Interview with Mississippi Witch

Mississippi Witch has a gritty and soulful new album entitled “Black Gamble” that will be coming out January 21st 2008. Oli Walker (guitar/vocals) was kind enough to sit down and talk with The Mughead Review about their past, present and obviously bright future.

The Mughead Review: Thanks Oli, we really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. So I heard that you and Dan met in Baton Rouge in a snake church. What the heck is a snake church exactly?

Oli Walker: We met by chance, under very strange circumstances. A snake church is a place where people go to cleanse themselves of their sins, they pick up snakes and if it doesn’t bite you are forgiven, it was very entertaining. Dan said he likes to hit the drums and that was enough.

TMR: Where does the name Mississippi Witch come from?

Oli Walker: It was given to us by a farmer. He shouted to us “your Mississippi Witch”, we’ve never questioned it. We were just walking along and the fella just shouted it at us. We had never even seen him before. Normally the best things in life come out that way, I think he just saw us and that’s what we were to him.

TMR: Shortly after you and Dan met, you moved to London? What brought that about?

Oli Walker: We basically came to record the album.

TMR: When you guys moved to London to record the album, was it because you signed to a label then?

Oli Walker: No that came later, we had a few studios in mind, we picked the studio that looked most like a cave, it’s called Toybox Studio. It’s a great place to record, cave rooms, chimneys for vocals etc.

TMR: So where does the band reside right now, in London?

Oli Walker: We move around a lot, at the moment we’re in a cottage near Wales rehearsing.

TMR: What was it like moving from the US to London? How long have you been out there?

Oli Walker: England as a whole is good, lots of country side and forests; we’ve been here maybe 3 or 4 years.

TMR: When you recorded the EP “Just for Roosevelt” what changed for you guys?

Oli Walker: Everything changed, “Just for Roosevelt” was the first song we ever recorded, it was some what of a war cry for both of us, people seem to love that song and for us it paved the way for the rest of the album.

TMR: I heard about Mississippi Witch from Guy Garvey of Elbow, who called you guys his favorite new band, did you just meet him at a show or how did that come about?

Oli Walker: Guy heard “Just for Roosevelt” and asked us to come and play, he runs a label called Skinny Dog and was interested in our album, very nice fella.

TMR: So how long have you been playing guitar?

Oli Walker: About 10 years, I found a guitar in the attic of a house; it was like finding a long lost limb.

TMR: You mentioned somewhere that you and Dan were Bible belt escapees. What was your upbringing like?

Oli Walker: My father traveled a lot, he was a court judge in Guadalcanal and other south pacific islands, my mother was a sort of a homebody, we moved around a lot. I really had no interest in anything until I found that guitar; I did once have a catapult I was quite fond of. I can’t say for Dan but you have to wonder how a fella can hit drums for as long and hard as that without breaking a sweat, I think he was just put on this earth to play drums.

TMR: Why is Mississippi Witch a duo?

Oli Walker: We didn’t need anyone else, it wasn’t missing anything. With just the two of us we can do what ever we like and not have to worry about it.

TMR: Will Mississippi Witch remain a duo?

Oli Walker: Yes.

TMR: Can you tell me about the title of the new album? Where does it come from? What does it mean?

Oli Walker: It’s not really a tangible thing, I know what it means to me but I could never explain it in words.

TMR: Black Gamble is exactly the type of album that the current music scene needs right now. I’m excited for it to come out. It seems like the release was pushed back a few times though. When does it come out?

Oli Walker: 21st of January. There were a lot of delays, mainly because every time we were set to release it another label would ring up, this happened 5 or 6 times. The problem with labels is they’re very slow and cause the whole process to stop dead.

TMR: When you say labels would ring up, does that mean that multiple labels were trying to sign you guys?

Oli Walker: Yeah, We had a few pop up all at the same time, it’s just the way things work, once one likes you they all fancy a sniff, but they weren’t right for us, I think most of them wouldn’t know the difference between night and day.

TMR: Tell me about the creative process for Mississippi Witch, how do you go about writing songs?

