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Interview with Sami.the.Great

amnoonpm — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:27:57 +0000

She gave herself a lot to live up to by using Sami.the.Great as her musical moniker and Sami Akbari has definitely risen up to that challenge. She’s receiving a lot of attention from tastemakers like Daytrotter, Nylon and Bust magazine and winning fans through near constant touring. There’s a retro/modern push-pull to her sound and she brings this Doris Day vibe mixed with modern sass to her music that I enjoy immensely. I am super bummed that due to prior commitments I am not going to be able to make it to her show at The Heavy Anchor on May 30th. I hope you’ll go and report back to me with all the details!

I’d like to thank Sami for taking time in her busy tour schedule to answer a few of my questions. Be sure you grab a copy of her salty-sweet, self-titled LP; it’s a perfect soundtrack for summer!

Can you tell me a little bit about how you got into music? I am curious about how your Iranian heritage and the music there has impacted you as a musician. I know you’ve said that you felt out place, caught between two cultures as a child. Did music help to bridge that divide?

I have been singing and writing for as long as I can remember, but I brought the two of them together in college when I was involved in bringing all the bands/musicians to my school and getting to hang out with them. I fell in love with what they did and started pursuing it myself. As for being half-Iranian, I think being caught between two cultures shaped me as a person. In the moments where I didn’t really feel like I belonged in any particular place, music was helpful because it crosses boundaries and cultures. It’s universal, no matter what language you’re singing in.

I know you are big Beatles fan. Do you have a favorite tune of theirs? Who/what else are big influences on your music?

It’s hard to pick a favorite Beatles song, but “It’s Only Love” is a big one for me. I’m really influenced by music of the 50′s, and girl groups of the 50′s and 60′s.

How was your experience with crowd funding/using Kickstarter to get this LP made? Any advice to artist’s looking to do something similar?

I did the Kickstarter for the tour I did! At first I was hesitant to do it because it just felt weird, but my attitude has changed towards it and I actually kind of love the crowd funding model. It allows the fans to be a part of your process in a way they never could before while allowing the artist to be less dependent on a label or other sources. I encourage people to do it! It’s really stressful while you’re doing it, but it feels great to get it done (if you’re successful with it).

Do you have a personal favorite on the record?

I think my favorite is “Making Eyes”. It’s pretty much the epitome of what I was going for on that record.

You have been touring for most of the past couple of years. Do you have any “must have” items or talismans that you take along with you on the road?

I keep Cliff bars and trail mix in my car! It helps keep off hunger when I’m driving and keeps the costs down on food.

I’ve read that there’s an audio-visual/animation element to your live show. Can you tell me a little more about that?

As part of my Kickstarter, I wanted to make the tour a bit more interesting than me just getting up there and playing music, so I enlisted an animator to create an animation that I project behind me while I’m playing, so that it’s a visual experience as well as an audio one.

Sami.the.Great performs at The Heavy Anchor with Bluefish and Steven Deeds, May 30th, 9pm

Filed under: Interviews with Musicians/Bands, Live Versions, Videos

New Releases: Laura Marling

amnoonpm — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:12:55 +0000

Sometimes you just have to drop everything else you are doing to focus in on something that is filling your whole world with delight. I am way behind on talking about new releases and I hope to get a post out later this week highlighting some of the other great stuff I’ve been listening to but Ms. Laura Marling deserves a post all to herself. Her newest release, Once I Was An Eagle, is one of the albums that I have been looking forward to most this year. I was like, giddy-six-year-old-can’t-wait-for-Christmas-morning kind of excited when I saw that it’s available to preview on NPR. Marling has secured her position as one my favorite songwriters and vocalists time and again. Her songs are where I go when I need to think, need to feel connected, need to be calmed, and/or need to be inspired. Her voice is a sacred place.

Herem as on every other one of her consistently remarkable offerings, she enrages, enraptures, soothes and questions with mastery. I knew within the first few strains of the title track that once again she was going to open up a magic portal and pull me through. I’ve been lost in the songs ever since. I may never come out.

Filed under: 2013 Releases, Album Covers, Videos

KDHX: Water Liars Perform “Bird of Song” for Show Me Shows

amnoonpm — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:38:23 +0000

Photo by Jarred Gastreich

I am really proud to share this article/interview I did to accompany Show Me Shows’ taping of Water Liars’ “Bird of Song” which was recently published on the website of the best damn listener supported radio station in all the land . . . KDHX. Water Liars, Show Me Shows and KDHX happen to be three of my favorite things on the planet and so it was a trifecta of awesomeness as far as I’m concerned. Go HERE if you’d like to enjoy a breathtaking acoustic version of “Bird of Song” and read all about that day at the lovely Hett Theater in Lebanon, Illinois.

Filed under: Interviews with Musicians/Bands, KDHX, Show Me Shows

Interview with Home By Hovercraft

amnoonpm — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:52:38 +0000

I have a penchant for the dramatic when it comes to music. No smart ass remarks, friends of mine. Yes I know it extends to other areas.

