Swimmer's Ear Magazine #25

(first)

SWIMMER始S EAR #25

Editors

Chris Pernula Adam Sever

autumn 2009 On the hand-printed cover: Joe Zimmerman in MT

1999-2009

Change in Sound

After The Fall Fort Orange Fort Orange takes me back to a time when punk was fast paced with speed drumming, screaming and group vocals. It is a solid album that would holds it own and would fit perfectly on a shelf with Strike Anywhere or Kid Dynamite.

(Raise Your Fist Records)

Algren A Wayward Sound Floods the Streets Chicago Based Algren is a band with a vision and that vision is perfectly illustrated in the graphic novel that accompanies A Wayward Sound Floods the Streets. The album is pretty good, but crosses over to radio-rock too many times for my taste.

(Self-Released) All for Nothing/The Wonder Years Split Distances Both bands on this split 7” have quite an impressive set of pop-punk songs on this split. I only wish there were a full lengths worth of material on this release, instead of just 5 songs.

(No Sleep Records)

Baby Teeth Hustle Beach Hustle Beach through me for a loop upon first listen. I was expecting Baby Teeth’s signature brand of cheesy disco era ballads , but instead I got 11 excellent songs exploring the ideas of growing up, marriage, having kids, and growing old with a working man’s musicianship. This album is quite enjoyable and keeps surprising the listener at every turn.

(Lujo Records)

Banner Pilot Collapser Banner Pilot have really out done themselves with Collapser.

Collapser, their debut for Fat Wreck Chords, sounds far better produced that their previous releases. If this Minneapolis band stays on this track, they will be fan favorites alongside Dillinger Four and The Lawrence Arms.

(Fat Wreck Chords) Billy Wallace The Road Spit Me Out The Road Spit Me Out is the solo debut from former Wading Girl member. The album shimmers with the feeling of a wandering soul with a rustic edge. Wallace is joined by an orchestra sized list of backing musicians on The Road Spit Me Out, including some fine banjo, violin and flugelhorn players.

Dust off those boots and grab a tall one, the show is just beginning on Wallace’s solo career.

(Uneasy Records)

CarCrashLander Mountains on Our Backs Listen closely to Mountains on Our Backs, because odds are you find something new and exiting with every listen.

Whether it be a keyboard melody or a jangly guitar line, there are layers upon layers of instruments that will find you.

(Jealous Butcher)

Castevet Summer Fences Summer Fences is a treat to listen to. Influenced by bands like American Football, Dianogah, Braid and other Chicago area bands, Castevet explore the musical boundaries set by emo, math-rock and post hardcore bands and tread outside of those boundaries to create an impressive original album.

(Count Your Lucky Stars)

Classics of Love Walking in Shadows Finally, Operation Ivy and Common Rider mastermind, Jesse Michaels has answered the call and returned to music with Classics of Love. Walking in Shadows is similar to what Michaels was doing in Common Rider, but with less of a ska influence and more of a garage punk influence. A welcome release nonetheless.

(Asian Man Records) The Cold Beat Dumbwaiter Wearing influences by The Replacements on their sleeves, The Cold Beat have put together a solid release with six songs that have a sense of desperation and urgency that never tire. Say what you will about this album, but The Cold Beat is on to something great with Dumbwaiter.

(Self-Released)

Dear Landlord Dream Homes Featuring members of The Copyrights and Rivethead, Dear Landlord is a perfect blend of Off With Their Head’s bass chugging melodies and Banner Pilots pop-punk sensibilities.

Dream Homes shows that punk can still be inventive and sound good and original at the same time.

(No Idea Records)

Everyone Everywhere A Lot of Weird People Standing Around The four songs that make up A Lot of Weird People Standing Around are dynamic catchy gems of pop punk goodness.

Mixing noodly and repetitive guitar parts and sound clips with an knack for writing interesting pop songs, Everyone Everywhere have created four perfect summer jams.

(Evil Weevi Records) Falcon Arrow EP After getting past a brief electronic voice on track one, track two opens up with a thick bassline similar to Brian Cook’s work on Russian Circles Station. Songs are a bit more slowed down then on their previous full length, but none of the intricate bass noodling and tight drumming has been lost.

(Self-Released)

Four letter Lie A New Day In the time between their last album and their latest, Four Letter Lie lost 2 members and gained 2 back. They lost one of their main songwriters, which made the remaining members to step up and write a much different album then any of their previous works. A New Day is a step in the right direction for Four Letter Lie. A New Day shows the band

maturing and moving past their post hardcore roots. This new line up makes this band exciting again and gives music fans something to look forward to with future releases.

(Victory Records)

Faux Hoax Your Friends Will Carry You Home 7” Faux Hoax is a recording experiment featuring Menomena's Danny Seim, Producer John Askew and Gang of Four's Dave Allen, with vocals contributed by Joe Haege (31 Knots) and writer/songwriter Adam Gnade. Also, Jim Fairchild of Grandaddy and All Smiles provides guitar work on the title track. Mixing computer samples with traditional indie rock, this 7” contains some very interesting creations that you might enjoy.

(Polyvinyl Records)

FIRS Man in Space FIRS is the project of Pomegranates guitarist/singer Joey Cook and friend/WOXY personality Sophia Cunningham. As the titles suggests, the album is about a man in space, and the instrumentation that Joey creates makes you feel like you are in space with him. Lots of spacey electronic ambiance mixed with Pomegranates pop meanderings make this a very interesting album. Joey’s previous work with FIRS were somewhat fun, simple, and geeky pop songs similar to what Unicorns did. Man in Space shows that Joey can take music seriously and when determined, create a small masterpiece in do so.

(Lujo Records) Gray Young Firmament Similar to the Appleseed Cast in sound and atmospherics, Gray Young keeps their songs lean, when they could easily let them drift and sway into epic lengths. I feel like a goof for sitting on this album for so long. Firmament is an excellent album front to back, and it will surely impress you as it did me.

