Deerhunter are an ambient punk band from Atlanta. Bradford Cox is the lead singer of aforementioned band. We decided to go down to Deaf Institute and interview the man before Deerhunter’s gig for Now Wave, y’know, because they make bitchin’ music and what not.
JG: Is it important to be able to lose yourself in something as emotionally raw as music?
BC: I think so. I think it would help probably to vent emotions that people tend to suppress, so I would say yes.
JG: Do you think music is a good platform for honesty?
BC: I would replace the word ‘honesty’ with cathartic. Sometimes there’s no truth or falsehood, it’s more just raw. Honesty tends to relate to translation, whereas catharsis is just like, explosions.
JG: In today’s industry what current recording artists do you think set a good example to both new bands and bands trying to carve a path?
BC: That’s a good question, let me think on it. Er, I don’t know. I have so many different ideas about that. Sometimes I’m really into independents then other times I understand the need for distribution and there are several bands that have challenged the conventional approaches to that sort of thing. I don’t know that there’s a single band that I would say have laid the path for me.
JG: What is it about making music that you love the most?
BC: That’s hard to pinpoint, I mean I love everything about it. Music is such a primordial thing for me; it’s the most basic part of my existence.
JG: Do you think it’s important to be wholly serious about music, or do you think it’s better to be more open to jest?
BC: Oh definitely, I’d be the first to laugh at certain jokes, you know? I don’t think you can take yourself too seriously.
JG: Does your music possess a lot of private jokes?
BC: I mean I think more references, but yeah I think there’s a sense of humour there. In the artwork you know? There can be references. Sometimes they’re not even conscious, sometimes I realise later.
JG: What’s your favourite flavour ice cream?
BC: I don’t like sweets, isn’t that weird? I’ll occasionally have a little taste of something. My Mom didn’t really raise me to like sweets that much. If I had to choose I’d probably say a generic flavour like Cookies & Cream.
JG: When it comes to Atlanta, the city is able to boast a rich musical heritage, what is it about the city that enables it to birth so many popular musicians?
BC: Probably cheap rent. And a lack of competition. A lot of the time when you go to bigger cities it’s really competitive and people don’t really get to form their own identity ‘cause they’re competing with other bands.
JG: You mentioned the lack of “competition” then, are there any bands from Atlanta that you would recommend to our readers?
BC: There’s a band called The Balkans that are great, they’re real young, they’re still in high school. They have a great sound though.
JG: If you had the opportunity to spend the day with Jimi Hendrix or Jim Morrison, which would it be?
BC: Jimi Hendrix.
JG: Why?
BC: He’s not Jim Morrison. The only thing he ever did that was worth a shit was ‘Spanish Caravan’. He’s kind of like a skeezy beaver Jim Morrison. Couldn’t I just hang out with Neil Young instead?
JG: Finally, what are your thoughts on the weather over here?
BC: Interesting you should ask. I was just talking today about how much I hate the weather over here. I don’t understand why this geographical location hasn’t been vacated for sunnier climates. I hope that doesn’t make me sound rude?
To be fair to Bradford, the weather is shit over here. Deerhunter’s music is not. The man says it’s “quite OK” for me to stay and hang out backstage, but tells me he’s going to take a quick nap. I take that as my cue to leave and meander back up Oxford Road cursing the raindrops as they soak me to the bone, wishing that I’d taken Bradford up on his offer.
Monday 29 June 2009
Friday 12 June 2009
The chrome might be 'on it', but Telepathe miss by a hairs breadth...
When it comes to forming an avant electro pop duo, it would seem Telepathe have all the right ingredients. They’re both pretty sassy ladies from Brooklyn. They even managed to snare themselves Michael Sitek as a collaborator on debut album ‘Dance Mother’. Oh, and one of them is called Busy Ganges. Slick.
So why when watching Telepathe live does it feel like something’s missing? It’s certainly not the venue, The Deaf Institute is one of the few places in Manchester you can routinely rely on not to cock up a band’s performances with poor sound quality or a tepid atmosphere.
Maybe it’s the fact that the lights were turned right down, I assume to ‘create a mood’. All it did was see to it that you struggle to see the band thus making it very difficult to develop a rapport with their performance.
It borders on frustrating, because the band themselves have some brilliant tunes. ‘Chrome’s On It’ is a joy to watch live, with the drum machines and the rumble from the bass even causing the optics at the bar to topple over.
‘In Your Line’ is one of the stand-out tracks on the album, and that too transfers over to the live performance. Ganges and her band-mate Melissa Livaudais’ almost lackadaisical vocal delivery is a blessing on this track. The military drums saunter along hand in hand with the girls’ lyrics.
Not many people are aware of the decibel measuring device in the top right corner of the main hall at The Deaf Institute, yet for this performance it seemed to be the only consistent performer, with its levels perpetually in the red.
Unfortunately for Telepathe that wasn’t a good thing, as the performance at times was just a load of riff-raff and carried no real substance or weight.
On the track ‘Can’t Stand It’, the pair repeats “Oh you know it could be so much better”. This was a case of life imitating art. Telepathe certainly aren’t a million miles from being a fantastic act, both on wax and live, but when it comes to the latter some fine tuning is required.
