popwreckoning

Philadelphia’s Good Old War will play ten shows with Alison Krauss in June, beginning with a stop at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre on June 23rd. The band will then join Gomez for four east coast dates.

Good Old War has built a considerable following over the past year as support for Joshua Radin, Brandi Carlile, Dr. Dog, Xavier Rudd and Guster. The band, already popular veterans of SXSW and CMJ, became a fan favorite on this year’s second stage at Coachella.

The trio’s self-titled album debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart, reaching #1 on iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart and #1 overall at Amazon. They’ve now sold over 40,000 albums on their independent label, Sargent House. Good Old War is currently recording their third album, expected to be released in late 2011.

Good Old War with Alison Krauss

06/23  Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theater
06/24  Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
06/28  Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion
06/29  Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield
07/01  Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Gardens
07/04  Calgary, AB @ Jack Singer Concert Hall
07/05  Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
07/07  Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Island Music
07/08  Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater
07/09  Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater
07/10  Stateline, NV @ Lake Tahoe’s Harvey’s Outdoor Arena

Good Old War with Gomez

07/12  Boston, MA @ The Paradise
07/14  New York, NY @ Terminal 5
07/15  Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
07/18  Washington D.C. @ 9:30 Club

For more information check out www.goodoldwar.com

Dylan Champagne claims to wear many musical hats and he’s not kidding. He released an acoustic album in 2008, charting on the CMJ top 200; he sings and plays guitar for a new-wave punk band called The Dysfunctions; he’s a a part of a secret society of composers who meet monthly; and he fronted the now defunct math-core band One Step Shift. And his newest endeavor Love Songs of the Apocalypse, Volume 1 explores punk, prog, and 70′s pop roots with acoustic leanings. Champagne describes it as “Springsteenesque acoustic prog-punk” or perhaps “acoustic lyric-driven rock with strange time signatures, a strong pop sensibility and nostalgic themes.”

Anything with the word ‘apocalypse’ in the title is enough to gain the interest of the Millennial Generation. With shows like The Walking Dead and movies Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, we seem to have a fascination with brain-eating crazies that pop up at the end of the world. Dylan Champagne says that he’s been having apocalyptic dreams since he was just a boy. “I suppose the reoccurring apocalyptic dreams began when I was about 9. It was the 80′s and Reagan was king,  and everywhere you looked was nuclear this that and the other. Love Songs of the Apocalypse Volume 1 is a shout-out to the mid-sized semi-urban dystopia in my head.”

The album starts with “Baby in a Bear Suit” and it’s a refreshing listen. Champagne has a wonderful baritone register that he takes full advantage of, and my immediate reaction was a comparison to Jarrod Gorbel of The Honorary Title. He has sometimes painfully honest lyrics and a lot of them are tongue-in-cheek. It’s a nice change of pace to hear songs with a simple and straight-to-the-point message; sometimes you just don’t want to figure out complex poetry and metaphors. Sometime you want to hear it like it is.

Champagne’s songs are certainly lyrically driven and we get a glimpse of apocalyptic feelings with lines like “flying high above the zombie streets/cutting class and breaking bottles in the creek/and your friends all bite their tongues/and you might as well be dead.” The album begins on a soft note and at this point I would definitely call it acoustic. But the tempo steadily progresses through the album with “Dealt” and “The Daily Albatross,” and we reach wailing electric guitars on “California Song.” “Finally Ready” is a welcome break, listeners get a chance to catch their breath for a minute with a calmer piano-infused song. It’s one of my favorites of the album; I have a soft spot for piano in my acoustic-y rock music. “Empty Notebooks” continues with the chilled out theme, and “The Ballad of J Flato” is just what it sounds like: a lovely ballad that might seem to lull a person to sleep, save for the last minute or so that explodes with a burst of energy, carrying the listener through the rest of the album. “Forester Pass in Chinatown Slippers” is a look back at the strictly low-key acoustic beginnings of the album, and the rest of the album is smooth sailing, save for the last song “The Short Goodbye” which is a catchy little sing-along piece featuring a tinkling piano and female vocals to wrap things up on a sweet note.

