. Kyle and I tried skating when we were finished shooting but I kept on getting dizzy. It was too early and I was hungry. Right now I am going to go to this skate park in Whiting, IN to skate the fantastic bowls they have there.

What can you tell me about that Neil Blender skateboard in the background of one of the promo photos?

Bobby: I wanted to include the board in the photo to put where I was coming from into context for anyone who would know about it. I grew up skateboarding and I always felt a huge connection between skateboarding and music. Elisse really wanted to have cute tea cups in the photo, maybe that is where she is coming from...

I was looking on Neil Blender’s website, The Heated Wheel, and noticed he was doing a hand painted edition of 50 coffee mug boards. The image is so iconic to me because I had the T shirt in the 80s and it just looks so perfect. I ended up buying the painting over the Internet from Neil while I was on tour with Chin Up Chin Up. I remember jumping out of my seat at an Internet cafe in Madrid, Spain when I got an email from him saying thanks for ordering it. He sent me 2 free T Shirts too, but they were too big to wear. Neil painted the Dinosaur Jr album cover for Without a Sound.

It seems there has been a lot more press about Love of Everything for this album, why do you think that is?

Bobby: I think it is a combination of a few things, I am doing my own publicity for this one. Also the Polyvinyl name being associated with it is really helping. I am also really reading reviews and articles by the people I am emailing, so I only send it to people who will be interested about it in the first place. If the person has written about Joan of Arc in the past, I mention that in the subject line. If they have written about Chin Up or Make Believe I mention that. It might make me seem like an ego maniac but I cant justify spending $1500 or more hiring a publicist to work the record. It’s a low budget release, that is the idea.

Rumor is that you’ll be doing a Daytrotter session soon, do you know what songs you’ll be doing and when it’ll be out?

Bobby: We are planning on picking the songs on the drive there. We are doing 4 shows starting the night of the taping (May 21) so we have about 16 songs to choose from. I think for sure we will do the recently re-arranged version of “Too Much Happy Wet Hair”. When they air it is up to them.

You once said in an interview that you’d never “play Akron, Ohio solo again”. What happened in Akron, and now that you’re a duo, any chance of going back?

Bobby: My family and extended family and people from high school came to the show. What I was doing at the time was creating loops live and slowly building up the songs instrument by instrument. It was a interesting way to present the songs and have them sound like a band, but not need a band. Basically I was

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so nervous and all of my cables broke at once and I panicked and just forgot how to do anything at all. It was horrible, I would consider going back because now I am much less reliant on the loop pedal. Playing in front of family makes me really nervous. The same sort of thing happened when Make Believe played Bowery Ballroom opening for Cursive, I forgot how to play all the songs. I psyched myself out because at the time it was such an important show for us and my brother and my girlfriend at the time were there and our publicist from our Japanese label was there too. I played the first 2 songs fine, then I started messing up then I sat out for 3 songs, I felt really bad about it. It was like I was temporarily paralyzed.

You’ve played in a few different bands, do any of them feel more rewarding than the others? What’s the current status of Vacations?

Bobby: Yes some are for sure more rewarding than others, but all of them are rewarding in different ways.

Love of Everything is rewarding because it feels like mine. Make Believe is rewarding because it feels light years beyond anything I would ever come up with, both technically and creatively. I actually can’t believe it’s happening sometimes, if that makes sense.

Vacations is going to record our 2nd full-length June 18-22. We are going to temporally build a studio at our friend’s parents lake house in Wisconsin. The new songs are great, I am really excited about making it!

What made you want to do a cover of the Descendents “Marriage” for the album? Are there any other songs you would consider covering?

Bobby: Doing “Marriage” was kind of the same idea as including the Neil Blender painting in the promo photo. Also I thought it was funny that we were actually married. Yes I am trying to work out a version of “Get the Time” by Descendents but I don’t have anything that sounds interesting yet. I made a zine, edition of 1, of songs and chords that I wanted to learn, it has Dead Milkmen, Hüsker Dü, Misfits, Morrissey and more. Vacations once covered “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young with me singing it.

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I don’t know if you follow the NHL, but it’s possible that Montreal Canadians could face Chicago Blackhawks in the finals. Who would you root for?

Elisse: I’m actually a hockey fan - and from Vancouver. So the whole Hawks vs Canucks series of the playoffs was really dramatic. Lots of shit talking for sure. But now I’m cheering for Chicago. GO HAWKS! Bobby hates sports.

Bobby: I don’t really like it. I went to a game once and it freaked me out REALLY bad. It made me lose even more faith in humanity. Seeing a packed arena of people cheer for one guy to punch another guy made my stomach churn. Where are we, ancient Rome? I try to stay clear from that stuff.

Since your from Canada, did you have any problems with the green card procedure or touring overseas?

Elisse: When I ‘moved’ to Chicago, it was a 2 months before we were married, I had no idea what it was like to become a permanent resident. Once we were married we weren’t overly concerned with getting me my green card right away, we looked into it but it’s so expensive and none of the forms made any sense, you totally need a lawyer, so we just put it off. Then Bobby got offered a tour in Europe, I started to learn the drums and we called up the lawyer. Months and months later we still weren’t ready to hand in the application and time was running out. Finally after months of getting taxes in order, getting tested for AIDS and TB and getting shots for HPV, bet you didn’t know they make you do that, we filed our paper work. When you’re an immigrant you are NOT allowed to leave the country during the application process. We applied for a travel permit so that I could leave, but it can take up to 6 months to be approved. It was the beginning of December and the tour was booked for the beginning of May. It was so fucking stressful not knowing if I would be allowed to go or if I would even be allowed to stay in the country.

I wish more people knew about the immigration process, it would make you understand why so many really good, hard working Mexican and Ecuadorian families can’t even try to live here legally. I also learned from our nice lawyer that a lot of Spanish speaking families get swindled by fake lawyers who claim to be immigration lawyers and they can’t do much about it because they don’t speak English well AND they’re here illegally. Fucking Arizona.

Anyway, it all worked out in the end - I got my paperwork in time and I even got my green card before we left.

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Jason Gnewikow

Cap’n Jazz // Analphabetapolothology The Promise Ring // Nothing Feels Good Previous to Analphabetapolotology, Cap’n Jazz only released one full-length and a few 7”s, so there wasn’t any real look associated with the band. How many concepts did you go through to get to the final piece?

By the time I worked on that record I had worked with Tim Kinsella on a few Joan Of Arc releases. Tim had a bunch of ideas for the color palette and I think a pretty clear idea for the composition of the cover and then I think I came up with the typographic concept. Typically the way we worked on all those records was that he and I would get together and sit down and start from scratch and kind of just collaborate and work through the design.

Then once we had a system or concept established I would go through and design the remainder of the package.

Does the artwork give an accurate reflection of the band and its music?

I think it definitely feels a bit more sophisticated than probably any part of the visual vocabulary that existed when they were still a band at least design wise. However, I think they were actually quite sophisticated as a band musically and conceptually even though they were quite young. Kind of a tough question, I think it feels authentic to them because it was largely in Tim Kinsella’s brain even though it was all done posthumously.