(Self-Released)

Into It. Over it.

52 Weeks Into It. Over it. Is the project of current Damiera member and former Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start member Evan Weiss. 52 Weeks is a project of epic proportions. For one year, or 52 weeks, and as a means to break free from a music rut, Weiss wrote and recorded one song per week. Originally posted on the web as free downloads as the project progressed, 52 Weeks captures all of the songs on to two CDs and with nearly 2 and a half hours of music to listen to. These aren’t just 52 random songs strewn together. Each song portrays an autobiographical glimpse in to each week of Weiss’s life during that year. Even if this music isn’t something you’re into, 52 Weeks is definitely something to check out due to the sheer ambitiousness of the project. (No Sleep Records)

Mannequin Men Lose Your Illusion, Too The Mannequin Men are back with their signature garage punk sound. Lose Your Illusion, Too picks up where Fresh Rot leaves off. Think a snottier, slightly slower version of The Marked Men and you’ve got a pretty good example of where they are coming from. Like Fresh Rot, Lose Your Illusion, Too is a great album and will hopefully get this hardworking band some more exposure outside of their native Chicago.

(Flameshovel) My Heart to Joy Seasons In Verse Opening the album off with a slow building instrumental song, My Heart to Joy turn the intensity up to 11 on the following ten songs. This Connecticut band perfectly combines math rock guitars, frenetic drumming and post rock vocals and tone to create a instant classic.

(Top Shelf Records)

Nurses Appleʼs Acres After losing a couple members, switching labels, and moving across the U.S. a few times since their last release, Nurses are happy to finally drop Apple’s Acres. If your familiar with Nurses then you know what to expect. If not, here is a rundown; group harmonies, interesting instrument choices, awkward melodies and an off-kilter sound. Nurses are usually grouped with bands like Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear and usually take an open-minded listener to appreciate.

Nurses isn’t for everyone. It may take a few listens to “get”, but when you do, you’ll be happy you did.

(Dead Oceans) Only Thieves Greetings from Levy Park, T.L.H. Tallahassee, FL’s Only Thieves play jangly-pop rock with enthusiasm and catchy hooks. Greetings from Levy Park, T.L.H., is 15 minutes of well-written tunes with distorted guitars and heartfelt lyrics. This self-released EP shows only a small glimpse of good things this band can do. A full length better be coming in the future.

(Self-Released) Over Stars and Gutters Consider this Your Curse Bands like Over Stars and Gutters give me hope for the future of punk rock. While most bands opt to take the money route by writing lifeless generic hits, Over Stars and Gutters take the high road and put together an album of Off With Their Heads sounding punk rock with enough raw emotion and infectious, memorable songs that will win you over time and time again.

(Self-Released)

Owen New Leaves Mike Kinsella’s, as Owen, latest release, New Leaves, shows the younger Kinsella brother in a more mature light.

Having gotten married and had a child since his last release, At Home With, New Leaves doesn’t stray much from the “Owen sound” but builds upon it. The arrangements are elaborately written and the songs more complex with a slight full band feel. Two of the songs on this release

(Good Friends, Bad Habits and Ugly on the Inside) were previously released as B-sides, but are given a refreshing Aside treatment. A worthwhile addition to anyone’s collection.

(Polyvinyl Records) Paint it Black Amnesia/Surrender 7” PiB’s Dan Yemin said that they are done with making full length albums and are sticking to releasing 7” from here on out. This new format suits Paint it Black perfectly. Many, if not all, of Paint it Black’s songs are under 3 minutes in length and work well on the 7” format. Amnesia and Surrender are Paint it Black at its finest. After their somewhat disappointing last release, New Lexicon, I am thrilled about their decision to stick with writing fast, urgent, classic Paint it Black songs.

(Bridge 9/Fat Wreck Chords)

Polar Bear Club Chasing Hamburg Most people feelings towards Polar Bear Club’s previous release, Sometimes Things Disappear, was that it took a few listens to get. Chasing Hamburg only needs one listen and it’s fully gotten. Chasing Hamburg is a mix of all the great stuff from their The Redder, The Better EP that people loved, and all the good stuff from Sometimes Things Disappear. It is quite an awesome album and I’m glad Polar Bear Club finally figured out a sound that everyone will enjoy.

(Bridge 9) Rapid Cities Machinery Saints New Jersey’s Rapid Cities play angular post hardcore with awkward vocals. I think the vocals are the only thing I that is putting me off this album. Its not the vocals as much as it the delivery of them. At times they are tolerable and fit with the music well, at other times, it’s a complete distraction.

(Love/Hate Records/Look Again Media) Shark Speed Sea Sick Music I was pleasantly surprised by Sea Sick Music. Provo, UT’s Shark Speed are a blend of Minus the Bear, Look Mexico and American Football with a vocalist that has a voice like MtB’s Jake Snyder combined with Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba.

Sea Sick Music is a romp through intricate guitar work with grooves for days that rocks as much as it sways. Sea Sick Music is a really outstanding debut album.

(Self-Released) Snowing Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit EP Featuring ex-members of the beloved Street Smart Cyclist and Boy Problems, Snowing sets off on the trail blazed by SSC and emerges with one fantastic release. Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit is an outstanding debut release that has been and will be on a steady rotation for a long time.

(Self-Released)

Tigers Jaw Spirit Desire On the heels of their outstanding self-titled full length, Tigers Jaw is back with the Spirit Desire 7”. This release starts out with an updated version of the song “Spirit Desire”, that was originally on their Tour EP. This new version is a much appreciated reworking of an already good song. The other standout on this release isn’t even on the 7” but on the digital version you can download when you purchase this. The bonus song “Meet Me At the Corner” is a quick burst that is similar in vein to some of the songs off their full length and captures the band at their best.