This isn’t an album I’d normally pick up, but I can honestly say I’m a fan. Put this record on when you’re having a musically ADD day; it features a little bit of everything and in forty-five minutes or so, you’ll be feeling satisfied no matter what your initial craving was for.

Track Listing:

1. Baby in a Bear Suit
2. Dealt
3. The Daily Albatross
4. California Song
5. Finally Ready
6. Empty Notebooks
7. The Ballad of J Flato
8. Forester Pass in Chinatown Slippers
9. Row Homes in the Desert
10. Greenfield Manifesto
11. The Short Goodbye

www.brokeinoakland.com/dylan

Top 13 Acts of CMJ:

Ty Segall:

This San Francisco lo-fi rock band has become a new staple in the garage revival. The songs are short, and catchy. They hit you quick and hard with bursts of energy. Pushing a raw, dirty, reverb heavy sound, channeling the likes of Iggy Pop. Also, having a female bass player AND drummer gives the band some bonus points.

Panache Showcase Knitting Factory:

Turbo Fruits:

Straight outta “Music City” Nashville, Turbo Fruits are doing it their own way with a whole lot of swagger. Turbo fruits new songs give off 60s/70s bubblegum pop feel whilst still maintaining their raw garage sound they are known for. Their music brings back the nostalgic feeling of being young, drunk and not giving a fuck. Jonas Stein engages with the crowd more than most front men these days do. Be it crowd surfing, jumping into the crowd and playing, hanging from rafters or sitting on someone’s shoulder singing around in the crowd, you can always expect some sort of spontaneous act and the crowd eats it up. Turbo fruits lineup is the strongest it has ever been. With the addition of Kingsley Brock, their sound is much more explosive and fuller. Matthew Hearn keeps the band on point with his tight drumming and Dave McCowen brings it home with his killer bass lines, overall leaving little room for error. Turbo Fruits is definitely a band to keep on your radar for 2011. Not only with their own music but also with Stein’s latest venture Nashville based Turbo Time Records. Turbo Fruits latest single “Where The Stars Don’t Shine” was released on this label in limited edition white vinyl. Don’t miss out on these rambunctious fellows from Nashville. We should be hearing plenty more of them in the future.

Panache Showcase Knitting Factory:

PUJOL:

If Jack White says so, then we better listen, eh? Daniel Pujol is well on his way to being on the top of everyone’s radar. PUJOL writes energetic garage punk anthems channeling vibes of his fellow Nashville peers (i.e. JEFF the brotherhood, Turbo Fruits and Heavy Cream). His songs are infectious; you can’t help finding yourself nodding your head along to the songs. The lyrics are clever and the hooks are near perfection and you’ll find his songs sneaking into your consciousness.  If listening to PUJOL isn’t enough to convince you of their staying power, then their live shows should definitely seals the deal. Packed with energy, enthusiasm and leavings you wanting more.

Panache Showcase Knitting Factory:

Tôg:

Seeing Tôg at the garage heavy Panache showcase was quick a surprise. This seven-piece band from Norway plays electronic pop music that will get you on your feet and moving within seconds. Sure, you may not know what they are singing being that they stick to their native tongue whilst performing, but nonetheless you find yourself dancing to their insanely catchy songs. CMJ was Tôg’s first time performing outside of Norway. As they complete their first album, expect to hear more from them in 2011 as they will be returning to play SXSW.

Panache Showcase Knitting Factory:

Crocodiles:

Crocodiles have really grown since their debut album Summer of Hate. Although they still record as a two-piece, live they have three additional members joining them on stage filling out their sound. Crocodiles channel the likes Jesus and Mary Chain, Galaxy 500 and Echo and The Bunnymen. Dark droning riffs, lots of reverb, and distortion Crocodiles cover all the basic criteria of a shoegaze band. Yet, underneath all those layers of guitars there is a strong send of melody. A clear of example of this is off their new album “Sleep Forever” that was released by Fat Possum. The song “Stone to Death” shows how they have developed since Summer of Hate, melancholic lyrics, bass heavy, loud and plenty of reverb.

