5. The Blistering Speeds LOTTO Interview The Blistering Speeds take the Year 3 Number 5 spot with their Room to Rock LOTTO Interview. This was part of a series of LOTTO Interviews tied to a local charity event. As I previously stated in prior posts, I volunteered to MC Room to Read’s 2nd Annual Room to Rock charity showcase fundraiser on Friday, August 26, 2011.
Along with that, I decided to feature interviews with each of the scheduled bands. It all came together kind of fast and we were pressed for time, so I decided to use the LOTTO Interview format from a weekly music column I used to do for another site.
This is the fourth and highest ranking LOTTO Interview (and third from this special Room to Rock series) to make the Year 3 countdown. The first featured another ATX-based band, Feedback, who tied with a BB Gun Johnny pop quiz at Number 28. The second posted at Number 12 and featured SALVO, who is another ATX artist. The third was yet another Austin band, Day vs. Night, at Number 11. The Blistering Speeds, Day vs. Night, and Feedback were all part of the Room to Rock series of LOTTO Interviews. That only left one band off this countdown.
11. Day vs. Night LOTTO Interview Day vs. Night is another Austin indie band doing their thing and they take the Year 3 Number 11 spot. This was part of a series of LOTTO Interviews tied to a local charity event. As I previously stated in a prior post, I volunteered to MC Room to Read’s 2nd Annual Room to Rock charity showcase fundraiser on Friday, August 26, 2011.
Along with that, I decided to feature interviews with each of the scheduled bands. It all came together kind of fast and we were pressed for time, so I decided to use the LOTTO Interview format from a weekly music column I used to do for another site.
This is the third LOTTO Interview (and second from this special Room to Rock series) to make the Year 3 countdown. The first featured another ATX-based band, Feedback, who tied with a BB Gun Johnny pop quiz at Number 28 and the second just posted at Number 12 and featured SALVO, who is another artist based in the ATX. Day vs. Night and Feedback were both part of the Room to Rock series of LOTTO Interviews.
28. BB Gun Johnny pop quiz & Feedback LOTTO Interview The Year 3 Number 28 spot brings us our first tie! As part of my El Paso Week countdown to the inaugural Neon Desert Music Festival, I included BB Gun Johnny’spop quiz interview. They were not one of the Neon Desert Artists, but they are El Paso-based. It was the first pop quiz of April 2011, going live on the 15th, during the week that I was posting daily Neon Desert 5Q interviews.
In Year 3, I started adding “interview” to the pop quiz heading. I had found that in previous years (as told by a few contacts) that the thought was that these were pop quizzes you were supposed to take and people were missing the fact that they were interviews. Not pop quizzes for visitors to the site, but for the artists, themselves. I didn’t think it was a such a big deal as these type of standardized interviews have appeared in magazines for decades; usually on the back page. But, I adjusted things to clarify things.
I noted before that though I feature national and international artists, I do highlight when they are local and regional. In Year 3, another tweak I made was to abbreviate the regional cities in the titles of such posts. So, in BB Gun Johnny’s case it became “EP” instead of “El Paso.” Austin became ATX, Dallas D-Town, Houston H-Town and so on and so forth. In some cases, I don’t know the city’s nickname or whether it has one, so it stays the same.
The Feedback LOTTO Interview is a more recent post. I volunteered to MC Room to Read’s 2nd Annual Room to Rock charity showcase fundraiser on Friday, August 26, 2011. Along with that, I decided to feature interviews with each of the scheduled bands. It all came together kind of fast and we were pressed for time, so I decided to use the LOTTO Interview format from a weekly music column I used to write for another site. The Feedback LOTTO Interview went live on Wednesday, August 24, 2011. More background info and how it all works is broken down in the original post [see below].
Interesting to note, Feedback is the official band of local company Bazaarvoice and normally do covers. So, maybe that’s how they got all these hits to claim the Number 28 spot so quickly. I jest. I jest.
See the original BB Gun Johnny post here — BB Gun Johnny pop quiz interview – EP. It includes their song, “Alcohol & Chocolate,” and MSTRKRFT’s video for “Easy Love.” See all 7 Neon Desert interviews and more here.
