Jamie Stewart has been both the source of the creative energy and the deep-seeded angst of goth-pop band Xiu Xiu for nearly a decade. With the release of a new album, Dear God, I Hate Myself, which drops on Kill Rock Stars on Feb 23rd, FMLY got the chance to speak with him about the creative process, his Nintendo DS, hog calls, and everything in-between. Jamie seems both sophisticated and quirky at the same time, but sends out an affable and welcoming vibe even through the telephone; if that alone wouldn’t command your admiration, his music definitely will.
You can listen to the whole album streaming live here.
FMLY: So Xiu Xiu’s been around for almost a decade now.
It’s the end of 2009 and I’m jamming away in Dinowalrus‘ rehearsal space with Total Slacker. A few months earlier I was playing a show at Public Assembly with Josh, Kyle, and Pete, and now, Pete and I are standing in an empty basement of the Charleston in Williamsburg. When I think Dinowalrus I think of the night I saw them perform at Death By Audio for an IMPOSE celebration, all smiles and questionable grooving (the good kind). Writing pieces of music as if their tones and progressions can repair a piece of machinery, Dinowalrus find comfort in expressing a unique pocket of sound in Brooklyn. Their pocket stitches across district boundaries, their presence is unintentionally in all spaces. They are in a league of the imaginative, the curious, and it’s in this whimsy that a clear message can be received. If reality is based on dreams, then let’s fucking dream.
FMLY: Hey Pete, so the Dinowalrus project has been around longer than the band and its present incarnation. What’s up with that?
Pete Feigenbaum: Dinowalrus the band really started in 2007 with Kyle and Josh. I had been doing weird bedroom electro stoner metal recordings earlier on using the name Dinowalrus… probably as eary as 2004. The album shaped up in 2008 mostly.
Rad, can you tell me who covers what duties in this fierce trio?
I do guitar, bass, vocals, and synth. Josh does drums and drum machine operation, plus some occasional guitar. Kyle does bass, guitar, sampler, synth, vocals, extra drumming and clarinet.
According to Child Bite at Death By Audio this weekend, “Total Slacker are as cute as buttons,” blending together not only the most bud-heavy of beach-pop jams but the badass appeal of just being in a band and having the best time with each other. Whether they’re tearing apart the stage at Shea Stadium or hot-boxing their spray painted van, Emily, Tucker and Ross are just all-around awesome folk that want to show you how much fun it is to do what you love. After a night at the Cake Shop, we headed back to my apartment with some pals to take part in recreational activities as well as record Total Slacker’s first interview. Video accompaniment coming in the near future. Also of note and something I’ll elaborate more on later, FMLY RCRDS is hosting Total Slacker’s initial demos for free download while cassette duties will be handled by our homies over at Mirror Universe Tapes. More on that in the interview…
Total Slacker: [Emily:] Well, Ross and I are from Santa Fe and Tucker is from Salt Lake City. I came here a few years ago for school and then I stopped going to school…to play in Total Slacker! [Ross:] Aw, is that why? I thought you were just takin’ a break. [Emily:] Ha, yeah, an extended break. You know.
A couple of weeks ago I emailed James Pants to try and convince him that it would be a good idea to take me (a complete stranger) on a brief tour of Spokane while I ask him stupid questions and point a camera in his face. He said he’d love to but then came with some bullshit excuse for the dates I proposed (like his girlfriend’s cat’s funeral is that day or that he’d be out of town doing shows–don’t remember). Anyway, he obliged me with the names of some places to check out for my Spokane adventure and this email exchange as an alternative to my initial request.
me: how long have you been wearing pants (not just today, I mean in general)?
james:Quite a while. I started with acid wash jeans in my early days. Then on to khakis. Now, back to jeans.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes played SOhO last Saturday, 10/10/09. I was there and caught up with Alex Ebert beforehand to discuss some heavy topics about the world and everything involved…
It was good. The following has been published by the Santa Barbara Independent, so give them some clicks if you’re bored and want to know where to pick up sandbags for the incoming storm.
Max, I’m so glad you’ve came to me. I’ve been through it all myself you see. Your reality is already half video hallucination. If you’re not careful, it will become total hallucination. You’ll have to learn to live in a very strange new world… I had a brain tumour and I had visions. I believe the visions cause the tumour and not the reverse. I can feel the visions coalsce and become flesh. Uncontrollable flesh. But when they removed the tumour, it was called Videodrome.
After an amazing show at Oakland’s Ghost Town Gallery I pow-wowed with some of my ladyfriends from the Bay Area sensation, The Splinters. Something about these girls makes you wanna sneak out at night, after mom and pop have gone beddy-bye, so you can get down and boogie in some of Oakland’s seediest secret lairs. Maybe it’s their sweet 60’s style riffs and grrrly apathetic-to-borderline-irate vocals. Maybe it’s cuz they’re such totally badass hotties. Either way, you’re in for a sweet time. Feel free to check out their myspace here and give the track below a listen. {Edit: tracksSs – the ladies sent me two hella siqq ones off of their 7″ released via Double Negative this past August! click,click }
Chad Imes began playing piano and then guitar at around six years old. His mom really wanted him to be good but chad would never practice what his instructors gave him to study. Instead, he’d spend lots of time with these two instruments, making up his own sounds. He continued playing guitar and it was during his early teens, that he says, things became more serious…
“I thought, if I start making music and continue to do it until the end… I might be able to make something that’s good along the way and if not, it’s at least something to focus on. I would be happy to find lots of people appreciating what I do and have the opportunity to collaborate with some favorites but whatever… I’ll probably keep making songs regardless.”
