popwreckoning

The Body Rampant just dropped a new EP, Transient Years. And prior to the EP’s drop, the experimental rock band took SXSW by storm. The group took the time during the festival to chat with PopWreckoning about how they formed, where they got equipped with their well-known paper mache mask accessories and more. You can check out the full interview with the band below:

PopWreckoning: How did you guys meet and form the Body Rampant?
J.M. Lopez, Vocals: I was playing an acoustic show back home and met our bass player, Dylan [Schleifstein]. He was playing in another band. I was in northern California at the time and moved down to LA with this kid, Dylan, and we just recruited basically all the members on different outlets. Me and Jacob [Nichols] had been in touring bands, previously in the past, like hardcore bands, stuff like that. We kind of knew each other–recruited him. Found Ryan [Sabouhi], our other guitar player. off Craigslist.
Ryan Sabouhi, Guitar: Yeah, Craigslist: a really good outlet for several different things – selling shit, etc.
JML: Then we found our drummer, Mike [Thomas]. He’s just a rockstar. We knew about him from basically everyone in town, you know what I mean?
Mike Thomas, Drums: Word of mouth
JML: Yeah, word of mouth. He’s a smoking drummer. We’ve got a good lineup. We’re pumped.

PW: How did the masks on stage thing come about?
MT: Basically,JM knows this guy, Duane Flatmo, who is just this incredible artist and he actually made all these masks out of paper mache. It just catches the eye with an alter-ego kind of thing.
JML: A lot of the breweries and local companies, he does art for them – murals. He’s a world famous artist – he’s been on the Tonight Show and shit. I just, well, he’s a local in northern California, where I’m from, so I’ve just always seen his stuff around. We just hit him up with our music and he liked it and was down to work with us.

PW: Did you draw any influence from other bands that use costumes/masks on stage?
Jake Nichols, Guitar: We don’t really use them on stage, so it’s not like we’re the KISS Army or something like that.
RS: We just use them to basically get our name out there and have this kind of huge thing going.
Dylan Schleifstein, Bass: I think we use them because it enables us – when we put the mask on it gives us the freedom to go out and do what we want and not worry about what else is going on
JML: Our bodies are basically rampant when we have the masks on – we can do what we want. We can get nuts. When we’re on stage, we still get nuts, but we’re a little more ourselves.

PW: What can people expect from your live show?
RS: Energy. Energy for days. We’re like a pop band, alternative rock band, but we like to rock.
JML: We hate when bands just stand there and they’re not loud. We like to be really loud and move around a lot.
MT: A lot of involvement. You want to get the crowd as involved as possible: best way to bring them on.
JN: We just try to have fun with our live show.

PW: Sounds great. Now you have a new EP, Transient Years. Tell me about that and how you came up with the album title?
JML: The album title is kind of loosely based around the masks as well because they’re transient – and it’s like when you’re stuck in time in one place and you’re doing nothing for so long – it sounded cool too. The album comes out April 5. We’re pretty stoked on it.

PW: Who would you say are some of your influences on the album?
DS: So many.
RS: We have varied, but similar musical styles. Casey Bates–we got to work with on a lot of the songs. Definitely working with a producer who had that much input and had worked with so many other big bands that could coach us to be as on point as possible. Musical styles? Could go for days. Anybody’s who’s good.
DS: We listen to hip hop, oldies, metal, grind – everything.
RS: You’d never know that by listening to the CD. A lot of different artists we listen to have to do with our style.

PW: So who are some of the people you’ve been checking out at SXSW? Have you had much time?
MT: That’s the problem when you’re a band at southby, you don’t have time to see your favorite artists. We tried a couple times.
JN: Saw Wiz Kalifa – that was awesome.
JML: Saw The Limousines – they were sick. Mike, did you see anyone? Mike was the drunkest, haha.
MT: Dude. I probably did, but I don’t remember. The Stroke s- I wanted to see the Strokes really bad.
DS: Saw the singer and drummer walking around. He was so dirty. haha.
MT: He gets paid basically to be that way.
DS: If i was him, I’d get that dirty.
JML: Girls love that.

PW: So what’s after South by for you?
JML: We are during a lot of online, commercial stuff.

PW: What’s your favorite social media outlet to reach out to your fans?
JML: Facebook.
DS: Facebook’s where’s it’s at.
JN: There’s been a lot of cool things we’ve seen popping up at SXSW and a lot of people approacing you about it. Everyone’s trying to build the new Twitter.
MT: The new iPhone app.
JN: We usually use Twitter and that goes to everything else. we like to keep it simple. post to Twitter.

You can follow the Body Rampant on Twitter here and find out more from them on Facebook here.

This weekend, Dr. Dog, The Head and The Heart, Mason Jennings and many more musicians and bands will play at the inaugural Pearl Street Music Festival in Boulder, CO. Although smaller than other two-day festivals, the stellar line-up and humble community makes Pearl Street Music Festival a great primer for the various outdoor summer concerts and festivals coming through Colorado this summer. Festival organizer Travis Albright spoke to PopWreckoning about the festival line-up and the perks of a Pearl Street Music Festival wristband.

PopWreckoning, Brianna Hernandez: How did you decide which artists to feature at the festival?
Travis Albright, Pearl Street Music Festival: I wanted to have a nice mix of local and national acts with a wide array of genres. The genres at this festival include indie, folk, bluegrass, jam, rock, and even late night DJs. Plus, they’re bands that I really love. The Head and the Heart and Dr. Dog are two of my favorites.

