Depeche Mode's formula for longevity: 'You really have to strive to find something new and the challenge has to be in the work'
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 17, 2005
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. ABC. Adam and the Ants. Duran Duran. While these bands dominated charts in the 1980s on both sides of the Atlantic, British trio Depeche Mode (which translates as "fast fashion" or "fashion dispatch" from French) emerged as a darker alternative to the era's pretty boy dance music.
DM eschewed the fashionable New Romantic scene (despite often getting thrown in the same category), drawing upon Goth and industrial for lyrical and musical inspiration. The band's trademark sound resulted in thinking people's dance music. That's a theme the band has tried to maintain throughout its quarter century of making music.
After 25 years and 19 full-length albums (including "Best Of" compilations and remix albums), the trio of vocalist Dave Gahan, multi-instrumentalist Martin Gore and keyboardist Andrew Fletcher have weathered the pitfalls of fame, fortune and the music industry to release its 11th studio album in 2005, "Playing the Angel."
"The sheer fact that we've managed to achieve as much as we have in the 25 years that we've known each other (is amazing)," said Gahan via the band's Web site depechemode.com. "We have sort of survived that, you know. I would have thought, out of all the kind of bands (in the '80s), this would have been the one I'd have put money on not to still be around. We've probably got a lot more in common with bands like U2 and R.E.M. than we have of any of our peers that we came up (with), just with sheer longevity. I think you really have to strive to find something new and the challenge has to be in the work."
The early years
Depeche Mode's early days focused on the songwriting of Vince Clarke, which resulted in the happy-go-lucky sound of DM's first album, "Speak and Spell," released in 1981. When Clarke left the band (later to form Yaz and team with Andy Bell in Erasure), Gore took over the principal songwriter's chair (though he had written two songs on the debut "Big Muff" and "Any Second Now").
With Gore at the songwriting helm and Gahan developing a more powerful vocal style, Depeche concentrated on a more serious sound still suitable for clubs. Albums like 1982's "A Broken Frame" and 1983s' "Construction Time Again" exhibited the band's synth-driven sound, but 1984's "Some Great Reward" – with the hits "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" – found an audience in the United States.
Tackling issues of race ("People") and alternative lifestyles (S&M in "Master and Servant"), Gore's lyrics provided emotional depth to the band's early sound: full of metallic, chirping '80s keyboards and faux hand claps.
"Music for the Masses," released in 1997, marked a turning point in the band's artistic development and started to realize DM's full potential as an alternative tour de force.
Songs like "Never Let Me Down Again" and "Strangelove" showcased Gahan's fully evolved voice. As a band that relied heavily on technology in the 1980s, its early songs can sound dated 20 years later (while still providing kitschy guilty pleasures).
But "Music for the Masses" is genuine enough to stand the test of time.
Highs and lows
The 1990s found Depeche Mode exploring edgier musical territory. With the help of producer Flood (who updated the beats and stretched the band sonically), DM created in the early 1990s two of its best albums: 1990's "Violator" and 1993's "Songs of Faith and Devotion."
"Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" (both from "Violator") remain among the group's finest songs, and both found a huge audience in the States and abroad.
After the commercial and artistic highs of the early 1990s, the later part of the decade found the band in disarray. Multi-instrumentalist Alan Wilder left in 1994. Struggling with drug addiction, Dave Gahan attempted suicide in 1995 and suffered a heroin-cocaine "speedball" overdose in 1996. After rehab, Gahan cleaned himself up and has stayed sober for the past nine years.
"All I really saw was blackness," Gahan told Rolling Stone recently. "I was kind of a goner. That was the start of me trying to do something different with my life."
Despite releasing 1997's "Ultra," Depeche Mode went separate ways in the subsequent years. Gahan and Gore explored solo careers, while Fletcher started his own label.
Dealing with the past
Most Depeche Mode zealots fall clearly into one of two categories (and aren't afraid to tell you): 1980s fan or 1990s fan. And for good reason: the band's sound changed dramatically in two decades. Since 2000, Depeche Mode has sought to find the common ground between the two eras while still exploring and finding new sounds.
Bjork producer Mark Bell pushed the trio in new electronic directions on 2001's "Exciter," full of pitter-patter beats and swirling keyboards. Despite the artistic accomplishments, the disc bitterly disappointed commercially. Longtime fans rejected the album (due to the new sounds) while others viewed DM as simply a nostalgic oddity.
On this year's "Playing the Angel," Depeche Mode enlisted producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Doves) to combine all the band's past incarnations into one album.
"Angel" sheds the atmospherics of "Exciter" and reunites the group with more danceable beats. "John the Revelator" finds Gahan crooning at his best, while Gore busts out his guitar again on "Suffer Well." Gahan also pens a few tracks for the first time on a DM album, a major point of contention in the past.
Said Gahan (via depechemode.com): "No matter what you put into the pot, it becomes Depeche Mode."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
THE BEST OF DEPECHE
After releasing nearly 20 full-length albums and countless EPs, singles and remixes, digging through the Depeche Mode catalog can be an overwhelming experience. But when you boil it all down, DM produced five great albums representing different stages in its career.
So here's Depeche Mode 101, a handful of discs worth the spin:
"Some Great Reward" (1984): Depeche Mode's fifth album serves as a snapshot of the band's early years, giving U.S. listeners their first taste of DM's early synth-driven sound. Singles like "People Are People" and "Master and Servant" brought Depeche's alternative (socially, lyrically and musically) dance sound worldwide.
"Music for the Masses" (1987): Darker, slower, more Goth and less dance party music than "Some Great Reward," DM's ninth album lays on the minor synth chords while giving Gahan free emotional range to accentuate his dramatic vocal style. The album represents an important step in the band's development, moving away from dance floor beats and toward more artistic expression.
"Violator" (1990): Combining the darker themes of "Music for the Masses" and Depeche Mode's earliest experiences creating dance tracks, this album pieced it all together. Thought-provoking enough for the headphones and rhythmic enough for the clubs, this disc struck a chord with youth and turned into DM's most successful album, spawning such hits as "Enjoy the Silence" and "Personal Jesus." Though still primarily fueled by synthesizers, the album has a more organic feel. Case in point: Gore's exploration of bluesy guitars in "Personal Jesus."
"Songs of Faith and Devotion" (1993): Both touched by the expert production of Flood (Nine Inch Nails, U2), "Violator" and this album represent an artistic high-water mark for Depeche Mode. This release finds Gore reaching for his guitar more often than ever before. The result is a brooding and harder-edged sound, juxtaposing guitars and Gahan's pained, plaintive vocals (the singer would attempt suicide two years later).
"Playing the Angel" (2005): Just released, this marks the first DM release since the downtempo atmospherics of 2001's "Exciter" (an experimental outing well worth a listen). Depeche Mode's latest record returns to the well that sprung "Violator" and "Faith and Devotion": smart electronic dance music. Instead of desperately trying to escape DM's past triumphs, "Playing the Angel" embraces them.
– CHRIS NIXON
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Britt Daniel ditches gaming for spooning
Spoon counts on its skillful sonic mix
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
November 17, 2005
Before strapping on a guitar full-time for his band Spoon, Britt Daniel worked for Austin, Texas-based computer game maker Origin Systems, composing sonic moods and background noise for games like "Wing Commander" and "Ultima."
"It was a great job," said Daniel during a recent phone call, sounding worn out on a tour stop in Asheville, N.C. "I was making sound effects for video games; that was my first experience with (computer recording software) ProTools."
After departing from a company whose motto was "We Create Worlds," Daniel spent the past decade creating his own world with Spoon. Filled with details like syncopated hand-claps, intricate strings and the occasional beat-boxing, Spoon recordings overflow with studio minutiae and aural niceties. Still, at its core the quartet's five full-length albums are well-crafted indie rock albums.
The band's first two albums – 1996's "Telephono" and 1998's "A Series of Sneaks" – featured less ear candy and more guitar-drums-bass rock. While both records contain aggressive tracks and a punkish guitar sound, they have their mellow moments ("Agony of Laffitte") and a sense of humor ("Laffitte Don't Fail Me Now").
"Sneaks" almost didn't see the light of day after Elektra killed the album's release for lack of a commercial hit in the disc's 16 tracks. Elektra's loss. Spoon self-released the album, then signed with indie label Merge Records for the three albums since.
"Girls Can Tell" – released in 2001 – found Daniel, drummer Jim Eno, bassist Joshua Zarbo and keyboardist Eric Harvey stretching out. The album added more atmospherics and keys while centering around Daniel's gritty vocals. "Kill the Moonlight" followed just a year later in 2002, recorded as "Girls Can Tell" was in Eno's studio in Austin. Mike McCarthy (... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead) helped to create both records, contributing production skills.
