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Deer Tick | Union Transfer | Philadelphia | November 6th

Just a little preview. More to come...

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The Bikini Island Interview Files: Deer Tick

Earlier this week my article on Deer Tick was published over at That Mag. The article featured several quotes from my interview with bassist Christopher Ryan. I wasn't able to fit the entire interview into the article so I've decided to share it in it's entirety below. Check out the article I wrote here! 

1. Why did you choose “Negativity”, such a simple yet dark work, as the album title? 

We had written a song called "Negativity" which was intended as the title track. It didn't end up making the cut, though we kept the name Negativity because it felt appropriate to the work that we had made. It's a pretty derek record. The same thing actually happened with Divine Providence—it was another title track that didn't get on the record. The song was too long.

2. With being the band’s fifth full length album, do you guys feel like you are veterans at this point?

Definitely yes and definitely no. There are parts to this job that have become very chill, very casual after years of experience. But we're still just kids in some ways, trying to figure this whole thing out. The recordings, the live shows—we're always trying to be better.

3. What was it like working with Steve Berlin? Did you work with anyone else in making the album?

Steve Berlin is a beautiful human being; a pleasure to be around, smart and sweet and practical. It was a natural fit for us and didn't feel like work at all. The results show on the record, we hope.

4. When and where was it recorded?

Type Foundry in February '12, Audible Alchemy in February and March of '13, in Portland, OR. Overdubs at Playground Sound in Nashville and Level One in Austin. 

5. In listening to Negativity, each song sounds very personal and reflective. How does writing and making music help you cope?

Well, if you're putting truth into a song you have to face that truth - and whatever feelings go with it - to be able to write about it. Hence the catharsis. That's not why I write. The process of creation is fascinating. The catharsis is a nice side-effect.

6. What was the experience of doing a song with Vanessa Carlton like? How involved was she in the songwriting process? 

Vanessa is not only one of my favorite persons in music, but one of my favorite persons ever. She is a joy and the world is brighter for her being in it. "In Our Time" was written before Vanessa was involved with it, though her presence necessitated the changing of some of the gender phrasing in the lyrics. 

7. What pushes you to continue to make music?

It's my vocation. I don't have a choice. And I'm not any good at anything else. 

8. The topic of moving more towards a mature, sober touring lifestyle has been common amongst recent interviews and articles. How was this change brought up to the band? How has it played out so far?

It's mostly about sustainability. We want to be able to make music on our own terms, not limited by our record label or our parents or our bodies. I'm not saying we don't indulge ourselves—there is also value in that, sure—but these days we do it smarter. We drink nicer wine and have a couple beers instead of a case. We still close down the bar every night though.

9. With being no strangers to playing cover songs, what attracts you guys to continue to play them?

All the hard work is already done—we just get to play awesome songs. And we are working musicians after all. Covers are a good exercise.

10. What has been your favorite song to cover so far? Least favorite?

My least favorite is "The Boy in the Bubble" by Paul Simon. I don't think we can do it justice, though we keep trying. My favorite cover is the October 7th issue of the The New Yorker.

11. Will we ever see Deervana go on tour? Or release an album?

I heard that band broke up. 

12. Where do you see yourself and Deer Tick a year from now?

Probably doing the same thing in the same clothes. Dennis might have a new Deer Tick shirt by then though.

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The Dismemberment Plan | Union Transfer | Philadelphia | November 3rd

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Can't wait for the new Title Fight EP, Spring Songs, to come out next week? The full album is up on Pandora to stream now! Revelation Records is still taking preorders. 

Welcome to Pandora Premieres, where you can listen to new, full-length albums before they're released. Check in each week to hear what's new!

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Always love hearing new music from these guys! Just another example of the great music scene going on here in Philly. 

Market East - I Walk with You

While I’m on the subject of rising bands from the Philadelphia area, I’ve been keen on this trio Kurt Cain-Walther, Max Perla, Vincent John since I first laid ears on their single ”Marielle" last year.  

Get their Children of Summer EP on Bndcmp. Danced + color’d video directed by Ann Lupo.

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MS MR - "Dance Yrself Clean" (LCD Soundsystem)

It's always a big task taking on one of the best songs from a truly great band but MS MR's take on LCD Soundsystem's "Dance Yrself Clean" does the original song justice. They balance a perfect mix of adding their own touch and sticking to the original song. Despite a stripped down feel, MS MR still are able to capture that quintessential build that makes the song great. However the true star of the song is singer Lizzy Plapinger's strong, powerful voice.  

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Five Iron Frenzy Returns!

After a very successful Kickstarter campagin (raising over $200,000 is successful right?) back in 2011, the fruits of their labor are starting pay off. Five Iron Frenzy has announced that their new album, the main reason they started their Kickstarter, Engine of a Million Plots will be released November 26th. Pre-orders are available now! 

