TORCHES – There will be dwarves!

Posted on November 23, 2013 by B_MAOI

Torches had a very busy year in 2013. Stoked to start working with a new manager who’s resume includes working on Conan, Kimmel, and for band Local Natives. They had a fun residency at the Echo back in May, and put out a new EP, IF THE PEOPLE STARE the same month. Followed by a summer tour and rounding of the year with a fantastic show at the Echoplex with The Lonely Wild. Next in store is putting out a new album in 2014. And I had the chance to interview them before any of that happened in March of 2013. WOW! Yeah talk about not making a personally set deadline. Well they are pretty neat, so find out more about this local (Los Angeles) indie favorite Torches.

Name: Azad Cheikosman Name: Eric Fabbro
Nickname: Cheeks? Wolfie Nickname: Fabbs
Sign: Libra Sign: Aquarius

Favorite:
Color:
Azad: Black, Blue
Eric: Blue

Book:
Eric: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Season:
Azad: Fall
Eric: Winter

MAOI: What is your spirit animal?
Azad: Wolf
Eric: Turtle

MAOI: What superhero would you make your sidekick?
Azad: Idk, if this counts, but Jake the Dog of Adventure Time.
Eric: Probably The Flash, he’s always appealed to me with his attitude

MAOI: Most wild and crazy thing you have done thus far in your life?
Azad: I’d say, deciding to drive across the country in a van with my friends to play for strangers. The last tour we did was the most extensive tour we’ve ever done. We started in LA and drove up the coast playing through these cities: Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, New York (CMJ festival), and Chicago. I booked the tour myself and surprisingly enough we came back with money…profit was made. Tour was a success!
Eric: Kinda lame, but jumping off a 50 ft rock into a lake. I have a bad fear of heights

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Car Seat Headrest Interview – Dorm Room Magic

Posted on June 16, 2013 by B_MAOI

Name: Will Toledo
Nickname: No regularly-used ones, though I think it’s cool when people call me ‘Car Seat Headrest’.
Sign: right at the tail-end of Virgo

Favorite:
Cookie: any kind that is provided specifically for me that I don’t have to pay for.
Color: Colors work best in interplay with each other, I refuse to choose! Better to be surprised by vision.
Time of Day: 9 AMish, when I’m getting up. The day is all bright potential, which I usually choose to waste.

MAOI: Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs?

CSHR: You know, in a rational sense I do – humans are more reducible to a formula than we’d like to believe, so anyone with a decent grasp of the species can make pretty accurate predictions! I don’t think our fates are dictated by the stars, but I do think it’s pretty telling that over the past few millennia we’ve kept connecting the dots in the same way.

MAOI: Most wild and crazy thing you have done thus far in your life?

CSHR: Taking a 30-hour bus ride to spend a week with a romantic interest about 900 miles away from where my parents believed I was.

MAOI: If you could morph into any animal what would it be?

CSHR: A human. Say no to body dysphoria!

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HARLAN: Moon Walkn…

Posted on May 21, 2012 by B_MAOI

Name: Harlan Alexander Silverman

Nickname: Harlan

Sign: Cancer/Leo

Favorite:

Cookie: Snicker doodle

Book: Lolita

Holiday: Halloween

Q1. What animal trait do you wish to possess?

A1. Wings

Q2. What superhero would be your sidekick? What villain would you go after first?

A2. Batman / Lex Luther

Q3. Bathroom read?

A3. “Working”

Q4. Where and When in time would you go?

A4, 200 years into the future. I would go to New York to see if it’s still standing. If so, I can’t wait to kick it with robots and hologram people.

5. Most Embarrassing Moment? —

Q6. Best compliment ever received?

A6, Someone telling me that Alex & Sam was like Ike and Tina.

Q7. What do you admire in a person?

A7. Drive

Q8. When do you feel most creative?

A8. Afternoon

Q9. What 80’s movie would you live in for a day? Who would you be?

A9. Moon Walker / MJ!

Q10. Biggest Pet Peeve?

A10. Smelly people

Harlan is funky fresh and fun. I saw him live at The Satellite not too long ago and wrote a midnight review of the show (check out review here). The music still ignites thoughts of old school 70’s Sesame Street, Wonder Years, Block Parties, and Roller Discos. He is fun, the band is fun. The music is certainly different and refreshing amongst the countless other indie rock, surf inspired, and/or shoe gaze psychedelic music (which I all love) circulating the Los Angeles music scene. The first time I heard Harlan I was completely surprised, like I had stepped into a gold plated time machine, dialed into 1978 and was more than happy to go on this little musical excursion.