"Moonlight" marked Spoon's crowning achievement (to date), ditching rhythm guitars for more sparse composition. The space allowed for more sonic experimentation, giving more weight to Daniel's vocals and lyrics. After an intense touring schedule, the band would have to wait another three years before releasing its next studio album.
You been gone so long, Daniel sings on "The Beast and Dragon, Adored," the opening track from Spoon's 2005 release "Gimme Fiction." Where you been for so long? / I went to places unknown.
Actually, Spoon went on the road, a place where Daniel has difficulty writing songs.
"We've basically been touring a lot (for the past three years)," said Daniel. "I have two four-tracks I use: one at home and one on the road. But it's hard to write on the road. The one at home gets used more."
The new Spoon album displays a penchant for distorted, atonal guitars solos ("My Mathematical Mind" and "The Beast and Dragon, Adored"), but adds strummy acoustic guitars to even out the sound. While not as experimental or edgy as the previous two albums, "Gimme Fiction" stands as a solid collection of tunes performed by a band with passion.
As Daniel sings on "The Beast and Dragon, Adored": I got a feelin' it didn't come free / I got a feelin' and then it got to me / When you don't feel it, it shows they tear out your soul / And when you believe they call it rock and roll.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
November 17, 2005
Before strapping on a guitar full-time for his band Spoon, Britt Daniel worked for Austin, Texas-based computer game maker Origin Systems, composing sonic moods and background noise for games like "Wing Commander" and "Ultima."
"It was a great job," said Daniel during a recent phone call, sounding worn out on a tour stop in Asheville, N.C. "I was making sound effects for video games; that was my first experience with (computer recording software) ProTools."
After departing from a company whose motto was "We Create Worlds," Daniel spent the past decade creating his own world with Spoon. Filled with details like syncopated hand-claps, intricate strings and the occasional beat-boxing, Spoon recordings overflow with studio minutiae and aural niceties. Still, at its core the quartet's five full-length albums are well-crafted indie rock albums.
The band's first two albums – 1996's "Telephono" and 1998's "A Series of Sneaks" – featured less ear candy and more guitar-drums-bass rock. While both records contain aggressive tracks and a punkish guitar sound, they have their mellow moments ("Agony of Laffitte") and a sense of humor ("Laffitte Don't Fail Me Now").
"Sneaks" almost didn't see the light of day after Elektra killed the album's release for lack of a commercial hit in the disc's 16 tracks. Elektra's loss. Spoon self-released the album, then signed with indie label Merge Records for the three albums since.
"Girls Can Tell" – released in 2001 – found Daniel, drummer Jim Eno, bassist Joshua Zarbo and keyboardist Eric Harvey stretching out. The album added more atmospherics and keys while centering around Daniel's gritty vocals. "Kill the Moonlight" followed just a year later in 2002, recorded as "Girls Can Tell" was in Eno's studio in Austin. Mike McCarthy (... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead) helped to create both records, contributing production skills.
"Moonlight" marked Spoon's crowning achievement (to date), ditching rhythm guitars for more sparse composition. The space allowed for more sonic experimentation, giving more weight to Daniel's vocals and lyrics. After an intense touring schedule, the band would have to wait another three years before releasing its next studio album.
You been gone so long, Daniel sings on "The Beast and Dragon, Adored," the opening track from Spoon's 2005 release "Gimme Fiction." Where you been for so long? / I went to places unknown.
Actually, Spoon went on the road, a place where Daniel has difficulty writing songs.
"We've basically been touring a lot (for the past three years)," said Daniel. "I have two four-tracks I use: one at home and one on the road. But it's hard to write on the road. The one at home gets used more."
The new Spoon album displays a penchant for distorted, atonal guitars solos ("My Mathematical Mind" and "The Beast and Dragon, Adored"), but adds strummy acoustic guitars to even out the sound. While not as experimental or edgy as the previous two albums, "Gimme Fiction" stands as a solid collection of tunes performed by a band with passion.
As Daniel sings on "The Beast and Dragon, Adored": I got a feelin' it didn't come free / I got a feelin' and then it got to me / When you don't feel it, it shows they tear out your soul / And when you believe they call it rock and roll.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Localese: Tristeza and The KneeHighs
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 10, 2005
After co-founder Jimmy LaValle left Tristeza in 2003 to concentrate on his project the Album Leaf, the end seemed near for the local faves. But original members Christopher Sprague (guitar), Luis Hermosillo (bass) and Jimmy Lehner (drums) instead added Alison Ables (guitar) and Sean Ogilvie (keyboards) and forged ahead.
On "A Colores" (Better Looking Records, four stars), the band's third full-length studio album, the San Diego-based quintet expands upon its legacy. Intertwining guitar laces effortlessly with Lehner's percussive musings and atmospheric keyboards. Tristeza will celebrate the release of the album at the Casbah, 2541 Kettner Blvd. in Middletown, on Dec. 2 ($10; casbahmusic.com).
San Diego is woefully underrepresented in the hip-hop game. Straight outta Serra High School, hip-hop quartet the KneeHighs proudly represent the city on its new release "Global Warming" (self-release, three stars). Name-dropping B.A. Baracus and Blu Blocker sunglasses, three MCs and one DJ unite to spread the good about San Diego, sunshine and party vibes throughout their 10-track debut disc.
On tracks like "America's Finest" (Welcome to the streets of San Diego, welcome to the sunny side of life) and "All Around the World" ("Now we bring it back to Cali with the sun on my face, now we run it like a race because there's ladies in the place"), the MCs exhibit excellent flow, and GarGar lays down smooth, funky tracks while espousing the benefits of living in this town of ours. So if you dig on the hip-hop, check out the KneeHighs next time they grace a local stage.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer. Localese, a monthly column focusing on new local music releases, runs the second Thursday of every month in Night&Day.
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 10, 2005
After co-founder Jimmy LaValle left Tristeza in 2003 to concentrate on his project the Album Leaf, the end seemed near for the local faves. But original members Christopher Sprague (guitar), Luis Hermosillo (bass) and Jimmy Lehner (drums) instead added Alison Ables (guitar) and Sean Ogilvie (keyboards) and forged ahead.
On "A Colores" (Better Looking Records, four stars), the band's third full-length studio album, the San Diego-based quintet expands upon its legacy. Intertwining guitar laces effortlessly with Lehner's percussive musings and atmospheric keyboards. Tristeza will celebrate the release of the album at the Casbah, 2541 Kettner Blvd. in Middletown, on Dec. 2 ($10; casbahmusic.com).
San Diego is woefully underrepresented in the hip-hop game. Straight outta Serra High School, hip-hop quartet the KneeHighs proudly represent the city on its new release "Global Warming" (self-release, three stars). Name-dropping B.A. Baracus and Blu Blocker sunglasses, three MCs and one DJ unite to spread the good about San Diego, sunshine and party vibes throughout their 10-track debut disc.
On tracks like "America's Finest" (Welcome to the streets of San Diego, welcome to the sunny side of life) and "All Around the World" ("Now we bring it back to Cali with the sun on my face, now we run it like a race because there's ladies in the place"), the MCs exhibit excellent flow, and GarGar lays down smooth, funky tracks while espousing the benefits of living in this town of ours. So if you dig on the hip-hop, check out the KneeHighs next time they grace a local stage.
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer. Localese, a monthly column focusing on new local music releases, runs the second Thursday of every month in Night&Day.
In N&D: Staind's Aaron Lewis
Family shifts Staind frontman's outlook
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 10, 2005
'I'm still scared, afraid of failing, anticipating the ride to end before the wheels begin to move sings Staind songwriter and vocalist Aaron Lewis in "Run Away," the opening track from the band's 2005 release "Chapter V."
The 33-year-old singer doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve: He vents his innermost insecurities and angst in his lyrics and in his songs.
"It's the only way I'm able to express my feelings and emotions to that extent," said the even-keeled Lewis during a recent phone call from the unlikely tour stop of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. "I tend to internalize everything and overflow after a while. It's usually the overflow that is the lyrics to the next record."
For Lewis, the ride is really just beginning. With wife Vanessa, the couple gave birth to a daughter, Zoe, in 2002 and most recently added another girl, Nyla Rae, this summer. The family lives in the idyllic confines of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, serving as a backdrop to Lewis' familial lifestyle away from Staind. The concept of family and fatherhood has completely shifted his perspective on his music and his life.