Oli Walker: We write very quickly and never record anything till we’re in the studio, it keeps it fresh, most of the songs on Black Gamble were only written a few days before recording them, the same goes for lyrics. I tend to write them at the same time as recording them, it the only way we know how to work, the less we think about it the better it comes out.

TMR: What music has influenced you and Dan? And what music are you digging right now?

Oli Walker: Let’s just say I like all the music you would think I would, its quicker that way. I lived in a flat in Richmond upon Thames for a while, opposite me was Pete Townsend’s house and 10 doors to my right was Jagger’s house, not a bad spot!

TMR: What are your tour plans? I hear you guys kick some serious ass in concert.

Oli Walker: We are still undecided when and where, America probably.

TMR: I hope we can help spread the word about Mississippi Witch. Your vocals and guitar playing are pretty sick, people need to hear it. What does the future hold for Mississippi Witch?

Oli Walker: We’ll start the next album in March next year, and probably play a lot more shows, I would think we’ll be in California. Who knows, we are enjoying everything, it could all get very hectic but we know what we’re doing and how we’re going to do it.

TMR: Well, we wish you all the best. I think your future is going to be bright. Thanks for answering our many questions. I look forward to seeing you guys play live sometime soon.

Oli Walker: Thanks for the questions, I enjoyed it.

Feist and Spoon in Los Angeles

November 12th 2007 - Feist and Spoon played the Gibson Amphitheater last night in Los Angeles and I for one, am so happy that I got off my lazy monday ass, grabbed my wife, cut through the merciless southern California traffic, and made it down there to see the show.

Spoon was outstanding. They have one of the better album releases this year to tour behind and although I was new to some of their older material, seeing them in concert only proved what I had suspected all along. Spoon is a great fucking band. They jammed effortlessly through a setlist that heavily favored newer tunes at the same time playing the hell out of their older material. I must say I was not disappointed.

I was disappointed in the crowd at times during the Spoon set. L.A. crowds are normally late, which is so disrespectful to the artists. I will never understand this. Spoon started their set late due to this very reason and therefore basically had to overlap songs with little or no pause between them. Still, I think Spoon made fans out of anyone who had just come to see Feist.

By the time Feist came out on stage everyone had their shit straighten out. Or perhaps it was Feist who straightened their shit out as she captivated the audience instantly upon walking onto the stage holding a lantern. Walking behind a screen in the center of the stage that light up her figure from behind, she went into her first song.

I can say from that instant on, I was completely fixated on her every movement. She has the ability to established a sincere and intense connection with the audience, engaging them at the same time channeling enormous personality. Breathing life into each and every word, Feist sings gently as a hummingbird, leaving you in awe.

I really had no idea what to expect for this show. Feist has one of the best albums of the year but seeing her live, I was unsure of what to expect. Rarely have I been as mesmerized by an individual as I was that night. Leslie Feist is one of those rare souls that takes her performance to another level. The hairs on my arms thought they might be at a catholic mass with all the standing up on end and sitting and kneeing and worshiping. I had planned on writing down the setlist but I completely forgot about it, a sure sign of a great performance.

It is obvious that Feist is so comfortable and confident with who she is, you can’t help but fall directly in love with her in every way. She is something special to behold. She was strapped to a guitar for the majority of the show, making with a brief trip over to rock out on the piano.

Perfectly backed by her band, she literally engulfed the Gibson Amphitheater with her presence. I think everyone agreed as the crowd howled like lunatics in between songs. I will post an expanded review for this performance once I get the setlist, but you will need to experience what I am telling you firsthand to truly understand what I am talking about.

She is still touring and if at all possible you should buy tickets right now.

As I said earlier this year, she deserves the commercial success that she is enjoying. Far too often this not the case. Many times when someone gathers tremendous commercial success, it makes me immediately suspicious. The truest measure of an artist for me is how they perform live. I’m glad for once that someone like Feist has broken through, intact.

(check out the video below to see a few video clips from the performance, a piss poor substitute for actually being there, but it will have to do)

Mississippi Witch – Black Gamble

You may not have heard of this dynamic duo, but there is little doubt in my mind that you will… very soon.

Mississippi Witch is comprised of Oli Walker (guitar/vocals) and Dan Danby (drums). Although there are only two members of this band, the sound that explodes forth may as well been coming from five or six musicians. Their debut record “Black Gamble” will take you on gritty, soulful, ass kicking journey through the under belly of rock and roll.