Editor’s Note: The LOTTO Interview was one of the features for my weekly music column, Urb’l (Urban Cool) Remedy, that was part of Zubterrain, the e-zine of the Zonisphere Media Group. That site is undergoing an indefinite overhaul; so, my column is currently on hiatus. For the purpose of this series of interviews, I’ve decided to use the LOTTO Interview format here at THE REAL popolio.
I will be MCing Room to Read’s 2nd Annual Room to Rock music showcase and fundraiser event TONIGHT at Peckerheads on Sixth (6th and Trinity). Doors open at 7:30PM. Show starts at 8PM.
On Monday I started counting down to tonight’s event by featuring a daily LOTTO Interview with each of the featured bands – The Blistering Speeds, Feedback, The Shears, and Day vs. Night ( BTW, that is the order they perform in, but was not the order of the interviews). There was a bit of a delay in getting the Shear interview, so that is why nothing posted yesterday. But, better late than never, here it is!
The Blistering Speeds kicked things off on Monday. Day vs. Night kept it going on Tuesday. Feedback held it down on Wednesday. Read each of their LOTTO Interviews here, here, and here, respectively. Last, but not least, in our series of Room to Rock LOTTO Interviews are the Shears, who will be playing second-to-last after Feedback and before Day vs. Night.
The idea is simple. I have a list of questions that are a mixed bag of musical, fun, serious, and silly. The Shears chose five numbers from 1 through 100 without getting to see the questions. The questions they answered for this interview are the questions that corresponded with the numbers that were chosen. The list is currently holding steady at 100.
Watch the Shears play “Air Balloon” from a Club 1808 show captured by Austin Music Weekly. Read their LOTTO Interview below.
UR: Anyone you would pattern your career after?
TS: Well, any road to success would be the pattern we would want to follow, but all roads are different. We wanna’ get there anyway we can. John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Bruno Mars, maybe.
UR: What are you trying to achieve when you perform live?
TS: To inspire some sort of positive emotion…While rocking the shit out of the stage. We want to put on a great show! Inspire the audience anyway we can, whether it be to dance, be creative, musically or just to have a damn good time.
UR: What would the soundtrack to the story of your lives sound like?
TS: Like this!
UR: Put the super-baddest vocal group together by voice. Any living (This sucks. We wanted Ella Fitzgerald.) singer/vocalist from any group. Name them, the vocal role they’d play, and what group they’re from. [2 to 5 members only.]
Not sure what roles they would play, but the name of the band would be the Eargasms.
UR: Why did you get into music?
TS: It’s one of the few things we love to do and will never get tired of. Music is great. Music is Beautiful. Music is inspirational. Music is creative. It is all that and more. Emotions, feelings we cannot describe. Music is the pure language of the soul.
Editor’s Note:The LOTTO Interview was one of the features for my weekly music column, Urb’l (Urban Cool) Remedy, that was part of Zubterrain, the e-zine of the Zonisphere Media Group. That site is undergoing an indefinite overhaul; so, my column is currently on hiatus. For the purpose of this series of interviews, I’ve decided to use the LOTTO Interview format here at THE REAL popolio.
I will be MCing Room to Read’s 2nd Annual Room to Rock music showcase and fundraiser event on Friday, August 26, 2011, at Peckerheads on Sixth (6th and Trinity). Doors open at 7:30PM. Show starts at 8PM.
Starting on Monday, to countdown to the event, I have been featuring a daily LOTTO Interview (and will do so through tomorrow) with each of the featured bands – The Blistering Speeds, Feedback, The Shears, and Day vs. Night ( BTW, that is the order they perform in, but not necessarily the order of the interviews).
The Blistering Speeds kicked things off on Monday. Day vs. Night kept it going yesterday. Read each of their LOTTO Interviews here and here, respectively. Next up in our series of Room to Rock LOTTO Interviews is Feedback, the official band of Bazaarvoice, who will follow the Blistering Speeds during the showcase.
The idea is simple. I have a list of questions that are a mixed bag of musical, fun, serious, and silly. Feedback chose five numbers from 1 through 100 without getting to see the questions. The questions they answered for this interview are the questions that corresponded with the numbers that were chosen. The list is currently holding steady at 100.