Paint me a moody scene, make my insides swell along with the rise and fall of your music and you are gonna win my heart and ear’s favor. As I wrote in my first mention Home By Hovercraft’s Are We Chameleons? release, they had me from the first note and kept me all the way through. This band out of Dallas, Texas is absolutely one of my favorite new discoveries of the year. I am so pleased they took the time to answer some of my questions. When you are done reading, listen to the album and once you fall in love…which I am certain you will…spread that love around and share it with a friend!

Can you tell me a little about your backgrounds and how you all came together to form the band?

We (Seth and Shawn Magill) first formed Home By Hovercraft to produce our debut EP, Seams, in 2009. Over the next few years, we lived and performed our material in Austin, and New York, finally returning to our hometown of Dallas to join with the current band members for our recording of “Are We Chameleons?” released in March of 2013.

Seth is trained in theater, receiving his Fine Arts degree from SMU In Dallas TX, and his love of storytelling and theatrics is apparent in his lyrics and in our live shows. Theatre also provided the introduction to current band mates Max Hartman (drums) and Johnny Sequenzia (mandolin, harmonica, backup vocals) who work in the local Dallas theatre scene as actors and teachers. Shawn is a classically trained pianist, who started at the University of Texas at Austin as a piano performance major before eventually obtaining a business degree. Her classical training provides the theory foundation for many current compositions. Seth’s sister Abbey Magill has been step-dancing competitively in the Irish tradition since a young age, and the idea to use her steps as a layer of percussion has been slowly building as we’ve cheered her on in pubs and house performances for years, finally culminating in adding her to the lineup of the band. We’ve recently added classically trained cellist Steven Ramirez to help round out bass lines and pick up some of the lovely violin lines guest artist Becki Howard recorded for the album.

You were quoted in one interview I read as saying, “Genre labels shouldn’t be burned to the ground, maybe just sanded down a little bit, blended and texturized.” and I just love that way of describing the problem of putting music into genres! It’s something I struggle with all the time as a reviewer/writer of music because I hate shoving people in little boxes. At the same time, it’s helpful to give new listeners a frame of reference. How do you describe your sound?

Someone recently described our music as classically influenced pop rock. That’s a fair assessment, although we don’t necessarily write to that definition. We love isolating sounds, we love dynamics, we love walls of polyphony and when we set out to explore a song we stretch it in many different directions before we leave it alone. I think that has something to do with the “drama” or “journey” that people sometimes mention after our shows.

I know you incorporate some unusual instruments to achieve your sound such as the banjolin. What is that exactly and what’s the benefit of using it? What are some of the other unique instruments you’ve used?

The banjolin is a unique hybrid of a banjo and mandolin. The neck and strings are the same as a mandolin, but the body is a small banjo “drum”. It allows us to play around with that mixture of tones and textures. We also use a rather old tuba and small ceramic orchestra bells that were originally made for teaching children in Japan. Both instruments have a sound and tone that are unique to us, like an old keyboard sample or a nicely aged drum.

I understand Abbey also provides some of the percussion with Irish step dancing and it brought to mind how Seth just has one of those voices that you would imagine booming out traditional sing along songs in a pub somewhere in Ireland. I am assuming with the last name Magill there’s some Irish heritage there?

There is, definitely, we’ve loosely traced members of our family back to Ireland. Abbey, however, is the first in the immediate family to study Irish step dancing. She’s made several trips to Ireland touring with traditional Irish bands and assures us that we’d be welcomed with open arms there, which we can’t wait to test out! In our opinion she’s really invented a new type of art form with her dancing, looping the cadences you hear in traditional Irish music over our songs, which don’t really follow that tradition at all!

Who/what are some of your influences, musical and otherwise?

We are lovers of those things that stretch the boundaries of our comfort zones and challenge us to think and feel about things differently. Our influences musically are diverse ranging from the Moody Blues and Pink Floyd concerts our free-thinking parents took us to as kids (yes, both of us and sometimes together!) to Rachmaninoff (Shawn’s favorite classical composer), early brit-pop punk styles of New Order to the 90s grunge bands that influenced us in high school (showing our age) to a long list of “indie rock bands” that have ebbed and flowed into our consciousness over the past decade.

We have a voracious appetite for finding and listening to new music, always picking up elements that inspire us and incorporating them into our sound. Shawn loves to try to make the piano sound like a guitar or banjo. We are also big readers, loving classical and new literature, soaking up new philosophies that again challenge our way of thinking about the world and open our eyes to new ideas. We honestly finding, listening to and watching new music as much as we love playing our own new music.

Your music was recently part of a sci-fi musical in Dallas. I am intrigued by the idea of a “sci-fi” musical involving Marie Antoinette and hot air balloons. What was that experience like? Is it something you are looking at doing more of in the future?

“On The Eve” germinated from an idea for a story that we (Seth & Shawn) had quite a few years back around the first manned hot air balloon flight during the time of Marie Antoinette – it was “manned” by a rooster, a duck, and a sheep named “Monteciel”, we figured if the sheep had a name something really amazing must have been going on! Then we learned of a similar obsession our close friend (and fellow SMU Theatre classmate of Seth’s) Michael Federico had with time travel, hot air balloons, and a love of history – in particular for this same French Revolution time period. Mike’s also a huge Home By Hovercraft fan and as we talked more and more we decided to try our hand at writing a musical together.