Obviously we're trying to save a bit on energy these days, but surely it can't hurt to turn the lights up; or even on.
3 out of 5
So why when watching Telepathe live does it feel like something’s missing? It’s certainly not the venue, The Deaf Institute is one of the few places in Manchester you can routinely rely on not to cock up a band’s performances with poor sound quality or a tepid atmosphere.
Maybe it’s the fact that the lights were turned right down, I assume to ‘create a mood’. All it did was see to it that you struggle to see the band thus making it very difficult to develop a rapport with their performance.
It borders on frustrating, because the band themselves have some brilliant tunes. ‘Chrome’s On It’ is a joy to watch live, with the drum machines and the rumble from the bass even causing the optics at the bar to topple over.
‘In Your Line’ is one of the stand-out tracks on the album, and that too transfers over to the live performance. Ganges and her band-mate Melissa Livaudais’ almost lackadaisical vocal delivery is a blessing on this track. The military drums saunter along hand in hand with the girls’ lyrics.
Not many people are aware of the decibel measuring device in the top right corner of the main hall at The Deaf Institute, yet for this performance it seemed to be the only consistent performer, with its levels perpetually in the red.
Unfortunately for Telepathe that wasn’t a good thing, as the performance at times was just a load of riff-raff and carried no real substance or weight.
On the track ‘Can’t Stand It’, the pair repeats “Oh you know it could be so much better”. This was a case of life imitating art. Telepathe certainly aren’t a million miles from being a fantastic act, both on wax and live, but when it comes to the latter some fine tuning is required.
Obviously we're trying to save a bit on energy these days, but surely it can't hurt to turn the lights up; or even on.
3 out of 5
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Some Say They Walk Alone
When it comes to The Horrors, it’s just as easy to dwell on the band’s controversial nature as it is their music. Seeing as it's all well documented we’ll just brush past it and in doing so focus on what was a brilliant live performance.
The band have ventured off into brave new worlds with 2nd LP Primary Colours, moving with gusto away from their garage punk roots and swanning into realms more akin to Nick Cave, Joy Division and The Human League.
The subterranean setting of Manchester’s Ruby Lounge couldn’t be more suited to their vampiric, hungover look. As they glide into ‘Mirror’s Image’ Farris Badwan flies forward, intending to drag the bewildered onlookers into his strange experimental world.
In keeping with the 2nd album, ‘Three Decades’ is next and catapults the rollercoaster down deeper, picking up torque in the process.
‘Sheena Is A Parasite’ and ‘Count In Fives’ also rear their spiky heads, appeasing those who’ve appreciated The Horrors open-minded approach to music since 1st LP Strange House.
‘Who Can Say’ is definitely the highlight of the evening. Farris’ ominous poise really brings the song to life. He utters “then I kissed her, with a kiss that could only mean goodbye” with a conviction that adds real authority to his words.
‘Sea Within A Sea’ gets a great response from a crowd who are so drenched with sweat they look as if they themselves have been for a dip with Ariel and chums. The bass line ushers the audience along as Farris’ vocals haunt their ears.
The song is very introspective. “Some say we walk alone” laments Farris, describing how he and his band “march into the sea” whilst others “stay firmly rooted in the shallows”.
The Horrors have definitely put themselves ahead of the curve with their 2nd album. Tonight’s performance demonstrates that the transition from studio to stage will be a seamless one. So let’s forget about all the accoutrement that comes with the band and focus on their music, because it definitely warrants acclaim.
4 out of 5
The band have ventured off into brave new worlds with 2nd LP Primary Colours, moving with gusto away from their garage punk roots and swanning into realms more akin to Nick Cave, Joy Division and The Human League.
The subterranean setting of Manchester’s Ruby Lounge couldn’t be more suited to their vampiric, hungover look. As they glide into ‘Mirror’s Image’ Farris Badwan flies forward, intending to drag the bewildered onlookers into his strange experimental world.
In keeping with the 2nd album, ‘Three Decades’ is next and catapults the rollercoaster down deeper, picking up torque in the process.
‘Sheena Is A Parasite’ and ‘Count In Fives’ also rear their spiky heads, appeasing those who’ve appreciated The Horrors open-minded approach to music since 1st LP Strange House.
‘Who Can Say’ is definitely the highlight of the evening. Farris’ ominous poise really brings the song to life. He utters “then I kissed her, with a kiss that could only mean goodbye” with a conviction that adds real authority to his words.
‘Sea Within A Sea’ gets a great response from a crowd who are so drenched with sweat they look as if they themselves have been for a dip with Ariel and chums. The bass line ushers the audience along as Farris’ vocals haunt their ears.
The song is very introspective. “Some say we walk alone” laments Farris, describing how he and his band “march into the sea” whilst others “stay firmly rooted in the shallows”.
The Horrors have definitely put themselves ahead of the curve with their 2nd album. Tonight’s performance demonstrates that the transition from studio to stage will be a seamless one. So let’s forget about all the accoutrement that comes with the band and focus on their music, because it definitely warrants acclaim.
4 out of 5
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