Watch Feedback perform their version of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown.” Read their LOTTO Interview below.
UR: Anyone you would pattern your career after?
FB: Probably the Rutles…Or maybe Spinal Tap, but mostly just for the great stage props.
UR: What are the top references you use for this band, musical or otherwise?
FB: The main criteria we followed in selecting the music was to play the tunes that we are excited about. Our band members seem to have a similar taste in music, but we are pretty diverse when it comes to age. Since we mainly do covers, it ends up as somewhat of a “best of” from the ‘70s all the way through to today.
We had two rules we tried to follow:
1) The audience should be able to recognize the song within a few notes. 2) Once they recognize it, it should make them smile. UR: What’s a genre of music you’d like to try that your fans would be surprised by?
FB: Bluegrass soul! Don’t be too surprised if we break out some angry banjo or maybe even a fiddle one of these days… UR: If you were to redo a song from a musical, what song would you do from which musical?
FB: It probably wouldn’t be a huge stretch for us to try a few songs from musicals. Maybe “Seasons of Love,” from RENT – it has a big sound, lots of vocals, and it’s definitely a feel-good tune.
Editor’s Note: The LOTTO Interview was one of the features for my weekly music column, Urb’l (Urban Cool) Remedy,that was part of Zubterrain, the e-zine of the Zonisphere Media Group. That site is undergoing an indefinite overhaul; so, my column is currently on hiatus. For the purpose of this series of interviews, I’ve decided to use the LOTTO Interview format here at THE REAL popolio.
I will be MCing Room to Read’s 2nd Annual Room to Rock music showcase and fundraiser event on Friday, August 26, 2011, at Peckerheads on Sixth (6th and Trinity). Doors open at 7:30PM. Show starts at 8PM.
Starting yesterday, to countdown to the event, I started featuring a daily LOTTO Interview (and will do so through Thursday) with each of the featured bands – The Blistering Speeds, Feedback, The Shears, and Day vs. Night ( BTW, that is the order they perform in, but not necessarily the order of the interviews).
The Blistering Speeds kicked things off yesterday. Read their LOTTO Interview here. Next up in our series of Room to Rock LOTTO Interviews is Day vs. Night, who will be closing the showcase.
The idea is simple. I have a list of questions that are a mixed bag of musical, fun, serious, and silly. Day vs. Night chose five numbers from 1 through 100 without getting to see the questions. The questions they answered for this interview are the questions that corresponded with the numbers that were chosen. The list is currently holding steady at 100.
Listen to Day vs. Night’s “Caught in the Radio.” Read their LOTTO Interview below. Answered for the group by band drummer, Nick Welp.
UR: Do people who say “supposebly” annoy you as much as they do me?
DN: No, they may have learning disabilities. Or cuteness awareness problems? Either way, they deserve our compassion.
UR: Last day on earth, what do you do?
DN: Some context would help…I believe in finishing things like I did them in the middle, so just like I live my life my last day will be filled with sex and vengeance.
UR: You win a Grammy, who’s the first person you thank?
DN: You know when you’re practicing in your room and you’re really good the only person to thank is yourself. But, when other people are interested in what you do and it’s moved beyond the practice sphere that is entirely because of the effort and the goodwill other people have extended you. When you’re on the cusp of relevancy it’s because of other people.
I used to think the long lists of people to thank were silly, but I have a much better grasp on the scale and the effort success like that requires; it requires people all over the country pulling for you, suggesting your music to their friends, and playing your songs at parties. So, anyone who’s ever been a Day vs. Night fan, this thank you is for you!
UR: You can get a song remixed by any producer, DJ, or artist, which of your songs would you choose and who would you get to do it?
DN: I’d like a straight up Krautrock version of “Caught on the Radio.” No melody, only drum, and the singer would chant the lyrics. So, random reference, how about Front 242? Zwei Fear Zwei. Every other song has already been sampled by Kanye West. I want some real OGs that aren’t even hip hop. If not Krautrock, I want some freaking Electro!
UR: What’s your greatest musical strength?