(Tiny Engines)

Title Fight The Last Thing You Forgot 7”/CD The Last Thing You Forgot is available as a 3 song 7” that includes 3 new songs or as a CD that has the same 3 new songs plus a 4th one and Title Fight’s 2008 7” Kingston and five songs from a 2007 split with The Erection Kids. The four new songs are quite good and all their previous material, that shows their early influences, holds up just as well. Unless you already have stuff from Title Fight, I suggest you buy the CD, it’s well worth it.

(Run For Cover Records) Transit Stay Home The only problems with this release is that it’s too short.

Transit blaze though all six songs in just over 17 minutes and it leaves you wanting more from this Boston 5 piece. I want to say it sounds like a hardcore version of Saves The Day. There is a familiarity in Transit’s sound that I can’t describe. Nevertheless, it sounds good.

(Run for Cover Records)

Victor Villarreal Alive After a disappearing for a few years, battling drug addiction, losing a brother to drugs in the process, then finding religion, Victor Villarreal is a new man. Alive is the first release in 7 years from the former Cap’n Jazz/Owls/Noyes/Ghosts & Vodka guitarist. Those familiar with Villarreal’s guitar work know that he is a very talented guitarist and Alive shows that, but also shows he can pen a tune as well. The 10 songs on Alive are as personal and emotional as they can get. Alive is a tribute to his lost brother and proceeds from the album sales goes to Mission USA Prison Ministries.

(Self-Released)

Volcano Choir Unmap Volcano Choir is the collaborative project of Colonies of Collections Of Bees and indie darling Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

I’d say most fans excited about this release will be Bon Iver fans, just to get the chance of more songs by Vernon. I expected this release to be more heavy on the Bon Iver side, but Collections of Colonies of Bees gets good representation of their sound on here. Unmap is quite an interesting listen as it doesn’t sound like either artist specifically, and I applaud them for doing something unexpected.

(Jagjaguwar)

Birthday Suits

Interview with Hideo Takahashi Photo by Jimi Sides

How did you guys form?

We used to be in the same band, Sweet J.A.P. It was a five piece band. After that band broke up, four of us tried to form a new band but didn't work out. Me and Mathew stayed together and wrote some songs. Originally we were going to add a bass player later but after a few shows we were fine with just two of us.

How was your SXSW experience this year?

Were there any bands that you were excited to see? Would you do it again next year?

SXSW was a super fun. Last year, we did six shows in three days. We were so tired and also didn't have much time to see other bands. This year, we only did one show. We had two more shows but got cancelled which was all fine with us.

Before SXSW we were already touring for two weeks without a day off. We just enjoyed our a couple days off at the perfect place.

We saw many good bands but Japanther, Mae Shi, High Tension Wires, and King Khan and The Shrines were especially good. I've never seen both High Tension Wires and King Khan and The Shrines before. I was very excited to see them.

SXSW is fun but you also have to deal with parking, high priced hotels, and booking shows before and after SXSW. So many bands come all over and they try to get shows on the way and out. Booking around SXSW is a nightmare.

We always tell our self we're not doing SXSW next year but when time comes, we always say yes.

Right now, I don't want to do it next year but who knows.

You have already toured the U.S. quite a bit this year, any plans to tour for the rest of 2009?

This summer we're only doing weekend trips here and there. We will most likely do two weeks tour in the fall. Then late November to December, we're going to Europe for three weeks.

Favorite local bands to play with?

The Blind Shake.

You guys are known for high energy performances. Is it difficult to maintain the high level of energy every time you're on stage?

It's not difficult. We enjoy doing it. It's just easier when people are into it. Even when people are not into it, we still enjoy it. It makes us challenge to work harder. When we're on the stage, we're selling our self. If people like us, they would come to see us again or/and buy our merch. Why not do the best you can? Especially when you're on tour, you have to make money somehow. Luckily we have a booking agent now and most places we get a small guarantee. We don't have to worry about money much. Before we had out of town shows where like only five people came; those shows we didn't get paid. But we still tried, there is the five people, other bands playing that night, and people work there like bartender and door guy.

We always thought let's make them buy our CD. We always had a goal each night. No matter how many people were at a show, we try to sell at least five CDs. We still have that attitude. If someone likes your band, they will tell your friends about it. I believe in word of mouth.

What is your opinion of the Twin Cities music scene?

We have many great bands here. I wish more bands would tour. It's so easy just playing in front of your friends. Also we have many boring bands too. I've seen many young bands with no energy.

You don't have to jump around but at least you have to be into what you're doing. I also wish more people would support smaller touring bands.

When great bands come here, only 30 or 40 people show up for them. That makes me really sad.

A great thing about this city is punk, indie, and hip hop can be on one bill. It doesn't happen often in other cities.

Do you have plans to record in the near future?

We're recording in August! We'll have a new CD out before our European tour.

p o t

3

UltraChorus with

Favorite Albums: D'Angelo - Voodoo Michael Jackson - Thriller Velvet Underground (2nd record) solo artists: Lou Barlow Donavan Mark Rothko

Local Venues: 7th Street Entry Kitty Cat Klub Fine Line

Pizza Toppings: Chicken BBQ Sauce Pineapple

Travel Destinations: Tokyo London The Studio!

Websites: revolveclothing.com http://www.dangerdanger.org/ Music for Robots

Excuses to call in sick to work: I make music... Why call in sick?

Reasons to live in Minnesota: Skyway system Really hip More beautiful girls per capita than Chicago (sorry, Chicago) Record Stores: iTunes Blogs Hymies

Movies about music: The Five Heartbeats Bar scenes from "Roadhouse" Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

TV Shows: The Joy of Painting Locked Up Abroad News

Trends from the 90's: Snap bracelets Freaking out about Y2K Ninja Turtles Songs of your own: Hairpin Taskforce Happy and Sad

Favorite thing about being in a band: Hanging out with my best friend Having something in common with Brett Michaels Producing

Knife World

Interview with Josh Journey

Now that you have a bass player, is it no longer acceptable to compare you to a taco bravo? How has your performance changed?