We all created the story together, with Mike developing many of the characters and actually putting the words on paper (“The Book” as it’s called in the industry) and Seth and Shawn pulling in already written songs and writing new songs as the story dictated. It was one of the most exciting collaborative processes we’ve been through, with that process of creation also fueling our band, forming the foundation for the album, and even drawing some of our current band members to us! It’s really the musical that confirmed for us that we had to have Abbey dance with us, as her feet stomping form the sound of the revolution in the musical, and Max first heard us play during an early staged reading of the play. The musical has now taken on an amazing life of it’s own, with our recent short production earning rave reviews from local theater critics, and now it’s been picked up for a much longer run in a much bigger house at Theatre Three next year. We don’t really plan our creative ideas, they just come to us and we really can’t help but give them life – so it’s likely we will find ourselves slaves to more new theatrical ideas as they arise! We’ve already got several in the works!

What is your songwriting process? How do you handle creative differences when they pop up?

Our song-writing process is extremely collaborate between Seth and Shawn, usually starting with a kernel of lyrics and melody from Seth which Shawn layers chords and instrumentation around, or starting with a chord progression or piano lick that Seth weaves words and melody around. This free flow of songwriting leaves us many times with numerous “snippets” of songs vs. complete songs, that sometimes can take days and sometimes years to form on their own or combine together into full songs.

We don’t really see things as differences, we try to not say to “No” to anything, we’ll usually try anything and everything and usually we end up agreeing on the right path. If we find ourselves at a “stand-off” so to speak, this usually means that we’ve exhausted the creative flow for that song at that point in time and we need to walk away and come back to it, and usually it resolves itself. We’re also very disciplined in allowing our non songwriter band members to find their own voices and add to what we do, rather than dictate exactly what they need to play, so it all ends up with a really natural feel and flow, and we can still be surprised which is really important to us.

Do you have a favorite track on the album?

That’s a tough one since in some cases we poured years into re-writes and have a very emotional attachment due to life situations they bring to mind (“Relief”, for example came at a trying time where Shawn was traveling a ton for work and we felt more separate from each other) and in others they came quickly and easily while we were already in the recording process and we made a last minute call to add to the album (“Out Of My Head With It”).

Shawn’s personal favorite is “Lie In Your Bed” mainly because it’s one of those songs that just feels awesome to play with the long slow build on the piano at the beginning, with layers gradually joining and building in anticipation to the initial resolve of the Chorus, and then the triumphant ending that makes you feel like you can pretty much do anything! Seth pretty much feels the same way about that song – it explores a new direction and growth sonically where we want to push further, and really helped us to begin to find ourselves as a band. It’s a forward-looking song that represents one opportunity of where we can go next.

I am really hopeful for a St. Louis show sometime in the near future! Have you ever been to St. Louis?

We would love to play our music in St. Louis! We’re looking at tour dates in the August to October time frame before we ramp into pre-production for On The Eve next year. Shawn’s been through St Louis quite a few times as part of her youth was spent living in Michigan and visiting family in Texas during the summers. She’s also spend some time there for other business ventures. The St. Louis arch is one of our favorite national landmarks, we can’t wait to visit again!

Filed under: 2013 Releases, Interviews with Musicians/Bands, Live Versions, Videos

Illustrator Interview: Anna Kohlweis

amnoonpm — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:38:42 +0000

Very near the top of the list of things I love about music and the internet is how it brings people together. Case in point: just a couple of months ago I did not have a friend half-way across the world in Vienna and now I do! Yes, yes. I am fully aware that many people think you can’t truly get to know someone online. Pish posh. It took about three of her status updates to convince me that Anna Kohlweis and I were meant to be friends. I was first introduced to Anna and her work by a mutual friend and the poster illustration she did for one of my favorite music-making duos, Ian Fisher & The Present . Anna is a creative force, making music of her own in Squalloscope , illustrating her delightful Camp Frienemy and generally being hilarious on Facebook. I am so pleased that she took time to thoughtfully answer questions for my Illustrator Interview series. In particular I think her advice to aspiring artists is spot on!

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When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?

I am not sure this was a conscious decision, but there was a time when I was maybe five when I thought about doing something with arts someday. Because I was a kid swho spent most of her time drawing and reading, I also dreamt of writing and illustrating my own books.

I moved to Vienna in 2004 without actually having any plans or goals in life except not being in the town I grew up in anymore. For the first few years in the city I was very uninspired and clueless when it came to being creative visually but I soon started recording a couple of songs I had written, using a peanut sized microphone and my old crappy laptop. I was lucky to know Ilias Dahimene who started Seayou Records, who gave me the opportunity to release these songs as an album. I think writing, recording and producing music put my mind back into a certain creative mode and while making two more albums in the following years, I got more and more active drawing and making videos again. For quite some time, I saw myself as a music producing person who also makes visual stuff, but at the moment these two parts of my identity are quite balanced. I need both outlets to be a decently working human being and these outlets need each other to exist in the way I want them to exist. So, after taking some detours studying things that I didn’t care about in my early twenties, I am now at a point again where I would like to just about what I wanted to when I was five. I also wanted to be a circus director when I was five but I have to put that on ice for now.

What medium/media do you typically work in? What draws you to that/what do you like about it? What advice would you give to people working in that same medium/media?

