Shane Mehling October 30th, 2007
Bearded pic taken from Castanets’ MySpace
The man behind Castanets is mid US tour, yet takes time to talk with Shane Mehling about feline asthma, Freak Folk and (obviously) Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.
usounds: What lessons did you learn from your last record that you addressed on In The Vines?
Raymond Raposa: I learned to fry eggs. I learned the wretched smell of corn mash turning to whiskey, the smell that burns the inside of your nostrils, makes you think blood will tear from your eyes. I learned that it is better to leave some things on the ground no matter how intriguing they are to pick up.
usounds: Since the name implies a group of people, was the band started out with the intention of it not being a solo project? Do you ever think about forming a full-time band?
Raposa: It only implies a group of people if it’s written or said as “The Castanets” which is incorrect. It’s Castanets. The band did start out as a trio, however quickly mutated and the possibility for happy accidents by inviting friends and strangers to share the stage was sweet unpredictability. I have dream bands in mind, but I think these dreamy incarnations are happening in ways more powerful than self-willing or intentionality. It’s a flexibility thing. Keeping limber.
usounds: With Radiohead putting out their new record for as little as zero dollars, do you think this will have a trickle-down effect for indie bands in the near future?
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usounds July 10th, 2007
New York’s gothic chamber pop band, Rasputina, is led by classically-trained cellist Melora Creager. Creager spent the last two years scouring over daily world events and adapting them into new songs that may be found on Rasputina’s sixth full-length album Oh Perilous World! recently released on June 26th. Melora was kind enough to answer a few questions for usounds about the new album and tour.
usounds: Can you describe what the two years of your life was like? Will your next album feature current events, or was that too depressing?
Melora: I lived in NYC. I read a lot about climate change, then Hurricane Katrina happened, and I did not want to live in a city anymore. So I moved to the country, got used to that extreme switch and worked on the album all the while. I didn’t find it depressing. Opening my eyes to the world today called me to action in lots of ways. I won’t limit or predict what I’ll write about.
usounds: You wrote a song based on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in New York. Since you are originally from Kansas, a state that has some fairly notable past events, do you ever see yourself writing a “shout out to your homies” song about William Quantrill’s raid on Lawrence, Kansas or something like that? Or do you not get back to Kansas all that often?
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Andrew Boe May 21st, 2007
The Sacramento band Cake recently left a major label and have started their own, named Upbeat Records. They are just about to release their first new album in three years, B-Sides and Rarities, which includes some appealing renditions of old classics and a few new tracks, presented as a multi-sensory delight with special Scratch ‘n Sniff packaging. Last week, I had the chance to catch up with their trumpet player, Vince DiFiore, who assured me that CDs and wicker chairs are still available to the dwindling public who seek them.
usounds: So, you are currently on tour?
Vince: We’re doing like three shows over a weekend, then coming home, and going out for another weekend and doing another three shows.
usounds: Your new album (B-Sides and Rarities) is coming out with a Scratch’n Sniff CD package. What brought that on?
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Shane Mehling April 30th, 2007
Nick “Peanut” Baines is a keyboardist, founding member of British rock outfit The Kaiser Chiefs and, like a character out of a Back To The Future sequel, can often be found wearing two ties. We left the tie question alone, but thought of a few others to prod the kind gentleman with in the wake of The Chiefs’ new record, Yours Truly Angry Mob.
Usounds: Why do Americans hate soccer?
Peanut: It’s not as glamorous as football, and you guys aren’t as good at it, so you invented your own.
Usounds: Fuck, guess we’re not pulling any punches. What lessons did you learn from your first record that helped you with Yours Truly?
Peanut: We learned that even if people don’t like your music, they want to see a good show. After you see more established bands, and they don’t give as good a show you’re really aware that you don’t want to become stale. After touring all over the world, playing huge stadiums, and putting on relentless shows every night, you become more of a rock and roll band. And that’s what we’ve tried to capture on the sound of the record and in the writing itself.
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usounds April 10th, 2007
Eugene and some meat on MySpace
Today on usounds, Travis Vogt asks Eugene Mirman a few questions about his involvement with Super Deluxe, time travel, martial arts and his plans for the future.
Travis: What is it that appeals to you about working in the Super Deluxe format?
Eugene: I like making short, weird videos that can have more of their own style, rather than trying to fit into a TV mold.
If you had the choice, would you travel back in time, or travel forward into the future? Why, and where?