I'll let Jon (former Taco John's employee) speak on Mexican food matters. I can tell you that with Paul in the band now, your Taco Bravo is 60% more likely to have a pube in it. As far as how our performance has changed, I think Paul has made us a lot more bass-ee. With him playing the bass, it's kind of added this new bass element that we didn't have before when it was just Jon playing guitar and me playing drums. You know, the bass was actually designed to play notes that are considerably lower than what the regular guitar can attain, so needless to say, we're interested to see if Paul can play some lower notes than Jon with his new "Bass Guitar." It's a VERY EXCITING time for Knife World right now!

How did it feel to be voted Best Rock Band by City Pages? Were you surprised?

I've been combing through issues that came out in the wake of the Best of 2009 issue looking for letters to the editor about it. I still expect to find one that reads something like... "WHO THE FUCK IS KNIFE WORLD!? My band Uncle Chunk has been busting our ass for the past 15 years playing in this and that club and bar etc. etc." I'm more surprised the award didn't go to Skoal Kodiak who are indisputably the best band in the Twin Cities.

Are you working on another Roaratorio release?

I don't know if we could have asked for a better, more supportive label than Roaratorio for our first LP. And to be clear, when you say Roaratorio, it really means James Lindbloom who is the lone wizard behind it. He was totally involved and with us through every step and hare brained concept. He got tons of paper cuts from 3D glasses filters so we know he's prepared to suffer for our art. We've yet to talk with him about what his capacity to finance a second LP is.

You did a tour with Skoal Kodiak recently... how did it go? Any plans to tour this year?

It was unbelievable. Check out our tour blog on www.knifeworld.gov... Honestly though, the dudes of Skoal Kodiak were primo to tour with. Brady drove the whole time while Freddy cracked us up. Primary tour booker, Markus, played a big role in making sure the shows were awesome. We had so many people in places like Chicago, Brooklyn, Providence, Philly, Richmond set up super great shows in great spaces because of him. He has done so many nice things for touring artists who've come through that, when booking this tour, he didn't even need to pull the whole "you owe me" thing in order for them to set up an awesome show for us. They did so because they love him. We benefitted hugely from his freakish social skills! Touring this year is gonna have to wait until bike mechanic Jon is done with peak bike mechanic season. That'll probably end sometime in the fall. We might try to set up more regional two night dealies here and there but nothing mondo.

If you could fight anyone living, dead, or fictional, who would it be and why?

I don't really ever get into fights but I do like crude drawings of super muscular crust punks and cops doing battle in a post apocalyptic urban setting (or pretty much the illustration on the first Code 13 7inch).

I'd of course most closely identify with the crusty in said scenario.

Do you have any favorite local venues?

Basements, Studios, Kitchens, Street Corners etc. As far as the above-grounders, I like 7th Street Entry.

Also had a great time playing at the Ritz for Heliotrope 6.

It's Friday night, where can we find you and what are you doing?

Reading to the blind.

Mystery Palace Interview with Ryan Olcott

How did the idea of circuit bending come about?

For me, It was an approach to destroy all my conventions in music and start over.

What kind of "Frankeninstruments" have you created?

I want to make one thing very clear... I do not, have not, and will never refer to my keyboards and shit as 'Frankeninstruments'... GAY! I really wish journalists, bloggers, etc. would stop calling them that, like NOW. It's not like I glue baby doll parts with LED lights to my stuff. Leave that crap to the amateurs who have no musical ability and resort to cosmetic aesthetics to compensate for the lack thereof. check out: http://www.mysterypalace.com/foodteam/gallery.ht mlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t01wIMNRU Have you tried making anything that ended up not working?

Yeah... Story of my life.

Who or what are some of your musical influences?

Anything minimal, funky and pretty. Hold the cheese.

Who are some local groups that people should look out for?

I like Mages, Paraphasia, Pad Handlers

How would you describe your stage shows and how do they compare to studio recordings?

Well... We just kinda' stand there and try really hard to look like we're not having any fun as we do our best to emulate the recordings.

Any plans to tour during the rest of 2009?

Small extended weekend tours for the rest of the 2009 while we finish a new record or two. Back on the ol' grind horse in 2010.

What are some advantages or disadvantages of being a band in the midwest? With the internet making communication so easy, is it really an issue anymore?

People don't smell as bad in the Midwest. I think that the salt in the air cures sweat glands and makes the coasties stink weird. But in general, I have issues with everything... Most of which will be released in an extended chapter of my biography long after I'm gone.

Michael Seiben

Who did you look up to artistically when you were growing up?

When I was a lkid I wanted to grow up to be a children's book illustrator and I was really into the work of Maurice Sendak, Richard Scarry, Dr. Seuss and countless others. Nothing too obscure, just the regular kid's books most parents were buying in the 70's.

Why do you think so many skateboarders are also artistically talented?

Probably because of Neil Blender.

How does Okay Mountain compare to Camp Fig? It's bigger, it has a restroom, a backyard, parking, storage space, and more than 30 people can fit in the gallery at one time. But unlike Camp Fig there isn't a night club next door where you can get stabbed any night of the week.

So when Bueno went away we discussed things and decided that we should put our own money where our mouths were and try to start our own brand. I think what makes Roger different than (some) other companies is that we're small enough to take risks with our decisions. The really big companies play it pretty safe and I don't blame them. They're ordering massive quantities of decks and they're paying people's salaries. We're ordering really small numbers of decks and nobody's getting paid at this point. So why not just throw caution to the wind and make some boner jokes.

What does a typical day for you consist of?

It can really vary day to day. But in general I wake up early, feed the cats and make coffee and start working on whatever project is most pressing. I do a lot of freelance work to pay my bills so my days are pretty all over the place. I also run a gallery with my friends which takes up a lot of time. Obviously running Roger consumes a large portion of my brain and time. I try to skate at least twice a week. Usually

“why not just throw caution to the wind and make some boner jokes�

If you weren't an artist, what would you be doing right now?

Probably making more money and not stressing over paying my taxes.

Was the ((sounder)) music video your first experience with animation?