These guys are both bible belt escapees (as they put it) who apparently met quite randomly at a Snake Church in Baton Rouge. Their story only gets stranger as Oli and Dan ended up in London to record their EP “Just for Roosevelt”. Oli was born in Mississippi and Dan was born in New Mexico, so you might say that these guys just go where life takes them. And thankfully so.

Oli Walker’s vocals have that elusive quality that can only come from deep within a person’s being. He has a style all his own, and he owns it well. Walker’s guitar playing absolutely shreds all over the album, from beginning to middle to end. He has all the talent of Jack White or Kurt Cobain, and when you have something like that, it doesn’t stay a secret for very long. Honestly, I almost couldn’t believe that Oli can sing and play like this at the same time.

Dan Danby is no slouch either. In fact, it would be easy to say that this duo has clear advantages over say, The White Stripes. Dan can drum for one thing. In my opinion a duo like this forms because they realize that they just don’t have the need for another band member.

My favorite tracks on the album have to be “Just for Roosevelt”, “Albuquerque New Mexico” and “Van Nuys”. But “Calipah” and the title track “Black Gamble” are up there too. I think this album should do very well to say the least. The new album is not out yet so like I said, when it does come out on January 21st, I think you will be hearing about it again.

Oli Walker will be sitting down with The Mughead Review for an interview next week too, to talk about all sorts of things, check back for that soon. As always, I recommend you listening for yourself, which you can do by going the Mississippi Witch website, as well as their myspace page.

Interview with Oceansize

Oceansize have constructed towering soundscapes in the past, but their newest album “Frames” clearly shows the band at a new peak. Apparently knowing no limit has it’s advantages. Frontman Mike Vennart sits down with The Mughead Review to talk about it.

The Mughead Review: Thanks for talking with us Mike. Your new album “Frames” is truly your best work to date, you guys must be feeling pretty good about it.

Mike Vennart: Yes. We put a lot of time into the record, and letting it go out and feeling the good vibes around it has been most satisfying. “Frames” seemed to have come together much easier than “Everyone Into Position”. Certainly there was a healthy amount of tension and uncertainty, but nothing to knock the underlying confidence out of us.

TMR: I would love to see you guys play live soon. Any plans for a US Tour?

Mike Vennart: We’re just waiting for the opportunity. Maybe a good support tour. We blew a bunch of money a few years back playing to empty rooms all over America, supporting Mclusky. Rarely does a day go by when someone doesn’t ask us ‘hey, when you guys coming over to America?”.

TMR: Oceansize started out with lofty goals, creating a towering sound that mesmerizes people with it’s size and power. As a music lover I want to thank you for doing that. In my opinion, too many groups settle for less. Does making complicated layered music with songs sometimes over eight minutes long make the band less accessible to the masses?

Mike Vennart: Thank you. I don’t know. You tell me! I mean, yeah, I’m fully aware of how user-unfriendly our stuff is. I know it’s not for everyone. But it’s all we know how to do. We can’t help but sound how we sound. I’m kind of used to it now.

TMR: It seems like Oceansize always stays true to itself and never goes out there trying to please everyone. I respect you guys for that. So the band has a new bassist and a new label, did that change the bands creative process this time around?

Mike Vennart: Not really. I mean, obviously, when we were without a label or a bassist we were in a bit of a dark place. That was a strange time, feeling like we’d had a limb removed. Steven has kicked our arse, totally. We needed shaking up, he’s really boosted our collective confidence i think. Don’t tell him i said that though.

TMR: Ha ha ha, I wont. What music are you guys listening to right now?

Mike Vennart: dEUS. Dirty projectors. Cardiacs. Battles. Bjork. Shamefaced (mark only). Venecian Snares. Vialka. Verdena. Star Wars soundtrack. ET soundtrack.

TMR: Some great music in there, some I will have to check out. So what do you guys think about the way Radiohead released their new album? Do you think it will have any lasting effect on the industry?