DN: I hold my band to high standards and they meet them. As a band, we have a remarkably clean tone. We do not step on each others toes, we do not play over each other. Each musician has a perfect niche. My greatest strength as a drummer is that I can play anything anywhere anytime any planet, perfectly. It’s always catchy and it’s always groovy. I have high expectations for myself and I work to exceed them.
Troy, the guitarist, comes up with many of the riffs that define our songs. His musical gifts are original melodies, beautiful tone, and flexibility. Troy is one of the best musicians I’ve ever worked with and he’s remains imperturbable. He’s the only musician I’ve worked with for this long that I’ve never seen lose his cool. I mean we’ve been playing together for years now and he’s never angry or difficult to get along with.
Zafer, I feel, is the guy me and Troy work together to support. As the bass player, he’s the glue of the song, but as the singer he’s also the centerpiece. As a band we’re working to create a great song, a song that allows Zafer to shine as our singer and frontman. He’s the best singer I’ve worked with and I knew it early on when I first met him. He’s virtually half the band as the bass player and singer (two roles) and he lays both the foundation on bass and the angel on top with his voice, so in many ways though we all work together towards a common goal, he’s really the defining presence in our lineup.
Zafer, the singer and bass player, is the Hamilton in our Texas Rangers Lineup. I’m the drummer, Nick, and I feel I’m the offensive and defensive line (think Dallas Cowboys circa 1993, now with two Hall-of-Famers) and Troy, the guitarist, is Cliff Lee — our ace. So as a Foot-base team we are offense-oriented, we beat you up and we shut our opponents down. Are you ready for some Foot-base? Isn’t that how that song goes?
Editor’s Note: The LOTTO Interview was one of the features for my weekly music column, Urb’l (Urban Cool) Remedy,that was part of Zubterrain, the e-zine of the Zonisphere Media Group. That site is undergoing an indefinite overhaul; so, my column is currently on hiatus. For the purpose of this series of interviews, I’ve decided to use the LOTTO Interview format here at THE REAL popolio.
I will be MCing Room to Read’s 2nd Annual Room to Rock music showcase and fundraiser event on Friday, August 26, 2011, at Peckerheads on Sixth (6th and Trinity). Doors open at 7:30PM. Show starts at 8PM.
Starting today, to countdown to the event, I will be featuring a daily LOTTO Interview (through Thursday) with each of the featured bands – The Blistering Speeds, Feedback, The Shears, and Day vs. Night ( BTW, that is the order they perform in, but not necessarily the order of the interviews).
Just as they will be doing on Friday, the Blistering Speeds kick off our Room to Rock LOTTO Interviews.
The idea is simple. I have a list of questions that are a mixed bag of musical, fun, serious, and silly. The Blistering Speeds chose five numbers from 1 through 100 without getting to see the questions. The questions they answered for this interview are the questions that corresponded with the numbers that were chosen. The list is currently holding steady at 100.
Watch the Blistering Speeds play “Acca of Hexham” from a Maggie Mae’s show captured on Balcony TV Austin. Read their LOTTO Interview below.
UR: What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
BS: Justin Timberlake.
UR: Tell me something good.
BS: …if you call in the next 5 minutes, they’ll double your order. But, you do have to pay separate shipping and handling.
UR: Have you created your magnum opus project, yet? If so, which one, and why is that it?
BS: Honest answer: We will probably feel that way about our first album. Because it will be three fucking discs long.
UR: If an “anglophile” is a fan of all things British, what do you call a fan of the good ole’ US of A?
BS: Patriot.
UR: You can do one song with any musician, artist, band or group, who is it?
BS: To keep this local, there’s this band in town called Field Dress that’s doing some interesting stuff.
I first posted Bird Call’s (aka Chiara Angelicola) video for her award-winning song, “Waltz in the Snow,” a few weeks back. As I stated in that post, and will restate here, she will be playing the Hole in the WallTHIS WEDNESDAY, August 17, 2011, with Johanna and the Dusty Floor.
Before then, get to know a little bit about this intriguing up-and-coming Brooklyn-based artist with our EXCLUSIVE 10Q interview.
Listen to Bird Call’s version of Beck’s “Lost Cause.”
Click the first pic to go to Bird Call’s official site and second, at the end of the interview, to get to her Facebook Page.