Yes. My buddy Mike Aho animated that video and it was really cool to see my drawings and paintings moving around. Mike also writes all of the music for ((sounder.)) He can pretty much do anything. Except McTwists.

After Bueno, what was the motivation behind starting Roger Skateboards? What makes Roger different from other skate companies?

I think the motivation behind starting Roger was really born out of ego. Both Stacy and I felt like Bueno's fizzle reflected really poorly on the two of us even though neither of us owned the brand or had any say in the financial decisions of the company.

Fridays and Sundays. I only mention that so that the young kids know the art department is still out there getting mediocre. I don't know if I really answered that question.

Was it weird to see your characters come to life in that Adidas commercial?

Not as weird as seeing a shoe with my name on it.

Any plans to do another shoe design?

Well, it's not something I can really plan on but I'd be stoked if the opportunity arose again.

You just had a new book come out, what has been the response so far and how is it different from your past art books?

I'm not really sure what the general response to the book has been. I know my Dad likes it. It's different from my past books because it's hard back and because I didn't make it myself at Kinko's.

KILL A TO

PETTY

BOURGEOISIE

Interview with Mark McGee

Can you give a little background history of the group? What made you relocate to Minneapolis from Richmond?

Around 2001 Jehna and I started to do music in a sort of a tape exchange fashion. She moved to Paris for school and I was in Richmond, VA. She would send me guitar and vocal experiments and I would make disjointed noise collages and layer it with her tracks. We would send these tracks back and forth until we made something we were happy with. She came back to Richmond and we started playing shows. We had albums before we knew how to play them. We moved to Minneapolis after our first tour.

I loved Richmond, but it was getting to the point where we both wanted a change, a bigger city, new people/fresh blood. We met Matt St. Germaine on tour. He set up the show we played at in Minneapolis, fell in love with the city and moved a month later.

How do the two music scenes compare?

Very different. Richmond is small, hardly any venues. Most of the shows were played at art galleries or houses. Which can be really nice, but not consistent. The experimental scene there in my opinion, was the most consistent when it came down to bringing bands to the city. We were involved with a noise collective there called 804noise. Our fist shows were with them. I still think they put on a festival every year.

There are way more bands in Minneapolis, more places to play, more opportunities to practice live. The music scene here is one of the best in the country. Hands down. Compared to all the places I've played, Minneapolis, by far has one of the strongest local communities when it comes to music.

How did your European tour come about and what was the experience like?

Well, in November of 2008 we met label mates Boduf Songs through Brian Foote of Kranky. We decided to go on a three week tour in the U.S. with them, hitting up the east coast and also some dates in the midwest. That went very well and I think we both grew some kind of affinity together. Matt Sweet of Boduf talked about us coming over to Europe to tour and said he had some good contacts there. He asked me in late January to confirm and I accepted.

The experience was both amazing and stressful. Of coarse right? I mean, I actually made a point to see more things on this tour. We toured Italy last year and I felt all I really experienced was one street in a city and the bathroom of the venue, maybe met a cool kid at the show. This was different. Saw some Coliseum in Rome, some Venice, some Ghent, some Holocaust museum and Brandenburg gate in Berlin. Did some really touristy shit. But, other than that, the venues were a lot better this time. We worked really hard. There were good stretches of shows back to back. Sometimes no rest. We had some amazing meals and stayed at some very interesting places. I can't think of a single promoter that was rude to us or treated us like worthless musicians. It was a good trip, and eventually, a successful one.

Did you have any difficulties while touring overseas?

Our van broke down in the middle of the Mont Blanc tunnel. It was actually smoking and the patrol there waved us down, told us to get out. They took us to this secret concrete bunker room that had signs in English, German, French, and Italian saying, "Do not try to leave, we will get you when everything is safe".

We stayed in there for about 30 minutes. When we were exiting the tunnel we saw a line of angry motorist. We backed up the tunnel for almost an hour. Then we were in Italy.

Tom and I were arrested and held in an Italian police station in Terni for two hours. We decided it was a good idea to watch the sunrise from the Autostrada, just about 100 feet away from the venue we played a couple of hours ago. Making a long story short, after two hours of interrogation they let us go after finding a flyer from the show we just played. The hard part was trying to get back to the venue after they released us. It took us a couple of hours, but we made it back before anyone woke up.

How do audiences in Europe compare to those in the states?

Actually they seem to be the same to me. Some places are very receptive, others are not. It’s the same in the states. It depends on the venue and the event and if you are playing with a good match or not. Not a lot of differences here.

Where does inspiration for your music come from?

Mostly from images or situations and sometimes stories. Jehna and I used to make up stories and tell them through music. Whether it be the way she said a certain word or the way I would affect a particular sound. We would imagine colors that would form from the sounds. Sometimes the lyrics would be literal and tell a story. But, most importantly the inspiration would evolve from an image we would try to create with music and sound. A general mood. Like if you closed your eyes you could see images running past.

How would you describe your songwriting process?

Two ways. One way: I come up with a beat or a sequence of sound. Hand it to Jehna, she would write on that beat or sound structure and then pass back and forth the idea until it becomes a song.

Second way: She would write a song on guitar, pass it to me. I would make sounds, pass it back, and back, and forth until it made sense to us. Sometimes the original would be completely different than the end result.

Can you tell us about your Riley Bushman label? Do you have any upcoming Riley Bushman releases?

We help run Riley Bushman recordings and archives with the permission of Riley Bushman. It is something we do on the side and serves as a platform for self releases and releases from friends. Hopefully a brand new 45 will be coming out with Whitesand/badlands and I am also working on releasing a new Shahs CD. All of this on the RBRA of course.

Plans for the second half of 2009?

Right now, We got Marlone dropping Sept. 22nd. That would be the 2nd album on Kranky we did.

Other than that, we are probably going to tour around the release. There is talk of Japan in some of those dates.