Tim Kinsella has mentioned that he intended to name the anthology Anthroanalphabetapolothology and forgot the piece of paper he wrote it down on when it came time to lay it out. As it is, the title of the anthology is still quite long, did you have any problems trying to make it fit?

Not really, I think the design solution to just letting it all stack up worked since it was a bit of a mouthful to say. It probably reads the same way it sounds. We settled on the type quite quickly though.

Throughout the layout, lyrics are pulled from the songs and enlarged. Were those lyrics randomly or intentionally chosen? Is there any hidden meaning behind some of the letters being colored differently than others?

No, it was just a design consideration.

Did you have any input into the vinyl edition of Analphabetapolothology that is being released this summer?

Nope.

Looking back on it, is there anything you would change about the layout now?

I suppose I might fuss about the kerning or something but the overall design I love and feels pretty timeless to me.

Do you think its design has held up over the past 12 years?

Yes, I think if the record came out today it would still feel fresh. But I suppose I’m biased.

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All of the releases, except The Horse Latitudes, have The Promise Ring set in all caps. What are the typographical problems with the name The Promise Ring?

I never liked the way the name looked with the lowercase descenders on the “P” and “G”, kind of always looked odd and off balance to me, hence the all uppercase usage on the rest of the records. Just a bit more handsome uppercase.

When designing Nothing Feels Good, did the photos come first or the concept of multi-colored dots?

Definitely the photos. I can’t actually recall how or when Tim Owen sent me those photos, I think he had just been there and shot them for fun and thought they might be interesting. I really liked the duality of a theme park that is supposed to be fun but in all the photos was largely empty. Sort of had a eerie optimism that just seemed to suit the vibe of the record.

The dots came later as just another design element to use across the package and marry the typography with the photos.

What were you trying to convey with the design of Nothing Feels Good?

I honestly can’t remember what if anything I was trying to convey specifically. I think being the designer and a member of the band I was obviously wrapped up in all aspects of our creative output as a group. We took everything quite seriously from the lyrics to the songs to artwork. The album both musically and lyrically is optimistic but is also a bit melancholy and I think the artwork reflects that.

Did you have any other concepts for the design?

No, there weren’t ever multiple concepts for the artwork. The band pretty much left me to my own devices for the most part when it came to the artwork and since it was really client driven there wasn’t really any need for multiple design directions. For each record we usually came up with a concept and just worked it out until it felt special.

Most album art just includes a booklet that acts as the album cover. With Nothing Feels Good and Very Emergency, you have a booklet inside an “envelope” which acts as the album cover. What made you want to do something other than just a booklet? How did you come up with the idea for that?

I had seen that somewhere else (maybe Fugazi’s In on the Killtaker?). We were always looking for ways and ideas of making anything we did just a bit more special. I loved the way it made looking at the artwork feel more like an experience because you had to go through a ritual of sorts to open the whole thing up and the way the type was set it was like a little exploration to take in all the lyrics.

All the Promise Ring albums on Jade Tree has a similar feel design wise. Was the difference in design for Wood/Water, on Anti-, a reflection of switching labels and sound?

I think all the records have a pretty common thread across them. I never thought of Wood/Water as being very different. So I guess the answer to the question is no. I think the use of the metallic bump plate is different than the others but I think it was the same impulse as the more intricate packaging. Just another way of making the design feel a bit more special.

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Hanalei

Interview with Brian Moss Live Photo by Leslie Hampton

The first two Hanalei albums were released on Thick Records, what interested you in releasing One Big Night on Big Scary Monsters?

Aside from a back catalog, Thick really isn’t putting out records these days. Initially, the record was going to be released solely on my good friends’ startup label, Brick Gun. However, Big Scary Monsters approached me and offered to do a split release with Brick Gun both here in the U.S. and in Europe. The support, resources, pro-punk/pro-artist ethos, and enthusiasm they expressed in culmination with the fact that they didn’t make any unreasonable demands of myself or Brick Gun made the agreement entirely appealing.

One Big Night was recorded in a fairly unique fashion, can you explain the recording process and why you choose to record it this way?

Sure. About three years ago I started recording songs in my bedroom on my old computers internal microphone. It stemmed out of four track nostalgia and desires to experiment with new recording technology.

As time passed, I got a bit better at it. I started layering heavily, studying/experimenting with effects and EQs, and moving the laptop around the room mimicking mic placement techniques. The entire process was enjoyable and added a new level of excitement in terms of making music. Each song was recorded as it was written over the course of over two years. Eventually, I started stacking up songs and as this is a solo-based, and often intimately projected project, I decided that the home recording format was an honest depiction of myself, the writing process, and the songs.

Do you prefer this way of recording over recording in a studio setting?

There’s obviously pros and cons to both. The first two Hanalei recordings were both recorded a nice studio in Chicago. The bulk of what I’ve released over the past ten years has been recorded in nice studios; I wanted to branch out, to try to do everything entirely on my own. The result is raw and unpolished, but real

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to the core. What’s funny is that if I were to break down the tracks chronologically, the progress I made in terms of learning how to record with my rudimentary resources would be completely audibly evident. That being said, I’m still a complete fucking amateur and there’s definitely pleasure and ample creative options to be had by opting to record in a decent space, with decent equipment, with people that actually know their craft. I absolutely plan on continuing to pursue self recording, but I’m sure I’ll end up in studios again soon.

Are all the instruments played by you?

Yes. The list would include guitars, vocals, minimal keyboards, and some slight electronic programming.

How long did take to write and record One Big Night ?

Like I said, I recorded as I wrote the songs. Some of the songs were actually written piece by piece using multi tracking and playing around with ideas as a means of completion. Not every song I’ve written in the past two to three years in solo form is on the record, but a lot of them are.

How does One Big Night differ from your previous Hanalei albums?

Hmmm. Good question. It’s my favorite one, but I may be a bit biased as I just finished it. Lyrically and in terms of the music, I think it’s a bit more mature. With Parts and Accessories, myself and the people I was playing with were trying consciously to create a folk/roots influenced record. With the first record, We Are All Natural Disasters, I knew I wanted to combine electronic writing with stripped down pop, but didn’t really have a good grip on writing songs all by myself. With One Big Night I didn’t set out to adhere to any sort of guidelines or genre. I went with what came naturally and liked the results.

What do the lyrics deal with on One Big Night ?

Loosely speaking the album is founded around the concept of life as I’ve known it over the past ten years.

Specifically cities, homes, and the people that shared them with me. To some extent it could be considered a recollection of my twenties. Recurring themes include striving to shed inhibitions, my own and those of others, the pursuit of truths outside of the constructs of an often grotesque culture, nostalgia, notions of youth, debauchery and alcohol, notions of love or how relationships should function, Chicago, the Bay Area, persistence, travel, hope, and death. Fuck… that sounded somewhat absurdly dramatic and pretentious. I like jokes too.

What got you interested in playing music and what keeps you playing music?