Mike Vennart: Dunno, but i hear the major labels are shitting bricks. Really, Radiohead are a bit of a special case; they don’t need major label marketing to sell records because they are fucking RADIOHEAD. Millions of bands all over the world give their music away for free, yet no-one hears it. So. Fucking. What.

TMR: For sure. So, what’s next for Oceansize? How can the band become even better, bigger and more kick ass than it already is?

Mike Vennart: Dunno. Gigs. Records. Maybe a few beers and smoke in between. Right now i just want my own fucking bed for a few days, then i wanna get back out on tour as soon as possible.

TMR: Well I want to Thank You again for your time and The Mughead Review wishes you continued success. I hope to see you guys live soon and I hope that the new album does really well, it deserves more attention.

Mike Vennart: You’re very kind.

(Check out a few tracks off the new album HERE)

Ryan Adams – Follow the Lights

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals released a new EP last week entitled Follow The Lights and I have been so busy lately that I am just now getting around to telling you about how great it is.

The EP is comprised of 7 tracks, one which is an outstanding cover of the Alice in Chains track “Down in a Hole”, two tracks are totally new, and the four other tracks are all new recorded versions of older songs. Right off the bat I have to say that the new version of “This Is It” and the cover of “Down in a Hole” are strong favorites (hover over these links and you can listen for yourself right now). Upon a second listen I realized what I always end up realizing about Ryan Adams, the guy is a genius.

I had the pleasure of seeing Ryan Adams perform earlier this year with front row seats at the Wilshire and ever since then his music is always in heavy rotation at The Mughead Review headquarters. I suggest buying this EP right now, you can even download the album in mp3 format right here. How easy is that?

If you have no idea who Ryan Adams is you should go into The Mughead Review Archives, there are a few other posts about him as well as a great video performance.

Sigur Ros – Hvarf/Heim

 

You can go to the Sigur Ros Myspace page right now to listen to some of their new album Hvarf/Heim. It sounds great! Stayed tuned for a full review soon.

You can also pre-order the Sigur Ros album Hvarf/Heim as well as the new DVD Heima.

Interview with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is one of the hardest working bands around right now. Since releasing their outstanding new album Baby 81 back in May, they have played over one hundred shows in one hundred and seventy five days and still have many more ahead of them. Even with all of that on their plate, Robert Been still found the time to chit chat via phone with The Mughead Review.

The Mughead Review: Thanks for talking with us Robert.

Robert : No worries man.

TMR: So how has the road been treating you?

Robert: For the most part it actually has been great. The tour has been taking us to a lot of cool places that keep us interested. We go to Israel next month and we just heard today that we are going to Vietnam after that. That’s a great way to end the tour.

TMR: Does anyone have wives or kids that they have to leave behind while on tour?

Robert: Yeah, I don’t know, we aren’t home that often so it’s hard to have like a normal person’s life. But I hear about it. I don’t feel like I’m missing much so it’s alright being on the other side of the coin. Peter does have a daughter though.

TMR: Which songs are fans really digging on this tour?

Robert: It’s getting impossible to appease everyone. Every time we hear songs being shouted out we change the setlist, only to have people call out some other songs in the next city. It’s just running in circles.

TMR: Any favorites that you love to play live?

Robert: The only thing right now is that I’m missing playing the piano. For the first part of the tour we had our friend Spike with us, he plays backup bass and then I’ll play piano and the acoustic guitar sometimes for three part harmony and stuff, but he had to go back for this part of the tour. I love playing the piano live. It adds something that I like to the show too, another dimension to things.

TMR: Are you guys getting a chance to write any new material while you are on tour?

Robert: We do actually. It’s really difficult to write lyrics on the road, there’s just something about the momentum that makes it’s hard to slow down and be inside your thoughts. We write the music or melodies for the songs all the time, we’ll grab a couple here and there if we feel like writing, and they usually end up being some of the best ones. But to really sit down and finish the songs… they are kinda all scattered in pieces right now. We write live at shows as well, sometimes at the end of the night we’ll jam out for twenty minutes. God knows what comes out of it. A lot stuff on Baby 81 came from a sound check or at a show, we’d always name the jam after the city it was made in just to make it easy to remember where it was from. That’s how Berlin came out. Heart and Soul was done in Amsterdam. Windows was in France. It’s a really good feeling when you do something like that and you are able to finish it and then bring it back to the place it all started. You feel like it went full circle, it’s a really good feeling.