At the moment I draw a lot of cartoons, mostly originating in things that actually happened to me or jokes that came up in conversations with friends. I also have two series of cartoons that I work on, one about silly puns and one about menstrual bleedings. I find cartoons to be a pretty great way to connect to people and yes, that might sound cheesy, but if I can make a stranger laugh, that pretty much makes my day. Sometimes I connect a certain cartoon aesthetic to vintage material. I like modifying found photographs and book pages.

I also make music videos for my own material and friends’ bands, using mostly material that I filmed but sometimes also found footage. The thing that connects all of my work is probably the storytelling and the use of language and the fact that it is quite easily accessible and understandable.

My advice would probably be not to be afraid to fuck up. Don’t let it bring you down if you think your technique is not good enough. If you have an idea that moves you and makes you feel excited, follow that lead! A good idea that excites you is the best kind of propulsion, be it for following through with it or just getting your but out of bed in the morning. Technique comes by practicing. Just keep working, get inspiration by keeping your eyes and ears open and give it time.

Don’t be afraid to be personal and honest in your work. If you want to tell a story, do it. Experiment with different materials until you find something that you really have fun using and have fun making things! Entertain yourself, go out, see stuff, get on a train or a bus and go places! It clears your head and gives you new perspectives and new stories to tell. Good luck!

How did you get started in doing illustration work for musicians and bands?

Because I make music, my circle of friends happens to include a lot of musicians. I’ve been making my own artwork and music videos since 2007 but of course it is totally different when you work for somebody else. I hope that we find a common ground in understanding their music and aesthetics. If it works out, and the music I am making the artwork or video for has a special place in my heart, I find the process of finding an aesthetic for it highly rewarding.

Ian Fisher has been a close friend since 2010 and I was very happy when he asked me if I was willing to create some artwork for him. I did some album cover artwork and posters and also directed, shot and edited the video to “Why Do I Go?”, which was the first time I shot a music video for someone else’s music. I had made one for my friends of SignA using found footage before, but shooting with actual people is an entirely different approach.

So far it has all happened because these people are friends of mine. If they weren’t, I would have to charge money. I can’t work for beers and guest list spots all the time. Although beers and guest list spots are mighty fine things and if you have a couple of spare ones of each and I am fond of your music, I might be absolutely thrilled to work for you anyway.

What other types of clients do you design for?

I don’t typically design for clients at all, actually. I don’t have a design background. I study contextual painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, which doesn’t exactly have a commercial approach. I happened to start doing work for friends who make music that is close to my heart and I happened to like it.

Doing illustration work for clients and not just friends would definitely be interesting, but I have not ventured out into that area at all so far. But I am a curious person, so if someone who is familiar with my style came along and asked, I’d definitely check that out.

Who are some of your favorite fellow artists and illustrators?

That is like asking me about my favorite movies. I’ll probably forget to mention half of my favorites but let’s see which ones come to my mind first.

I recently read an article about Yan Nascimbene, who sadly passed away in February. He illustrated some of Italo Calvino’s books and I adore his work. His use of colors and space is beautiful.

I am also a big fan of creators of graphic novels. Chris Ware’s work is unbelievable. Dash Shaw’s “Bottomless Bellybutton” is one of my favorite books ever. Nate Powell’s books are so intimate it almost hurts; his drawings almost make me feel like I am sneaking into someone’s room, looking through the drawers, suspecting someone to come in any minute asking what the hell I am doing there. Julia Wertz is a constant in my cartoon consumption and I adore Dave Mazucchetti’s, Shaun Tan’s and Alison Bechdel’s syles of narration. I just bought a little book by Jon McNaught called “Birchfield Close” which is incredibly beautiful.

There are so many! Online, I check every day to see if Madeline Flores, Seo Kim, Sarah Graley and Nate Bulmer have come up with new awesomeness.

Storytelling is very important to me. Sometimes I love someone’s work for the use of colors, space and shapes; other times the dialogue makes is special. Apart from these artists of graphic novels, cartoons and illustration, I love Janet Cardiff’s works and have a big soft spot for Edward Hopper, Caravaggio, and Hieronymus Bosch.

Who are some of your favorite musicians and bands?

The first that come to my mind right now are Saul Williams, Josephine Foster, Astronautalis, Ani Difranco, Ben Weaver, Sound of Rum, 13&God, Mute Swimmer, Scroobius Pip, Eloui, Leonard Cohen, Sage Francis, Penny, The Mountain Goats, Will Oldham.

Who and what inspires you other than those mentioned in the last two questions?

Conversations with friends, trouble, love, intimacy, traveling, family, getting drunk, the news, everything

What is your dream illustration job?

Having a picture book published one day that I wrote and illustrated would probably be one of those super awesome things that I would love to see happen someday.

Please list any places where your artwork can be purchased:

Apart from my zines popping up once in a while in little shops or at fairs, I have “Shop” section on my webpage (annakohlweis.com) where you can buy zines, postcards, music and posters. Also, most originals are for sale, so if you are interested in work that is shown on the website just say hello and ask. I really like getting nice emails.

I can also be found on Vimeo and Twitter!

http://vimeo.com/36870966″>Squalloscope – Domino from http://vimeo.com/annakohlweis”>anna kohlweis on http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo;.

http://vimeo.com/57366015″>Ian Fisher & The Present – Why Do I Go? from http://vimeo.com/annakohlweis”>anna kohlweis on http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo;.