Bowery Ballroom:

Hunx And His Punx:

Hunx and His Punx are over the top, trashy, slightly uncomfortably sexual yet extremely entertaining live. Hunx and His Punx make swoony bubblegum-punk music, clearly influences by 60s girls groups such as The Shangri-Las. Although their strange presence may be outrageously tarty, their songs are surprisingly charming and innocent. Seth Bogart voice is a bit nasally but when executing rebellious youth with his lyrics, he is spot on.

Shea Stadium:

Golden Triangle:

Golden Triangle seems to remain Brooklyn’s hidden gem. Their shows are known to be chaotic and fully of energy. By the end of the show, you’ll to be drenched in sweat and out of breathe. Their stage presence is what makes this group memorable. If The B-52’s and Joan Jett and The Blackhearts had a baby, Golden Triangle would be their love child. They are grungy with a bit of spastic dance flare.

Shea Stadium

Heavy Cream:

Here we have another band hailing from Nashville (must be something in the water).  A nearly all girl band, Heavy Cream’s sound is classic three chord Ramones, with a bit of The Runways thrown in. The songs are short and catchy. With simple surf-punk riffs and bare drums, Heavy Cream put on a solid show. Jessica is an energetic front woman moving all about the stage and engaging with the audience who are having the time of their lives rocking it out to this four-piece garage band from Nashville.

Panache Showcase Knitting Factory:

Check their latest video “Watusi” of their album “Danny” directed by JEFF the brotherhood’s Jamin Orrall.

\”Watusi\” – Heavy Cream

Marnie Stern:

Marnie Stern kept very busy during CMJ playing several shows during those five days. She shredded her way though as many songs as should could during Brooklyn Vegan’s Saturday day party. She played old favorites such as “Transformer” and then newer power songs like “Her Confidence.” Marnie hammered away at her fretboard, the bass player powered through heavy basslines and the drummer moulded his kit arm over arm causing the crowd to bang their heads in unison. Not only was the show full of energy and a crowd in awe of Marnie, we still have Marnie giving her banter. Now, what is Marnie Stern show without some vagina talk? Whilst soundchecking, Marnie couldn’t hear what the sound guy was saying, so in retort she says, “What did you just say? Did you just say you wanted to touch my vagina?” Classic Marnie. She is back in full force with a new band and a new album ready to shred her way into each and everyone’s heart (or vagina…)

Brooklyn Vegan Day Pary Public Assembly:

Frankie and the Heartstrings are a indie rock band from Sunderland, the same Northeast England town that also gave us the great Futureheads and Field Music. Despite being a relatively new band, they won many hearts on this summer’s European music festival circuit and already have a pretty devoted fanbase back home. Frankly (no pun intended), I can understand the attraction. This is not music with lots of electronic bells and whistles. They play feelgood guitar pop, taking a back to basics approach to craft their sound and creating utter perfection. Below is the video for “Ungrateful,” the band’s forthcoming single to be released next Monday (October 4th) in the UK on their own record label, Pop Sex Ltd.

If you live in New York City, you can catch them when they appear at CMJ later this month (date and time TBA).

Frankie and the Heartstrings: website | myspace

PopWreckoning is pleased to announce that we’re sponsoring a CMJ showcase this year with some amazing bands that are sure to make you dance.

If you’re heading to CMJ or you’ll be in the New York City area on Saturday, October 23, head to the Studio  at Webster Hall at 6 p.m. for High Fidelity: A CMJ Showcase. Get your dance on with My Dear Disco, Black Taxi, Deadbeat Darling, Blip Blip Bleep, and Saturday Astrology.