Well, I initially got into it because it completely captivated me. Some of my first underground shows and cassettes gave me a feeling of sanctuary and inspiration that I’d never experienced elsewhere in my life. As a young teenager music simply seemed like a way out into something better. Music wasn’t just a sound; it was a vehicle and a catalyst. Now, it’s an addiction, but most of my initial beliefs are still there (albeit there’s been some shifts in particular details and jading). Plus, considering I’ve been playing, and hopefully improving, for about fifteen years, stopping would just seem counterproductive. Punk rock either saved my life or ruined it. I haven’t quite decided yet.

You are a musician, but you’ve also done PR and writing among other things. What motivates you into dabbling in different areas like writing reviews and doing PR? I started working at a lot of venues and doing booking while I lived in Chicago. Although it was a bit draining at times, I loved it. For me, it was a way to be immersed in music at all times. I started doing PR for a decent sized indie company somewhat haphazardly through mutual friends. Eventually, I started my own little boutique, but bailed after a year and a half or so because profiting (just a little) off of small bands and indie labels simply felt wrong. Half of them could have done my job themselves given free time and/or motivation. I also couldn’t hack all of the brown nosing, name dropping, and competition. It all started making me incredibly bitter. So, I opted to get out. As for writing, I’ve always loved all aspects of writing so I pursued music journalism as a side project naturally. I still contribute to some publications somewhat regularly. I mean, praising the bands I love or ragging on the ones I hate is always enjoyable. They say a lot of music journalists are failed musicians. I wouldn’t necessarily disagree.

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Besides playing in bands, what else do you currently do?

I just finished up a little grad school jaunt in order to obtain a secondary education English teaching credential. Next year I’ll either be teaching full-time or substituting and touring. I book a small gallery/venue/café/ bar in Oakland called Mama Buzz, run a once a week after school rock music class at a high school here in S.F., and as previously mentioned, slang some ink on bands here and there. Other than music, surfing and spending time with good people, or the assholes I lovingly call my friends, are my primary hobbies.

Each band you have been in have varied in sound? Is there any type of music you enjoy playing more than others?

No, not really. Ultimately, if I had the time I’d play in five varied bands. Minimally, as of now I like having one really loud and aggressive project and one subdued one.

Is Olehole still an active band?

Yes. Things have been slow because Ian has been so busy with Dead To Me. However, we have been playing shows here and there lately and have a couple of seven inches coming out in the next few months.

You reunited with your old band the Ghost for last years FEST in Gainesville. Why did you reunite and how did the shows go? Is there any possibility of future material from The Ghost?

We reunited because Solidarity Records repressed This is a Hospital on vinyl and released it. We decided we wanted to celebrate. The shows were insanely fun. Of course, Chicago was the best. New material is about as likely as me converting to Scientology.

Which band has been most fulfilling for you?

This is gonna sound, cliché or Hallmark, but each project has been rewarding in its own way.

You’ve lived in the Midwest and on the west coast, does living in different regions influence your song writing?

Definitely. Being around different local bands, scenes or different people that have varied taste in music provides a wealth of new influence. Chicago, in terms of exposure to new music, did wonders for me.

You’ve done a fair amount of traveling, where do you call home and where would you like to end up?

I currently call San Francisco home. Ideally, I’d like to live in a handful of places all over the world before I cash out. Ending up on a rural tropical island somewhere is a must.

You were outspoken against President Bush, what are your opinions on President Obama’s presidency so far?

Well, I’ve always said Democrats and Republicans are equivalent to shit and diarrhea. One may be a little bit better, but they both still tend to be rather unpleasant. Obviously, Obama and his administration are a huge improvement from the Bush era. He’s done some pretty commendable work, or at least pushed, with health care, abortion, and certain international and environmental issues. However, he’s also come up short with the war and immigration. Really, my satisfaction would take a complete upheaval and overhaul from the roots. One man can’t be expected to fix an inherently flawed system. The term “checks and balances” needs to be taken literally as both domestic and foreign policies are ultimately controlled by financial interest. Obama may have made some progress and may be somewhat sincerely trying, but anyone that really believed in the “hope” and “change” he founded his campaign around simply bought into a great marketing campaign.

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This icon denotes an album that can be downloaded from the band.

Links are on page 56.

The Americas Sweet Release The Americas are a duo from California that have been together since 2000, and I’m amazed that I haven’t heard about this band until now. The singer has a Davey Von Bohlen like delivery and the music is in the vein of some of the early Promise Ring material as well as other emo bands of the day mixed in with some technical math rock. The drumming on this album is quite amazing and on some parts, it’s hard to believe that there are only two people in this band. (Self-Released) Animal Names Let It Been Vancouver, BC’s Animal Names may be no longer, but 4/5’s of the band have moved onto another band so, it’s likely you’ll be hearing music similar to Let it Been in the future. Let it Been is chock full of pop-punk gems that somewhat remind me of The Anniversary, with the male/female vocals, and the organs on some songs. The also have a Weezer-ish like sound here and there. It’s a shame they broke up, but hopefully the remaining members can keep going with this sound. (Boat Dreams From the Hill) Balance and Composure/Tigers Jaw Split 7”/CDEP I’m a big Tigers Jaw fan, but Balance and Composure really steal the show with their four contributions on this split. They have really matured since their previous release. Their songs on this split are emotional and powerful and just plain rock. Their four songs are easily some of the best released this year. Tigers Jaw do quite a good job on their

four songs as well. Two of the songs are from their boom box recorded Belongs to the Dead album, so it’s nice to hear these songs professionally recorded. This split is a great effort from both bands.

(No Sleep/Run for Cover) Ben Davis & the Jetts Charge it Up Ben Davis has been releasing music for years with Sleepytime Trio, Milermarker and doing his solo stuff. I’m not too familiar with his previous solo material so I can’t say if he’s doing anything different with Charge it Up, but I can say that Charge it Up is a pretty good rock album that has shining moments throughout. (Lovitt) Boris Smile Rockets EP The first track of Boris Smile’s latest EP, Rockets, is a mixture of noise and static-y radio signals. Something to skip over to say the least. Boris Smile have a tendency to write some really interesting indie pop songs and they do the same on Rockets’ following 5 songs. (Count Your Lucky Stars) Boyfriends Demo 2009 PA’s Boyfriends shares members with 1994! and other bands in the PA area. What drew me to this demo was the intensity that Boyfriends exudes with its music. It’s powerful and raw and keeps the listener engaged. I’d like to see what they can do on a full-length. (Self-Released) Campaign It Likes to Party Taking cues from the Hot Water Music playbook, Atlanta’s Campaign sound would fit in with the No Idea style of bands with their gruff and raw vocals and fiery sound. Their guitar work and melodies set

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them apart form some of bands in this genre, which makes It Likes to Party refreshing to listen too.

(Self-Released) Candy Hearts Ripped up Jeans & Silly Dreams Candy Hearts is like a female fronted Weezer but way more interesting than the real Weezer. They have a knack for writing really catchy pop ditties.