Filed under: Illustrator Interviews, Videos

Interview with John P. Boilard of The National Poster Retrospecticus

amnoonpm — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:05:55 +0000

Last week The National Poster Retrospecticus made a stop in St. Louis for one night only at Mad Art Gallery in Soulard. I was beyond excited when I found out about it and when I got there I was blown away. I walked around the exhibit at least five times; it was fan-freaking-tastic. It was also great to see our local Firecracker Press there, showing people how it’s done! If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I am passionate about music poster art/album art and it makes me happy to see this genre getting more attention and appreciation. Can I take a moment to get up on my soapbox? All I want to say is that it sure would be fantastic if musicians/bands would start giving some more credit to these artists. Almost every time I see a concert poster or album artwork posted on a band’s website or Facebook page it’s done so with no credit given to the artist who created it. At the very least, put their name and give them credit. Even better? Put a link to their site. Stepping down now, thank you.

I had the opportunity to meet and ask a few questions of John Boilard who put The National Poster Retrospecticus together. You can read that interview following the photos of the event at Mad Art, taken by Jane Tomich.

Can you tell me a little bit about National Poster Retrospecticus (Retrospecticus is a GREAT word by the way) and how it all came about?
The National Poster Retrospecticus is a traveling show of more than 300 hand-printed event posters from over 75 poster designers from around the country. In 2006 friends and I put together the “Western Mass Flyer Retrospecticus”. The show celebrated twenty years of Western Mass DIY shows with hundreds of hand-made flyers, posters and xeroxed hand bills. Fast forward to 2011 and the first National Poster Retrospecticus show was born! The idea this time was to celebrate the world of hand-made gig posters for events all around the country. I was able to wrangle 50 artists and 150 posters that were either screen printed, stenciled or letterpressed. The reception was a blast and people’s enthusiasm was contagious — I didn’t want the show to end and wondered what it would be like to bring a new collection of work to different cities around the country.

A part of the original goal for the tour was to bring show posters to new places, including cities that may be a little off the map. As someone who grew up in a small out-of-the-way mill town I know what it means to have a rad band, show, or event come through your quiet town and how much you envy the bigger cities for having all of the fun. In theory there’s something for everyone whether it’s a band, intriguing imagery, the color palette or a particular artists that they may connect with. I also love the fact that most everyone can take a little piece of the show home with them for around $25, the shows are free to the public and all ages as well.

How are the artists/posters selected or chosen? Can artists submit their work for consideration?

The past two years consisted of largely curating the artists and being as inclusive as possible to anyone else who wanted to be in the show. I reached out to people whose work I admire and the majority of the folks said “yes”. The response was totally encouraging.

How was the experience of taking it to several cities this year? What were some of the challenges and what were some of the highlights? Was there a big difference in turnout amongst the cities?

The experience was incredible! I love traveling, setting up events (been at it since 1998), meeting new people and sharing my enthusiasm for show posters. This was a dream come true for me. Some of the highlights? I was moved by all of the genuine and generous people I met in each city. It was also inspiring to meet folks who are doing their own thing and really making it work in terms of art, design, music and small businesses.

I’d say 250 people is an average for attendance at each show. Some of the challenges exist with the almost infinite number of logistical puzzles to solve at each stop. No two galleries were the same; so everything from loading in two 400 pound cases to hanging the show was totally different at each stop. I love getting my hands dirty, improvising and problem solving on the spot, though. What do you do when the posters wont stick to the wall? What do you do when you don’t have a lot of wall space but have hundreds of posters to display? This was fun as heck for me.

What kinds of things do you hear from the people who are attending the exhibit? Are any of the posters particularly popular?

The response was solid across the board. We only met one grumpy dude the entire trip. People were genuinely pumped about the shows and that’s all I need to make it worth the eight or nine months of hard work. College students shared their thoughts and feelings about being inspired to create new work or get into screen-printing; designers and non-designers expressed their gratitude for bringing the collection of work to their city, which in most cases is a little off of the map. People seemed overjoyed by the varied mix of posters on the wall.

Dan McCarthy, Dan Danger, Alan Hynes and Aaron Draplin really stood out to people. We even had folks come up and say “I’d like the Dan Danger Poster” when we had anywhere from six to thirty of his prints on the wall at any given time. We’d ask “Sure, which one did you have in mind?” and they’d say “what ever you got!”. They didn’t even care what the poster looked like — they just wanted a print to hang on their wall. That’s amazing for Dan — I mean, the guy’s work is killer!

Does the exhibit have a year round home anywhere?

The home base for the show is definitely in Boston but we don’t have the show up all year. A selection of the show often lives on our website as a sampling of each years collection though.

Filed under: Concert Posters, Illustrator Interviews, St. Louis Local

Playing Catch Up on New Releases: Low, Woodkid, The Staves, Little Green Cars, Hayden, Josh Ritter, The Cave Singers, Gin Wigmore and Dawes

amnoonpm — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:45:04 +0000

Time is an insufferable bitch. I just don’t have enough to do all the things I want to do. For instance, I’d love to take each of these releases and write real true reviews because they are all so good and deserve that investment of time. Alas, about 50 other things are taking precedent right now. So a simple list and some videos will have to do. Here’s what’s stood out to me in the past few weeks.