You can learn more about My Dear Disco and their pioneering of the DanceThink genre here and check out a video of the Michigan act’s live show below.

The showcase is free to CMJ badge holders, but others can buy a $10 ticket in advance or a $12 ticket at the door. You must be 19+.

This event is presented by HMG Associates and MezzoForte Productions and co-sponsored by VenusZine, PopWreckoning, Next and 107.1 FM the Peak.

Australian singer/songwriter Elizabeth Morris is the frontwoman for Allo Darlin’, a London-based folk pop band that has already gotten mad props from BBC 6music DJs like Steve Lamacq and Lauren Laverne. Morris’s band have just announced plans for a club tour of America in October to occur before and after appearances at CMJ. Their first scheduled date in America is with Philadelphia band Brown Recluse on October 16.

Allo Darlin’ is signed in the UK to Fortuna Pop!, the same label as the Pains of Being at Heart. Their debut album, also called Allo Darlin’, is set to be released on October 5 in America.

Tour Dates
Oct 16 – Venue TBA / Philadelphia*
Oct 17 – Velvet Lounge / Washington, DC
Oct 18 – P.A.’s Lounge / – Boston, MA
Oct 19 – House Show – New Brunswick, NJ
Oct 20-21 – CMJ – New York, NY
Oct 25 – Spaceland / Los Angeles
Oct 27 – Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Oct 28 – Venue TBA / Portland
Oct 29 – Rendezvous / Seattle
Oct 30 – Mondo-ween at the Rock Shop / Brooklyn
* with Brown Recluse

Allo Darlin’: website | myspace

Brighton, England duo Blood Red Shoes will be touring North America in October. They will also make appearances at CMJ Music Marathon in mid-October.

The alt-rock act’s second album Fire Like This will be released stateside on October 5 on V2 Records. Watch the dark promo video for one of the tracks on the album, “Light It Up”, below.

Tour Dates
Oct 12 – Media Club / Vancouver
Oct 13 – Sunset Tavern / Seattle
Oct 15 – Rickshaw Stop / San Francisco
Oct 16 – Muddy Waters / Santa Barbara
Oct 18 – Bootleg Theatre / Los Angeles
Oct 19 – Casbah / San Diego
Oct 20-21 – CMJ / New York City
Oct 22 – Red Palace / Washington, DC
Oct 24 – Great Scott / Allston, MA
Oct 26 – Casa Del Popolo / Montreal
Oct 27 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto
Oct 28 – Grog Shop / Cleveland
Oct 29 – Subterranean / Chicago

Blood Red Shoes: website | myspace

Scandinavia is just bursting with talent right now. In the last 2 years, I’ve seen acts like the Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Peter Bjorn and John, Lykke Li, and Miike Snow (well, two-thirds of the band are Swedish) go from virtual obscurity to worldwide attention. Soul singer Jenny Wilson might just be the next big thing to come from the land of IKEA. Stateside success appears to be just around the corner for Wilson, who awed industry types when she performed at CMJ in October 2009. In August she will release her second album, Hardships!, in America.

On the album cover, Wilson is sporting boho chic (black beret, black turtleneck sweater). But oddly, she is striking a potentially incendiary pose akin to Morrissey on the cover of his 2006 comeback album You Are the Quarry; she is seated and holding a rifle. In the case of Morrissey, it was assumed that this was a tongue-in-cheek gag to get people talking about his album, because he is widely known as a pacifist and impassioned supporter of animal rights. But I don’t know if Jenny Wilson hunts. Maybe she means to simply say, “don’t mess with me”?