PopWreckoning: Aside from Snowball Music Festival, this is really the first music festival in CO this year. Is there any pressure as Pearl Street Music Fest kicks off music festival season in CO?
Travis: There is absolutely no pressure. We have had such strong support from the community since day one. All of the businesses, bands, fans, and the city of Boulder have been so great to work with.

PopWreckoning: How are you working with local businesses to enhance the festival experience?
Travis: Because the festival and local businesses decided to work together on festival logistics, the entire downtown area is benefitting this weekend. With one single festival wristband, patrons can get into seven different venues from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., attend a film premiere, and check out art expos, all while receiving great discounts from local restaurants and retailers.

PopWreckoning: As Paste Magazine highlighted, this is your inaugural year. What are your goals for this festival?
Travis: We are so honored to named one of Paste Magazine’s “Top 10 Most Interesting Inaugural Music Festival of 2011!” It’s great to be in the company of such festivals as the Dave Matthews Caravan, Escape to New York, Electric Forest, and even Rock A Field in Luxembourg. Our only goal was to logistically get the downtown area to work together for a true Boulder experience. Hopefully next year we will have all of the Pearl Street district involved.

PopWreckoning: 2011 is the inaugural year for both Snowball Music Festival and Pearl Street Music Festival. With a slew of already successful music festivals, and several new music fests (including Pearl Street and Snowball), what does this mean for CO’s music scene?
Travis: I think that the music scene on the front range of Colorado is something that exceeds major markets such as New York, Chicago, and L.A. Our humbly populated area is able to run with the big dogs. That alone speaks volumes.

PopWreckoning: How is Pearl Street Music Festival different from other CO music festivals such as Westword Music Showcase, Underground Music Showcase, Snowball Music Fest, Telluride, etc?
Travis: I think it’s different because even though some of the others are multiple venue festivals, this is the only where you can buy a single festival pass and have access to so much in just a few blocks.

PopWreckoning: How would you describe CO’s music scene?
Travis: I think anyone that loves music already knows about the Colorado music scene. I’m from the east coast. Six years ago, the music scene was one of the main reasons that I moved to Boulder. That and the great beer, outdoor activities, sunny weather…

For more information about Pearl Street Music Festival, visit: www.pearlstreetfestival.com.

PopWreckoning sat down with Alex Ridha, aka Boys Noize, before his DJ set at Beta Nightclub last month. The legendary DJ has been producing and remixing for over a decade and started his highly buzzed about record label, Boys Noize Records, in 2005. Ridha is known for his cutting-edge collaborations and for his non-stop touring. PopWreckoning was lucky enough to chat with him about what his touring schedule is like and what other artists he is currently listening to.

PopWreckoning, Brianna Hernandez: You have been doing this for a really long time – a little over a decade – how did you get into DJing and decide to DJ as a career?
Boys Noize: The thing is with me, DJing, I love it so much because I always play new stuff that excites me. DJing was always a big part of me and [I had] so much passion for it when I started and it’s still there. And now, with the traveling you get to see so many interesting cities and people.

PW: You’re huge into remixes – who do you want to remix and what type of genre would you want to work with?
BN: Actually, I was asked to do a remix for Johnny Cash [laughs], but I wasn’t able to do it. The more it’s away from what I’m doing the more interesting it is for me. I still look at myself like a musician as well. When I started to remix the Kaiser Chiefs, it was way more interesting for me to do a remix than to a techno track. It’s way more challenging to take a rock track and make it sound good.

PW: Who are some of the people you are listening to and up and comers you currently like?
BN: Definitely Housemeister. He’s actually been around for a long time as a famous DJ. But now, [during] the last couple years, he’s been blowing up. He’s outside of the box with his sounds and production and he doesn’t sound like anyone else. Guys like DJEDJOTRONIC, who is from Paris. He’s probably the most talented one right now. He’s really killing it with a style that combines house and techno.

PW: So you’re touring all over the U.S. right now –how do the crowds differ between here and Berlin, where you are from?
BN: There are many differences within the U.S. Cities where you have more access to different clubs and styles like NYC, San Franicso and here [in Denver] as well. People are getting more educated in different sounds right now. In the U.S. they really want to rage, which I always do and love. You could say it always take the U.S. a little longer to pick up stuff than in Europe. Whenever I come here, I think I have to do more to present the style and music.

PW: What does the rest of 2011 have in store for you?
BN: Well, I’m doing the summer festivals again and trying to finish a new record. I already have 25 new tracks but I’m trying to figure out which direction I wanna go. I’ve set my personal level really high now and I’m collecting more and more songs. It’s weird because I can’t go in a studio with a plan, I just go in there and see where it goes.

Hear Boys Noize’s latest track, “Transmission,” here and find more from the DJ at boysnoize.com.

The Gallery is a rock band that knows how to write catchy hooks and sharp lyrics. The Florida band by way of Massachusetts is made up of brothers Brendan Cooney (vocals/guitar) and Ryan Cooney (drums) and their friends Shea Brennan (guitar) and Dave Mozdzanowski (bass/vocals).The band recently performed at SXSW 2011 and took some time to chat with PopWreckoning about their Come Alive EP, the festival and future plans. You can read the full interview below.

Bethany, PopWreckoning: Let’s start at the beginning. Where’d you guys meet and how did you form the Gallery?
Ryan Cooney, drummer: Brendan [Cooney] is my brother, so we met at my house. Haha. Shea [Brennan] lives in our town and Dave [Mozdzanowski] lives near by, so we’ve all been friends. We’ve played together and we kind of branched off from all the people that we were playing with and started playing in our basement and went from there. 