Candy Hearts Lead singer, Mariel Loveland, has a voice that will resonate with just about anybody and will connect them with their awkward teenage past. Ripped Up Jeans & Silly Dreams is a fantastic album that proves you don’t need to be on a record label to release good music. (Self-Released) Castevet The Echo & the Light Most people were blown away by Castevet’s previous album, Summer Fences, and hopefully those people will be pleasantly blown away again with The Echo & The Light. They have stepped up their game with this release by getting faster and tighter on this album and I would be surprised if this didn’t show up on year end best of lists. (Tiny Engines)

is the second side project he’s worked on while a Foo Fighter. The first was the amazing punk rock influenced Jackson United. I felt that Jackson United never got the recognition it deserved. Their last two full-lengths were both really good. With his newest project, Shiflett shows his love for classic Country, Roots Rock and Americana. Shiflett is a very talented songwriter and guitarist and this self-titled album really displays it. I’m not a big fan of country music in general, but this is really good. Shiflett is very convincing as a seasoned country western performer. (Le Coq Napoleon/RCA)

Charles The Osprey Consider There must be some other members hiding in the shadows, because there is no way this band is just a duo! Their take on the instrumental genre is refreshing and engaging to the listener. The music is as technical as Maps and Atlases and as powerful as Hella and Russian Circles. (Friction Records)

The Cold Beat/Movers & Shakers Split 7” There is something about The Cold Beat that whenever I hear their music, I have to listen to it because I feel like something important is going to happen.

The two songs they contribute to this split are similar to what they did on Dumbwaiter but are still quite good. Having not heard Movers and Shakers before this release, their two songs were a pleasant surprise. They have a down home, rootsy kind of feel. Good stuff all around. (Self-Released)

Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants As guitarist for Foo Fighters, Chris Shiflett is often in the shadows of long-time Foos Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins. Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants

Communipaw Communipaw Communipaw sounds like it could be easily accepted into rotation on any adult alternative/easy listening radio station. They have a mellow feel and

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are unique enough to not be called copy cats, plus they do some interesting things with their music.

Communipaw is quite good and next time you want to relax, crank up this album and sit back and let it all sink in. (Self-Released) Dax Riggs Say Goodnight to the World You may know Dax Riggs from his stints with Acid Bath and Deadboy and the Elephantmen. In 2007, he began releasing albums under his own name and has since released We Sing of Only Blood or Love in 2007 and If This Is Hell, Then I’m Lucky in 2008.

Say Goodnight to the World is his latest release and is soaked with distorted blues rock blended some heavy rock influences. Some songs are all out rockers while other are slower, quieter tunes.

Say Goodnight to the World is worth checking out if your familiar with his past work. (Fat Possum) Daylight Sinking Strangely, one of the singers for Daylight sounds almost like the singer from Castevet, but the music between the two bands are quite different. Pulling influences from bands like Jawbreaker and Hot Water Music, Daylight’s Sinking is a quick fifteen minute burst of energy and raw passion.

(Run For Cover Records)

Decibully World Travels Fast What in the world happened to Decibully? When I first encountered them years ago, they had just released the amazing City of Festivals, and were working on their less successful follow-up Sing Out America, both of which were on Polyvinyl. After that second release, they kind of fell off the music radar, but were still around to some degree. Early this year, they resurfaced with World Travels Fast, a nearly hour long full-length that touches back on ideas laid with City of Festivals, but ventures into other directions as well. Decibully has a lot of potential to be a great band and World Travels Fast is a decent album. I just hope they have it in them to keep at it. (Listening Party Records) The Dirty White Vs. Evil Circles The Dirty White’s Vs. Evil Circles is rock n’ roll that is in your face and like a kick to the gut. They are defying expectations with every song while keeping it fresh and interesting. (Viper Bite Records) Elsinore Yes Yes Yes Hailing form Champaign, IL, songwriter Ryan Groff and his band Elsinore spent over two years recording Yes Yes Yes and their hard work has paid off.

Yes Yes Yes travels up and down the musical route with some songs being all out rockers, while others are toned down and intimate. The best ones are the middle ground ones, “Chemicals”, “Yes Yes Yes” and “The General”. These ones are fun, upbeat and feel good. (Parasol) Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) / Football Etc. Split 7” This split features one song from each band. The Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) song is

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close to what you would find on their most recent full-length, What it Takes to Move Forward. If your a fan of Empire!, odds are you’re going to like this song too. I was unfamiliar with Football Etc. before this release, but the one song on this split is enough to make me want to get to know this band a bit better. Each song on this split is a nice preview into both bands sky high potential.

(Count Your Lucky Stars)

of Language and The Week That Was. Fast-forward a couple years and Field Music is back with a 20 song double album filled with English pop jams that are inventive, arty and creative. Measure doesn’t follow the band’s past albums that where were precise and coherent, it makes no effort to sound like a complete album. Instead some songs flow into each other while others do the complete opposite. I’m not sure of Field Music’s fan base in the US, but I strongly urge everyone to check out this band.

(Memphis Industries) Fin Fang Foom Monomyth Monomyth is the fourth album from Chapel Hill’s Fin Fang Foom and their first since 2003’s With The Gift Comes The Curse. The post-rock on Monomyth feels somewhat dark and haunting, but ultimately quite good. They’ve been doing this for quite a while and their song writing skills shine through on this album. Hopefully their next full-length wont take as long. (Lovitt)

Everyone Everywhere Everyone Everywhere Everyone Everywhere has grown quite a bit since their last 7”, A Lot of Weird People Standing Around. Their latest self-titled full-length is engulfed in the flames left by 90’s era indie alternative. Influences from The Promise Ring and Braid are easily heard as well as some other 90’s college radio staples. Everyone Everywhere is a fantastic album that rarely disappoints. (Tiny Engines) Field Music Measure After the departure of keyboardist following their 2007 release, Tones of Town, Sunderlund, UK’s Field Music took a self-imposed hiatus, and some of the members went on to release solo music as School

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Franz Nicolay St. Sebastian of the Short Stage 10” Franz Nicolay, whom you may know from The Hold Steady and World Inferno Friendship Society, has stepped out on his own with his accordion to present St. Sebastian of the Short Stage. This four

song 10” starts out with a rollicking tune about the Northeast which leads into another fast paced accordion laced jam. The second half of the album slows things down and gets a little somber as Nicolay shows some emotion. This record shows that Nicolay has the chops to have a successful career as solo artist if he wanted. But I’m sure he’s just as happy contributing to the many bands he works with. (Team Science Records)

Good Old War Good Old War Good Old War is back with their second self-titled album and are just as good, if not better, than ever before. These songs are perfect for Summer. I can imagine laying in a hammock on a bright, sunny day, sipping iced tea, listening to this album and getting lost in the heavenly harmonies.

(Sargent House) Grown Ups More Songs When I first heard the Songs EP by Grown Ups, I wasn’t too impressed with what I heard. On More Songs, they’ve re-recorded the songs off of Songs and added six more to the mix. This time around, the music stuck. The new versions gave the old songs much more life and energy. Grown Ups are among the many bands emerging with Cap’n Jazz

like qualities, but sound more like their brethren Algernon Cadwallader and Snowing.