But the cover doesn’t reflect the beautiful music contained within. Wilson may have been a bird in a past life. The title track is evidence of this, allowing Wilson to stretch her voice in different directions, with wonderful results. Her soulful warblings are of the pleasant kind, and not in the vein of, say, Jesca Hoop. This is a very rhythmically dynamic album, mostly dominated with dark piano touches. Touchstones include hip hop soul popularized by artists like Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu (check out “The Wooden Chair,” “Porcelain Castle,” “Anchor Made of Gold”) and the idiosyncratic whimsy of Bjork. “Pass Me the Salt” and “Like a Fading Rainbow” (watch below) remind me of tracks by the late, great Aaliyah. To be honest, if I hadn’t read the words “Already an award-winning national sensation in her homeland of Sweden” on the promo material I received in the mail with the CD, I would guessed Wilson was from the ‘hood, not from Scandinavia.

Songs like “Only Here for the Fight” and “Strings of Grass” show reverence for ‘70s soul, complete with brass section. Speaking of brass, the instrumentation used to record this album is varied and interesting – how often do you see marimbas on pop records these days? Forget the album cover: you need this album.

Track Listing
01. The Path
02. Like a Fading Rainbow
03. Clattering Hooves
04. The Wooden Chair
05. Porcelain Castle
06. Anchor Made of Gold
07. Bad Waters
08. Only Here for the Fight
09. Pass Me the Salt
10. Motherhood
11. Hardships
12. We Had Everything
13. Strings of Grass

Hardships! by Jenny Wilson will be released on August 24 in America on Wilson’s own Gold Medal Recordings label. Wilson plans to tour here in early fall in support of the album.

Last night, The Syndicate kicked off New York’s CMJ Music Marathon with their 10th annual Conflict of Interest Party, sponsored by Okobos. The party was held at Rebel NYC, which may have been less labyrinthine if not packed to the brim with industry insiders and music lovers alike. There were DJs on every floor, games of flip cup, and free wine and PBR. Comedian Robert Kelly opened the night on the main stage with a hilarious set. The music portion of the evening included sets by And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Rival Schools, and Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s.

CMJ 2008: website

Photos: Dese’Rae L. Stage. More at flickr.

Earlier in the week I got a phone call from Army Navy front man Justin Kennedy. If for some reason you don’t recognize the name, you may recognize the name of former Pinwheel bandmate Ben Gibbard. Gibbard’s had some wonderful success following Pinwheel and Kennedy and company is no doubt set for the same.

During the call, Kennedy and I discussed the band’s debut album, set for release October 14th, other projects including their inclusion on the Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist soundtrack, and plans to dominate 2009. Read on for more:

Jessica, PopWreckoning: How are things working out in New York?
Justin Kennedy, Army Navy: They’re great! We had an awesome show last night. It was really fun. Have a five hour press day today. Breeze. [laughs]

PW: What question are you tired of answering because I promise not to ask it.
JK: It hasn’t been that many interviews. I guess “Where did the name Army Navy come from?” because it’s not really an interesting story.
PW: Avoided, for sure. I’m glad to hear things are going well in New York, though. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it up last night and can’t tomorrow night, either, but good luck tomorrow night!
JK: I think it’s supposed to be pretty big actually. It should be fun.

PW: Have you been to the east coast before?
JK: Yeah, we played at CMJ a few years ago. I’ve been to New York a bunch of times. I have a lot of friends out here. I come as much as possible.
PW: I know what you mean, I love New York. I’m glad you guys got to come out here for press stuff, then.
JK: Yeah, it’s been pretty fun. I think we’re going to be back for CMJ this year. We’re just trying to figure out all the details right now.

PW: Any other plans to tour the rest of the east coast? I’m just down in Philly, so if you guys wanted to come hang out, that’s cool. [laughs]
JK: Absolutely! Actually, we were thinking that if we can get our plans together for CMJ, we’re going to try to hit Boston and Philly and a lot around the area. We just need to get on top of that. There’s been so much other work with press and reviews and stuff. It’s not a nightmare or anything, it just takes a lot of time.
A tour is the next thing we’re gonna be working on. But definitely, we’d love to come to Philadelphia. I’ve actually never been to Philadelphia before. Everybody says it’s amazing.