PW: I know on your bio that is says you’re all from Massachusetts, but you call Florida your second home. What’s the connection between the two?
Dave Mozdzanowski, bassist: We went to school down there. I went down for school, then Ry came down after a couple of years and then these two guys [Brendan and Shea] came down a couple years after. Then we met a lot of friends down there, so we have all those connections.

PW: For people who haven’t heard your band, how would you describe your sound and what are some of your influences?
Ryan: We just say rock. It’s so easy to put a bunch of adjectives in there, but I guess people say it has a kind of folk feel. We do listen to a lot of music like that. Bob Dylan – we’ve learned a lot from his songs. Then Tom Petty, 90s rock bands like Oasis or Third Eye Blind or Matchbox 20. We like everything, so I guess it just comes together to form some sort of rock music.

PW: You guys have a lot of support from a lot of online and print publications. You were just involved with a Rolling Stone unsigned cover battle contest. How did you get picked for that? Is that still going on?
The Gallery: We got involved in it – we played Miami for a festival that someone in the industry suggested that we go to and then next thing you know, we got picked. We were just in the top 16. The top 8 have already moved on. It’s over now for us.

PW: You guys have been playing every single day of SXSW. What have you learned from your experience and if you had to, what would be in a SXSW survival kit for you?
Ryan: We’ve…moderation would be the key, probably. A lot of bands, I’m sure, only play one set or a couple sets and then have the rest of the week to do whatever they want, but if you’re busy playing everyday, it’s probably not the best idea to stay up really late. Especially if you’re sleeping on the floor of hotel. We’re at the Marriott – downtown Marriott. We had to sneak in through the garage last night. Take it easy, enjoy the music and stay busy.

PW: What have been some of the craziest or coolest things you’ve seen since you’ve been here?
Brendan Cooney, singer/guitar: We were actually saying it’s not exactly as crazy as we thought it would be. I think it’s just the type of people that are attracted to this kind of music fest. There have been a lot of drunk people. That’s the craziest that I’ve seen. Coolest things? We only caught one song, but this Augustana set – that song – was the best song that I’ve seen all of SXSW.
Ryan: I feel like yesterday [Friday] we saw the best bands. At least my preference.
The Gallery: This guy from The Testament over at Rusty Spurs – this jazz fusion thing. That was the best.

PW: What’s next for you after SXSW?
Brendan: We’re actually going back to Florida and we’re playing some music festivals in Florida. Then we’re going to tour up the East coast and do some shows in the New England area. Then we’re going to hit the road for a month or so after that.

PW: You guys just released an EP. Is there a plan for a full-length?
The Gallery: We’re kind of playing it by ear. We’re not sure, but we’re always writing, so there’s always an opportunity for the next release.

The Gallery’s Come Alive EP is available now. Get it on iTunes and Bandcamp at thegallerymusic.bandcamp.com.

Ethereal Brooklyn act Acrylics had a busy schedule at 2011′s SXSW, but they found some time to catch up with PopWreckoning. The synth heavy duo, Jason Klauber and Molly Shea, chats about new album Lives and Treasure, Super moon vibes and the influence of “Twin Peaks. Check the full interview out below: 

PopWreckoning: You just played a set here at SXSW, earlier, right?
Jason Klauber, Acrylics: Yes.
PW: Was that your first SXSW performance ever?
Molly Shea, Acrylics: First of this year.

PW: You’re a fairly new band and you just had an EP that came out on Grizzly Bear‘s Chris Gehringer‘s label – the first to come out on his label. How did you get hooked up with him?
JK: Pretty much we’re a part of that Brooklyn band cesspool. We’ve crossed path Chris over the years and he thought it’d be fun to have us record some sessions. These sessions ended up being put out as an EP, so they just put it out. At the time they were just doing singles, and we were just going to record a single, but it stretched out into a 5-song thing. It was really casual. We spent about a week in a church that he records out of. It was really fun to do that. That was our first release and we’re putting out a new record – well it just came out.
MS: It came out March 1.
JK: We’ve been working on it for so long that it’s hard to say – to put it in the past tense, but it did come out.

PW: It’s still pretty new. Present tense. Now on that record, you did a song with Chairlift‘s Caroline Polachek.
MS: She’s just a friend that we met three or four years ago just through musicians in Brooklyn. It’s really true about Brooklyn, I guess.

PW: Well how would you describe that Brooklyn scene? Is it like just being in a family or…?
MS: It’s so huge that there’s so many different groups of bands that know each other. It’s hard to classify the whole sphere.
JK: It’s more of a social thing. Musicians like to hang out with musicians, and there’s a lot of them in Brooklyn. It’s as simple as that. With Caroline, she came to visit us in the studio one day and we had that song going.
MS: Very casual event.
JK: Yeah, we said you want to sing some backup vox? And she said yes, so next thing you know she’s singing.
MS: We thought it was the perfect song for her.
JK: She did some vocal athletics at the end of the song and it’s very atmospheric. Like, “ah-ah-ah-ah,” so we thought she deserved a feature and credit on it.
MS: It was a vocal solo.
JK: She’s a phenomenal singer, so it’s just fun to have her lend her talents to what we were working on.