Engine of a Million Plots is the band's first album in over a decade. As they mention in the video below, they broke up before the Myspace phase even begun (old, amirght?!)

Head over to their website to pre-order a copy of Engine of a Million Plots today! And be sure to check them on tour. 

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Los Campesinos! - "Avocado, Baby"

Los Campesinos! released, No Blues, their fifth full length studio album this week and with all the ruckus that the Arcade Fire have been making for their new album, it's come in slightly under the radar. No Blues continues the progression that was heard on Hello Sadness, a push towards a more mature and complete sound from the band. 

To help shine some light on the record, Los Campesinos! have also released a video for one of the songs from the album, "Avocado, Baby". As with most songs from the Welsh six piece, it's a deeply lyrical song. To go along with that is an equally deep music video. Directed by Craig Roberts, star of the indie flick Submarine, the video stars lead singer Gareth Campesinos! as a 70s game-show host. The entire video was cleverly shot in one continuous tracking shot. Check out the video and trry to decipher it for yourself.

No Blues is currently out now on Witchita Records/ Turnstile Records/ Heart Swells. Pick up a copy today!  

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Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Nightwater Girlfriend"

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are currently touring their way through the Midwest. Here's what they do when they have free time while on tour:

We're teaching a songwriting/music video class to first graders today. They wrote a song called Shark Tag. It's better than arcade fire.

— Boris Yeltsin (@sslyby)

October 28, 2013

Doesn't get more awesome then that. "Nightwater Girlfriend" has been one of my favorite songs to come out this year. The album that is appears on, the newly released Fly By Wire, is not getting nearly the amount of press it deserves. Here's to you and here's to "Shark Tag" being recorded soon! 

Check out the rest of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's tour dates here! 

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Little Big League - "My Very Own You"

It's been a good year for music courtesy of Philadelphia. Case in point: Little Big League. In just two short years, the four piece have come from being one of the many local bands to touring the country behind a well-received debut album released on a great label. These Are Good People, the aforementioned debut album, came out on Tiny Engines Records over the summer. 

Right now they're touring down to Fest and then making their way around the rest of this big, beautiful country. Check out the tour dates below and pick up a digital or physical copy of These Are Good People here.  

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Death of Lovers - "Buried Under a World of Roses"

After spending weeks and weeks together out on the road, some of the members in Nothing and Whirr have come together to form Death of Lovers. They debuted their first song "Buried Under a World of Roses" last week. The song is the first from their 12" EP entitled Buried Under a World of Roses via Deathwish Records. 

Sonically the band styles in the same vein as Nothing and Whirr staying in the 80s alternative sound but this time around with more of a post-punk/goth feel. Influences like Joy Division and the Cure are quickly heard in the first opening seconds of the songs. Check out the checklist below and be on the lookout for preorder and release date info! 

Death of Lovers Buried Under A World of Roses EP Track Listing:

1. Cold Heaven 2. Shaken 3. Buried Under a World of Roses 4. The Blue of Noon

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Bear Hands - "Giants"

Bear Hands returned with their new hook-filled single "Giants". It's the first piece of new music from the group since 2012's Songs from Utopida, Vol. 1. The single, out via Cantora Records, showcases the NYC four piece's knack for mixing pop sensibilities with moving, synth-filled dancefloor beats. 

"Giants" is available now on iTunes and Amazon. 

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A Great Big Pile Of Leaves - "Snack Attack"

A Great Big Pile of Leaves gives us a dizzying new video for the first single, and song, from their fantastic album released earlier this year, You're Always On My Mind. We find the band playing and hanging out in a sun filled studio space. And for those who like the Tilt-a-Whirl, rejoice because the whole video is one long, repeated spinning panorama! 

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Color Film - Until You Turn Blue EP 

Color Film is the latest project from Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo. He is teaming up with Richard Penzone (formerly of Men, Women & Children). Color Film is a nod to the post-punk, new wave sounds of the late 80s. If the bouncy, punchy bass line doesn't bring you back, the quick synth jabs and shimmery guitar lines will do the trick. It only makes sense then that they're opening for Gary Numan in Washington and New York later this month. 

 Their debut Until You Turn Blue EP is out on Calm+Collect (which is ran by Nick Hook, also from Men, Women & Children). The EP is out right now digitally. Vinyl pre-orders can be found here. 

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Tigers Jaw - "Hum"

Well it looks like the Scranton, PA punks aren't ready to hang things up. In March, Tigers Jaw announced that 3 of it's members were leaving and that the upcoming US shows would likely be the last ones "for the foreseeable future". Last week the band released a new song, "Hum". The tune is the first off their new upcoming album. The album will be out sometime in January via Run For Cover Records, so for now this is all we get. 