PW: It’s no New York. It’s smaller, but great. I love it. I’ll give you guys a tour when you come.
JK: Our producer Adam Lasus lived there for years. I think he grew up there. He’s always talking about it.
PW: I had no idea. But enough about Philly. Let’s talk about you, we don’t need to talk about Philly.
JK: OK. [laughs]

PW: It seems as if October is Army Navy month. You guys have your new self-titled album coming out on The Fever Zone label and then you’re also on the Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist soundtrack and you’ve got a song on a Cure tribute album coming out.
JK: Yeah, it’s pretty nuts. We have two songs in Nick and Norah’s: one song’s on the soundtrack and we just found out that they’re actually using the song [pause] we released an exclusive track just for the soundtrack, and the other track is off our record.
We just found out two days ago that they’re using the song on our record for the TV commercial for Nick and Norah, which is pretty insane.
PW: Yeah, that’s awesome!
JK: We’ll be like everywhere! That’s fuckin’ nuts!

PW: It’s crazy. Congratulations, that’s huge! You’ll be rockin’ out at Madison Square Garden next time you’re in New York, I bet. [laughs]
JK: [laughs] Yeeeeah…that’s a lot. Hopefully some of this will help us take off a little bit, definitely. We’ve been talking about putting out a record ourselves and we’ve been talking to labels. Big Hassle came around and we felt like we got it. We had some checks come in and we thought, ‘We can do a better job than some of these indie labels that seem to have no idea what they’re doing.’
We created our own timeline for things to come out and then Nick and Norah’s was coming out, which, you know, they’re putting millions into marketing this movie. So we thought we’d just ride the coattails of their marketing a little bit because they’ll have a lot more opportunities to get our name out there than we would. We decided to just put our record out right after the movie came out since people might know who we are at that point.
The Cure thing came along, which comes out two weeks after our record, which is nuts. It all just kind of came together all at once.
PW: That’s amazing. You can’t even buy that kind of publicity.
JK: Absolutely. It’s like we have Atlantic Records putting out the record. There’s gonna be an iTunes exclusive and, basically, it’s way more than we’d ever be able to do ourselves.

PW: With the Nick and Norah thing, today it’s far more common, but back in the 90s, if a band was in a movie or commercial, that was considered selling out. What do you think…
JK: It was totally uncool. That was what my viewpoint was, as well. It was something I would never do, unless it was something really specific or whatever. I still am. I wouldn’t sell my song to an Exxon commercial or something.
For Nick and Norah, we’re sharing the soundtrack with a lot of great bands and the whole movie is about music. Nowadays, with the record industry so screwed up and no one buying records, you have to find these other angles to make money so we can go out and tour.
One thing about being in L.A., we all have professional relationships with music supervisors and people in and around the industry, so we have a lot of contacts. For us, we have some songs that would be good for that stuff and it’s paid for part of the record and for Adam’s fees to produce the record. All those little things that come and go that people don’t really think about. It’s been a way to make music our only income at this point, which is really great.

PW: Absolutely. I was going to ask what you think changed the negative stigma that used to come along with this, but you’re right. The record industry is completely messed up and people aren’t buying as many records as they used to. It’s unfortunate because there are a lot of great records out there.
The internet has screwed a lot of stuff up. It’s done a great deal to help a lot of artists just get their stuff heard, but it’s also had a negative affect on the monetary side of the business.
JK: I think us not having much overhead putting out this record, we actually could make some money on the record, because we don’t have a giant label paying for all of this extra stuff. Everything that we make goes to the band fund and we pay for it ourself. It’s just more of a chance for us to make a little money if the record sells copies. We eat and everything on it these days.
Besides, the movie looks hilarious. I saw a little bit of it on a screener. I saw the opening scene and I saw the scene that we were in, it’s pretty funny.
PW: Yeah and it’s got a lot of great kids in it, too. Michael Cera who was in Superbad and “Arrested Development.” He’s so funny.
JK: He’s hilarious.
PW: It’ll be a big movie and it’ll definitely get you guys out there. Especially being in the trailer, now.
JK: Omigod, that’s everywhere – it’s gonna be nuts. I haven’t seen it, but I hear he sells it. It’s just cool that some random people are gonna hear it that wouldn’t have before. Some people are going to hear our song on TV. People find music in really weird places these days. Those iPod commercials, they blow up.
PW: Oh yeah. Every single band that’s had one has just gotten ridiculously huge.
JK: Yeah, huge! They also run up the iTunes charts. Something like this is only going to be helpful for us.