What new music are you loving right now?

One of my favorite album covers so far this year. It reminds me of a Miro painting. Clicking on the LP cover will take you to Low’s Facebook page.

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The cover of Woodkid’s The Golden Age freaks me out in the very best way. P.S. & by the way, I do not EVER want to try acupuncture. Clicking on the LP cover will take you to the band’s Facebook page.

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Warning: If you hate gorgeous three part harmonies then this is not the album for you. Also, what the hell is wrong with you? How did your heart get so black? Clicking on the LP cover will take you to The Staves Facebook page.

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Faye O’Rourke’s voice will carve the veins right out of your body. Although that doesn’t sound like a good thing, trust me…it truly is. Clicking on the LP cover will take you to Little Green Cars Facebook page.

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Hayden is dreamy. Just completely dreamy. Clicking on the LP cover will take you to their Facebook page.

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Another fantastic album cover. Something tells me it’s going to be really hard to pick a favorite at the end of this year. Josh Ritter is just brilliant. You can check out the preview I did for Playback:STL HERE. As I said in that preview, I don’t even hesitate for one second in comparing this release to masterpieces by Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. If you listen to just one new album right now, it should be this one. Clicking on the LP cover will take you to his Facebook page.

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You have to know by now that I think The Cave Singers are one of the best things going on in music today. Clicking on the Naomi LP Cover will take you to their Facebook page.

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She’s just badass. End of story. Clicking on the LP cover will take you to Gin Wigmore’s Facebook page.

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Dawes’ Stories Don’t End. No they don’t. I will be listening to these stories over and over again. I am so completely in love with this band. Clicking on the LP cover will take you to the band’s Facebook page.

Filed under: 2013 Releases, Album Covers, Live Versions, Videos

Interviews for Playback:STL – Milo Greene, The Cave Singers and Ivan & Alyosha

amnoonpm — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:06:05 +0000

I’ve been lucky enough over the last few weeks to do interviews with three fantastic bands! Click on each photo and it will take you to the interview done with that band on the Playback:STL site…

Milo Greene | Delicious Things At Every Turn

The Cave Singers | Cold Lamping

Ivan & Alyosha | Six Years On The Road

Filed under: Interviews with Musicians/Bands

Four Concerts in One Week: Cave Singers, Water Liars, Last to Show First to Go, Ivan & Alyosha

amnoonpm — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:08:59 +0000

Ever heard that expression, too much of a good thing can be bad? Yeah, screw that. I signed on for way too much last week but I do not regret it for a second. There was nothing bad about the excess; it was made of awesome. Four concerts in one week! Yes, I’m tired. Yes, I fell behind on some stuff and ran on too little sleep, but it was worth it. Each show had it’s own special treasures, each was at a different St. Louis venue and each one reminded me why I signed on to do this. Despite the lousy pay (there is none) and the added stress (there is a lot), I keep up with this site and write for other publications because it brings me indescribable joy. That said, I wouldn’t mind it if the bands I love could stagger these fab performances out a little bit. March and April were full to the brim and May is wide open. I guess I’ll sleep then.

Clicking on the photo will take you to Cave Singers’ Facebook Page.

Monday April 1st was The Cave Singers at Old Rock House. No foolin’ around here, this band is pure joy and energy. You want to feel good? You put on some Cave Singers. You want to dance your ass off? You put on some Cave Singers. Even better, go see them live and let them rock your face off. They played a great mix of songs off the new LP Naomi and their previous records. You can read more about them and the new album in the interview I did with the band for Playback:STL, HERE. This was my first time at Old Rock House and I really liked the space. I have heard that when it gets really packed, if you are on the floor and under the balcony, that the sound can be a little off but from where I was sitting (SEATING! YAY!) upfront, it was spot on. It was also fantastic to look out the large windows and see The Arch and downtown buildings. They serve some terrible-for-you food that tastes absolutely delicious. Note to Self: Parmesean Chicken Sliders are not my friend. They are yummy bites of future pain and self-loathing.

My drink of choice: Gingerale and Maker’s Mark.

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Clicking on the photo will take you to Water Liars’ Facebook Page.

Wednesday night brought Water Liars to town and if you read my review of their new LP, Wyoming HERE, then you know I would crawl through broken glass to see this band. I did not have to do that but I did have to endure a different kind of hell prior to their performance via the opening act, or acts, depending on how you want to look at it. I have blocked their name/names (It was the same band, who took a break shuffled instruments and continued their reign of terror) from my memory in an act of self-protection. I’m just not going to say anything more about it because I don’t want to go over my daily quota of mean-spiritedness. In any case, my drink of choice (more on that in a minute) got me through and turned everything into a rosy moment. Then Water Liars took the stage and everything else just fell away.