Nick Sacco Photo: Chris Pernula

Todd Morgan Photo: Joe Zimmerman

Nick Sacco Photo: Joe Zimmerman

Joe Zimmerman Photo: Todd Morgan

Big Sky. Photo: Joe Zimmerman

junebug

Interview with Nick Wosika, Anthony Bergman, Tony Kollman

How did you guys form?

TK-The earliest traces of the band can be found in our early high school years - sometime around 1995, I think, in Jamestown, N.D. I had acquired an acoustic guitar and started messing around with it, learning chords out of a book. Anthony, who had been a friend of mine for many years (we went to Kindergarten together), started writing lyrics to the songs I had been coming up with. We brought our friend Dustin in on it, who was also starting to learn the guitar, as well as Anthony's cousin, Kelly, who was a bassist. Soon after, I switched to drums.

We goofed around musically on and off for years.

Nothing very real came of it and Kelly left Junebug for another band. The three of us ended up at the same university in Aberdeen, S.D. where we continued messing around musically for a couple years, playing many non-serious, unpolished, unrehearsed shows. Anthony then moved away to finish his degree at another school and play in a different band. After a couple years, Junebug reformed with the idea of seeing what we could do if we tried. We kind of hit a wall in Aberdeen, and decided to come to the Twin Cities and explore the music scene here. We met bassist Nick Wosika, who completed the formation.

What does each band member bring to the group?

TK- Anthony is the primary songwriter. He writes all the lyrics and preliminary structures for each song. I've been told that the beats I lay down are almost always exactly what Anthony envisions when he writes them. I'm somehow able (most of the time) to find the perfect mood and feel for the song. Dustin is what we call the "sparkle sprinkler". He's able to take a song and add these wonderful little elements that none of the rest of us would have thought of, but that the songs shouldn't live without. And finally, in addition to the photography, poster/flyer design, and booking that he does, Nick is the guy that brings the solid bottom end that really completes the full Junebug sound.

For those who don't know, can you explain the Dugout incident?

TK- It was very unfortunate. We have never had trouble like this with any other venue. We were booked for a gig, along with awesome Twin Cities band, The Isles, at the Dugout in Mahtomedi. We were all pumped and we were ready to rock... literally. Both bands had loaded in and we had had a successful sound check. Before the show was even supposed to start, Tom Bartholomew, the owner, was unhappy with the number of people presently in the bar and came up to us frantically saying that he was losing money just by having the lights on and that he was shutting the show down.

It was calmly explained to him that it was early and people were coming and we knew this for certain.

Also, this was the night of Favre's first pre-season game with the Vikings and we knew people were home watching the game, but were coming out afterward. We also reminded him that he wasn't paying us out of pocket, but rather from a percentage of the door. It wasn't good enough. He told us to get out. We had to make all kinds of phone calls and send out text messages to a whole load of people that we knew were currently on the way and who had planned to spend money at Tom's establishment for their Friday night. We had to tell them to turn around and go home. So as we were loading our gear out (at 9:30 on a Friday), people we don't even know arrived expecting music and saw us loading out. We told them to talk to Tom if they were upset -- which they did. He put his finger in their faces, said he didn't have to answer to them and told them to get out. Needless to say, they were angry. What kind of bar owner shuts down a show before it even starts at 9:30 on a Friday, kicks the musicians out and then is unbelievably rude to customers who are wanting to hear the advertised live music? We're never going to the Dugout in Mahtomedi again, and we caution any musicians or patrons who may decide to go there.

The musicians might be cancelled at the last minute with no compensation and the patrons may be treated badly by the owner himself. Go across the street to Brothers’ for a burger and beer and you'll be treated well. We've gone online posting reviews of the Dugout everywhere we can, not being mean or rude, just telling exactly what happened. There's even a Facebook group dedicated to this madness now. We're determined not to let Tom Bartholomew get away with type of behavior toward musicians and customers alike.

Favorite places to play in MN? NW- The Cabooze, The Fine Line, The Whiskey, and The Uptown R.I.P AB- For me, The Fine Line, The Varsity Theater and Bunkers are always good times.

Any plans to tour around the U.S.?

NW- If that opportunity presented itself we would love to tour. Over the last six months we have played, ND, SD, WI, and IA. We would love to expand the Junebug foot print.

What was it like making a video for "Chosen Ones"?

AB- That experience was awesome. Rob and Cody from Six Ton Productions thought up the idea and we loved it. Superheros are forever awesome, right? We ran with it and were really happy to work with those guys. They are shooting videos for Brother Ali right now, so we blessed to have those guys working with us.

TK- That video was a really fun one to do. Cody Tesnow and Rob Sidenberg from Six-Ton Productions were the masterminds behind that. They've mostly done rap/hip-hop videos (Muja Messiah, M.anifest, Lil Buddy, Brother Ali), but they're friends of ours and love our stuff, so they like to help us out. They told us to make our own superhero costumes at home, which turned out well, I think. It was pretty funny, when we were shooting the corded lawn mower scene, that people were staring and pointing and trying to figure me out. Very fun stuff. We'll definitely do more videos in the future.

We did one previous video with Six-Ton for the song "Last Night", but that will probably be all off of Share. The next album will have some tunes just begging for video treatment, however.

What can we find you doing when you're not playing music?

NW- Hanging out with my wife Anna. Taking pictures or filming. Skating or snowboarding depending on the season. Riding (Motorcycles). I’m pretty much always in the pursuit of a good time.

Where can people find your album "Share"?

TK- It's available online at all the major retailers, iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, Amazon, CDBaby, etc.

In the Twin Cities you can find it at Cheapo and Electric Fetus. The best way to get it though, is to come out and party at one of our shows. We always have them there. Plus, they're cheaper at the shows.

Who or what inspires your sound?

NW- We definitely have different inspirations. For me it’s anything that can move people in a positive way. Music is a stimulus and should be treated as such. I like big guitars, a little funk, a big beat, and clever lyrics. Come to think of it…that’s Junebug.

If you could pick three albums that shaped you into who you are now, what would they be and why?