PW: For the Cure tribute album, what song did you cover for it?
JK: “Jumping Someone Else’s Train.”

PW: Did you choose that one or had you been playing it before and someone got in touch with you about it? I honestly have no idea how tribute albums or most compilations work.
JK: My friend Paul was putting the soundtrack together. He says, “Hey, you’re a Cure fan. I’m putting this soundtrack together.” He asked us to be in it. We talked to Adam and Adam was stoked at the idea. We were actually going to do another song for it. We were gonna do a doo wop version [laughs] — that would’ve been really amazing — off the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me record. I can’t remember which song it was.
We we kind of worked it out and then Paul said the person he’d offered it to wasn’t going to do it and then they changed their mind. He gave us a list of what wasn’t already taken. It was hard because, for us, most of these songs are kind of jammy. We had to try to find a song that sort of lent itself as close to an Army Navy song as possible. We didn’t want to make it a total Army Navy song but that one has some parts that we felt had a poppiness to it.
Our version is really fucked up. I say it’s like Talk Talk meets Nirvana.

PW: That is definitely a way to sell this tribute album: “It is really fucked up.” [laughs]
JK: [laughs] Yeah. I love it! I mean, I’m so psyched at how it turned out. We definitely took it as a recording experience. It gave us the opportunity for a song that we don’t ever really need to play live.
We tried it in probably 15 different styles. We just went in and hashed out every different way of playing it to figure it out. We love how the track turned out. We went in with Adam for a couple days and banged it out and fixed it. It will be interesting to see what people think of it.
PW: Yeah, I can’t wait to hear it after hearing that explanation.
JK: I don’t know if that’s a good explanation of it, but that’s totally what it reminds me of. It would be like later Talk Talk with the weird keyboards and really fucked up guitar. I dunno, but I’m really happy with it.
It’s a different outlet. The other bands on there aren’t bands we’ve played with before and wouldn’t necessarily be associated with. Like Bat For Lashes is on there. That’s going to be a really interesting track.

PW: What are you listening to now yourself?
JK: Ben [Gaffin, bass] gave me a copy of that Last Shadow Puppets record. I really dug that one. That kid’s from Arctic Monkeys and I’m not really a huge Arctic Monkeys fan. Mainly because we played their first show in L.A. and they were assholes to us, but they’re nice now. That record is pretty awesome.
I can’t say I’ve listened to a lot of new records, I tend to listen to a lot of old stuff. I’ve been on a really big bubblegum kick lately. Early 70s or 60s bubblegum, like The Archies. One of my buddies is into making me a bunch of CDs of a lot of really great singer-songwriters of the early 70s. Like all the soft rock-y stuff like Ricky Nelson and Neil Diamond. I’m just a big songwriter fan no matter what style it’s in, that era in the 70s had a lot of great artists and albums. The Carpenters, the Beach Boys all fall into that. A lot of old stuff.
Then my favorite classic 90s stuff: Teenage Fanclub, The Pixies. Wilco was always a favorite of mine, too. I did go to a Radiohead show, although I did kind of stop loving them a while ago. Not for any reason, but I loved the first couple records. I did go to see them last week and it totally changed my mind. I think I really like a lot of the stuff on the new record. Seeing them live really sold it to me more. It was an amazing show, a really amazing show.
PW: I’ve never gotten to catch them live.
JK: The mix is pretty phenomenal. We saw them at the Hollywood Bowl. The light show, the whole thing is pretty incredible. They know how to put on a show for sure.
PW: I should think so. They’re pretty big. [jokingly] People have heard of them, I think.
JK: [laughs] Yeah, maybe. Fuckin’ Jonny Greenwood was playing lead guitar and also playing a lead keyboard line with the head of the guitar. I’ve never seen that before. I was like, “Wow.”
PW: Now I have to go see them! Are they still on tour? I don’t even know.
JK: I think they’re tour is done. I had seen The Bends tour, which is so funny. So many years ago. You can tell they’re still up there having fun and it’s just so incredible.