They have crafted this beautiful marriage of traditional country/folk with punk rock that isn’t necessarily new but I would go out on a limb to say that no one does it better and they sound like no one but their sweet, wonderful selves. While you might not think of it right off the top of your head, Traditional Country music and Punk Rock do have a common thread. It’s in the heightened emotions of the musical compositions and lyrics. Both true Country, not this Top 40 Pop Rock with a twang that passes for Country on radio stations, but TRUE country and Punk are out to twist your guts and wring you dry. In particular the Punk distortion, reverb and fuzzed out notes are there to disturb and emote discomfort or angst. Water Liars knows just how to use it to heighten a moment. You feel it throbbing across the floor, into your feet and making it’s way up to vibrate in your teeth. This and the fact that the band is so masterful with turning a phrase and timing within their songs truly sets them apart from the pack; lone wolves howling their wisdom into the night.

The next day, I had the most lovely afternoon sitting in a gorgeous theatre in the middle of small town Illinois watching Water Liars being recorded by Jarred Gastreich for Show Me Shows. I also had the opportunity to interview the band. Stay tuned for more on that!

Oh yeah, Wednesday night’s show was at Off Broadway which is just my absolute favorite venue in St. Louis. I’d probably move in there if they’d let me. I love everything about it. The brick, the acoustics, the high ceilings and open space, the bartenders and just the vibe in general; they have got a real good thing going on and are pretty much an institution in St. Louis. Long may you reign, Off Broadway. Long may you reign.

My drink of choice: Gingerale and Maker’s Mark, enough of them to dull the pain and make me a little slap happy.

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Clicking on the photo will take you to Last To Show First To Go’s Facebook page.

Friday night was all about friends, good times and celebration of the hard work and talent of local music makers, Last To Show First To Go. If you’ve not read my preview of their new LP, Everything’s Fine America, well then here you GO. I’ve only seen them perform live three times now, but each time they bring the same intensity and passion from the recordings. I said a lot in my review and I don’t want to just go repeating myself but seriously I am so in awe of their musicianship and cohesion as a group.

The CD release party was held at The Demo, which used to be The Foxhole, next to Atomic Cowboy in The Grove. The space is small but well laid out. I’m not gonna lie, I was super worried about sound when I first walked in, what with the low ceilings and not much distance between the board and stage. My fears were quickly allayed. The sound was fantastic from every spot. I’m excited to see what will come at this new venue!

Drink of Choice: STRONG Gingerale and Maker’s Mark. Yes, I know. I’m kind of in a rut with my drink choice, but it’s a happy rut…a happy and delicious rut.

http://vimeo.com/63035443″>Last to Show First to Go: Release Show Trailer for Everything’s Fine America from http://vimeo.com/bredon”>Bredon Jones on http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo;.

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Clicking on the photo will take you to Ivan & Alyosha’s Facebook Page

Finally, Sunday night was Ivan & Alyosha, with opener Jon Black of Fort Atlantic. I want to just gush about it but my review for Playback:STL will be out in just a few days so I’ll restrain myself. In the meantime, you can read the interview I did with them which is already up on the SITE. And for God’s sake, go listen to everything by Fort Atlantic.

I got to work with my new friend Chris of C. Daniel Photography and he got some great shots. Firebird is another favorite venue and consistently has a fantastic lineup of shows. Some great folks work there, a few of whom I’ve known since college and it makes me happy to see what they’ve built together. While I don’t love the low ceilings, I do love the bank of booths in the back and how the rest of the space is laid out. Best of all, is the dedicated space for merch sales and meet/greet after the show.

Drink of choice: Water. Good grief, I had to give my liver a break.

Filed under: 2013 Releases, Concert Reviews, Live Versions, St. Louis Local, Videos

New Loud Label Release: Last To Show First to Go, Everything’s Fine America

amnoonpm — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 21:13:30 +0000

Last To Show First To Go EP Release Show is at The Demo on Friday 4/5, doors 8:30pm

Listen, I am just going to alert you straight out of the gate that I am about unleash a torrent of love upon local STL band Last To Show First To Go. I could, in fact, wax poetic on their excellence for days and I have actually restrained myself in this review of their newest CD, Everything’s Fine America, which will be released by The Loud Label this coming Friday. If I told them and you how I really feel, they might issue a restraining order. I am one step away from hanging posters of them on my ceiling and getting the CD artwork tattooed on my shoulder.

It begins with a bang, or an alarm call really, in the aggressive driving force behind “When We Are Up”. This song reminds me of a seasoned boxer throwing punches in a ring. These are musical punches and they wake you right the fuck up, insisting you pay attention because this band has some wisdom to share. Then you take a deep breath and slide right into the sweetness of my absolute favorite LTSFTG song, “Subtle Blend” which smoothes everything out. The two songs, while vastly different, sit perfectly right next to one another. In fact, the continued ups and downs of this CD are big part of it’s success.

Anyway, I could listen to “Subtle Blend” on an endless loop for days. It’s made for a summer’s road trip with bare feet on the dash and a hand sticking out the open window, swooping along against the wind, on your way to see a friend who has moved far too far away. “When we hug, where do I end? When we hug, where do you begin? Between good friends, it’s not a hard line. It’s a subtle blend.” This is one of those songs that goes into your ears and somehow ends up in your bloodstream and becomes part of you. It’s available for your listening pleasure on Soundcloud.