This month (May 2012) Harlan has a Monday night residency at The Echo and Full Length Album coming out soon.

Check out more of Harlan’s music on his website.

*this puppet creeps me out!

Correatown

Posted on November 16, 2011 by B_MAOI

Name: Jenni Tarma

Nickname: Bean Head

Sign: Aries

Favorite:
Month: October
Color: teal
Cookie: triple chocolate espresso

Q1. Are you superstitious?

A1.I always cross my fingers on plane rides during take-off and landing.

Q2. Best show you’ve ever been too?

A2. This summer- Muse. Whether or not you like their music, the power of their shred cannot be denied.

Q3. What have you said you would never do, but have ended up doing?

A3.Rollercoasters.

Q4. Bathroom read?

A4. Nylon.

Q5. Most Embarrassing Moment?

A5. Traditionally, I cringe every day when I wake up. Oh God, this can’t be happening, this is so embarrassing.

Q6. If your music was ice cream, what flavor would it be?

A6. Correatown: mint chocolate chip, with a side of salted caramel. Mine: didn’t turn out right, looks kind of gross.

Q7. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?

A7.Moomin.

Q8. What’s your vice?

A8. Cocktails. The more elaborate, the better.

Q9. When are you most creative morning, mid day, or evening?

A9. I get my best ideas when I’m about to fall asleep, which is incredibly unhelpful in terms of remembering any of them.

Q10. You were slipped a radioactive roofie by an evil scientist and now have mutated, what’s your superpower?

A10. I have the power to run errands without being seen, talked to, or intercepted by anyone I know, am vaguely acquainted with, or even complete strangers.
Name: Angela
Nickname: Hungeeee/ Momsies/ Angiepants
Sign: Libra

Favorite:
Month: October
Color: Teal
Cookie: Chocolate Crackle

Q1. Are you superstitious?

A1. Just about fortune cookies.

Q2. Best show you’ve ever been too?

A2. Hall and Oates at the Hollywood Bowl. Wow. And the champagne and *pot brownies* didn’t hurt.

Q3. What have you said you would never do, but have ended up doing?

A3.Taking life really seriously. Yikes.

Q4. Bathroom read?

A4.Not my thing, really. Someone told me sitting on the toilet and reading will give you hemorrhoids and I’ve been freaked about it ever since.

Q5. Most Embarrassing Moment?

A5.A bird once dropped a giant shit bomb on my head while I was sitting in the sun in the Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris. It was truly awful. My friend was pouring water from a huge Evian bottle over my head trying to rinse it, and scandalized passersby were snickering and pointing.

Q6. If your music was ice cream, what flavor would it be?

A6. Mint Chocolate Chip, or Fig with Salted Caramel and Balsamic Swirl

Q7. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?

A7. Gem, she was truly outrageous. Close second: GI Joe- I had a huge crush on the silent bearded Bazooka guy. And part of me also thought Cobra was sort of hot- all masked, whiney, and wearing a skin tight war-outfit.

Q8. What’s your vice?

A8.Staying up really late at night reading… and/or drinking too many cups of coffee. Which may be mutually related (I now realize).

Q9. When are you most creative morning, mid day, or evening?

A9.From 4pm – 12 midnight. It’s like a gong goes off and all my best ideas arrive with trumpets, but I’m usually unable to capture them for later because I’m making dinner, or out and about.

Q10. You were slipped a radioactive roofie by an evil scientist and now have mutated, what’s yoursuperpower?

A10.I can magically transport myself to and from places in an eye blink, and I can also bring my friends along if they are touching some part of my body. This is extremely useful when I have late night cravings for nutella crepes in Paris, whilst sitting on the couch in LA.

I couldn’t think of a better time or day to sit and listen to Correatown, trying to figure out how to explain the sound of their music. Drinking green tea with honey and watching the sun break through the rain clouds on a Sunday afternoon while “Shine Right Through” is playing, it’s kind of perfect. Correatown has a sweet indie sound, singer Angela Correa’s voice carried on the melody like a whisper of the wind. There is something in the songs that gives a sense that there is a very me looking at me scenario, a self realization notion, yet that self realization is in observation. Like as if hearing the inner thoughts of the girl drinking coffee by themselves, the man walking down the street with a gentle smile, or your lover right before they wake; you’re seeing yourself. I might sound completely insane or make no sense at all, but you can listen to their latest release Pleiades on Bandcamp and decide for yourself.