TMR: Have you played Berlin in Berlin yet?

Robert: No, not yet. We did play it at a radio station there but we haven’t done a proper tour yet. We are going there in November though.

TMR: I love the classic rock influence that B.R.M.C. has, what kind of new music are you listening to right now?

Robert: I still listen to The Black Angels, their Passover record. There is a good NY band called A Place to Bury Strangers. The new Ravonettes stuff is really fucking good too.

TMR: Who writes the lyrics for B.R.M.C.?

Robert: Most of the time it’s Peter or me writing separately but there are songs that we help each other finish too. Many songs we trade off vocals and we usually write the section we sing, it’s a respectful burden. We never have the ego thing, for us it’s like… if you want to sing it then you have to write it and finish it.

TMR: You guys seem like you have a really great relationship to be co-writing songs the way you do, a lot of bands couldn’t handle sharing the spotlight like that.

Robert: I am aware of that being a real blessing for us, we kind of grew up together and went to high school together. We learned to write together and play instruments together, so both of us have witnessed each other at our most embarrassing moments. Songs about the first girl you loved and really bad poetry, we have the humility to never have to worry too much about stuff like that. With the recording process there’s more fights, the devil is in the details. But with the writing, it’s always pretty fun.

TMR: One of my favorite songs off your new album is American X, can you tell me a little about that one?

Peter: I had an idea for what I wanted the song to be, I had it written out and my place was broken into the day before we were going to work on it. Someone stole a backpack which had journals, poems and stories, shit I’ve written over the years. I was gutted. After I got over the initial shock I went back in and tried to use that feeling of being hollowed out. I turned off all the lights and pressed record. Thankfully more than half of what was sung is what we used. That was kind of a special thing because it reminded me not to hold onto words too tightly. They come how and when are meant to come, and just letting it write itself was better than what I had originally planned for the song to be about.

TMR: Do you have any idea what’s next for the band?

Robert: I think all of us will want to take a little time off and write in our own elements. On the last couple records there has always been two or three songs that are finished the day recording is done. In a perfect world I’d want a little more time to step back from it and maybe revise it rather than having to put it out there immediately. So that’s kinda my hope for what’s next, just taking more time. As far as our style goes, we are writing a lot of rock songs as a band and we are writing a lot of acoustic songs in our own spaces. I don’t know what kind of record it will be. You can’t force it too much.

TMR: You guys have been vocal about your opinions and steer clear of this blind self censorship that really seems to have taken root in this country today, have you felt any repercussions for doing so?

Robert: No, there really hasn’t been.

TMR: Are you happy where the band is right now?

Robert: The real answer is that we aren’t the sound that is on the radio right now. I haven’t ever been able to listen to the radio for more than a few minutes. A lot of the shit that is going on has it’s fifteen minutes, but it goes on and it feels more like fifteen years and no one has woken up yet. As far as success goes, I sometimes do get nervous that we’re not going to be successful enough to move things along. Right now we are just breaking even, labels don’t really help bands out anymore unless they are a brand new band on their first album, then that’s the only time they’ll give some money for tour support. Every tour we are having to foot our own bill which allows us to break even at the end of each tour. It’s great because at least we aren’t in debt. At the same time coming off the road without a penny to your name and working fucking hard for a year, that can play with your head in a bad way.

TMR: Do you guys feel that art has a responsibility or role to play in changing the world?

Robert: I don’t like using the word responsibility with rock and roll. It’s more about how you choose to live your life. If you choose quick money and if you choose to live your life for sex and drugs and rock and roll comes last, then that’s the way you want to live your life. There’s a lot of two faced people, and they are having a good time but… just be very suspicious of your rockstars and idols.

TMR: Indeed. Well I really appreciate you talking with us via phone. If I could say one thing to you guys it would just be thank you for making inspiring music.

Robert: Yeah it’s nice to hear someone that actually knows the music. Lots of interviews are just people kinda doing their job, they don’t really know the band. It’s nice to talk with someone that gives a shit.