"Having kids changes your perspective on everything," said Lewis, currently on tour with Chula Vista's P.O.D. and Taproot on the Fall Brawl Tour, which lands at SOMA on Tuesday. "For me – and I hope it's not just me – having kids answered all the questions of 'What's the point?' Now I know what the point is. I know the whole reason I'm here in the first place. That is to make sure that my kids are prepared to go off into this world when the time comes. That's the only real responsibility that I have in life."
In a decade, Lewis' band Staind has elevated itself from regional heroes to internationally known rock stars. When Lewis bumped into guitarist Mike Mushok at a keg party in the band's hometown of Springfield, Mass., the duo had no idea their 1995 chance meeting would evolve into a powerhouse rock group. Along with bassist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki, Staind recorded the self-produced 1996 release "Tormented" within a year of Lewis and Mushok's meeting.
Crunching guitars and Lewis' pained vocals drove the band's sound, catching the eye and ear of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Durst championed Staind's cause, leading to the band's 1999 major-label debut "Dysfunction." But 2001's "Break the Cycle" propelled the four guys from western Massachusetts into the pop culture limelight.
Riding the crest of the nu-metal wave (along with Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park), singles like "Open Your Eyes," "For You," "Fade" and, especially, the semi-acoustic track "It's Been Awhile" shot up the charts.
"It's kind of funny, but in my life as a musician it kind of made it more difficult," Lewis said. "Now, everybody on the other end of things – record labels, radio stations and everything else – have that success (of 'Breaking the Cycle') to compare everything else to.
"Even though every single record we've put out has gone platinum or better, that one record ensured that every record after it – even though they all went platinum – were viewed as a failure."
"Breaking the Cycle," 2003's "14 Shades of Gray" and "Chapter V" have debuted at Billboard's No. 1 spot, but record sales isn't the reason Staind stays alive.
"Our fans are the only reason we're still here," Lewis said. "Casual listeners come and go; that was made very apparent on 'Break the Cycle.' Your true core fan base is really what decides whether it's time for you to come or whether it's time for you to go. We have some pretty amazing fans, and I think we appreciate them more than they know."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 10, 2005
'I'm still scared, afraid of failing, anticipating the ride to end before the wheels begin to move sings Staind songwriter and vocalist Aaron Lewis in "Run Away," the opening track from the band's 2005 release "Chapter V."
The 33-year-old singer doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve: He vents his innermost insecurities and angst in his lyrics and in his songs.
"It's the only way I'm able to express my feelings and emotions to that extent," said the even-keeled Lewis during a recent phone call from the unlikely tour stop of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. "I tend to internalize everything and overflow after a while. It's usually the overflow that is the lyrics to the next record."
For Lewis, the ride is really just beginning. With wife Vanessa, the couple gave birth to a daughter, Zoe, in 2002 and most recently added another girl, Nyla Rae, this summer. The family lives in the idyllic confines of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, serving as a backdrop to Lewis' familial lifestyle away from Staind. The concept of family and fatherhood has completely shifted his perspective on his music and his life.
"Having kids changes your perspective on everything," said Lewis, currently on tour with Chula Vista's P.O.D. and Taproot on the Fall Brawl Tour, which lands at SOMA on Tuesday. "For me – and I hope it's not just me – having kids answered all the questions of 'What's the point?' Now I know what the point is. I know the whole reason I'm here in the first place. That is to make sure that my kids are prepared to go off into this world when the time comes. That's the only real responsibility that I have in life."
In a decade, Lewis' band Staind has elevated itself from regional heroes to internationally known rock stars. When Lewis bumped into guitarist Mike Mushok at a keg party in the band's hometown of Springfield, Mass., the duo had no idea their 1995 chance meeting would evolve into a powerhouse rock group. Along with bassist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki, Staind recorded the self-produced 1996 release "Tormented" within a year of Lewis and Mushok's meeting.
Crunching guitars and Lewis' pained vocals drove the band's sound, catching the eye and ear of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Durst championed Staind's cause, leading to the band's 1999 major-label debut "Dysfunction." But 2001's "Break the Cycle" propelled the four guys from western Massachusetts into the pop culture limelight.
Riding the crest of the nu-metal wave (along with Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park), singles like "Open Your Eyes," "For You," "Fade" and, especially, the semi-acoustic track "It's Been Awhile" shot up the charts.
"It's kind of funny, but in my life as a musician it kind of made it more difficult," Lewis said. "Now, everybody on the other end of things – record labels, radio stations and everything else – have that success (of 'Breaking the Cycle') to compare everything else to.
"Even though every single record we've put out has gone platinum or better, that one record ensured that every record after it – even though they all went platinum – were viewed as a failure."
"Breaking the Cycle," 2003's "14 Shades of Gray" and "Chapter V" have debuted at Billboard's No. 1 spot, but record sales isn't the reason Staind stays alive.
"Our fans are the only reason we're still here," Lewis said. "Casual listeners come and go; that was made very apparent on 'Break the Cycle.' Your true core fan base is really what decides whether it's time for you to come or whether it's time for you to go. We have some pretty amazing fans, and I think we appreciate them more than they know."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Emily Haines measures Madonna vs. Kim Gordon
Metric system: Add chops to sharp lyrics
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 3, 2005
'It would certainly help if more girls bothered to be good at their instruments," says Emily Haines, the shapely singer of the Canadian quartet Metric, regarding the stereotypes attractive females face in the music industry. "And there's lots of guys who don't bother either. But it amazes me that it's still pretty revolutionary to have the desire to participate in the musical world and actually want to be judged on the same basis as your peers."
Wielding a Moog synthesizer in one hand and her sharp wit in the other, Haines manages to shred the stereotypes perpetuated by the Madonnas of the world – both in her lyrics and in her quotes from a recent interview during a tour stop in North Carolina.
"The phenomenon of Madonna, my whole life being told that she is someone to admire, is so discouraging," says Haines, whose model good looks take a back seat to her skills as a musician and songwriter. "For me, there is no meat to her music. And then you have someone like Kim Gordon. She's there to play the bass and that's what she does. She's a very attractive, very sexual, very happening woman. The trick is to do what you're standing there to do, and then you won't be a model who sings."
Far from just a singing model, Haines manages to cover a wide spectrum of topics in her lyrics: art, culture and inner battles. As the lead singer and keyboardist of Metric, the 30-year-old artist creates beautifully sad songs sped up and wrapped in layers of chiming pianos and Moog synthesizers.
With her partner, guitarist James Shaw, drummer Joules Scott-Key and bassist Josh Winsted, Haines and Metric released 2003's "Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?" Produced by Michael Andrews (who teamed with Gary Jules for "Mad World" on the Donnie Darko soundtrack) and recorded in Los Angeles, "Old World Underground" twists and turns its way through 10 tight packages of infectious nu-wave-influenced indie rock. And Haines' lyrics are sharp and smart: "Old world underground I never knew you / But I've seen your face everywhere / There was a farm before we tore / The small town down / Multiply divide."
After gaining moderate attention for their excellent debut disk, Haines and Shaw relocated to Toronto to record the follow-up album. Instead of employing a producer and buying time at an established studio, the pair decided to rent a space in an older building by the tracks in Toronto and create their own studio space.
"We got this space above a bank," recalls Haines. "Streetcars go around the building constantly, so we were afraid the sound would leak. There were a lot of ways it could've gone wrong. We really wanted this to be a good record. We wanted to step it up, you know?"
The result, this year's "Live It Out," packs a punch, fueled more by Shaw's guitar than Haines' keyboard.
"That's what you get when the guitar player produces the record," laughs Haines. "But I like it; I felt it was a more natural recording. I really enjoyed working with Mike Andrews, but a lot of the extra nu-wavey stuff was a result of his vision for the band and how he makes music. But we were going for something a little different."
The sound may have shifted, but the lyrics remain rife with razor wit and intelligent introspection: "Promiscuous makes an entrance / Her mouth is full of questions / Are we all brides to be / Are we all designed to be confined / Buy ourselves chastity belts and lock them / Organize our lives and lose the key / Our faces all resemble dying roses / From trying to fix it."
"My songwriting has also adapted more to the group," says Haines, who will play the Casbah Saturday. "I was really writing with these guys in mind this time. The point of being a musician is to always be getting better. I think we feel like we've all grown as players and we just wanted to enjoy what we were playing."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 3, 2005
'It would certainly help if more girls bothered to be good at their instruments," says Emily Haines, the shapely singer of the Canadian quartet Metric, regarding the stereotypes attractive females face in the music industry. "And there's lots of guys who don't bother either. But it amazes me that it's still pretty revolutionary to have the desire to participate in the musical world and actually want to be judged on the same basis as your peers."
Wielding a Moog synthesizer in one hand and her sharp wit in the other, Haines manages to shred the stereotypes perpetuated by the Madonnas of the world – both in her lyrics and in her quotes from a recent interview during a tour stop in North Carolina.