RUMSPRINGA

Posted on March 30, 2011 by B_MAOI

Name: Cecilia Della Peruti – no longer in Rumspringa/ now leads Gothic Tropic
Nickname: The band calls me “C”
Sign: Virgo (libra rising, gemini moon)

Favorite:
Dessert. too many to choose from…. A well made Flan.
Holiday. Halloween (and New Years)
Book. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Q1. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
A1. Not so much as one friend, but imaginary scenarios, definitely. All the time haha.

Q2. Personal Quote?
A2. “son of a bitch” is a staple… and taken from a text convo between my roommate and I “We can donate some of that $50 to strippers and death rock. Yeah, I’ll be okay this week, I’d rather do that than buy lavish meals.”

Q3. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs?
A3. I believe the earliest of human civilizations referenced the night sky and documented their lives according to the stars/planets. Over time, enough consistencies suggested a correlation between humans and what exists outside our planet. It’s already a scientific fact that the moon influences the tides of our oceans, I think as humans, products of evolution, we’re not exempt from the effects of the planets/star systems/universe ect.. I demystify it, because the flower children often distract from the basic logic of it all.

Q4. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day?
A4. Unfortunately I work in a corporate office, so YES. Maybe 2 cups a day. Sometimes 3 😦 Only started about 8 months ago though. Prior to that, absolutely not. Never, in fact. Tea…and hot chocolate…

Q5. If you had a parrot what would you teach it to say?
A5.Probably profanity

Q6. What superhero would you make your sidekick?
A6. Quail Man?

Q7. What do you admire in a person?
A7. Forwardness, intuition, absurd humor, the ability to do anything i cant do…I could go on.
Q8. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A8. a ‘The Cool Guy complex’…And saying “melk” instead of “milk.” Same rule applies to “pellow.”

Q9. Bathroom read?
A9. Mome (graphic novel)
Q10. Most Embarrassing Moment?
A10. I pissed my pants in 7th grade on the tennis court. I was laughing too hard. I think even then I thought it was too funny to be mortified.

Name: Ricardo Robles Jr.
Nickname: Caco
Sign: Virgo?

Favorite:
Dessert- too much sugar, don’t like it. I like deserts though.
Holiday- Kwanza (don’t celebrate it).
Book- “God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian”- In 9th grade I realized my worldview was similar to Vonnegut’s.

Q1. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
A1.God.

Q2. Personal Quote?
A2. “Get Real.”

Q3. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs?
A3. Hmmm. This one’s hard for me. The idea that the time of year a person is born somehow determines their personality seems like blatant bullshit. I don’t see very good evidence for it; but maybe there could be checkable evidence later- like the location of the other planets of our solar system in relation to earth somehow affects the physiology of a growing fetus’ brain…? The way Carl Jung explained Zodiac Signs makes it sound not too far-fetched: the weather and time of year that a person is born naturally affects a person’s first experiences outside of the womb, and therefore their personalities. My reply to this would be to ask: do only people born outdoors exhibit personality traits associated with their Zodiac symbol? Most of us in developing countries are born in hospitals with roofs and temperature control…How could this apply?

My own horoscope suggests that I’m very picky/anal. Most of the time though, my house etc. is pretty messy and I can just go with the flow…..then again my long ass answer to this question may indicate otherwise! Often, horoscopes seem to perfectly describe a person. I read one of those birthday books and it describes me well. So, I’d say I’m skeptical, but allowing for the possibility.

Q4. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day?
A4. No coffee. I’m always shaky and nervous. That +coffee could = a mess.

Q5. If you had a parrot what would you teach it to say?
A5. I’d see how many digits of Pi it could memorize….might take some time.

Q6. What superhero would you make your sidekick?
A6. Magneto, duh.

Q7. What do you admire in a person?
A7. If a person is really opinionated but not closed to debate, I like em.

Q8. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A8. Those who, on a certain level (often barely conscious), are comfortable lying to themselves or others because life is easier that way and second guessing your ideas or values is too uncomfortable.

Q9. Bathroom read?
A9. I don’t take THAT long to poop…but I might play Bubble buster on my phone.

Q10. Most Embarrassing Moment?
A10. Every time someone walks into my house (often), they are greeted by a CD tower which I’m too lazy to move. It happens to be the tower from the time period between 6th grade and 9th grade with great bands like Limp Bizkit, Slayer, and everyone on the Warped Tour…..there’s a couple I’m proud of and might still listen to like Richard Hell, but for the most part it’s horrible.