TMR: We I definitely do. I’ll be doing whatever I can to keep spreading the word to people about Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. So thanks again for you time Robert.

Robert: No worries man. You have a good one.

Interview with The Most Serene Republic

by David Meister

I’m talking with Adrian Jewett, lead vocals for The Most Serene Republic who just released their new album “Population”, a mind bending maze of indie pop art rock.

The Mughead Review: How’s it going?

Adrian: Good. Freshly Showered. I thought I should smell good for this phone interview.

TMR: Thank you for that. Well, let’s start out with a little bit about the band. You guys are a six piece band from Milton, Toronto. How long have you been playing together?

Adrian: I would say three and half years. I think that’s fair to say.

TMR: And how did the band come into being?

Adrian: Well Nick, Ryan and I met through high school. We worked on different media projects together, hung out.

TMR: The band’s debut album “Underwater Cinematographer” came out back in June of 2005. I thought it was a great debut. Very Original. Was there an underlying theme for the album?

Adrian: The album was actually kind of a blueprint of all our ideas at the time and what we actually wanted to do with music. It was created with pure capricious reverie, with no regard for anyone else. And we learned many lessons from that album which we still hold onto today. There can’t be any outside influences and it can’t be about appeasing any outside extraneous forces. It’s almost a journalism of your life and people are either interested in what you have to say about the observations that you have made in your life, or they’re not.

TMR: After that The Most Serene Republic released a tour EP called Phages, which seems to explain the leap forward between your debut album and your new album Population. What changed during that time?

Adrian: What didn’t change? We were pretty much just thrown into the hot water, like a rock into a pond, the ripples had begun. We all left our schools. That was a big deal because we all worked hard to get into the university and programs that we wanted. We were very disillusioned with the programs though. In the end there was just no just reward for being there, you can’t be taught how to be an artist. So we left all that, and it was really freeing. Then all of the sudden huge confidence issues swarmed us across the board. The indie world grabs you by your polyester jacket and shake you for all that you are worth, you know. How sexy are you? Can I dance to this? Could I brag about you and tell all my friends about you? We were very innocent and had no idea how to react to being fired upon for not fitting in. We aren’t rockstars, and we are just too honest to pretend to be anything but ourselves.

TMR: Tell me about the new album Population, is there concept behind it?

Adrian: It’s a prognosis of our times. It’s about the dilution of human integrity and the importance of your life. It’s filled with dissatisfaction with today’s culture. We are all spreading the butter over a far too large piece of toast. There is a hopeful dissonance in it though. “Underwater Cinematographer” was very optimistic, probably the most optimistic thing I’ll ever do. “Population” is much more serious. I‘m growing so tired of seeing every impulse satiated, it’s like the art of over-indulgence is so accepted. I don’t like seeing that, it’s just being selfish in all the wrong ways. It could be the audio companion to American Beauty or something.

TMR: The lyrics are in stark contrast with the sound and mood of each song. Was that to emphasize the point you were making?

Adrian: Yeah, there are two different entities on this album but they are partners in crime. Sometimes they agree at the same time together, sometimes they are counter points.

TMR: And do you write all the lyrics?

Adrian: I do.

TMR: My favorite track has got to be “Solipsism Millionaires”, what can you tell me about that song?

Adrian: Yeah that’s actually my favorite too. The band really likes it as well. It’s about everyone wanting to be that guy, to live that lifestyle.

TMR: When I listen to TMSR I hear so many influences, or at least I think I do. What music influenced this album?

Adrian: The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. It’s a very chaotic, rhythmic, dissonance filled destruction of the earth. It’s like standing in front of a tidal wave. We like that a lot.

TMR: Being the lead vocalist of the band, who are some of your favorite singers?

Adrian: I would have to say I love Travis Morrison from The Dismemberment Plan. You can hear his anger and confusion; also his lyrics are very on point. If I was to go classic, I’d have to say Paul McCartney. He just has too many good melodies. Kate Bush is great too. I highly enjoy her voice; she is definitely one of my favorites.

TMR: So what current music are you into right now?

Adrian: New Releases? None. It keeps me off the charts. I’m more of a Billy Holiday kind of guy. I stick to the classics a lot of the time. I like jazz, bop, classic music.