TK- Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins - This album probably hit me harder than any other in my earlier formative years. It was the first album that I ever really obsessed over. It was this record that made me want to play drums.

Animals by Pink Floyd - This record gave me my first appreciation for an album telling a meaningful story and making social commentary. And the music is great. Listening to it as a drummer, I have an appreciation of Nick Mason's solid, yet reserved performance. His work on this album is a good reminder to just lay back and play it straight sometimes.

Maxinquaye by Tricky - I was obsessed with this album for a few years, starting with my early college years and I still come back to it sometimes.

He thinks very far out of the box and makes some very appealing sounds on this record. His lyrical delivery is very unique and I sometimes think he's bordering on genius. I have bought more copies of this album (due to loss, scratch, giving it away, etc.) than any other record. It's that good to me.

AB- Cracker -Kerosene Hat -it has such an earthy, folk-rock feel to it and it really connected with me at an early age. His lyrics are very heartfelt and absurd at times and I think he really captured the everyman/songwriter part of my imagination.

Flaming Lips-Yoshima Battles The Pink Robots- I cannot tell you what this album has done and continues to do to me. I have always been a fan of concept albums and this album is so timeless. It really opened my mind to the use of effects, story-line and epic-ness an album can have.

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magic I don't need to tell you how awesome this album is.

Definitely a coming of age album and when I was young, I would listen to it non-stop. It really engrained the importance of the phrasing. The concept of "it's not what you say, it's how you say it" and the importance of alliteration and rhyme in a song. Plus, they have a great presence as a band and I think Junebug has that aloofness in our stage presence.

Interview with Nick

Your music causes people to "dance their faces right into walls." Is dancing a big part of your shows? How do you feel when the crowd isn't moving?

I wouldn't consider dancing a big part of our shows. I wouldn't consider us a dance band. But sometimes things feel right. Then the hippies hippie dance. The freaks gyrate. And some slam their face into walls.

You use a variety of instruments to achieve your sound, are there instruments you haven't tried that you would like to?

Nothing comes to mind except for more analog synths. Random 70's electronics would be ideal.

That and more amps to get a variety of sounds.

Not just effects to achieve it, but different amps. I use 3/4 guitar amps right now for my guitar. Depending on the song, I'll use different combos of them. Basically everything on the back cover of Ummagumma. I love that photo.

How did you guys become a part of the Modern Radio team?

I've known Tom Loftus for over ten years now. He likes to tell a story about the first time I got drunk, which isn't true. I was 15 when I first got drunk and I didn't know Tom yet. But we recorded "Rings" April-summer 2008 and didn't know what to do with it. There was some plans with other labels, but things never happened. Then Tom called us, and said Modern Radio was interested in putting it out. There you have it. We didn't storm in on the board meeting and bite off a bat head or some shit like that.

Where can people find your latest release Rings?

I believe it's at Treehouse Records, Electric Fetus,

and Cheapo. Also it can be ordered from Modern Radio.

Who or what influences your sound?

Lots of random tapes bought at thrift stores, movie scores (Alejondro Jodorowsky is awesome), lots of "world music" whatever that means, visuals like the sun glistening off a lake (really trying not to sound pretentious there, but oh well), our equipment (depending on what’s broken or not). It's about trying to not be dramatic, but at the same time meaningful, thoughtful.

How would you describe your live performances?

I don't know how to. I'm sure we're similar to lots of bands. We just play our songs, and try to have a good time. I feel like we have so much stuff going on that it's impossible for everything to blend just how we like it, so it's always sounding off I'm sure.

But with that in mind, it's just not possible to control it so we try to have fun with it instead of freaking out on the sound guy, because the 500hz is a tad too low in the mix. So how about "fun".

You've toured all over the U.S., where have been some of your favorite places you've played?

Anytime we've played outdoors has been the best.

Austin TX, Duluth (Chester Bowl Park) and in the middle of the woods at Baystock in northern WI. Are you planning on another Modern Radio release in the near future?

We are just rolling with this one for now. We haven't figured out what's next.

Ice Palace Interview with Adam Sorensen Photos by Staciann Photography

Please give a little history of the group up until now.

I’ve been in bands for years and years and have always been co-writing songs with other bandmates. When I started Ice Palace a few years ago, I decided I would be the only songwriter. It’s not that I thought I was a genius composer who could write every bit – all members of the band contribute their own parts and ideas. The players may change, but I keep trying to find talented musicians to help me make my music as great as it can be. It’s a tough job and it doesn’t always happen intentionally, but I’m very thankful for all of the people who have contributed to Ice Palace so far in whatever way.

Who or what influences your sound?

I’ve listened to so much music over time, I really can’t pinpoint any specific artists who influence me. I’m sure they all do in some way, that’s life.

But, really, most people are shocked by the diversity of my music collection. From Bob Dylan and The Velvet Underground to Randy Newman and Daniel Johnston, I just take it all in and I strive to do my own thing. I don’t think about influences, I just like to write songs.

How was your spring tour? Where was your favorite place to play? Were there any difficulties along the way?

The real deal about touring is that it makes no sense to anyone unless you’re in it. It’s a surreal experience. You’re just in a van for so long that all you do is live for playing the shows. You show up to a town and wait and you play a show and do the best you can.

We had a lot of great shows and had a great time on both the East and West coasts, but my favorite

show was at Williamsburg Hall. All the pieces were in place. We felt like it was big because it was New York and it was sold out. That created enormous pressure for us, but then we followed through with a really great show with great sound and a great response and that’s all you can ask for.

All in all, we were really lucky to open for such great bands and play to so many people.

You recently released your album Wonder Subtly Crushing Us, what was the recording experience like and what has been the response so far to the album?