"The phenomenon of Madonna, my whole life being told that she is someone to admire, is so discouraging," says Haines, whose model good looks take a back seat to her skills as a musician and songwriter. "For me, there is no meat to her music. And then you have someone like Kim Gordon. She's there to play the bass and that's what she does. She's a very attractive, very sexual, very happening woman. The trick is to do what you're standing there to do, and then you won't be a model who sings."
Far from just a singing model, Haines manages to cover a wide spectrum of topics in her lyrics: art, culture and inner battles. As the lead singer and keyboardist of Metric, the 30-year-old artist creates beautifully sad songs sped up and wrapped in layers of chiming pianos and Moog synthesizers.
With her partner, guitarist James Shaw, drummer Joules Scott-Key and bassist Josh Winsted, Haines and Metric released 2003's "Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?" Produced by Michael Andrews (who teamed with Gary Jules for "Mad World" on the Donnie Darko soundtrack) and recorded in Los Angeles, "Old World Underground" twists and turns its way through 10 tight packages of infectious nu-wave-influenced indie rock. And Haines' lyrics are sharp and smart: "Old world underground I never knew you / But I've seen your face everywhere / There was a farm before we tore / The small town down / Multiply divide."
After gaining moderate attention for their excellent debut disk, Haines and Shaw relocated to Toronto to record the follow-up album. Instead of employing a producer and buying time at an established studio, the pair decided to rent a space in an older building by the tracks in Toronto and create their own studio space.
"We got this space above a bank," recalls Haines. "Streetcars go around the building constantly, so we were afraid the sound would leak. There were a lot of ways it could've gone wrong. We really wanted this to be a good record. We wanted to step it up, you know?"
The result, this year's "Live It Out," packs a punch, fueled more by Shaw's guitar than Haines' keyboard.
"That's what you get when the guitar player produces the record," laughs Haines. "But I like it; I felt it was a more natural recording. I really enjoyed working with Mike Andrews, but a lot of the extra nu-wavey stuff was a result of his vision for the band and how he makes music. But we were going for something a little different."
The sound may have shifted, but the lyrics remain rife with razor wit and intelligent introspection: "Promiscuous makes an entrance / Her mouth is full of questions / Are we all brides to be / Are we all designed to be confined / Buy ourselves chastity belts and lock them / Organize our lives and lose the key / Our faces all resemble dying roses / From trying to fix it."
"My songwriting has also adapted more to the group," says Haines, who will play the Casbah Saturday. "I was really writing with these guys in mind this time. The point of being a musician is to always be getting better. I think we feel like we've all grown as players and we just wanted to enjoy what we were playing."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
My Morning Jacket: Broemel fits nicely
MMJ carries torch for Southern rock
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 3, 2005
The young upstart who signs a major label deal (in the band Old Pike), the hired gun playing sessions in Los Angeles (after the major label dumps the band) and even an aspiring actor, they're all part of My Morning Jacket.
Guitarist Carl Broemel, who has played varied and various roles during his musical career, is playing a different role now: He's creating music in MMJ, one of today's most promising young bands.
"A part of me died when my first band got signed and broke up," said Broemel from Boston as My Morning Jacket prepared to play a show at the Beantown venue Avalon. "I had a band called Old Pike in Indiana; we made a record in '98. I thought we were going to go out and conquer the world, the five of us, and make the music we wanted to make. After Old Pike broke up, I approached music as more of a job.
"After a while, it was really wearing thin and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to play. I almost gave it up and got a day job until I got the call (to audition for My Morning Jacket). It's almost fulfilling the original promise of Old Pike with this band: the five of us going out and doing as much good work as we can."
My Morning Jacket – a five-piece band from Louisville, Ky. – gained initial exposure with 1999's "The Tennessee Fire" and 2001's "At Dawn," both on independent label Darla. The group's brand of strummy, harmonic Southern rock caught the eye of Dave Matthews' ATO label, which promptly signed the quintet.
Critical acclaim came after 2003's "It Still Moves," a moody collection of 12 tunes drawing on such classic influences as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young. Fueled by the songwriting and semi-falsetto vocals of Jim James, MMJ asserted itself in the forefront of a Southern rock revival started by bands like Drive-By Truckers.
As incessant touring in support of "It Still Moves" wore on, original members Danny Cash (keyboards) and Johnny Quaid (guitar) decided to quit the band. After their departure in January 2004, the band questioned whether to continue. Frontman James – along with original members Patrick Hallahan (drums) and Two-Tone Tommy (bass) – held auditions in hopes of finding the right fit. The first two musicians to walk in the room were Broemel and keyboardist Bo Koster.
"They had never really played with musicians who weren't friends of theirs from Louisville," said Broemel. "I think it was an awkward situation for them and an awkward situation for us. (But), for whatever reason, it felt right."
Newly rejuvenated with Koster and Broemel on board, My Morning Jacket sought to record a new studio album. Quaid's grandparents farm on the outskirts of Louisville had served as the birthplace of MMJ's previous three studio albums. Now, the band searched for a new beginning.
With the help of producer John Lackie (Pink Floyd, Radiohead), the band ventured north to the hills of upstate New York (Allaire Studios) to lay down tracks for its next record.
This year's "Z" finds My Morning Jacket stretching out from its Southern rock roots while never allowing the past to completely disappear from the rearview mirror.
"I don't think there's any method or formula to what we did," said Broemel. "Jim wrote a bunch of killer songs and we went in and tried to make them real."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
November 3, 2005
The young upstart who signs a major label deal (in the band Old Pike), the hired gun playing sessions in Los Angeles (after the major label dumps the band) and even an aspiring actor, they're all part of My Morning Jacket.
Guitarist Carl Broemel, who has played varied and various roles during his musical career, is playing a different role now: He's creating music in MMJ, one of today's most promising young bands.
"A part of me died when my first band got signed and broke up," said Broemel from Boston as My Morning Jacket prepared to play a show at the Beantown venue Avalon. "I had a band called Old Pike in Indiana; we made a record in '98. I thought we were going to go out and conquer the world, the five of us, and make the music we wanted to make. After Old Pike broke up, I approached music as more of a job.
"After a while, it was really wearing thin and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to play. I almost gave it up and got a day job until I got the call (to audition for My Morning Jacket). It's almost fulfilling the original promise of Old Pike with this band: the five of us going out and doing as much good work as we can."
My Morning Jacket – a five-piece band from Louisville, Ky. – gained initial exposure with 1999's "The Tennessee Fire" and 2001's "At Dawn," both on independent label Darla. The group's brand of strummy, harmonic Southern rock caught the eye of Dave Matthews' ATO label, which promptly signed the quintet.
Critical acclaim came after 2003's "It Still Moves," a moody collection of 12 tunes drawing on such classic influences as Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young. Fueled by the songwriting and semi-falsetto vocals of Jim James, MMJ asserted itself in the forefront of a Southern rock revival started by bands like Drive-By Truckers.
As incessant touring in support of "It Still Moves" wore on, original members Danny Cash (keyboards) and Johnny Quaid (guitar) decided to quit the band. After their departure in January 2004, the band questioned whether to continue. Frontman James – along with original members Patrick Hallahan (drums) and Two-Tone Tommy (bass) – held auditions in hopes of finding the right fit. The first two musicians to walk in the room were Broemel and keyboardist Bo Koster.
"They had never really played with musicians who weren't friends of theirs from Louisville," said Broemel. "I think it was an awkward situation for them and an awkward situation for us. (But), for whatever reason, it felt right."
Newly rejuvenated with Koster and Broemel on board, My Morning Jacket sought to record a new studio album. Quaid's grandparents farm on the outskirts of Louisville had served as the birthplace of MMJ's previous three studio albums. Now, the band searched for a new beginning.
With the help of producer John Lackie (Pink Floyd, Radiohead), the band ventured north to the hills of upstate New York (Allaire Studios) to lay down tracks for its next record.
This year's "Z" finds My Morning Jacket stretching out from its Southern rock roots while never allowing the past to completely disappear from the rearview mirror.
"I don't think there's any method or formula to what we did," said Broemel. "Jim wrote a bunch of killer songs and we went in and tried to make them real."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Friday, October 28, 2005
RFTC: 'Ours was the party to be at'
Rocket From the Crypt bows out on its own terms, 'celebrating life and having fun'By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
October 27, 2005
John Reis, lead singer of Rocket From the Crypt and founder of Swami Records, sits in his Golden Hill home and speaks via telephone of the spirituality of a live show, musing on the connection between band and audience in a rock 'n' roll holy communion.