Rumspringa is indie rock dipped in a 70’s psychedelic sound. With paisley printed melodies and guitar work they have a familiar gypsy sensibility. Unlike most psychedelic music that tends to be so trippy one needs to be on hallucinogens to appreciate the music. Rumspringa has a very grounded rock sounds that is more of an homage to the great rock stars of days gone by, instead of being trapped in the rock stars acid trip. As a contemporary band they are taking classic rock elements and brushing off the cobwebs to make them fresh again. Their song “Shake’em Loose Tonight” dips into the love den with a heavy velvet rhythm, easily I can imagine a bunch of people dancing together in a room decorated with silk scarves and bohemian pillows. But its songs like Triptych and Sway that validates their music in its current relevance while nodding to their influences and inspirations.

Please listen to more Rumspringa on thier Facebook

Dead To Me

Posted on March 18, 2011 by B_MAOI

Name: Tyson
Nickname: Chicken
Sign: Libra

Favorite:
Color. Green
Food.Burrito
Season. Summer

Q1. What animal trait do you wish to possess?

A1. Flight, mating for life, and awareness/knowledge of the earths electro-magnetic fields.

Q2. If you could live in a movie for a day, which movie would it be? Would you be yourself or another character?

A2. Boyz In The hood. I’d be myself and tell Ricky not to split up with Tre at the end so he doesn’t get shot. In turn, Doughboy wouldn’t have to retaliate and then he wouldn’t end up in prison. Best. Movie. Ever.

Q3. Bathroom read?

A3. Secret Teachings of All Ages by Many P Hall and Be Here Now by Ram Dass are in the bathroom currently. Both are really good to just open up randomly and start reading. Tons of really cool imagery in both books too.

Q4. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?

A4. I’ve had a lot of very exciting moments in my life, but I would like to think that the most exciting is yet to come. Besides,I would hate to name just one past experience because I feel like it makes everything that happened after anticlimactic.

Q5. Do you have a lucky charm?

A5. It sounds silly but I kind of consider some of my tattoos my lucky charms. My elephant on my arm protects me from impulse and the third eye on my sugar skull sees with my minds eye everything that my regular eyes cannot.

Q6. What do you miss most about being a kid? What the best thing about being an adult?

A6. I miss the feeling of infinite possibility and innocent naivete. When I was real young I was oblivious to the potential of human cruelty and becoming painfully aware of it as I got older is something I’ve never really got used to. As for being an adult, I guess the best thing is the gift of loving myself. I know how to now, but didn’t then.

Q7. If you had to give up one of your 5 senses, which one would you abandon?

A7. Smell. Reluctantly.

Q8. You were slipped a radioactive roofie by an evil scientist and now have mutated, what’s your superpower?

A8. The ability to speak every language spoken on earth.

Q9. Best compliment ever received?

A9. When someone tells me that a song I wrote helped them through a hard time, or even that it just made them happy for a few minutes is pretty much the best compliment ever as far I’m concerned.

Q10. Greatest strength? Greatest Weakness?

A10. My greatest strength is that I realize I’m weak. It makes me strong.

This is a momentous post as Dead To Me is the FIRST PUNK BAND to grace the pages of My Favorite MAOI. Breaking this musical barrier on the blog, I couldn’t be happier as Dead To Me is a straight up, no chaser, no filler, no gimmick punk band. They play the kind of punk music that inspired and fueled Warped Tour before it went strangely drastically astray into the sugar coated overly processed land of pop-punk it lives in today. (Jeffrey Star has been on the Warped Tour bill, need I say more). Playing their instruments hard and fast with lyrics that are a bloody heart on the bands sleeve. Singing about overcoming ones demons, establishment frustration, and the trials n’ tribulations of love; they cover all the basic raw truths that fuel punk ideals. Opening for bands like Screeching Weasels and NOFX, they deserve every minute of stage time their sets allow. Never holding back while performing, fans go crazy singing a long to passion filled songs. And lets not forget the element of fun that every true blue great band possess, above all else Dead To Me is fun! You want to get down and start a circle pit, surf a crowd, blast it on your car stereo while stuck in traffic or speeding down the freeway. A kick in the stomach, to say wake up you’re alive, now enjoy it damn it!

Please check out more of Dead To Me’s music on their Myspace Page

ROBOTANISTS – Rufied and Rockn

Posted on March 9, 2011 by B_MAOI

SINGER:
Name: Sarah Ellquist
Nickname: Sare
Sign: Scorpio

Favorite:
Cookie. Oatmeal Rasin, yum
Color. Pink
Season: Summer

Q1. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?
A1. Ren & Stimpy

Q2. What’s your vice?
A2.Watching shows about conspiracy theories

Q3. When are you most creative morning, mid day, or evening?
A3. Late at night.

Q4. You were slipped a radioactive roofie by an evil scientist and now have mutated, what’s your superpower?
A4.Shape Shifting

Q5. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A5. Finishing the new ROBOTANISTS album of course!