(Big Scary Monsters) Hanalai One Big Night Upon first listen of Hanalei’s latest, One Big Night, odds are your probably going to think the sound sucks, but really, that is part of the charm of this album. Brian Moss, also of Olehole and The Ghost, recorded each song through the internal microphone on his laptop from his bedroom in San Francisco. The under production is what really makes this album. No fancy production to smooth out the cracks, just honest heart felt lyrics.

(Big Scary Monsters) Helen Earth Band Our Own Ghost City My initial encounter with Helen Earth Band was a video for “(We All) Talk With Knives” from the album Our Own Ghost City. I was intrigued because it sounded very similar to Pinback, and hoped the rest of the album was in the same vein. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending your tastes in music, the rest of Our Own Ghost City doesn’t follow the same formula. Instead they focus on post rock mixed with some alternative. Some of the vocals and music reminds me of the Texas band Chomsky just slightly. Our Own Ghost City works well for what it is, a decent album with some memorable moments.

(Self-Released) The Holy Mess Benefit Sesh 7” The Holy Mess sounds similar to bands like The Lawrence Arms, Smoke or Fire and Off With Their Heads. On Benefit Sesh, they manage to say a lot on the three songs presented. They are not doing anything we haven’t heard before on Benefit Sesh,

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but at least they’re doing it well and sounding good while they’re at it. (Evil Weevil) The Hot Toddies Get Your Heart On The thing I love about The Hot Toddies is the secret sexual overtones that lace each album. Some are easily identifiable, while others, not so much. Just glance at the album art and title, Get Your Heart On, to get an idea of what I’m talking about. The four ladies of The Hot Toddies blend 50’s beach blanket pop with indie and garage rock elements and it works so well. The vocals are crisp and elegant, while the lyrics make you giggle.

(Asian Man Records) I Call Fives Bad Advice Bad Advice is the newest album from New Found Glor....I mean I Call Fives. This young band from New Jersey can really play some really good heavy pop punk for a genre that is a bit past its prime. Bad Advice is quite good. The songs are fun and evoke singing along quite easily. (No Sleep Records) Imadethismistake Bow and Quiver I enjoy the music on Imadethismistake’s Bow and Quiver quite a lot, but the vocals and delivery sort of annoy me. It’s no doubt that Kylewilliam Campol is a talented musician, but his spoken word like delivery and scruffy voice is less than desirable to me. If you can get past the vocals, you’ll probably love this album, it is that good. (Bermuda Mohawk) It’s a King Thing Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

I would gladly pay for this release if it were not being offered for free on It’s a King Thing’s website.

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Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo, reminds me a lot of The Get Up Kids slower material from albums like Guilt Show and On A Wire mixed with a little bit of Weezer’s pop. They do a good job with the harmonies and the songs are just great. (Self-Released) Joie De Vivre The North End What is it with Emo bands and trumpets? Bands have been putting them together like peanut butter and bananas, sometimes it works, other times not so much. Joie De Vivre are one of the few bands bringing back the “Emo” sound of the 90’s. They draw comparisons to bands like Mineral and American Football. On The North End, they utilize the trumpet like on American Football’s “The Summer’s End” and “For Sure”, and it works quite well by the band not over doing it. The North End is refreshing as it is familiar. The once flickering Emo torch is now being refueled by bands like Joie De Vivre and that bodes well for the future of the genre.

(Count Your Lucky Stars) Junebug Modern Day Fairy Tales I don’t think I said it but I thought their last album, Share, could’ve been shorter, since it was almost an hour long. They didn’t take my subliminal suggestions and released Modern Day Fairy Tales, which clocks in at just over an hour in length. For some reason this band reminds me of The President of the United Stated of America. They have fun songs about cake

and refrigerators and some more serious songs.

They have definitely gotten better from there last album and they are trying many new things with their sound. I recommended them before and I’ll do the same again for Modern Day Fairy Tales.

(Self-Released)

different name. And since A Family Afloat was the best thing they did, it is going to be tough to top that. Piecemeal is an exceptional album and had this been the follow-up to Bound Stems’ Appreciation Night, I’m positive it would rate higher.

(Self-Released)

Junior Battles Junior Battles 7” Plain and simple, the four songs on the Junior Battles 7” are really good. It’s impossible to say anything bad about this release. I challenge you to find someone who can diss this album. Canada’s Junior Battles play a brand of punk/pop-punk that is young, genuine and unforgettable. You’ll be singing these choruses for days. (Square Up Records)

Look Mexico To Bed To Battle Look Mexico has had a complete overhaul since their last full-length, This is Animal Music. Only one member from This is Animal Music remains currently, they’ve label hopped to the seemingly indie/ alt country label Suburban Home and moved from their native Tallahassee, FL to Austin, TX. To Bed to Battle is a great album and follows the maturity that started on Gasp Asp. This album may not be as mathy as their last, but they make up for it in other avenues of songwriting. (Suburban Home)

Lighten Up Absolutely Not With exception of the closing song, Absolutely Not is 12 bursts of under two minute songs in the vein of Paint it Black and Kid Dynamite. The similarities among Lighten Up and Paint it Black and Kid Dynamite are many. All have short songs. All have a sense of rawness and urgency. All have powerful lyrics. Absolutely Not may not be as good as its predecessors, but it is a nice addition to anyone’s collection. (Jump Start Records) Like Pioneers Piecemeal I was super bummed when Bound Stems broke up after releasing the supremely amazing A Family Afloat. Luckily though, four out of the five members of Bound Stems regrouped with members of The Narrator, Vacations and a slew of other notable Chicago musicians to record what would become Piecemeal under the name Like Pioneers. Piecemeal is practically a natural progression from A Family Afloat, its roughly the same players just under a

Love of Everything Best In Tensions On Best In Tensions, Bobby Burg invites his wife Elisse La Roche to join in on drums and together they make perfect lo-fi pop jams. This is probably the most upbeat and accessible Love of Everything album and catchiest too. These two have a really great chemistry and it shows in the songs.

(Record Label Record Label) Ludlow Lions No Stories Brooklyn’s Ludlow Lions play a mid-tempo rock that has drawn comparisons to other bands like The Pixies and Guided By Voices. A number of the songs are forgettable, while the songs where they do shine, are few and far between. The two songs that stand out the most are “We’re So Proud Of Doom” and “There’s Always A Wishlist”. “We’re So Proud Of Doom” being a jangly garage rock tune

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and “There’s Always A Wishlist”, an instrumental tune that gets complimented with horns.

(Self-Released) Maker I-91 At just over ten minutes, Maker’s I-91 is a great little EP that packs a Tyson sized punch. Maker’s take on pop punk is original and interesting. These five guys from Massachusetts have been studying East Coast punk and taking cues from bands like Lifetime and Saves the Day. (Either/Or Records)

Matt Skiba Demos When Matt Skiba first announced he was puting out a solo album of demos from years past, I didn’t think much of it. I figured it would be a bunch of scratchy lo-fi acoustic recordings just to appease fans between Alkaline Trio albums. Instead, Demos is a nearly fleshed out album of what could’ve easily been Heavens or Alkaline Trio songs that don’t sound like your traditional demos would sound.