"Loud, amplified rock 'n' roll music has the ability to penetrate to your core," said Reis, who also goes by the moniker Speedo or simply the Swami. "It's almost like a communion. Many people go to large sporting events. Many people go to church. Some people watch NASCARs drive around in a circle. These are things that make you feel part of a bigger whole. For us, it's the band and the people who like this music."
After 16 years riding the major-label/indie-label roller coaster and leaving blood and sweat on stages all over the world, Reis and his longtime bandmates in RFTC have one more chance to break bread and drink a little wine with its fans. Calling Halloween their "favorite day of the year," the San Diego-based sextet will call it quits after its annual Oct. 31 show this coming Monday at the Westin Hotel downtown.
Rocket From the Crypt's long journey began back in 1989. Rising from the ashes of San Diego punk band Pitchfork, Reis teamed with bassist Petey X and guitarist ND to form RFTC. The band had one mission: to create an unparalleled live show and blow away audiences with its raucous blend of 1960s dirty rock and 1980s punk: "I wanted to go out and play shows. I wanted to cruise around in a van and I wanted to see the world."
With the addition of trumpet player JC2000, saxophonist Apollo Nine and drummer Atom Willard (later replaced by Ruby Mars), Rocket created a dense rock 'n' roll cacophony. Complete with layers of horns and thrashing drums, Reis' throaty vocals spurred the juggernaut to new heights of rock ecstasy. The volatile live shows – gaining new Rocket converts at each stop – assaulted unsuspecting audiences and caught the attention of Interscope Records.
"We wanted to make music," Reis reminisced. "Rocket From the Crypt has always been about celebrating life and having fun. We've always championed the resourcefulness that we have. I don't think any of us were born with tremendous skills. But as a group, we come together and make the best of the meager talents we have."
After releasing "Paint as a Fragrance" on indie label Headhunter in 1991 and "Circa: Now!" on Cargo in 1992, Interscope came calling during the major-label rush on San Diego during the post-Seattle grunge explosion. The label re-released "Circa: Now!" and gave Rocket the opportunity to tour.
"It was a turning point," remembered Reis. "It made everyone in the band think about it seriously. We weren't going to have other jobs. We weren't going to have much of a life outside of the band.
"This was our opportunity to completely immerse ourselves in this thing. We went from practicing five days a week to practicing seven days a week. And we went from practicing five hours to practicing 10 hours a day. We were very serious about being the best in the world in terms of wherever we were playing that night, that was the place to be. No matter what else was happening on the planet, ours was the party to be at."
After a few albums with Interscope, the band found modest success in America and the United Kingdom. But Reis said commercial success was never the goal: "If a Top 10 hit was the goal, I think we would've had studio musicians, studio singers, a stand-in model band and changed our name."
In 2001, RFTC switched to Vagrant Records, subsequently recording 2001's "Group Sounds" and 2002's "Live From Camp X-Ray." Despite the acceptance of both albums by critics and fans, the six musicians in Rocket From the Crypt found different forms of expression.
Reis concentrated on his label, Swami Records, also recording and touring with Hot Snakes and the Sultans. Other members spread throughout the San Diego music scene and beyond.
Over the past few years, Rocket shows have been few and far between, with the last recorded output coming on "Camp X-Ray." Reis is surprised at the public outcry upon hearing RFTC will be unplugging the amps for good.
"I don't know why people have such a hard time believing it's for real," said Reis. "Maybe because people know we don't hate each other and we're still really good friends. Maybe on a bad night we're still pretty good. This might not necessarily be everybody in the band's opinion, but since we're not working on anything new and we're resigned to playing the same songs we've been playing for the last 15 years, there really can't be much of a future in that. Rocket From the Crypt is not going to be playing at the Dream Catcher lounge. That's not our destiny."
Without dedicating their lives to Rocket, Reis feels it's better to hang it up: "We're at this point where I don't think we could ever get back to where we were without completely turning our lives over again. And no one is willing to do that. Been there, done that. Loved it. Had a great time. Saw the world. If we did have a mission, I'd say that we definitely accomplished it."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT LINEUP
John "Speedo" Reis – lead vocals, guitar
N.D. – guitar
Petey X – bass, vocals
Apollo Nine – sax, percussion, vocals
JC2000 – trumpet, percussion, vocals
Ruby Mars – drums
RFTC DISCOGRAPHY
"Live From Camp X-Ray" (2002, Vagrant)
"Group Sounds" (2001, Vagrant)
"RFTC" (1998, Interscope)
"Scream Dracula, Scream!" (1995, Interscope)
"Hot Charity" (1995, Interscope)
"The State of Art Is on Fire" (1995, Interscope)
"Circa: Now!" (1992, Interscope)
"Paint as a Fragrance" (1991, Headhunter)
GOING A FEW ROUNDS WITH SPEEDO
Rocket leader John "Speedo" Reis took a few minutes to face the speed round of questions during his recent interview. Under the hot glare of the spotlight, he kept his cool:
Favorite Rocket tune to play live: "I like the talking between the songs. The banter."
Best San Diego venue to play: "The Casbah is the best place."
Favorite guitar to strap on: "I have a (Gibson) Les Paul that weighs 75 pounds. It's injected with brass to give it more sustain. And then I have a (Gibson) SG that weighs like four pounds and is made of mostly balsa wood. I would go for the brass-injected Les Paul, but I think I need a tripod for it."
Which is more satisfying, running a label or being in a band: "Hard to say because they are so different, but there is nothing more satisfying than making music."
Where Speedo chills: "I'm kind of a 'pier' guy: sometimes the Shelter Island pier, sometimes the O.B. pier; if I can afford the gas, the I.B. pier, Crystal Pier sometimes."
Speedo's favorite mode of transportation: "Kayak. Sit-on-top kayak. The Swami-mobile is great (Reis' big van with his record-label logo painted on the side), but it cost me $87 to fill it up the last time. There's no way I can spend that much money just to drive to the Pannikin."
San Diego band most likely to carry on in the RFTC tradition: "I would hate to pin our fate on anyone else. But I really see The Locust as a band that's playing a lot of shows. They have the entertainment factor in the sense that they have a stage persona. They seem to be conscious of more than just the music, the imagery of the band. They're intense and they're a really hard-working band. Sonically, we're a bit different, but they have the same work ethic."
Why stay in San Diego: "It's the best place in the world to live. I've seen a lot of other cities and spent more than just a day in them, and there's so much to offer here. That said, I can understand why people come here and might not like it. If you're into leisurely living, if you like the beach, if you like the sun, if you like cruising around in a loincloth in your dune buggy, then it's a great city to be in."
– CHRIS NIXON
Friday, October 14, 2005
Combo pack: Calexico, Iron & Wine
Calexico collaborated with Iron & Wine and a 'lot of things came together' quickly
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
October 13, 2005
With a touch of desert noir and spaghetti Western beauty, the Tuscon-based band Calexico dwells in the wide-open spaces of the Southwest. Formed in 1996 by ex-Giant Sand members Joey Burns and John Convertino, Calexico lives in the musical territory of the border town: not quite Mexico, not quite the United States. Mingling the passion of dual mariachi trumpets, dreamy vibraphones and the twang of the pedal steel, the band takes an ambient, improvisational approach to traditional Mexican-American music.
Along with a bevy of Calexico albums, Burns and Convertino have explored the art of collaboration by producing and backing a handful of worthy artists: Neko Case (on 2002's "Blacklisted"), Panóptica of the Nortec Collective ("Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3") and Los Super Seven (Tex-Mex supergroup, well worth checking out).
But its latest collaboration with indie folk artist Iron & Wine – aka Sam Beam – may be Calexico's most interesting pairing. During a four-day recording session in December 2004, Calexico and Iron & Wine laid down tracks for seven Beam-penned songs. Eventually released as the EP "He Lays in the Reins" in September, the disc combines Beam's quiet introspective folk and Calexico's Southwestern atmospherics.
"I think over the years Joey's become more of a songwriter," says Calexico drummer Convertino via cell phone from Brooklyn, where the duo is mixing a new Calexico album due in the spring. "But initially, our songs were based in the instrumental vein. We come from a more instrumental, ambient foundation. Sam definitely comes from a singer-songwriter foundation. I think that was a great combination."
The chemistry between the musicians is evident on first listen, from the title track (which also features Mexican singer Salvador Duran) to the hushed folk meets marimba musings of "Dead Man's Will." The whole affair felt natural for Convertino, despite having never met Beam before recording in Tucson.
"From hearing the demos, I was thinking 'This is going to be a very quiet situation. We're going to have to be playing really softly,'" Convertino recalls. "(Beam) actually wanted to go the other way more: still be inside the song and sensitive to what the song is doing, but not hold back. It wasn't like we had to think about it that much. The way he played and sang, it was a pretty natural process for Joey and me to do the basic tracks of the record. A lot of things came together in two or three takes."