. “Sparrow Song” ft. Caroline Polachek

PW: So for people who haven’t heard your music, why should they check your record out?
JK: It’s a good record.
MS: We put our hearts and souls into it. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true.
JK: I think there’s some good songs on it and it’s produced in a way that makes it a great record to listen to by yourself in an intimate space. It was created much with that type of intimacy. It’s like watching a movie that takes you from place A to place B while you’re lying in bed. I think you can achieve something similar if you run through the course of our record a few times as well.
MS: It’s a personal, intimate record. I imagine people listening to it on their headphones.
JK: It’s certainly not for everybody, but I think that people who will connect to it, will connect and have connected, in a very sincere and meaningful way. That’s what it’s about for us.

PW: Who are some of your influences on the record?
MS: Tough question.
PW: That’s supposed to be one of the easy questions.
JK: Haha, yeah. We didn’t want to sound like anybody else, but if we ended up sounding like everybody else, it can be a good thing, you know?
MS: We listen to a lot of different – I mean, I love a lot of 60s psychedelic music. I love a lot of loud, hard rock. That might not have come across in an obvious way on the record, but it’s there. We have a lot of punk rock roots that we feel are strong.
JK: I was in the middle of the “Twin Peaks” series when we were making the record so a lot of the Angelo Badalamenti scores for that project had some influence over the sound. In terms of the songwriting, we were just taking from everywhere. For me – most of those songs are just written on acoustic guitar in your bedroom. You decide as just two people how to build up your sound. I think we were interested in cinematic, rich, layered textures. When we were making this record, I wanted something that was connected to a classic, rooted American feeling, but we also wanted to bring in other worldly elements, so that together you’re home, but also somewhere else. You know, that feeling when you come home from being away and you feel great to be home, but at the same time, home looks different than how you remembered it. That sense of being somewhere else when you’re somewhere familiar. That sort of weird – we were going for that.

PW: Since we’re talking while at SXSW and this is kind of a huge and crazy festival, what are some of the coolest and craziest things you’ve seen while here?
JK: A fight! We saw a really crazy fight.
MS: We walked really far into East Austin to check out our friends Das Racist play yesterday. It took us about on hour to get there and it was in a strange part of town and a fight broke out after the show.
JK: Like someone getting his head stomped kind of fight. Very scary. Everyone ran out. It was like walking out into rural Arkansas in the 1960s. We live in the ghetto of New York, so…
MS: We love that kind of shit. We love to go on adventures like that.
JK: We lapped it up like a cat.
MS: We saw all sorts of strange things happen the other night.
JK: There’s this thing called the extreme super moon, which is coming on Saturday. It means that the moon is the closest to Earth that it’s been in 18 years. I think this stuff happening coincidentally with the super moon, is dark vibes.
MS: So everyone be vigilant.
JK: We thrive off those sorts of vibes. We wear black on the outside because black is how we feel on the inside. Haha. I say with a smile. Haha.

PW: Haha. So what’s next for you after South by?
MS: We’re going on a national tour, late April to May, with Junip – Jose Gonzalez‘ band. So we’re super stoked about that because we’ve never done a full tour.
JK: We’re bringing the message to the people. We’re in the process of writing a new record as well.

PW: One record just out and you’re already doing the next one?
G: Absolutely. We stay working. All the time. Writing. That’s what we do.

You can find more about the Arcylics, including tour dates, at myspace.com/acrylicsnyc.

upcoming CD Release party next week in NYC at The Knitting Factory.  PW readers a pair of tickets to the CD release show

NYC-based indie trio The Nowherenauts formed during their early teen years, brother and sister Anders and Sofie Kapur were introduced by Guided By Voices drummer, Kevin March, to Hunter Lombard. Along with live drummer Tony Franco, the three songwriters and musicians have been hailed by The New York Times as “effective miners of late-80s and early-90s indie rock, with a ferocious lead guitarist…and a kinetic lead singer.” They have played various legendary NYC venues, including The Living Room and The Bowery Ballroom, where they opened for art-punk heroes, Shudder to Think. The band is set to release their long-awaited, debut album at The Knitting Factory in NYC on Wednesday, May 4, 2011. PopWreckoning chatted with the trio about how the band formed, their first show, and what we can expect from The Nowherenauts in the future. 

Also, The Nowherenauts are giving one lucky PopWreckoning reader the chance to win a pair of tickets to the CD release party. In the interview below, the Nowherenauts share their favorite NYC venues. To enter, comment and tell us your favorite venue by May 2 at 2  p.m. EST. We’ll pick a winner then. Please use a valid email address.

Brianna Hernandez, PopWreckoning: You hail from NYC and met when you were very young. How did you meet and how old were you?
Hunter Lombard, The Nowherenauts: I met Sofie and Anders at a music school in the city when I was 12 years old.
Anders Kapur, The Nowherenauts: Sophie and I met Hunter in like 2006 or 2007. So at this point, we’ve all been playing music together in some capacity for at least four years.

PW: When did you each start playing an instrument? What are your musical backgrounds?
Hunter: I started playing guitar when I was 10. Jack White was a huge influence as a guitar player.
Anders: I started playing bass in 6th grade. A bunch of my friends had a cover band together, and, feeling left out, I borrowed a shitty bass from my friend’s dad so I could learn to play. My musical evolution pretty much followed that of your typical rocker kid; I started playing and loving classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, and through the years my tastes and playing style have gravitated more toward modern sounds.
Sofie Kapur: I started playing violin when I was in second grade, but stopped around the time I started singing and taking piano lessons, when I was eleven. My dad’s dad played jazz piano and my mom’s dad loved classical music so there’s a little bit of both influences there. Also, my parents always loved music and played pretty much everything they liked when we were younger, like: New Order, The Who, Dar Williams, and Ella Fitzgerald to name a few. It was a very wide range though.