They sound polished and complete and really help Skiba emerge as a solo artist. (Asian Man Records) The Menzingers Chamberlain Waits The Menzingers are doing great things these days.

Their previous full-length, A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Technology, was good as was their follow-up EP, Hold On, Dodge. It took me a few listens to really grasp Chamberlain Waits. Something changed that I couldn’t put my finger on and it didn’t connect with me as quick as their previous album. Chamberlain Waits is a step in the right direction for The Menzingers, and is a solid album throughout. (Red Scare)

Maps & Atlases Perch Patchwork With a couple of really good EPs under their belts, I’ve been wondering how Maps & Atlases would sound on a long player. They’ve changed a bit since Trees, Swallows, Houses. Their music has gotten less math influenced and there is less noodling around on the guitars. Perch Patchwork is fantastic.

They’re progressing along the lines laid by You and Me and The Mountain and exploring new sounds and elements. Maps & Atlases stepped up and delivered with Perch Patchwork. (Barsuk)

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The Mercury Program Chez Viking Chez Viking is The Mercury Program’s first album in nearly seven years. I’m glad they’re back, because this album really great. They play a relaxed instrumental music with intertwining guitars, drums and vibraphones. These guys were doing this before instrumental music gained popularity and hopefully other bands of the same genre can take note on how instrumental music sounds when it is done right. (Lovitt)

Minus the Bear OMNI OMNI, by Minus the Bear, is their latest album and first for new their new label Dangerbird. They have strayed far from their early releases, but with each new release I like them a little bit more. OMNI starts off great with “My Time” the new electronic flourishes are a nice touch and give a new dimension to Minus the Bear’s sound. It’s hard to tell where their sound is heading with each new release, because they seem to change slightly. OMNI may disappoint fans of their early material, but may gain new fans in with its sound as well. (Dangerbird Records)

Nakatomi Plaza Ghosts Ghosts was released just a few months after Nakatomi Plaza played their last show and called it quits after playing as a band for 10 years.

Ghost has a powerful opener with “Bomb Shelter” where the male and female vocals trade back and forth. It’s a shame that this band broke up. The material on Ghosts is some of the best that I’ve heard from this band and a definite improvement over their last album, Unsettled. (Self-Released) Natural Disasters Natural Disasters The dudes in Natural Disasters sound great on their second release for Bermuda Mohawk. On this self-titled release, they are giving bands like Rise Against and Strike Anywhere a run for their money.

Natural Disasters is fiery and intense and would impress the most hardened punk out there.

(Bermuda Mohawk)

Museum Mouth Tears In My Beer Museum Mouth is a 3-piece from North Carolina fronted by Savannah Levin. Tears In My Beer has a raw and gritty sound that makes it sound just perfect. It took me a couple listens to get into this. The sound quality and vocals make it sound dirty, but those qualities actually give this album its charm.

Each song is under 3 minutes and it kind of reminds me of The Marked Men, but a bit slower. Tears In My Beer is a the hidden gem of this summer’s releases. (Self Released) Nada Surf If I Had a Hi-Fi Nada Surf has had a hell of a comeback. They were once labeled one hit wonders in the 90s with their song “Popular”, got dropped from a major label, got on a indie label and released a string of stunning albums. Their latest release, If I had a Hi-Fi, is an album of cover songs from artists like Depeche Mode, Spoon, Kate Bush, and The Moody Blues.

Even though these are cover songs, Nada Surf makes them their own. These songs were perfect for Nada Surf to cover and Nada Surf was the perfect band to cover them. (Barsuk)

Off With Their Heads In Desolation I want nothing more than for Off With Their Heads’ Ryan Young to experience some joy for once. In Desolation has the typical self-loathing feel of past material, it’s just a bit more polished now. In Desolation, their debut for Epitaph, is just nearly as good as From the Bottom. From the Bottom was nearly perfect in every way and In Desolation is quite good as well, it just feels like we’ve been here before.

From the Bottom took me a few listens to get into, so maybe it’ll take me a few to get into this one as well. Either way, this will appeal to the generation of disenfranchised punks with nothing to be happy about. (Epitaph Records) Owen Abandoned Bridges 7” There is never a bad time for new Owen material.

Abandoned Bridges is a two song 7” with one new original and a cover. The title track is quite good and is classic Owen with its sound and personal lyrics.

He goes on to cover Wilco’s “I’m Always in Love” on the flip side. He does a nice acoustic version of the classic Wilco rocker. This is a great little record that should tide most fans over until Owen’s eventual full-length. (Polyvinyl Records)

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Paper the Operator Goodbye God Jon Sebastian is no stranger to pop music. He plays sugary sweet pop with his wife in The Color Wheels and plays pop with Paper the Operator. Goodbye God is a really good album and the songs are very catchy and invoke sing-a-alongs.

The only thing that I disliked about this album is some of the shorter songs seem incomplete or end too quickly. They are good songs, it just feels like they could’ve gone on a minute or so longer given the chance. (Viperbite Records)

PJ Bond You Didn’t Know I Was Alphabetical You Didn’t Know I was Alphabetical is a great example of really good folk/indie/alt country. I was never a big fan of the alt country movement because most were trying to hard to be the next Johnny Cash or Hank Williams, but failed miserably.

PJ Bond does quite well on this album. He has been in a few bands and played for a while and knows how to pen a meaningful tune. You Didn’t Know I was Alphabetical will keep you entertained throughout its entirety and leave you wanting more.

(Black Numbers) Pomegranates One of Us After two stunning full-lengths, Pomegranates has released its loudest and most brash album with One of Us. One of Us is not like the other Poms albums. They seem to have taken a little influence from singer Joey Cook’s side project, FIRS, and created spacy landscapes with their songs. There are a couple of songs where they drift on for a while at the end of the song and had me convinced the album was over. After a few listens, it’s hard to say if this is better than their previous albums. It certainly wasn’t what I had expected. (Afternoon Records)

Paragraphs You Can’t Make A Ghost Without Its Sheet Minneapolis has a growing instrumental scene right now and Paragraphs along with Falcon Arrow are leading the pack with their releases. The standout track for me on You Can’t Make a Ghost Without Its Sheet is “It’s a Sunset at Midnight”. The guitar on it is suburb and when the electronic drips and horns come in, something amazing happens. If your into instrumental music, definitely check this out. It is available free from their website at prgrphs.com.

(Self-Released) Perfect Future S/T Perfect Future sounds a tad like mid 90s emo with some sung, some shouted vocals, Perfect Future shows a lot of potential with their self-titled debut. I can see some people having a problem with the lead vocals; at points they aren’t as strong as they could be or don’t fit right. Perfect Future has a lot of time to perfect their sound and I’m sure future recordings will benefit from experience.