The speedy process of recording, mixing and touring in support of "He Lays in the Reins" all within one year gives the music an immediacy not normally found in collaborative albums.
"There's something great about when you record a record (in four days), then you mix it and you release it," says Convertino. "There's a certain kind of momentum that goes along with it. Howard Greynolds – the owner of Overcoat Records – put the whole thing together. He's been in the business long enough to see when the music is recorded and mixed and released and toured (in a short period of time), it's all one breath."
Convertino says shows on the present tour – which stops at the House of Blues Monday – will consist of a set by Iron & Wine (Sam Beam and his band), a set by Calexico and then a final set with both Beam and Calexico onstage together. For Convertino, the sense of exploration and momentum that fueled the recording process is sure to spill over to the collaborators' tour: "We've only played one or two songs live, so we're really looking forward to getting onstage and seeing what happens."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
October 13, 2005
With a touch of desert noir and spaghetti Western beauty, the Tuscon-based band Calexico dwells in the wide-open spaces of the Southwest. Formed in 1996 by ex-Giant Sand members Joey Burns and John Convertino, Calexico lives in the musical territory of the border town: not quite Mexico, not quite the United States. Mingling the passion of dual mariachi trumpets, dreamy vibraphones and the twang of the pedal steel, the band takes an ambient, improvisational approach to traditional Mexican-American music.
Along with a bevy of Calexico albums, Burns and Convertino have explored the art of collaboration by producing and backing a handful of worthy artists: Neko Case (on 2002's "Blacklisted"), Panóptica of the Nortec Collective ("Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3") and Los Super Seven (Tex-Mex supergroup, well worth checking out).
But its latest collaboration with indie folk artist Iron & Wine – aka Sam Beam – may be Calexico's most interesting pairing. During a four-day recording session in December 2004, Calexico and Iron & Wine laid down tracks for seven Beam-penned songs. Eventually released as the EP "He Lays in the Reins" in September, the disc combines Beam's quiet introspective folk and Calexico's Southwestern atmospherics.
"I think over the years Joey's become more of a songwriter," says Calexico drummer Convertino via cell phone from Brooklyn, where the duo is mixing a new Calexico album due in the spring. "But initially, our songs were based in the instrumental vein. We come from a more instrumental, ambient foundation. Sam definitely comes from a singer-songwriter foundation. I think that was a great combination."
The chemistry between the musicians is evident on first listen, from the title track (which also features Mexican singer Salvador Duran) to the hushed folk meets marimba musings of "Dead Man's Will." The whole affair felt natural for Convertino, despite having never met Beam before recording in Tucson.
"From hearing the demos, I was thinking 'This is going to be a very quiet situation. We're going to have to be playing really softly,'" Convertino recalls. "(Beam) actually wanted to go the other way more: still be inside the song and sensitive to what the song is doing, but not hold back. It wasn't like we had to think about it that much. The way he played and sang, it was a pretty natural process for Joey and me to do the basic tracks of the record. A lot of things came together in two or three takes."
The speedy process of recording, mixing and touring in support of "He Lays in the Reins" all within one year gives the music an immediacy not normally found in collaborative albums.
"There's something great about when you record a record (in four days), then you mix it and you release it," says Convertino. "There's a certain kind of momentum that goes along with it. Howard Greynolds – the owner of Overcoat Records – put the whole thing together. He's been in the business long enough to see when the music is recorded and mixed and released and toured (in a short period of time), it's all one breath."
Convertino says shows on the present tour – which stops at the House of Blues Monday – will consist of a set by Iron & Wine (Sam Beam and his band), a set by Calexico and then a final set with both Beam and Calexico onstage together. For Convertino, the sense of exploration and momentum that fueled the recording process is sure to spill over to the collaborators' tour: "We've only played one or two songs live, so we're really looking forward to getting onstage and seeing what happens."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
BRMC: A time to 'Howl'
'Good music' is still the root of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's new sound
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
October 6, 2005
Fire and brimstone. Shout and holler. Hand claps and foot stomps. These are the trademark sounds of American roots and gospel music.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – known for its fuzzy shoe-gazer guitar rock and 1960s psychedelia on its first two albums – draws on these inspirations for its latest album, "Howl," released in August.
As guitarist Peter Hayes speaks via cell phone from Los Angeles, he says he's having his faith tested by the trials of everyday life: "Right now, I'm standing outside a liquor store and waiting for a tow truck to tow my car. So be it."
From the opening harmonies of "Howl's" first track, "Shuffle Your Feet," in which Hayes and vocalist Peter Levon Been sing Time won't save our souls, it's easy to hear BMRC is traveling down a different road from its 2001's eponymous album and 2003's "Take Them On, On Your Own." It's a dusty dirt road traveled by troubadours from Leadbelly to Johnny Cash.
"It just comes down to trying to write a good song," said Hayes about the decision to focus on acoustic instruments on "Howl." "The spirit of rock 'n' roll lives beyond an electric guitar. I think Johnny Cash proved that and I think a bunch of other people proved it. It doesn't have a whole lot to do with how you play. It has to do with how you live."
Hayes has lived through his ups-and-down when it comes to his band.
After finishing the tour schedule in support of "Take Them On, On Your Own," the guitarist decided to go on hiatus from BRMC. In fact, the group's future seemed to be in jeopardy.
Part of Hayes' frustration came from constant comparisons to the 1990s alt-rock band Jesus and Mary Chain and misunderstandings about Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's image.
"I guess I was the first guy to say, 'I need to stop and take a break because I'm not enjoying it like I want to,'" said Hayes. "It didn't feel like people were really listening to what was being said by us in a way. There was a lot of talk about grumpy, moody musicians that didn't like to talk. "Either you like the music or you don't. I decided I would just go away for a while and keep the music to myself. But that's not the reason we started this band. We feel like we have a point: We want to get good music heard by people who are interested in hearing good music. That's the overriding thing; that's more important than any of our attitudes or politics.
"We'd always be asked what bands we were into, and we'd say 'Edith Piaf, Johnny Cash, Syd Barrett, the Beatles,'" continued Hayes. "And then they'd come out and say, 'This band sounds like Jesus and Mary Chain.' So why did I bother telling you what I liked then? So now, we get to talk about Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash instead of Jesus and Mary Chain."
The result is the joyous, transcendent sound of "Howl," 11 tracks timing out at just over 52 minutes, ranging from the foot-stomping rollicking good time of "Shuffle Your Feet" to the darker acoustic waters of the final track, "The Line."
Hayes said he feels that moving in a more acoustic direction is not a colossal stretch for the trio.
"This is the type of music we've been making since the beginning," Hayes said. "We'd start playing in the living room of a house and the neighbors would get (mad) if were still playing. So we'd have to turn (the amps) off and play acoustic guitars. We've had a lot of songs written on acoustic guitars. We were really subtle with the acoustic guitars on the other albums, but it's always been there."
The album has a flying-by-the-seat-of-their-pants enthusiasm and is BRMC's best album to date. That enthusiasm has translated to the handful of shows since "Howl's" release.
"We were playing a club in London called Scala," said Hayes, who brings BMRC to Brick by Brick in Bay Park tomorrow night. "And I just remember looking up and seeing smiles in the crowd all the way to the back of the room. That's the way it's supposed to be."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
ARTISTS, ALBUMS AND SONGS THAT HELPED SHAPE "HOWL"
Johnny Cash "Blood, Sweat & Tears" (1963): "When we record, we really don't listen to any records," said Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Peter Hayes. "But on this one, when we were mixing, we were listening to 'Blood, Sweat & Tears' by Johnny Cash. We were trying to get the acoustic guitar sound from that album. We really wanted to steer away from the majority of acoustic music, even the new country acoustic guitar sound. That stuff sounds real jingly and shiny and high-tech. We wanted a warm real wood sound."
Little Walter, Sam Cooke and Sister Rosetta Tharpe: It's clear Hayes and the rest of BRMC listened to a lot of traditional gospel and roots music, leading up to the recording of "Howl," including the holy trinity of Little Walter, Sam Cooke and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. "Gospel music was in mind when we made the album, but it wasn't expected," said Hayes. "We really didn't want to go down that road, because so many people have done it and done it well. We thought about it, but it wasn't something we were going to go for. The point gets across, but we're just white guys living in Los Angeles. We're not trying to do anything but make good music."