PW: How did Kevin March of Guided By Voices influence you to start a band?
Anders: Kevin taught at the music program where Sofie and I met Hunter, so I guess he recognized our potential from our time there. Kevin brought us all together as a sort of “music experiment,” and we kind of grew into our own from there. He’s been a huge help and we wouldn’t be where we are without him.
Sofie: Kevin’s vision and inspiration is what got us together in the first place, otherwise Anders and I may have never played with Hunter.

PW: What is the story behind the name, The Nowherenauts?
Anders: Well, we had a different name, Blame the Patient, but due to some unfortunate, unforeseen circumstances we had to change it. So we’d be on stage and people would yell “What band are you guys?” and someone else would shout, “They’re Blame the Patient!” And we’d say, “No we’re not!” That evolved into NowhereNauts, and it stuck.

PW: Critics have noted your 80′s and 90′s sound. Is that how would you describe your sound and style?
Hunter: As a band, we’re definitely influenced by music from the 80s and 90s, but each of us has such different tastes in music that we like to think that our sound isn’t pigeonholed into one era or genre.
Anders: I guess it’s a fair comparison, because that stuff definitely does influence us. But I don’t know how I’d describe our sound. It’s difficult. There are a lot of influences in there. We’re just trying to make music that everyone can enjoy!

PW: What was your first show like?
Anders: Our first show was a mess. We were all in high school back then, and we played this showcase at the Cake Shop with a bunch of other high school bands from around NYC. Pretty much every other band there wanted to borrow a piece of our gear, we couldn’t hear ourselves, and I’m pretty sure I broke a bass string in the middle of the set. But it was still a fun experience. Hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Sofie: It was nerve-wracking primarily because we had never played our own music for anyone before. We had practiced together and were used to that, but playing a song you wrote for complete strangers can be scary, especially when it’s a new experience.

PW: NYC is a such a great hub for live music. What have been some of your favorite places to play? How are The Nowherenauts able to stand out among all the other NYC bands?
Hunter: My favorite place to play, so far, has been the Bowery Ballroom. We played there opening for Shudder to Think a few years ago. The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn also has a really cool stage and great sound.
Anders: NYC is THE place to be if you’re a musician. We’ve had the opportunity to play at the Bowery Ballroom and the Mercury Lounge, which are both awesome venues that are also humbling to play as well. But we’ve also played smaller and more intimate shows at places like Spike Hill (in Williamsburg) and the Rock Shop that are always a lot of fun too. So far, we’ve mostly played in opening slots, so our goal for those shows is to make our act impossible to follow. The comment I keep hearing is “You guys are really tight!” It comes from college students, 20-something hipsters, elderly, high school kids, small children, scenesters, metalheads, people who just happen to be hanging out at the bar at the venue we’re playing…. If that broad a range of people care enough to tell me that after our shows, I figure we must be doing something right!

PW: If you weren’t playing music in The Nowherenauts, what would you be doing?
Hunter: I would still be making music. I would probably have another band and hope that everyone loved playing music as much as I do.
Anders: That’s a possible scenario? I guess I’d have to be playing music is some other band.
Sofie: I honestly have no idea. Possibly perpetually competing with my twin sister.

PW: What is your creative process like when you are writing a song and creating music?
Hunter: It varies. Sometimes one of us will bring in an idea and we’ll all work on it, but other times we’ll just get to rehearsal and jam until we have a song.
Sofie: Usually we come up with music and melodies and the lyrics follow. Everyone suggests ideas and plays around until we hit on something we like. It’s not until we have the basic idea that we start to really give the song a form and meaning lyric-wise.

PW: Who/What inspires your music and lyrics?
Hunter: Television and movies. I came up with the riff for “Delightfully Distracted” while I was watching Hannah and Her Sisters. I like to write lyrics with a specific character or relationship in mind, but personal experiences and people I know always help too.
Anders: We all have very different backgrounds, and I think that comes through in our writing. Hunter’s guitar playing is very influenced by Jack White and St. Vincent. I like to think of my bass playing as halfway between Peter Hook and Matt Sharp (from Weezer). And nobody can seem to pin Sofie’s influences down, which makes for something very original and interesting.
Sofie: For a lot of my melodies I listen to other singers and if there are little hooks or stylistic things they use I’ll try to capture the essence of those bits. I also try to write some lyrics as I work on melodies and polish them later. They come from books I’m reading and ideas I have. I also try to take my point of view on a situation and twist it or flip it so what I’m singing is more interesting. In fact, sometimes I even combine thoughts or experiences in one song or line to get the right mood.

PW: Who/What are you currently listening to?
Hunter: Recently I’ve been listening to Austra, Tune-Yards, Twin Shadow, Washed Out, The Avalanches, and Fever Ray.
Anders: Maybe it’s a reaction to everyone comparing us to bands from the 80s and 90s, I don’t know, but I’ve gotten more and more into that music recently. So a lot of Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., New Order, Wire, early Weezer, stuff like that. I’ve also been getting deep into a wide range of Brazilian music. But no matter what it is, rock, folk, psychedelic, samba, cheesy popular dance music like Forró, it’s all united by a strong rhythm section. As a bass player, I’m really drawn to that
Sofie: I just recently bought three albums down in Chapel Hill, NC. One was a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album and I’ve been listening to that nonstop for the past week. I tend to listen to albums I like to death. Then I listen to them some more

PW: What does the remainder of 2011 have in store for The Nowherenauts?
Anders: We have our record release on May 4 at the Knitting Factory, so after that, just gigging around and seeing where the year takes us! Writing and recording perhaps? A second album? I’m excited for whatever comes our way.
Sofie: The album release show is a looming event. We’re working like mad to be ready for it. After that we’re hoping we can keep playing and building our fan base. We have to get our music out there so that’s priority number one at the moment; let people listen and hope that they like our sound.