(Count Your Lucky Stars)

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Post Harbor They Can’t Hurt You If You Don’t Believe In Them From Seattle, Washington comes Post Harbor, a somewhat instrumental band with distorted vocals and an atmospheric feel. At times the vocals are run through a vocoder which works on some levels but gets annoying after a while. When not distorted, the vocals sound quite good. The music evokes a feeling of space and draws me into more than the vocals do. They Can’t Hurt You If You Don’t Believe In Them is definitely something different and interesting, but it might take a feel listens to enjoy completely. (Burning Building) Randy Thunderbird How To Talk To Kids About Robots You wouldn’t think it, but How To Talk To Kids About Robots is a great album of Screeching Weasel inspired punk anthems. I feel kind of bad, because I sat on this album for so long. This album is at the same quality or better as other punk bands with bigger labels and budgets. (Bermuda Mohawk)

The Reveling 3D Radio The Reveling remind me a little bit of The Loved Ones and The Gaslight Anthem. They have a very East Coast sound, which might be influenced by their drummer Jay Weinberg, who is the son of Max Weinberg, who is part of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. I wonder if they would ever open for The Boss? Overall, 3D Radio is a good EP. It doesn’t grab me as much as other punk bands have, but it is good nonetheless. (Self-Released) The Rooftops A Forest of Polarity Rooftops, from Bellingham, WA, blend all sorts of styles into their music. They start off sounding like Maps & Atlases Trees, Swallows, Houses era material. Then mix that with some instrumental rock. Then throw in some trumpets here and there.

And add some vocals too! The vocals are used very little, with a few lines sprinkled in here and there throughout the album. Whatever formula they are using, they should keep using it, because A Forest of Polarity is an outstanding album. (Click Pop)

Save Your Breath Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy Sounding similar to label mates Living With Lions and Broadway Calls, this UK band is a lot more poppier with slight tinges of hardcore. Just by listening to Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy, you can easily tell the potential Save Your Breath has and that their eventual full-length will be amazing. For now, you’ll have to settle on this nearly amazing EP. (Adeline Records) Shark Speed Education Shark Speed is so good. I’m pretty sure it’d be hard for them to write a bad song. Thayne Fagg’s vocals are smooth, buttery and warm. I think his vocals

really make the music. I’m not saying the music is bad, it’s really quite good. I’m don’t think anyone else’s vocals would fit as well with the music as his do. Shark Speed are really coming into their own on Education. They are starting to sound less like bands they’ve been compared to, i.e. Minus the Bear, and are starting to sound like something original. (Self-Released) Snowden Slow Soft Syrup Snowden has kind of been off the radar since their 2006 release, Anti- Anti, on Jade Tree. The songs on Soft Slow Syrup are a bit slower and more drawn out then the ones on Anti- Anti, and there are no discernable stand outs like the songs “Anti- Anti” and “Black Eyes” from their previous album. I’m glad that Snowden didn’t give up and I hope that they can bring back some faster material for their next release. (Self-Released) The Soviettes Rarities The Soviettes were a staple of Minneapolis punk rock from 2001-2006. They released three albums.

The first two on Adeline and the third one Fat Wreck, titled LP , LP II, and LP III, respectively. Four years after their break-up, Red Sound released Rarities and as you guessed it, it is a collection of rare songs that were never released. Rarities sounds just as good as anything else they did, so if you’re a fan, you’re going to enjoy this. You can download Rarities for free from the Red Sound Records website.

(Red Sound Records) Stegosaur Adventure 7” The first song off Adventure sounds exactly like Stephen Pedersen’s Criteria. Almost exactly. Luckily they show some diversity on the next two songs and really show their talent. The three songs on Adventure are some of the best put to wax this year.

(Seafoam Recordings) Summer People Good Problems Good Problems starts out with a backwoods folk style tune with gang vocals and hooting and hollering in the background. From there things get angry.

The next song features a wailing, tortured voice

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with heavy guitars. The third song is drenched in southern rock and the fourth, a quiet, acoustic tune. The fifth song has ambient guitar drones and haunting vocals. These same genre changes occur throughout the rest of the recording. For an album that can’t make up it’s mind, there are some quality songs, but its roller coaster of genres is a bit distracting. (Red Leader Records)

Tokyo Police Club Champ The song “Breakneck Speed” from Tokyo Police Club’s latest album, Champ, has got to be the song of the summer. Everything about the song rules; the music, lyrics, and the way it reminds me of The Pixies “Where is my Mind”. The following song,” Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” is in a close second. If you enjoyed their last album Elephant Shell, then you’ll most likely love Champ. (Mom + Pop Records)

Sundowner We Chase the Waves While Sundowner’s previous album Four One Five Two sounded like acoustic Lawrence Arms more than anything, We Chase The Waves shows Lawrence Arms guitarist Chris McCaughan taking his time and really developing the songs this time around. We Chase The Waves feels more personal and sincere than his previous album. I think most people will expect this to be in the same vein of Four One Five Two and Lawrence Arms, but people will definitely be surprised by how this album sounds. (Asian Man Records)

We Were Skeletons We Were Skeletons We Were Skeletons is loud and unrelenting! Tackling the screamo and hardcore genre on their latest self-titled release, We Were Skeletons never let up.

I don’t see how they are able to sing and play at the same time. The only thing I’d change about We Were Skeletons is the clarity of the vocals. I’m sure they’ve got important things to say and I want to hear them and scream along. The vocals are spit out at such a pace and intensity that you could replace the lyrics “Blah, blah, blah” and I would like it just as much. (Top Shelf Records)

Thinking Machines Work Tapes Thinking Machines have been at it for quite a while.

They have released albums in 2001, and 2008’s critically-acclaimed A Complete Record of Urban Archaeology. 2010 reveals their latest, Work Tapes, a angular assault on the senses. I’m not familiar with their earlier stuff, so I have nothing to compare this too. I will say though, Work Tapes is original and never dull. (TMvFM) Trike Trike and The Vikings I always get a giggle out of albums like these. I don’t know if Trike is serious or just being funny, but either way the songs on Trike and The Vikings are inventive and fun. The songs are silly, damn catchy and they’re played well. Most bands that do songs like these aren’t very good. This Vancouver duo is something to look out for, cause odds are, they will make you dance your ass off.

(Cheap Satanism Records)

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The Wonder Years The Upsides If there was any album that would get a band noticed, it would be this one. The Upsides is a fantastic pop punk album with relevant lyrics and memorable hooks. At times, the music reminds me of Sorry About Tomorrow era Hot Rod Circuit, which is a good thing. Rachel Minton form Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer makes an appearance on the ska influenced “Hey Thanks”. If you’re a fan of pop punk, you won’t be disappointed in this release.

(No Sleep Records)

The Awful Possibilities Christian TeBordo Made up of nine short stories, The Awful Possibilities, is at times difficult to read due to the authors almost abstract writing style. In “The Champion of Forgetting”, it’s hard to tell what is actually happening in the story. It is narrated by the protagonist with a lot of repeating what was said. It has you thinking you know what’s going on in the beginning, but it becomes somewhat more clear at the end of the story. You think. The Awful Possibilities is not an awful book, but it’s not awesome either.