***
by Gretchen Robinette
1. You probably get this question all the time, but how did you come up with the Bird Call moniker? What does it mean? Quite honestly I am not quite sure if I experienced a specific moment when Bird Call came to me. I think it was more of a culmination of experiences that led to a moment where I just intuited the name and that was that.
I got my first two tattoos of these two sparrow-style birds on my forearms a few years ago, after that I started subconsciously paying more attention to birds, in general, their morning songs, bird paraphernalia, etc. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be a crazy bird woman when I’m old and gray.
2. Congrats on winning the Performance Category in this year’s International Songwriters Competition with “Waltz in the Snow!” I don’t think many up-and-coming artists even know about it. How did you hear about it? How does it feel to have won? I heard about ISC through several different mediums including Folk Alliance, Sonic Bids, and newsletters. It’s one of those things that I didn’t really pay much attention to the first few years. Once I released my first record I submitted my song, “Momentum,” and never heard back. The second year I submitted “Waltz in the Snow” and I didn’t think much of it. When I got the word that I was a finalist, I just flipped out and was like I don’t care if I win because I was just so stoked to have made the finals. When I received notice that I won, I was pumped that these greats like Tom Waits and Peter Gabriel acknowledged my songwriting. Manifested dream.
3. Diggin’ the look on the cover of your latest EP, Other Creatures, with the rainbow braid and feathers. Very bird-y, of course. What was the inspiration? Do you ever perform in a look like this or would you appear in a video that way? As far as photos, I always like exploring different ideas that pop in my head when I’m dreaming, working out, or in the shower. I like creating stories in my head and then bringing them to life.
The cover for the EP was more of an exploration and art piece that I did with my fantastic photographer and close friend, Gretchen Robinette. I usually don’t dress too crazy on stage but I can never say no to glitter.
4. The reason I ask about videos is because you look like a totally different person in the “Waltz in the Snow” video. Not only do you look younger and more innocent, but very classic, ‘50s, I think (if I’m getting my eras right), but definitely old school. Tell me about this persona and the video. Which is more you? I’m a chameleon. I like exploring different parts of my personalities. When I write, I take on the role of the story-teller of that song. “Waltz in the Snow” is very much about an innocent girl experiencing Brooklyn for the first time. We tried to emulate that in the video. It’s all based on the story.
5. What about “Waltz in the Snow?” Why did you decide to write a song like this both lyrically and sonically? It is your ode to Brooklyn, correct? I wrote it when I first moved to Brooklyn during the daunting cold of my first real east coast winter. When I write it seems to come from some place outside of me and deep within me at the same time. I cannot try to manipulate what comes out too much. It felt right at the time. I can say that I intended the 3 count time as I have always wanted to write a waltz.
6. Use this question to wax poetic about Brooklyn and tell us all, especially us Austinites, why Brooklyn is so exquisite. I feel that when artists move to New York they move with a drive and intention to build something great. Brooklyn carries this energy constantly from day into night. You feel it around you, and it is what keeps me motivated, creating, being inspired, and challenging myself.
7. How did the co-headlining tour with Johanna and the Dusty Floor come together? Why not tour solo? Johanna and I both released our records on May 24th and we had both been talking about touring our music out. It seemed logical to split costs and combine efforts to tour the country together since our music is so compatible as well. We’re really stoked about it all and having a lot of fun.
8. Have you been to Austin before? What can we expect from your Austin stop at the Hole in the Wall? It will be my first time in Austin. I’ve never been.I’m bringing my California-native-via-Brooklyn vibes and hope everyone likes. I have heard nothing but great things about the Austin music scene. Really excited and looking forward to playing this fun spot with some great local acts as well.
9. Tell us one salacious rumor that you’ve heard about the ATX. I hear that when you walk into any bar you get your first couple of drinks on the house.
10. You’re a new bird species. What are you called, what do you look like, and what does your bird call sound like? Describe. I am the Pantheonicus Horned Pegagasius Owl. I try to balance my life with innocence and a healthy challenge on a daily basis. I also watch B-side horror films and do yoga. Hooty Hoo.
5. The Blistering Speeds LOTTO Interview