PW: Do you plan on touring that big?
JK: I would love to! We’re definitely trying to spend ’09 touring as much as possible. We’ve gotta get out there and we love playing shows. When people see the live show, I think they’ll get into it. It’s more of a stripped down version of the record.
We have a lot of crazy lead guitar parts, which is amazing to see live. Louie [Schultz, guitar/keys/vocals] is a really incredible guitarist and he’s been able to transfer a lot of the stuff he does on the record to the live show. Definitely more of a hyped up version of the record.

PW: For these tour plans, if you could tour with anybody — living, dead, anybody — who would you want to play with on the same bill?
JK: I’d love to play with The Pixies. I think that would be amazing. It’s obvious to pick The Beatles [laughs]. Teenage Fanclub is one of my all time favorite bands and they would just mean more to me than any band. I would be totally stoked to tour with them and hang out with those dudes. It would be pretty amazing.
Oasis would be amazing just because it would just be so hilarious. Be able to hang out with them everyday, go to the bar with Liam [Gallagher] and try to keep up with him [laughs].
Mudhoney, I’m a massive Mudhoney fan growing up in Seattle.

PW: Yeah! I was at Sub Pop‘s 20th anniversary show so I got to see them recently.
JK: So was I!
PW: Oh, you were?! Did you enjoy it? It was the greatest weekend!
JK: Oh my god! It was good! I just wish Mudhoney had closed the show. How can Flight of the Conchords close a Sub Pop show? That’s TERRIBLE! It should have been The Vaselines, although Mudhoney were so phenomenal. They are still as good as when I saw them when I was a teenager.
PW: Yeah, I was pretty shocked at the arrangement of the line up. I guess Flight of the Conchords are pretty big now, but how are you not going to close with your legends?
JK: That’s what I’m saying! I didn’t understand that. The whole order of bands was a little weird to me. It kind of got lighter and lighter as it went. I thought that Mudhoney would’ve closed it and killed it. On the main stage, too. They played the small stage but they were still amazing. They were so good.
I didn’t go to the second day, though. I really wanted to. I was back home visiting the family so I didn’t want to spend my whole time watching a concert. They’d've gotten mad at me. [laughs]
PW: I was there for the second and it wasn’t as good. I got there on time, the morning was strong I thought, but I left pretty early. I did that with the Conchords, too, I left about halfway through their set.
JK: I wanted to do that, too, but my friends wanted to stay till the end. It was a complete nightmare trying to get out. It look an hour just to leave the parking lot.
PW: I didn’t drive, but I had no idea that the last bus from Redmond straight to downtown Seattle left at like 10:30, so I missed that bus by minutes. I ended up taking about 5 different buses and it took 3 hours just to get back.
JK: What a nightmare. It was a beautiful day in Seattle, though.
PW: Oh yeah! That was my first time ever in Seattle and I fell in love with it. It’s beautiful out there.
JK: If you can go to Seattle when the weather is like that, it’s the best thing on Earth. It’s when it’s rainy and gloomy all the rest of the year…
PW: That puts a damper on my plans to move there.
JK: [laughs]

PW: Thanks so much for giving me call, it’s been great talking to you.
JK: Me, too. Thanks for talking to me.
PW: Absolutely! Enjoy the rest of your time in New York and I look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia soon.
JK: Awesome, I’ll talk to you soon.

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