(Featherproof)

Scorch Atlas Blake Bulter The one thing I really like about Featherproof books are the designs of the books themselves. Zach Dodson does an amazing job putting each book together and Scorch Atlas is another one to add to the portfolio. This book looks like it was pulled from a plane wreckage. Pages are dirty, crumpled and blood stained. The appearance of the book ties into what written inside the book. Scorch Atlas’s 14 interlocking stories that are set in ruined American locations will have you wondering what the hell happened to this book and what is happening to the characters as you read about them.

Scorch Atlas is a book to definitely check out. You have your choice of a pristine copy or one that has been through hell and back upon ordering.

(Featherproof)

Gauge:153 Matt Golin Gauge:153 is an ambitious documentary on the legendary Chicago band Gauge that was conceived and directed by filmmaker Matt Golin. Golin does an excellent job with this film. Through crisp footage and audio, it captures Gauge’s live performance perfectly. Gauge:153 does for Gauge what the Killing a Camera DVD did for Braid. It shows the band’s strength in performance coupled with in-depth commentary from band members and peers from the Chicago community like, Tim & Mike Kinsella, Bob Nanna, Rachael Dietkus, and many more. I got into the Chicago scene after Gauge had broke up, and focused more on bands like Cap’n Jazz, Braid and Sky Corvair. This film, however, has persuaded me into digging into Gauge’s recordings. (Matt Golin Movies)

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DOWNLOADS: Boyfriends - Demo 2009 - boyfriends.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2009 Campaign - It Like to Party - itlikestoparty.com Candy Hearts - Ripped Up Jeans & Silly Dreams ifyoumakeit.com/album/candy-hearts/ripped-up-jeans-and-silly-dreams Communipaw - Communipaw soundaslanguage.com/downloads/Communipaw%20Self-Titled%20LP Decibully - World Travels Fast decibully.listeningpartyrecords.com/album/world-travels-fast-2 - Name your Price It’s a King Thing - Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. itsakingthing.com Junior Battles - S/T 7” - ifyoumakeit.com/album/junior-battles/self-titled Ludlow Lions - No Stories - ludlowlionstheband.com Museum Mouth - Tears In My Beer - museummouth.bandcamp.com/ Paragraphs - You Can’t Make A Ghost Without Its Sheet - prgrphs.com The Reveling - 3D Radio - thereveling.com/ - Sign up for free music Snowden - Slow Soft Syrup - noisetrade.com/snowden The Soviettes - Rarities - http://www.redsoundrecords.net/

On Company Time

The Collected Interviews 2000-2009

Featuring interviews with: Cave In Paint It Black These Arms Are Snakes Hey Mercedes Strike Anywhere Maritime The Lawrence Arms Sparta Say Hi to Your Mom The American Analog Set Crooked Fingers The Loved Ones Russian Circles Heavens Mustard Plug

Mannequin Men Look Mexico Norman Brannon Georgie James Mitch Clem Collections of Colonies of Bees Polar Bear Club Tim Kinsella Richard Minino Pomegranates Banner Pilot Four Letter Lie Owen Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) + More

Coming Soon.

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PHOTO CREDITS:

COVER: Š Joseph Mohan // josephmohan.net Pg 4-5: Paul Turpin // clickpoprecords.com Pg 6-7: Patrick Stefano // patrickjstefano.com Pg 22-26: Paul Turpin // clickpoprecords.com Pg 30-35: Robert Loerzel // undergroundbee.com Pg 36: Elisse La Roche // loveundereverything.blogspot.com Pg 39: Leslie Hampton // grandwebmasterflash.com Pg 40-41: Mitchell Wojcik // mitchellwojcik.com Pg 44: Sue Kielly Pg 45: Unknown Pg 46: Everyone Everywhere // Unknown Franz Nicolay // Konstantin Sergeyev //

konstphoto.com Pg 47: Unknown Pg 48: Nick Wosika Pg 50: Drew Reynolds // drewreynolds.com Pg 51: Karl Kuehn // flickr.com/photos/karlkuehn Pg 52: Unknown Pg 54: Unknown

SUPPORT:

Bands: Love of Everything // myspace.com/loveofeverything Rooftops // rooftopsmusic.com Hanalei // myspace.com/hanaleisounds Restorations // facebook.com/restorationstheband Everyone Everywhere // everyoneeverywheremusic.com Helen Earth Band // helenearthband.com Charles the Osprey // charlestheosprey.com Grown Ups // myspace.com/ihategrownups Castevet // myspace.com/romancastevet Websites: If You Make It // ifyoumakeit.com People: PJ Bond // myspace.com/pjbondmusic Jason Gnewikow // jasongnewikow.com Posters: Landland // landland.net Books & Film: Featherproof Books // featherproof.com Matt Golin Movies // mattgolinmovies.com

Ads: Count Your Lucky Stars // cylsrecords.com No Sleep Records // nosleeprecs.com Lovitt Records // lovitt.com Tiny Engines // tinyengines.net Modern-Radio // modern-radio.com Viper Bite Records // viperbiterecords.com Side With Us // sidewithus.com Saddle Creek // saddle-creek.com Black Numbers // theblacknumbers.com Labels: Adeline Records // adelinerecords.net Afternoon Records // afternoonrecords.com Asian Man Records // asianmanrecords.com Barsuk // barsuk.com Bermuda Mowhawk // bermudamohawkproductions.com Big Scary Monsters // bsmrocks.com Black Numbers // theblacknumbers.com Boat Dreams from the Hill // boatdreamsfromthehill.com Burning Building // bbrecordings.com Cheap Satanism Records // cheapsatanism.com Click Pop // clickpoprecords.com Count Your Lucky Stars // cyls.com Dangerbird Records // dangerbirdrecords.com Either/Or Records // myspace.com/eitherorrecords Epitaph Records // epitaph.com Evil Weevil Records // evilweevilrecords.com Fat Possum // fatpossum.com Friction // frictiongoods.com Jump Start Records // jumpstartrecords.com Listening Party // listeningpartyrecords.com Lovitt Records // lovitt.com Memphis Industries // memphis-industries.com Mom + Pop Records // momandpoprecords.com No Sleep Records // nosleeprecs.com Parasol // parasol.com Polyvinyl Records // polyvinylrecords.com Record Label // myspace.com/recordlabel Red Leader // redleaderrecords.com Red Scare // redscare.net Red Sound Records // redsoundrecords.net Run For Cover // runforcoverrecords.com Sargent House // sargenthouse.com Seafoam Recordings // seafoamrecordings.com Square Up Records // squareuprecords.com Suburban Home // suburbanhomerecords.com Team Science // teamsciencerecords.com Tiny Engines // tinyengines.net Top Shelf Records // topshelfrecords.org TMvFM // myspace.com/tmvfm Viper Bite Records // viperbiterecords.com

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