Fort Collins-based dream pop band Candy Claws, played Larimer Lounge last Thursday alongside Santa Barbara indie rockers Gardens & Villa and Denver electro pop duo, FLASHLIGHTS to an amiable crowd who turned an otherwise quiet night into a blissful dance party. Candy Claws’ conceptual indie pop has recently struck a chord with various music publications and critics, including Pitchfork, as fresh and ambitious. Founding member Ryan discussed the band’s experience at SXSW with PopWreckoning, and explained the intent behind “Candy Claws in Dreamland,” a series of “documentary vignettes about nature,” that the band is releasing weekly.

Brianna Hernandez, PopWreckoning: Where does the name “Candy Claws” stem from?
Ryan, Candy Claws: The name Candy Claws sets up a vivid contrast – sharp danger with sweet innocence. There’s not much of a story behind it, just two words that sound cool together. It also rings of Christmastime.

PW: How did you come up with the idea for the “Dreamland” series? Did you approach Pitchfork about featuring them or did they come to you?
CC: Whenever we’re trying out new sounds for an album, we like to put them to video to help get the right feel. This time, we figured we’d make it a weekly thing, and let everyone hear and see what we’re up to. We live right next to the mountains, so beautiful footage is just a car ride away. Our wonderful publicist and label guys worked their magic with Pitchfork.

PW: Explain your creative process.
CC: We think of our theme first. It was the sea, then the forest, and next will be the Mesozoic Era. That helps to give a specific direction for the sounds and arrangements. We work on chords and melodies next, recording everything as we write. Lyrics come very last.

PW: You are largely inspired by nature. What else inspires your music and writing?
CC: Science and the scientific mindset. The world is incredibly beautiful, bizarre, and enthralling the closer you look at it, the further back you step. Thinking about deep time and the far future. Carl Sagan. The cosmos. Evolution. Burt Bacharach, George Gershwin, Tchaikovsky. Golden Guides.

PW: What made you want to record Christmas songs?
CC: Some of the best songs ever are Christmas songs. They have the perfect balance of sweetness and melancholy, some very clever chord changes, exciting dream pop instrumentation – sleigh bells, etc. It seemed worthwhile to add to the canon.

PW: What is it like performing with your close friends? Do they get to weigh in on the creative process? Do you ever have any disagreements?
CC: It works, for the most part. It just Kay and I making all the creative decisions on the records, so when the time comes for everyone to learn the songs for the live set the parts are already there.

PW: Your previous work has been inspired by “The Sea Around Us” by Rachel Carson and “Secret Life of the Forest” by Richard M. Ketchum? How did you get into Carson and Ketchum?
CC: I found Rachel Carson’s “The Sea Around Us” at my grandparents’ house, and fell in love at once. They have an extensive collection of really great, old science books. I love to visit and poke around for new material. Lots of Sagan, Attenborough, etc. Kay found Richard Ketchum’s “The Secret Life of the Forest” at a used bookstore in town. The illustrations were what convinced us to buy it, and when we read through it the words were just as inspiring.

PW: You performed at SXSW for a second year in a row this year. What was your experience like?
CC: SXSW was a blast. It was a special time because SXSW 2010 was our first time out on the road, so this year was sort of an anniversary for us. It’s our favorite fest to play, by far. It was hot and chaotic, and all the people and bands we’ve been in touch with over the year were all there in one place. We played seven shows in four days, and some of us were in the first annual SXSW fashion show. So fun!

PW: What does the remainder of 2011 have in store for you?
CC: We’re hoping to tour Europe in July, continue the Dreamland series, and make a new album. Fingers crossed!

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You can check out Candy Claws’ new video series here and download an mp3 of their song “Snowdrift Wish” below.

. “Snowdrift Wish”

Churchill, Petals of Spain, Air Dubai, Carbon Choir, and My Body Sings Electric and many more Denver-based bands are slated to play Mountain of Arms: Japan Relief Project on Saturday. Mountain of Arms seeks to “bring Denver together through music and creative expression” while raising money and awareness within the Denver community for Japan. 100% of the proceeds from this event will go to disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, AmeriCares Organization. The event is in Association with City Hall Amphitheater, Roy G. Biv Aesthetics, Colorado Audio Group, Boxcar Gallery and Good Thieves Press. PopWreckoning spoke with Nic Hammerberg about the mission of Mountain of Arms, the event and what attendees can expect on Saturday night.

Brianna Hernandez, PopWreckoning: What is Mountain of Arms?
Nic Hammerberg, Mountain of Arms: Mountain of Arms a non-profit organization created to encourage our world through artistic collaboration. We aim to benefit the well-being of the less fortunate. (That’s the official definitions of us) It began when I was at school about a month ago and all of the news that was going around about Japan hit me hard in an English class. It really affected me, and I realized that it was more than likely affecting a lot of other people. My friend Howard called me after that class and we got to talking. We decided to put on a benefit concert. Nothing like Denver’s scene before. (punny?)