I don’t want to give away everything about the new release but I do have to mention one more track, “Delivery Day”. I love a protest song that doesn’t feel like a stereotypical protest song. The sound is upbeat but slightly sinister and the composition is like the perfect frame around the lyrics, not overpowering or getting in the way of the message of the song. “The souls of our children ain’t worth the bill on delivery day.” You don’t want lyrics like this to get lost in the mix and the band is wise to let the words be the star of this show. I’m telling you good folks, STL’s music scene overall is touched with magic right now and there’s A LOT of really quality music being made. LTSFTG is putting out some of the most intelligent, thought provoking songwriting to be found.

Obviously everything is not fucking fine, America. “It’s a sellers day. Buyer beware.” Indeed. Everywhere you turn, someone’s trying to sell you something; From bits of plastic shite that will sit in our cabinets and clutter our lives to soul crushing fear they keep heaping on us that keeps that hamster wheel of consumerism turning. Pushers gonna push, ya know? However, I take hope in those who are pushing back and trying to make changes. LTSFTG is holding up a mirror. Who do you want to see when you look into it?

If Everything’s Fine America is a mirror, then R&R Music Labs has put a shine on it. The production here is just sparkling but never overdone. They are wise enough to know that no one feels truly at home in a place where everything is polished within an inch of it’s life. Ryan Albritton says of the experience, ”This is the third time we’ve worked with LTS in the studio, and each time we have built on our relationship and dynamic. That really comes through on this latest record; the band’s arrangement prowess matched with our production capacity comes together in a beautiful way on these tunes. We’re simply thrilled with this album and can’t wait for everyone to hear it. Keep an eye on this band, and your ears too!”

I asked lead singer of the band, Bredon Jones, a few questions about the band and their latest offering.

First of all, can you give me a little history of the band and how you got together?
Mikey and I have been writing music together for over 10 years. When I moved to St. Louis is 2007 we hooked up with Phil and started playing music together. Our original bassist/clarinetist Jason joined us shortly thereafter and played with us until 2009, and our friend Bill played violin with us for while in there as well. Jay, who used to play with Phil, joined us in 2010 after it was realized that he was still living in St. Louis (wish we would’ve known that earlier). Miriam joined us in 2011. I’m sorry that’s all I can tell you. The dramatic version of our band origin story has been licensed by A&E and we are prohibited from sharing it until it airs this spring. Check your listings.

What do you feel are the differences between your last album and this new CD?
The last album and this one share the same DNA. If we had more time to devote to the music we probably would have put them together into one 11-track full-length. (The difficulties inherent in getting 5 professionals and students into a room together necessitates releasing less music at a time. Otherewise we’d be releasing one full-length every two years, which is not acceptable to any of us.) They are very consistent thematically and to a certain degree sonically. However, Everything’s Fine has diverged in that I feel the songwriting, our performances in the studio, and the production quality are all just a touch better.

Who are some of the band’s influences?

Too many to list. I don’t have time to poll the band because the last time we did that for an interview it took four days to come up with a list that represented everyone. It ranges from punk to classical, folk to metal, electronic to funkatronic. Jay is fond of telling people our music falls somewhere in the range between James Taylor and Megadeth. I think that’s an apt description because it compels you to listen and decide for yourself. Anyway, we play rock music.

Can you share some of your thoughts and intentions about the title, Everything’s Fine America?

“Everything’s Fine, America” is the soothing refrain of the salesman politician and the corporate king while they distract the proles with manufactured addictions. That about sums it up, but even the members of the band have slightly different ideas about this, and we want the listeners to draw their own conclusions. The album artwork is done by a friend of ours (he’s done all three) who shall remain nameless. It’s basically a shopping cart on the front and a drone on the back. Feel free to make connections for yourself. We actually just ordered some new pint glasses, which have this same artwork, and when you look straight at the glass the drone appears to be IN the shopping cart. Lots of fun always here at LTSFTG headquarters.

I kind of remember you talking about “Subtle Blend” a little at the last show at Off Broadway and how it was about a friend moving away. Can you refresh my memory on that?

I don’t know what lies I told you at Off Broadway, but the song is about our friend Lindsay who moved away a few years ago. She was a big part of the picture here in St. Louis for Mikey and me especially. It’s sort of a love song to a friend and is meant to leave the listener feeling unresolved.

Can you tell me a little about how you started working with Ryan/The Loud Label and what the recording experience was like?

I met Ryan Albritton a couple years ago at The Gramophone for a dinner-time show put together by Travis Wood of the now defunct 5 Score Pachyderm music blog. (Side note: please can we bring this format into the mainstream STL music scene? Why oh why must music start at 10pm?? Ever wonder why it’s hard to get people to shows??? Mikey and I once saw Ted Leo and the Pharmacists in Chicago and the whole show was done by 10pm. It was the greatest fucking thing ever.) We talked about putting LTSFTG onto the next STL LOUD compilation and within a few months we were in recording “Short Cuts” (the track, not the album). The Ryans are great to work with and really know their stuff. Blue-collar-style mad scientists. The best thing about working with them is when Ryan Lewis forgets he is talking to humans and starts going off about compression, busses, and side-chains.

Your Friday night plans are made. Get your sweet self to The Demo for Grove Shows 4: Last To Show First To Go Release Party on 4/5, doors at 8:30pm!

Filed under: 2013 Releases, Album Covers, Interviews with Musicians/Bands, St. Louis Local