Both sound so good. Probably into the future. Obviously, if I go back in time I can finally find out what happens to the time-line if I alter it. However, I think I may want to be in a flying car a little more. It would obviously suck if I found out that humanity destroyed itself in thirty years. It’d be a burden to return to our time and try to get people to stop some stupid thing to avoid the end of days.
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Shrie Bradford February 22nd, 2007
Photo courtesy of The Trucks
Ladies and Gentlemen, fresh out of Bellingham, Washington.…. we have THE TRUCKS!
No, The Trucks aren’t a group of man-bears out for revenge against your mom because she caught your little sister humpty humpin’ in the back of their skanky, and sickeningly smoky, VW Bus. They’re four luscious ladies who will win you over with their boisterous fishnet electro-pop. Touted as the bastard love children of Peaches, Debbie Harry and The Bangles (with a little Kate Bush thrown in for good measure), The Trucks are sassing their way into our hearts, our pants and certainly our dancing shoes.
Shrie Bradford: So how did you decide on the name The Trucks? It wouldn’t happen to be because you all drive Cummins Turbo Diesel 4×4 Dodge Ram extended cab pickups complete with Superwinchs and KC lights, would it?
The Trucks: Marissa, our keyboard and xylophone player, just blurted out that name when we were first asked what our name was. She’s so clever.
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usounds November 14th, 2006
Weird Al graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us about R. Kelly and the Coolio controversy.
USOUNDS: I watched UHF yesterday, and had really lucid dreams involving Spatula City last night. What’s the craziest dream you’ve ever had? Also, did you get to nail Fran Drescher?
Weird Al: I dreamed that I was riding through a field of wheat on a radioactive unicorn with Kenny G. And, none of your business.
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Scott Roots November 8th, 2006
The Decemberists recently jumped the Kill Rock Stars ship to board the Capitol vessel; everyone seems to be pretty cool with that. Usounds writer Scott Roots talked to Nate Query, bass, from his hotel room in Dallas, Texas about stuff not really related to the move to Capitol.
Scott: Before we get started are there any frequently asked questions that I should avoid as to not annoy the shit out of you?
Nate: [laughs] Certainly everyone wants to talk about the prog rock on the new record; everyone wants to talk about signing to Capitol Records. But everyone sort of has their attack on what’s interesting. So you have free reign.
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usounds July 12th, 2006
Today, USOUNDS talks with Henry Binns of Zero 7
USOUNDS: Billy Ocean and I chill out to your new album, The Garden all the time. Billy Ocean is actually a water pipe and not the greatest of all time rhythm and blues tinged international pop performer of this century. Anyway, your singing debut is featured on The Garden. Zero 7 is notorious for having guest singers, but do you plan on singing more tracks yourself in the future?
Henry: I really don’t know. Singing on this one was a bit of a happy accident, so, we’ll see………what do you think? Should I? Am I any good?
USOUNDS: A million times, yes. You might even think about doing a duet cover of “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love for You” with Sia and then remixing the shit out of it. Now that I think about it, if Billy Ocean ever has an accident, Peabo Bryson would make a fantastic successor. The Garden seems a little more upbeat than your previous records. Anything you wanna tell us about the new album?
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usounds June 1st, 2006
Tom from Snow Patrol graciously took time between shows to answer a few conventional questions for us.
USOUNDS: Your tour started in Denver on May 23rd. Did you know that Denver is nicknamed Menver because there are supposedly assloads of single dudes there? What would you tell the people of Menver to expect from your live show?
Tom: Come to this show and get yourself a girl. Oh! and free beer?
USOUNDS: Free beer is a good motivational tactic. Menver is actually the #1 city for singles in general, so hopefully you guys were able to sow some of your wild oates over there. What were your favorite tour stops in the past?
Tom: It’s great to see what lies between the two coasts (US) and we love an adventure but I’d have to say the places I enjoy are the port towns. I think they have the best history and the most colourful people. I think this is probably because I’ve always lived in port towns, I can relate better and I start freaking out if I haven’t seen the sea in bit.
USOUNDS: Yeah, I think as far as port towns go, it’s all fun and colorful until someone drowns. What is your opinion on the “Not proven” verdict that is controversially used under Scots law? Do you feel that this verdict can unfairly hurt someone’s public standing, or do you believe that it is a court-based judgment that should not consider civilian opinions and should possibly replace the “Not guilty” verdict as an alternative to condemnation?
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