Explode Into Colors is a Portland Oregon trio comprised of three brilliantly shining woman that sew brilliantly shining swells of dance floor push. I recently stood stage-side center for an EIC Holocene show in Portland. Mid-set I looked back to see a room completely packed with boys and girls in love, in motion catching the holy ghost–many with face full of smile. Claudia Meza and Lisa Schoenberg (baritone guitar/vocals and drummer for EIC) graciously took the time to answer a few questions.
She’s worked with legendary Ry Cooder, sings with polar opposites The Bird and the Bee and Puscifer, is the sister of Robert Francis, rocks the keytar and is heading towards round two of a solo record. Know who she is yet? If you don’t you should: this lovely lady is Juliette Commagere, and she’s playing the FMLY stage at the Abbot Kinney Festival boys and girls! Her first solo album came out in 2008 and is filled with her angelic vocals and deep electric orchestrations. We’re on the edges of our seats waiting for her next album, and we got a little bit of time to chat with her about the whole risky process of “going solo.”
FMLY: Getting excited for the Abbot Kinney Festival?
Juliette: Yeah, I am excited. I think it’ll be really nice, you know? I’m pretty sure haven’t ever played in Venice. So it’s something new.
F: So how’s your solo stuff been going lately?
J: It’s been going really well and I’m about to start working on my second record. I’ve kinda been in writing mode and just trying to get in the right mindset to go in the studio and start the whole process all over again. So its equal parts all the pressure I put on myself and that I’m also excited.
I got a nice little package in the mail a few weeks ago, an advance copy of the album dropping from newborn collaboration between Zach Hill (yes, ANOTHER project) and Zac Nelson (Hexlove, Trawler Bycatch): Chll Pll. Their first album, Agressively Humble, is due out October 20. Familiar with Zach Hill, I had my doubts as to whether it could actually sound much different from other projects, just due to the sheer number of them. Apparently he left some ground uncovered, which Chll Pll seems to fill in nicely- still driving and drum heavy, but with a synthy edge that sort of, well, uplifts you. Interesting.
I had the opportunity to talk to Zac Nelson about the birth of Chll Pll:
FMLY: So it seems like Chll Pll is pretty new.
Zac: Yes, very new.
F: When did it start?
Z: I’d say 8 months ago maybe. We went and recorded and then I came back up to Portland and it took a few months for everything to get completed, and then a few more months for everything to get manufactured, so I’d say about half a year.
F: So how did you and Zach Hill meet and start collaborating?
Billy Gomez is an LA native living in Seoul Korea and the dearest friend I’ve never met. He’s also become an amazing photographer in the three years since he’s began taking pictures. For these reasons, I wanted to share Billy and his photos with the fmly.
Full name?
William Nicholas Gomez. William after my dad, Nicholas after my grandpa, and Gomez after some greedy conquistador.
Thank You Come Again
Lady Bird Lake Trail
March 20, 3PM
w/ dead gaze, easyboy, mistlefinger, big whup + pizza!, white fang, jonesin', tempo no tempo, dream panther
FMLY Group Hug
Dominican Joe, 515 South Congress
March 20, 8pm
w/ MillionYoung, Truman Peyote, Michael Parallax, Wampire, Idiot Glee, I Am The Dot, Magic Man, Philip Seymour Hoffman fbook event
Los Angeles
FMLY RIDE
WESTSIDE and EASTSIDE
March 13th 2010
The Entrance Band, Insects vs. Robots, Rumspringa, Las Cafeteras, The Light Rays, 60-Watt Kid, DJDT, Hiking, Neon Navajo fbook event
Thank you, Come Again
March 13th 2010
Romulus, Gabriela Maia, Stellaluna, Little Smoke, Good News Reporting, Presstones, More TBA fbook event
Drawlings
McWorld
March 24th Evan Voytas, WAMPIRE, Battlehooch, Pizza! + Afterparty for Tobacco (of Black Moth Super Rainbow) and The Hood Internet
McWorld
March 25th Fbook event
FMLY RIDE
April 3rd 2010
Dinowalrus, Tempo No Tempo
May 1
Santa Cruz
FMLY RIDE
April 3rd 2010
Pacific and Water
Boston
FMLY / Breakfast of Champs Fest
PPALMM's Chinatown Loft
April 16
New York
FMLY / Breakfast of Champs Fest
April 18
Tobacco (of Black Moth Super Rainbow) & Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Knitting Factory
April 24 fbook event
IcyDemons, Truman Peyote, Trouble Books
Glasslands
May 2
San Francisco
Thank you Come Again
The Neighbors, Wes Leslie, Shaw, Maus Haus, Mistlefinger, Goliath the Giver
March 21st
Dolores Park f book event
Questions? Comments? Want to play a FMLY event? Want to learn how you can play an integral role in your FMLY? Shoot us an email anytime, we're usually around. We also accept demos, songs you're into, songs you've made and bribes.