Leadbelly, "Pick a Bale of Cotton": Huddie William Ledbetter, aka Leadbelly, lived from 1885 to 1949 and twice sang his way out of jail sentences. Folklorists Neil and Alan Lomax ran across Leadbelly in the Louisiana State Penitentiary while traveling the South and recording traditional songs for the Library of Congress. The blues singer provided a link from Pete Seeger, the Weavers and the rest of the mid-century folk revivalists back to the original breeding ground of traditional blues and folk music in the South. Hayes says: "As far as using vocals in rhythmic patterns, Leadbelly is amazing."
– CHRIS NIXON
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
October 6, 2005
Fire and brimstone. Shout and holler. Hand claps and foot stomps. These are the trademark sounds of American roots and gospel music.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – known for its fuzzy shoe-gazer guitar rock and 1960s psychedelia on its first two albums – draws on these inspirations for its latest album, "Howl," released in August.
As guitarist Peter Hayes speaks via cell phone from Los Angeles, he says he's having his faith tested by the trials of everyday life: "Right now, I'm standing outside a liquor store and waiting for a tow truck to tow my car. So be it."
From the opening harmonies of "Howl's" first track, "Shuffle Your Feet," in which Hayes and vocalist Peter Levon Been sing Time won't save our souls, it's easy to hear BMRC is traveling down a different road from its 2001's eponymous album and 2003's "Take Them On, On Your Own." It's a dusty dirt road traveled by troubadours from Leadbelly to Johnny Cash.
"It just comes down to trying to write a good song," said Hayes about the decision to focus on acoustic instruments on "Howl." "The spirit of rock 'n' roll lives beyond an electric guitar. I think Johnny Cash proved that and I think a bunch of other people proved it. It doesn't have a whole lot to do with how you play. It has to do with how you live."
Hayes has lived through his ups-and-down when it comes to his band.
After finishing the tour schedule in support of "Take Them On, On Your Own," the guitarist decided to go on hiatus from BRMC. In fact, the group's future seemed to be in jeopardy.
Part of Hayes' frustration came from constant comparisons to the 1990s alt-rock band Jesus and Mary Chain and misunderstandings about Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's image.
"I guess I was the first guy to say, 'I need to stop and take a break because I'm not enjoying it like I want to,'" said Hayes. "It didn't feel like people were really listening to what was being said by us in a way. There was a lot of talk about grumpy, moody musicians that didn't like to talk. "Either you like the music or you don't. I decided I would just go away for a while and keep the music to myself. But that's not the reason we started this band. We feel like we have a point: We want to get good music heard by people who are interested in hearing good music. That's the overriding thing; that's more important than any of our attitudes or politics.
"We'd always be asked what bands we were into, and we'd say 'Edith Piaf, Johnny Cash, Syd Barrett, the Beatles,'" continued Hayes. "And then they'd come out and say, 'This band sounds like Jesus and Mary Chain.' So why did I bother telling you what I liked then? So now, we get to talk about Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash instead of Jesus and Mary Chain."
The result is the joyous, transcendent sound of "Howl," 11 tracks timing out at just over 52 minutes, ranging from the foot-stomping rollicking good time of "Shuffle Your Feet" to the darker acoustic waters of the final track, "The Line."
Hayes said he feels that moving in a more acoustic direction is not a colossal stretch for the trio.
"This is the type of music we've been making since the beginning," Hayes said. "We'd start playing in the living room of a house and the neighbors would get (mad) if were still playing. So we'd have to turn (the amps) off and play acoustic guitars. We've had a lot of songs written on acoustic guitars. We were really subtle with the acoustic guitars on the other albums, but it's always been there."
The album has a flying-by-the-seat-of-their-pants enthusiasm and is BRMC's best album to date. That enthusiasm has translated to the handful of shows since "Howl's" release.
"We were playing a club in London called Scala," said Hayes, who brings BMRC to Brick by Brick in Bay Park tomorrow night. "And I just remember looking up and seeing smiles in the crowd all the way to the back of the room. That's the way it's supposed to be."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
ARTISTS, ALBUMS AND SONGS THAT HELPED SHAPE "HOWL"
Johnny Cash "Blood, Sweat & Tears" (1963): "When we record, we really don't listen to any records," said Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Peter Hayes. "But on this one, when we were mixing, we were listening to 'Blood, Sweat & Tears' by Johnny Cash. We were trying to get the acoustic guitar sound from that album. We really wanted to steer away from the majority of acoustic music, even the new country acoustic guitar sound. That stuff sounds real jingly and shiny and high-tech. We wanted a warm real wood sound."
Little Walter, Sam Cooke and Sister Rosetta Tharpe: It's clear Hayes and the rest of BRMC listened to a lot of traditional gospel and roots music, leading up to the recording of "Howl," including the holy trinity of Little Walter, Sam Cooke and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. "Gospel music was in mind when we made the album, but it wasn't expected," said Hayes. "We really didn't want to go down that road, because so many people have done it and done it well. We thought about it, but it wasn't something we were going to go for. The point gets across, but we're just white guys living in Los Angeles. We're not trying to do anything but make good music."
Leadbelly, "Pick a Bale of Cotton": Huddie William Ledbetter, aka Leadbelly, lived from 1885 to 1949 and twice sang his way out of jail sentences. Folklorists Neil and Alan Lomax ran across Leadbelly in the Louisiana State Penitentiary while traveling the South and recording traditional songs for the Library of Congress. The blues singer provided a link from Pete Seeger, the Weavers and the rest of the mid-century folk revivalists back to the original breeding ground of traditional blues and folk music in the South. Hayes says: "As far as using vocals in rhythmic patterns, Leadbelly is amazing."
– CHRIS NIXON
Power duo
The Kills: 'With two people, everything is just much more intense'
By Chris Nixon
Special to the San Diego Union-Tribune
September 22, 2005
From the opening drum machine pitter-patter of "No Wow," the title track from the Kills' second album, it's clear this duo takes the indie rock boy-girl formula to gloriously extremes.
Boy-girl duos like Sweden's the Raveonettes heap on overdubbed harmonies and echo-laden guitars. Others, like the White Stripes' Jack and Meg White, pull off octopus-armed gymnastics during their lives shows to fill in the gaps left by a two-person band in the quartet-dominated ranks of rock.
The Kills – vocalist VV (Alison Mosshart) and guitarist Hotel (Jamie Hince) – celebrate the sparseness created by two musicians and a drum machine. VV's powerful voice and Hotel's penchant for bluesy distorted guitar riffs fit together naturally, while the lack of a bass player and live drummer only accentuates the Kills' skills.
When you live life as a duo, the spotlight shines a bit brighter. But "there are a lot less people to blame," admited Hotel during a recent phone conversation from Great Britain.
"There are just two of us, the whole thing becomes a lot more intense," said the Londoner , now resting between tours in support of "No Wow." "When it's a celebration, it's great because it's all focused on one of us. But when bad things happen or things aren't working out, it's a lot harder."
In a previous life as simply Jamie Hince, Hotel sang and played guitar in a UK outfit called Scarfo. The band released a self-titled album in 1996 on the indie label Broken ReKids (a worthwhile listen if you can find a copy), so Hotel has been around the business a while and knows a bit about group dynamics.
"I've been in bands with three or four different people," said Hotel. "Everybody has their own personality and they tend to dilute the situation. With two people, everything is just much more intense: the good thing and bad things. There are less people to delegate work to. We have total control over all our artwork, we produce our records, but it's a lot harder work."
Now living as an expat in London, VV met Hotel on a trip to London while she was still living in Florida. They made music together by sending tapes across the Atlantic, until the dark-haired Mosshart decided to pack everything she owned into a few suitcases and move to London.
Mosshart and Hince officially joined forces in the Kills in 2000, changing their stage name to VV and Hotel. Soon after, the band recorded the self-released "Black Rooster EP" followed by nonstop touring.
In 2003, the Kills released "Keep on Your Mean Side" on Rough Trade records. Recorded in two weeks after a tour of the United States, the record's 12 tracks feature the now-trademark stripped-down sound associated with the Kills. Equal parts fuzzy blues and garage rock, the album garnered the two musicians a major-label deal on RCA records.
The process of going from an indie label to RCA has been relatively easy for the fiercely independent Hotel, a fact he still finds surprising.
"It's funny, because I think a lot of people – me included – have certain ideas about the stereotypes of independent and major labels," said Hotel. "One thing I've found in working with the two is that it's often the independents that are the most corporate. It's been my experience that certain independent labels want more creative control than a major label. With RCA, it's more of a tape-delivery service. We just give them what we've recorded and they distribute it."
With the pressures of moving to a major label, the band wanted to keep the songwriting and recording process as immediate and visceral as possible.