I wasn’t sure for a while if this album would even be recorded, but I felt so strongly about the songs I just did everything I could to make it happen. We did most of the basic tracking at Jacob Grun’s studio, The Sound Gallery, in Minneapolis, but at the time we were looking for additional musicians, so it wasn’t totally coming together. When I invited Jacob Mullis and Amy Hagar into the fold, it took on a whole new life. The three of us would sit and write parts together and record them in a closet in their apartment and what we came up with re-energized the whole band. The final piece of fate was finding Craig (of Cloud Cult) who needed his basement renovated after it was flooded. I swapped hours fixing up his basement in exchange for his time producing our album. Craig and I have known each other a long time and have written songs before, so I trusted him with my music. It just ended up being a random convergence of creative people that resulted in an album that people have been responding to really well. Oddly, so far, even though the album was written and recorded and produced in bits and pieces – we get the best response when we play it live.

Somehow, the band embodies the music beyond what the album captured.

How does being an artist on the Earthology label differ from other record labels?

The biggest difference between being on Earthology and another label is the effort to be environmentallyfriendly. Earthology Records is entirely committed to being as eco-friendly as possible. Ice Palace as a band is trying to live that way also. It doesn’t mean you live perfectly sustainable lives, it means you pay attention to what you do each day and the broader impacts your decisions have. You just do the best you can in any situation. For example, we paid extra for a CD that was packaged in cardboard instead of plastic. We paid extra for organic cotton t-shirts printed with water-based inks. But, when we needed more t-shirts and we didn’t have the money to buy the organic cotton ones again, we got creative. We bought used t-shirts from thrift stores and had a local business print them. I’m pretty sure that even though we didn’t do them with water-based inks, we offset our environmental footprint by buying used and using a local business. You do what you can.

Do you buy albums or mostly download these days?

I’ve bought a ton of music in my life. I actually sold most of my vinyl collection to pay for this album. Recently, I haven’t been buying much of anything (or downloading). I know that there’s this big cultural battle these days about buying or sharing and I actually think it’s great if someone can get my music for free. Just please come to a show if we’re in town.

Where can people find your album? iTunes, Amazon, some record stores, or our website.

“It just ended up being a random convergence of creative people”

Do you have plans to tour more this year?

Yes, we are doing an East Coast tour in September.

What are some of the advantages/disadvantages of being a Minnesota band?

I’ve lived in Minneapolis for about 13 years. It’s a great place to live in being in a band. There are a lot of great places to play and there’s a great community of musicians. When you’re a band out on the road, it doesn’t really matter where you’re from – you’re just a band on the road. It’s nice to be from the middle of the country, so you can always leave from the middle.

What keeps you busy when you aren't writing or playing music?

Everybody in the band does entirely different things. Cumulatively, we take care of kids, valet, do live sound, record bands, garden, be a parking attendant, remodel houses, read, watch and talk about Lost, and really just live life like any other person.

BUILDING BETTER BOMBS

Interview with Isaac

You have a new album in the works, is there a release date set for it?

Unfortunately, no. We've been working on it forever. We've got so many songs recorded or halffinished. It was going to be a double-LP, then we edited it down to an LP plus some 7"s, now we will probably end up recording some more, so maybe it will be a double album again, plus some 7"s and like 5 cassette tapes.

How will this new album compare to Freak Out Squares?

It will be more focused. Freak Out Squares has a lot of songs that had been around for a long time and we relearned them or rewrote them with the new members of the band. This new stuff we're doing was all written over the same period of time, with everyone in the band contributing.

Did you do anything differently this time around?

We have a different drummer this time and he is a monster. We also used a bunch of new devices to make some crazy sounds. Probably half of the songs we have recorded don't use any guitars at all.

Will you plan to do any touring for the new album?

Yes. Hopefully that plan will come true sometime in 2010.

Is it difficult to find time to write and record with other musical ventures happening at the same time?

It's been really difficult. Stef is gone a lot, and now he will be touring for the rest of the year. Ben plays drums in like ten other bands, so he has a lot to do. So does Ryan. But we've still managed to make some really cool music happen and it's so much fun when we get to play in concentrated chunks of time. There is something about the project that makes the futility and annoyance of waiting worth it for us to keep doing it. We've started a splinter group called Marijuana Deathsquads that can take many forms. It can be two of us or it can be all of us. That way if someone is out on tour, it doesn't have to stop us from rocking.

How did you guys become a part of Init Records?

We had emailed back and forth a bit with Steven Init about this and that. Stef knew him from way back. About a year after we had recorded Freak Out Squares, we had no idea what to do with it.

Out of the blue Steven emailed saying he'd like to maybe put out a Bombs 7" or something. We dropped a full album on him instead. Init is rad and Steven is a good dude. He books us at this place called Nutty's in Sioux Falls all the time. We gets Nutty.

You have a few videos on your site, do you plan to do a full music video?

Video is really important to us. We have all kinds of plans for music videos. We have two members who went to film/art school, so we have really particular tastes and a pretty specific vision for our audio and visual output. We like to handle it all ourselves.

If you could play a show with any group past or present, who would it be?

Here is the lineup for this summer's BBB Dreams Fest in Float-rite Park, Somerset WI: On the Main Stage: James Brown and the JBs. The Who. BeyoncĂŠ featuring Jay Z. Renaldo and the Loaf. Outkast. Bill Cosby. Prince. Boredoms. Fugazi. Born Against. Paul and Linda McCartney performing the entire "Ram" album. On the small stage: BBB. Harold Faltermeyer performing the score of "Fletch" LIVE to the movie. Plus a DJ tent featuring The Knife, Black Dice and Boys Noize.

Several of your album covers and shirts have been handmade, do you think a lot of bands these days lack the DIY ethic of the past?

I don't think that at all. I'd say almost every band we know has a strong DIY ethic. In fact, I don't think I can think of a single band we know that doesn't, including the famous bands we know. The handmade stuff we have just fits in to our aesthetic. We like art projects. We like working with our friends Hardland/Heartland who make a lot of art projects happen. When we went on our last tour, we had fifty hand dyed, hand painted shirts that were all totally different. It looked awesome on our merch table. It was also really laborious.

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