TMR: What is the bands creative process like?

Adrian: Ryan Lenssen is the house builder, he puts up all the frame work and we all interior decorate. We upholster it and any changes that need to made, Ryan goes in there and checks things off. I don’t come in until it’s all laid down with bass and drums. For this album we started off with a title, Population. It was our nucleus and we went on from there.

TMR: So tomorrow you guys are shooting a video right? What song is it for?

Adrian: Yeah. The Men Who Live Upstairs. Excited.

TMR: Touring begins October 16th in New York at the Bowery Ballroom and then you guys make your way through Canada, right? Any plans for a west coast tour after that?

Adrian: Yes. We head out this Tuesday. We are looking forward to playing the Bowery. After all that we will be coming out to California, maybe in a month or two.

TMR: Well listen, the new album is great. People really need to give it a chance. Thanks for your time and openness. I really hope to get to see you guys play live soon.

Adrian: Thank you. We will see you soon.

Radiohead – In Rainbows

The Undeniable Genius of Radiohead
by David Meister

If the thought ever crossed your mind that Radiohead might have been giving away this album because it wasn’t as groundbreaking as some of their others have been, you can forget all about that.

Go ahead and listen to the first two tracks “15 Step” and “Bodysnatchers“, and if you need someone to tell you that this is good, then there is no hope for you. Do yourself a favor and put headphones on so you can listen to it properly. That’s key.

In my opinion Radiohead have done it again. Can this band do anything wrong? The new album is incredible. Every choice that Radiohead made on the album was an intelligent one. A collection of choices that clearly reflects the collective mind of Radiohead. “In Rainbows” is beautiful, powerful and intelligent. These songs only continue to round out their already impressive catalog. Thom Yorke bends space and time with his voice, perspective and lyrics. I almost forgot what it was like to have my mind blown.

At this point trying to decide on a favorite song is like playing three flys up with ten ball hungry veteran players. 15 step, Bodysnatchers, Jigsaw Falling Into Place and Weird Fishes are all amazing songs. But so are Nude, Videotape, All I need and The Reckoner.

Radiohead is one the great bands of our times, maybe of all time. To give away music that people would easily pay for, that people should be forced to pay for, well… the gesture is not without symbolism. Maybe it’s a reflection of how Radiohead feels the world should be. Maybe they are setting the example in a world that seems like it ran out of those years ago.

But Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead was quoted just this morning saying the motivation for distributing the album was “Just getting it out quickly. It was kind of an experiment as well; we were just doing it for ourselves and that was all. People are making a big thing about it being against the industry or trying to change things for people but it’s really not what motivated us to do it. It’s more about feeling like it was right for us and feeling bored of what we were doing before”.

Regardless we all hope that this will make a lasting impression on the industry. It seems like it may have already with bands like Nine Inch Nails, Oasis and Jamiroquai all announcing plans to follow Radiohead.

More to Come…

Proof that Big Record Labels May Be Slowly Dying

(and also that they are full of shit) by Albert Valdez

It’s not like most of us didn’t see right through their attempts to put poor, starving artists like Lars and Brittney out there, crying about how music downloads were taking food off their tables. And if you didn’t get it, then artists whose music is actually worth a dime are actually worth seeing live, and as most people know, you can rack up a pretty large tab over the course of a year going to live shows.

For years, I’ve thought that a good compromise between record labels and the fans would be to give concert-goers a certain amount of credit to download the music they just paid to see live. Or (and what the hell has taken so long for this to happen?) – give the purchasers of any hard-copy CD, DVD, Box-set, or whatever, the same online credit deal.

The current online model is a cruel joke. Who the hell is going to pay $10,000 to fill up an ipod??

Well, it’s nice to see first that artists are recognizing the reality and no longer fighting music downloads. Secondly, this disproves the fact that all artists who have already made their fortunes are still “struggling” to make ends meet and have become as greedy as their corporate counterparts. We always knew that true artists *earned* their financial reward and knew when it’s enough. We have also seen plenty of grassroots artists that have made it the entire way from humble on-line beginnings.

Anyway, this is a good sign: Click Here

Because, this is the alternative: Click Here