PW: Where does the name Mountain of Arms stem from?
NH: The night that Howard and I were talking we were trying to come up with a name. We liked the idea of arms embracing and were tossing around a lot of names between text and phone calls all night long. Wave of Arms came up, but for obvious reasons, that was not going to work. We needed something that represented unity, support, relief and strength. Japan is a very strong nation and they’ve assisted the U.S. before. We need to do the same. After tossing around many things we came up with Mountain of Arms – since a big representation of Denver is the mountains, and they are also correlated directly to strength – that’s how the name came about!

PW: When did you start planning this event, and why did you feel compelled to do so?
NH: Like I said, it hit me real heavy one day how unfortunate the Japanese were…and there was really nothing that could’ve been done! It literally breaks my heart, and when that happened a month ago, I was in a funk that day. I was walking back to my car from class and ran into Daniel Bailey. He could tell I was in a bad mood and asked me what was up? I continued to tell him about information on the tsunami, but it wasn’t really until the last sentence that I saw a change in Daniel’s body and face, and he was very affected too. I said goodbye and Howard Maer called me right when I got in the car. The universe definitely pulled us together and we hit the ground runnning after that day…that was March 28, 2011. Wow.

I guess I felt so compelled because I would hope that the world would want to help us if an out-of-control disaster hit us. I’m also in a band (one of the bands playing actually, Petals of Spain) and we’re always looking for new ways to reach out to the world. Denver is a strong place and I really believe and love my home. As fun as partying, going to school, and gigging is, there is NOTHING like coming together as humans and helping out our brothers when they are in need of it.

PW: How did you go about choosing which bands, musicians and DJs to perform at this event?
NH: Well most of the Denver music scene is very well connected and it didn’t take to much to get the ball-rolling and really get bands interested. We reached out to musicians that we knew personally first and then were able to contact others from there. We had even more great bands that wanted to be a part of it but do to contractual obligations and radius clauses that was not possible. A big part, is that everyone involved really wants to be. That is important.

PW: What do you think of Denver’s eclectic music scene?
NH: Well I may be biased since I’m from here, but Denver has great potential and a lot to offer in all genres. Our eclectic mix of music makes for a well-rounded music society and everyone has each other’s backs.

PW: What are your goals for this event?
NH: We want to raise $100,000 for Japan as well as bring unity to Denver’s music and art lovers.

PW: Tell me a bit about the event sponsors and partners.
NH: Our sponsors are: Toyota/Scion, Republic National distributing, Coors distributing, BoxCar Gallery, Good Thieves, Roy g. Biv Aesthetics, Colorado Audio Group,and Music Gear Guys. Our title sponsor is Toyota/Scion and they were very instrumental in creating the financial backing to make Mountain of Arms an incredible event.

PW: What can attendees expect on Saturday night?
NH: Attendees can expect amazing music (i-shit-you-not), incredible musicians. A warm, welcoming atmosphere. Sweet deals and surprises on raffle tickets. Fire-dancing, t-shirt pressing, aerialists, an art gallery, live art, and a whole lotta love for Japan.

PW: What does Mountain of Arms have coming up in the future?
NH: More of the same and above and beyond this. Human connection can water any seed and having so much response and unity from Denver already, makes us very excited for future projects. It depends on how well this show pans out, but the future looks bright, so expect much more to come.

Mountain of Arms Japan Relief is at City Hall Ampitheater, in Denver, CO on Saturday, April 23 from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. You can purchase tickets at: http://www.mountainofarms.eventbrite.com.

Fresh off his tour with Girl Talk and Max Tundra, Deepak Mantera, aka Junk Culture, cleverly pursues new frontiers in electronica, layering opposing cuts and synths to make unexpectedly lush, intricate melodies. Named after the OMD song of the same name, Junk Culture played to two back-to-back sold out shows at the Ogden Theater in Denver last month and blew audiences away with his fresh beats and live instrumentation. Deepak took the time to talk to PopWreckoning about his musical influences and what it’s like playing music in his hometown of Oxford, Mississippi.

Brianna Hernandez, PopWreckoning: How did you get your start?
Deepak Mantera, Junk Culture: I’ve been doing all sorts of weird art and music things since I was a kid. The music stuff I’ve been doing since I was maybe 12 or 13. My older brother was really into home recording so I naturally got into it that way, kinda peeking on what he was doing. Eventually he gave me a bunch of his old equipment so I learned on that stuff myself pretty quick.

PW: What is Oxford like?
JC: It’s slow and stable. Certified retirement community. I like it because it’s cheap and I can work on art projects there without much distraction. I’m personally not too into bigger cities or city living or anything. I definitely like having a lot of space and Oxford delivers on that. The only other place I can imagine myself living is Portland – it’s pretty Oxford-like to me in a lot of ways.

PW: Your sound is largely electronic influenced. Does Mississippi’s music scene have an appreciation for electronic music outside of traditional EDM? What has it been like to get your start and evolve in a place like Oxford?
JC: The music economy in Oxford is for the most part blues jam rock stuff. There isn’t really the same appreciation for electronic music here as in Baltimore or Detroit or something, but I think that’s changing. Not just here but everywhere. It’s just becoming more “normal” to complement live performance with electronics and computers and stuff. Honestly, I don’t know how much playing live in Oxford had to do with my music evolving. I mean, I played something like 120 shows last year and only maybe 10 of those were in Oxford. Touring around the country gave me way more perspective than playing in just Oxford.