"With the 'No Wow' record, we wanted to make a record in really different circumstances from how we've made records before and from how most bands make records," said Hotel. "We felt on top of the world after we made 'Keep on Your Mean Side.' Rather than go into the process with a lot of fear about expectations, stepping it up a gear and getting on the radio, we wanted to find what was at the heart of the Kills.
"We wanted to find out what our instinctive sound was," added the guitarist. "To do that, we didn't want to overthink things or make it too academic. We just wanted to see what we would come up with from pure gut instinct, so we wrote the record really quickly.
"Now, we need to sit down and figure another way of writing. I want each record to have its own picture and not just be a set of songs. I want the set of circumstances be just as important as the result."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
>FIVE THAT MATTER TO THE KILLS' HOTEL
During a recent conversation, Hotel (Jamie Hince), the Kills' guitarist Hotel, braved a bad cross-Atlantic telephone connection to give five albums that shaped his musical tastes and his artistic direction in life:
Velvet Underground & Nico, "Velvet Underground & Nico" (1967, Verve): "The first Velvet Underground record has always been a benchmark for me. I'm kind of romantic about that scene: New York in the late '60s. That's kind of what I aspire to: a band that incorporates literature – like Allan Ginsberg – and Andy Warhol with art and the politics of the time and the filmmakers were all part and parcel of the Velvet Underground. The periphery of the scene was just as important as the band itself. When you listen to what other bands are doing in 1967, I think that the Velvet Underground is quite incredible."
P.J. Harvey, "Rid of Me" (1993, Island): "She really changed things for me. The record was so in-your-face and brutal. It turned me onto blues really. I thought blues was boring until P.J. Harvey made 'Rid of Me.' It got me into Captain Beefheart, it got me listening to Howlin' Wolf and tracing it back to Charlie Patton."
LCD Soundsystem, "LCD Soundsystem" (2005, Capitol): "This is pretty much my favorite record form the last year and my favorite band of the moment. It's really powerful music. I think James Murphy is an incredible frontman and the words are really cool. It just sounds like it should have always been around. I can't imagine that record not being here now. It was a classic record the week it came out."
Royal Trux, "Accelerator" (1998, Drag City): "I've always associated with Neil Haggerty and Jennifer (Herrema), that kind of male-female duo at the core of this band. There was a kind of romanticism about it and at the same time a self-destructive quality about it. From start to finish, this is an amazing record. It's super-catchy and pushing boundaries as far as ideas. I love that record."
Wire, "Pink Flag" (1993, Restless Records): "I would definitely grab that record if my house caught on fire. (Wire) was always involved in the punk scene, but it was always doing something different. It was a little too arty for the punks, and a little bit too punky for the art kids. The band made amazing records not trying to sound like anyone else, not trying to fit in. All of the bands I've mentioned suffered for just making the kind of record they wanted to make without caring about commercial success. That's definitely the case with Wire."
– CHRIS NIXON
By Chris Nixon
Special to the San Diego Union-Tribune
September 22, 2005
From the opening drum machine pitter-patter of "No Wow," the title track from the Kills' second album, it's clear this duo takes the indie rock boy-girl formula to gloriously extremes.
Boy-girl duos like Sweden's the Raveonettes heap on overdubbed harmonies and echo-laden guitars. Others, like the White Stripes' Jack and Meg White, pull off octopus-armed gymnastics during their lives shows to fill in the gaps left by a two-person band in the quartet-dominated ranks of rock.
The Kills – vocalist VV (Alison Mosshart) and guitarist Hotel (Jamie Hince) – celebrate the sparseness created by two musicians and a drum machine. VV's powerful voice and Hotel's penchant for bluesy distorted guitar riffs fit together naturally, while the lack of a bass player and live drummer only accentuates the Kills' skills.
When you live life as a duo, the spotlight shines a bit brighter. But "there are a lot less people to blame," admited Hotel during a recent phone conversation from Great Britain.
"There are just two of us, the whole thing becomes a lot more intense," said the Londoner , now resting between tours in support of "No Wow." "When it's a celebration, it's great because it's all focused on one of us. But when bad things happen or things aren't working out, it's a lot harder."
In a previous life as simply Jamie Hince, Hotel sang and played guitar in a UK outfit called Scarfo. The band released a self-titled album in 1996 on the indie label Broken ReKids (a worthwhile listen if you can find a copy), so Hotel has been around the business a while and knows a bit about group dynamics.
"I've been in bands with three or four different people," said Hotel. "Everybody has their own personality and they tend to dilute the situation. With two people, everything is just much more intense: the good thing and bad things. There are less people to delegate work to. We have total control over all our artwork, we produce our records, but it's a lot harder work."
Now living as an expat in London, VV met Hotel on a trip to London while she was still living in Florida. They made music together by sending tapes across the Atlantic, until the dark-haired Mosshart decided to pack everything she owned into a few suitcases and move to London.
Mosshart and Hince officially joined forces in the Kills in 2000, changing their stage name to VV and Hotel. Soon after, the band recorded the self-released "Black Rooster EP" followed by nonstop touring.
In 2003, the Kills released "Keep on Your Mean Side" on Rough Trade records. Recorded in two weeks after a tour of the United States, the record's 12 tracks feature the now-trademark stripped-down sound associated with the Kills. Equal parts fuzzy blues and garage rock, the album garnered the two musicians a major-label deal on RCA records.
The process of going from an indie label to RCA has been relatively easy for the fiercely independent Hotel, a fact he still finds surprising.
"It's funny, because I think a lot of people – me included – have certain ideas about the stereotypes of independent and major labels," said Hotel. "One thing I've found in working with the two is that it's often the independents that are the most corporate. It's been my experience that certain independent labels want more creative control than a major label. With RCA, it's more of a tape-delivery service. We just give them what we've recorded and they distribute it."
With the pressures of moving to a major label, the band wanted to keep the songwriting and recording process as immediate and visceral as possible.
"With the 'No Wow' record, we wanted to make a record in really different circumstances from how we've made records before and from how most bands make records," said Hotel. "We felt on top of the world after we made 'Keep on Your Mean Side.' Rather than go into the process with a lot of fear about expectations, stepping it up a gear and getting on the radio, we wanted to find what was at the heart of the Kills.
"We wanted to find out what our instinctive sound was," added the guitarist. "To do that, we didn't want to overthink things or make it too academic. We just wanted to see what we would come up with from pure gut instinct, so we wrote the record really quickly.
"Now, we need to sit down and figure another way of writing. I want each record to have its own picture and not just be a set of songs. I want the set of circumstances be just as important as the result."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
>FIVE THAT MATTER TO THE KILLS' HOTEL
During a recent conversation, Hotel (Jamie Hince), the Kills' guitarist Hotel, braved a bad cross-Atlantic telephone connection to give five albums that shaped his musical tastes and his artistic direction in life:
Velvet Underground & Nico, "Velvet Underground & Nico" (1967, Verve): "The first Velvet Underground record has always been a benchmark for me. I'm kind of romantic about that scene: New York in the late '60s. That's kind of what I aspire to: a band that incorporates literature – like Allan Ginsberg – and Andy Warhol with art and the politics of the time and the filmmakers were all part and parcel of the Velvet Underground. The periphery of the scene was just as important as the band itself. When you listen to what other bands are doing in 1967, I think that the Velvet Underground is quite incredible."
P.J. Harvey, "Rid of Me" (1993, Island): "She really changed things for me. The record was so in-your-face and brutal. It turned me onto blues really. I thought blues was boring until P.J. Harvey made 'Rid of Me.' It got me into Captain Beefheart, it got me listening to Howlin' Wolf and tracing it back to Charlie Patton."
LCD Soundsystem, "LCD Soundsystem" (2005, Capitol): "This is pretty much my favorite record form the last year and my favorite band of the moment. It's really powerful music. I think James Murphy is an incredible frontman and the words are really cool. It just sounds like it should have always been around. I can't imagine that record not being here now. It was a classic record the week it came out."
Royal Trux, "Accelerator" (1998, Drag City): "I've always associated with Neil Haggerty and Jennifer (Herrema), that kind of male-female duo at the core of this band. There was a kind of romanticism about it and at the same time a self-destructive quality about it. From start to finish, this is an amazing record. It's super-catchy and pushing boundaries as far as ideas. I love that record."
Wire, "Pink Flag" (1993, Restless Records): "I would definitely grab that record if my house caught on fire. (Wire) was always involved in the punk scene, but it was always doing something different. It was a little too arty for the punks, and a little bit too punky for the art kids. The band made amazing records not trying to sound like anyone else, not trying to fit in. All of the bands I've mentioned suffered for just making the kind of record they wanted to make without caring about commercial success. That's definitely the case with Wire."
– CHRIS NIXON
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