"Hum" will be released on 7" alongside an acoustic version of "Cool" on November 19. Pre-order yours here today! 

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This was one of my favorite interviews that I've done so far. Instead of talking to an artist or band, I was able to chat with the series editor for the 33 1/3 books. It was really cool to get the perspective from a different angle in the music business. Check it out! 

Everyone has a favorite album. Whether it’s that one from high school and you still know every single word to every single song on it, or one of the Top 50 of all time by Rolling Stone, everyone has that one album that they will always love. But do you know the story behind that album? [&]

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The Bikini Island Interview Files: Jessi Darlin of Those Darlins

Yesterday, my article on Those Darlins was published on That Mag. While writing the article, I was able to interview Jessi Zazu, aka Jessi Darlin, before her and the rest of the band went out on their tour. I wasn't able to fit the entire interview in the article but I still wanted to share it. Below is the interview in full. You can check out the article here! 

1. Who did you work with on the new album? Where and when was it recorded?

JD: We worked with Nashville (by way of NYC) producer Roger Moutenot, best known for his work with Yo La Tengo. It was recorded in his studio "Haptown studios" here in Nashville, spring of this year. (2013)

2. In a lot of different articles, it’s been said that the album is going to be more personal one. In what ways is this different from the prior two albums?

JD: It's just another growth in the evolution of Those Darlins as people and artists. We set out to take a closer look at ourselves and try to dig underneath the outer layers of our personas. We intended to be very blunt and honest in our approach to our lyrics. Honesty and sincerity helped to get our minds away from what "they" (as in peers and media) think we should sound like or be. Aka, we tried to be ourselves in the moment that we were creating these songs as much as we could possibly be.

3. With Blur the Line being your third full length album, do you find the songwriting process any different from when you were writing the first album?

JD: Yes it was much more in depth. We worked for a greater span of time and put in more hours than we had before. I filled up 7 or 8 composition books with words, and we spent hours of practice working on the arrangements and musical parts for the songs. We also spent almost 2 months with Roger taking the songs to the next level. A lot of patience was involved this time, which is something that has come with experience and maturity. In the past, I always sought instant gratification when writing a song. As soon as it comes out I wanted it done and out into the world, and I've learned to slow down a little, coax it, work with it... It reminds me of a quote i read somewhere "the best way to get approval is not to need it." I've found that if I put enough into the song and am completely satisfied with it, getting it out there to everyone else becomes less of a necessity for my own satisfaction.

4. What do you enjoy most about songwriting?

JD: It helps me get through challenging situations of the past and present. It's just a form of therapy and once i've found a way to take something negative and make it positive, a weight is lifted off of me. It helps me move forward as a person. I can't say it's really that fun to examine myself in such a way, but it's enjoyable in a way that is much deeper than your average everyday kind of fun.

5. Where do you draw inspiration from?

JD: I have no idea. I'm looking for it everywhere. I don't think there is a specific place to find inspiration from, it just stems out of life itself. Being a living creature who can think objectively is fascinating enough to keep me occupied for the rest of my days.

6. Between the album cover and two videos released so far, there’s a definite focus on a more sexual side.

JD: How is this reflected in the songs? We are sexual beings and that is part of who we are. It's represented in the music as much as any other aspect of ourselves. I'm not really sure how to specifically point out the ways it is reflected, but rock 'n' roll is sexy. That's part of the deal.

7. How did the exit of Kelley Anderson affect/change the process in writing for Blur the Line?

JD: I can't really say because during the writing and recording of Screws Nikki had a broken arm and was unable to play or write very much, so I took to doing a lot more solo writing. We didn't have the capability to play as a full band, so we hadn't worked out the songs too much in that capacity, and when we recorded it was a free for all on who played what. Lin, kelley, and I played a mess of different instruments just trying to get things down on tape and make it work. This time around on Blur we actually worked as a full band and got the songs to a point where they were more fully formed as a 4 piece before we went into the studio. We mostly just stuck to our own instruments and carved out more solid roles for ourselves. Everything was a lot more streamlined, but i wouldn't say that was a result of Kelley's departure as much as it was a a result of more time off the road and a better idea of what we wanted to accomplish.

8. In your eyes, what is the biggest difference between Screws Get Loose and Blur the Line?

JD: Screws Get Loose seemed more like 4 people contributed individual songs to make an album, whereas Blur the Line feels like a band that created a piece of music together. It's much more cohesive.

9. What’s your favorite song off the new album and why?

JD: I don't have a favorite, we worked very hard on all of them and they all have special meaning to me.

10. What can fans look forward to on Blur the Line?

JD: There was a lot of care and attention on put into this album, from the songwriting to the performance to the production to the album artwork to the promotion of it all. We made sure that we did everything to the best of our abilities and I hope that shows.