PW: What was your first show like? How has your set evolved since then?
JC: The first Junk Culture show was more a mix of live and purely electronic songs. We don’t play any of those purely electronic songs anymore. Since then I’ve also added live visuals to the set and do a lot of things that make the live experience more raw and human. I’m all about doing shit that people might not expect to see at a show.

PW: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
JC: Things like movies, other music, and photographs are definitely huge emotional inspiration points for me. I can be pretty sentimental sometimes so I’m thankful that to this point that has helped me write some songs rather than wallow in self-pity.

PW: Is it important to you to include live instrumentation in your sets?
JC: Absolutely. I’m constantly trying to come up with ways to make the set more live and raw.

PW: Who have you collaborated with in the past and who would you love to collaborate with in the future?
JC: I haven’t really done a ton of collaboration with people in the past. The most recent one I can remember was for a track off my new record. I sampled heavily from a song that my younger brother’s band Koala wrote for “Honeysuckle.” There are a couple of vocalists who I’ve played with before that I’m getting to sing on a few new tracks I’m working on. I’m pretty psyched about that. Other than that, there’re tons of people I’d love to collaborate with: Das Racist, Javelin, James Pants, Lil B to name a few.

PW: If you weren’t making music and touring, what would you be doing?
JC: Making comedy films. Working on interface design projects. Copy editing. Something like that.

Fresh off his winter tour, Telekinesis front man, Michael Benjamin Lerner took time to chat with PopWreckoning about the band’s newest album, 12 Desperate Straight Lines, and what it’s like being based in Seattle. We caught Telekinesis’ show at Hi-Dive in Denver, CO a few weeks ago, and were blown away by the trio’s energy and indie pop sensibility. Lerner’s genuine rendition of songs off 12 Desperate Straight Lines turned the Hi-Dive’s intimate space into a Tuesday night dance party. Don’t miss Telekinesis this spring as they hit the road in support of Portugal. The Man.

Brianna Hernandez, PopWreckoning: How did you get your start?
Michael Benjamin Lerner, Telekinesis: Well, the live band has been a bit of a revolving cast for the life of this band so far. It’s always been just me writing and recording the records, and then getting my friends to come on tour with me! But, right now, I’ve got Jason Narducy and Cody Votolato playing with me. Jason plays bass with Bob Mould and Bob Pollard, and has his own band called Verbow. He’s kind of amazing. We met through Nada Surf. And Cody Votolato was in a band called the Blood Brothers, and currently in Jaguar Love. We met peripherally through the Seattle scene, and when Jaguar Love took a break, we got connected. He’s also ridiculously amazing.

PW: What was the first show you played? What has changed in your sets and performances since you first started out?
Telekinesis: Our first live performance as Telekinesis, I think, was at this place called the Funhouse in Seattle. It was terrifying! We were really nervous, and I remember it being really clunky, and crazy. David and Jonie Broecker, and Chris Staples were in the band from the beginning for the first year and a half or so. A whole heck of a lot changed from that show, I think. We learned how to play more as a collective, and not just learning the parts. I remember it being really thrilling, and also looking back on it, I’m really proud of where we ended up since then. It’s been a lot of progress: fun progress!

PW: How has your sound evolved over the past few years?
Telekinesis: For me, it’s less naive than it used to be. The first record sounds very naive to me. Which I am proud of! But, this new one I was a lot more confident, and it might sound a little tougher in that way.

PW: Is it more important to you to create something timeless or something that is relevant to what is going on at the time?
Telekinesis: Boy, I don’t know! I mean, I think I just write whatever comes to my head. There’s a whole bunch of influences that are pretty apparent on this record. There’s the Cure, Joy Division, and even some 90′s rock. Whether that’s ‘in’ right now isn’t for me to decide, and I guess I would never really try to write based on what’s relevant! I just have fun!

PW: Who are you currently listening to?
Telekinesis: I’m really, really obsessed with Nick Lowe again! Labour Of Lust is a killer record. I also got this amazing record as per someone’s recommendation. It’s by a band called Dug Dug’s. Insane psychedelic rock. From Chile or something crazy like that. Also, this amazing compilation called Cartagena. Also, The new Love Language record. It’s amazing. And the new Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin record. SO GOOD.

PW: What is it like coming back to Seattle after being on tour? How has Seattle affected you as a band?
Telekinesis: It is amazing! I moved into this incredible little house in Georgetown with my girlfriend, and it’s so nice to come home now. I really look forward to it, for the first time in the career of this band, for sure. Seattle has been a pretty amazing place to grow up. So much music has come out of here, and thru here. And I’m very thankful to be a part of it all.

PW: Playing the drums and singing . . . how do you do it?
Telekinesis: It’s not too bad anymore! It’s mostly a question of being in shape or not! But, I really, really enjoy it! And weirdly, it’s easier to do that than play guitar and sing for me!

PW: What was it like to work with Chris Walla (of Death Cab for Cutie)? Has he influence your recent work?
Telekinesis: He’s a super genius. 100% super genius! He just makes me play better. He makes me give the best performances I am capable, and most importantly, we have so much fun working together. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work with him.

PW: What was your favorite show to play?
Telekinesis: We just recently played an amazing show in Munich. It was the final show of a somewhat rough six week European tour. And it just felt so incredibly good to play a festival to a very enthusiastic crowd of 1500 Germans. I think Cody knocked me into my drums for that show! It was fun!