Q6. What do you wish was invented?
A6.The Holodeck

Q7. Childhood ambition?
A7.To be driven around in a pink limo all of the time.

Q8. If you owned a parrot, what would you teach it to say?
A8. “Sa Da Tay”

Q9. How old were you the first time you got drunk? How was the experience?
A9. My first time was in college in New Orleans (I’m lame). It involved a bottle of Jagermeister on my Birthday and copy of “Mingus at Antibes” on repeat. The rest of the details are hazy.

Q10. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A10. Conspiracy theorists.

GUITARIST:
Name: Daniel DeBlanke
Nickname: D-dubs, DEBLANKE!
Sign: Cancer

Favorite:
Cookie. black and white
Color blue .
Season Fall

Q1. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?
A1.Futurama

Q2. What’s your vice?
A2. Wine

Q3. When are you most creative morning, mid day, or evening?
A3.Early morning

Q4. You were slipped a radioactive roofie by an evil scientist and now have mutated, what’s your superpower?
A4. Mind control

Q5. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A5. Its a tie between the season 1 and season 2 finales of RuPaul’s Drag Race

Q6. What do you wish was invented?
A6. Those machines from star trek that simply create any food dish out of thin air.

Q7. Childhood ambition?
A7. creepy guy who hangs out with wolves all the time.

Q8. If you owned a parrot, what would you teach it to say?
A8.something from the big lebowski. “Fuck it, let’s go bowling” or “that rug really tied the room together”

Q9. How old were you the first time you got drunk? 14 How was the experience?
Q9. pretty horrible. warm beer, puking, menthol cigarettes.

Q10. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A10. fake eye glasses

BASSIST:
Name: Keith Boyarsky
Nickname: ugh, not goin there….
Sign: peace

Favorite:
Cookie. Tagalongs
Color. eh
Season. all year in LA

Q1. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?
A1. TMNT

Q2. What’s your vice?
A2. Rush

Q3. When are you most creative morning, mid day, or evening?
A3. Midnight-8am.

Q4. You were slipped a radioactive roofie by an evil scientist and now have mutated, what’s your superpower?
A4. ability to dunk a basketball from the 3pt line.

Q5. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A5. living through West Texas with Preston Scott Phillips.

Q6. What do you wish was invented?
A6.Robot knees.

Q7. Childhood ambition?
A7. Rocket scientist

Q8. If you owned a parrot, what would you teach it to say?
A8. “Fuck me? Fuck you!”

Q9. How old were you the first time you got drunk? How was the experience?
A9. Probably 13 or 14, playing boardgames and drinking cherry schnapps. Quite forgettable.

Q10. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A10. standard definition programming.

DRUMMER:
Name: Preston Scott Phillips
Nickname: PSP; p dog; p diddy; p funk; porkchop.
Sign: Taurus

Favorite
Cookie: Raspberry Macaron.
Color: Green.
Season: any time it’s just cold enough for hobo gloves.

Q1. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?
A1. Bananaman

Q2. What’s your vice?
A2. Miami

Q3. When are you most creative morning, mid day, or evening?
A3. Morning.

Q4. You were slipped a radioactive roofie by an evil scientist and now have mutated, what’s your superpower?
A4. The power to not get raped by that evil scientist. He’s trying to rape me, right? I mean, he just slipped me a roofie.

Q5. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A5. The moment I realized some dude really did use the drunk, debilitated girl in his arms as a human battering ram in order to knock me to the ground after I did something to piss him off.

Q6. What do you wish was invented?
A6. Bacon already exists. What kind of silly question is this?

Q7. Childhood ambition?
A7.Grow up to be the Incredible Hulk.

Q8. If you owned a parrot, what would you teach it to say?
A8. “I’m pining for the fjords.”

Q9. How old were you the first time you got drunk? How was the experience?
A9. Every time is like the first time: I cry, get arrested, and my pants look like they’ve been attacked by a mongoose. Oh, wait, first time I got drunk, right. I can’t remember.

Q10. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A10. Their our know pet peeves I have, so your just out of luck.

The toe starts to tap and the hips to start to sway, the melodic dance indie rock sound of Robotanist literally move you (or me). The lyrics are catchy ready to be lipsung along with Sarah, while she emotes her heart into the words she sings. The second I played the Robotanists I couldn’t get enough, playing their Myspace page and Bandcamp on repeat. Sarah’s beautiful voice dances through the music and the band creating the landscape with well conducted transitions and Easter eggs of chord progressions. I can listen to a song over and over again and find little nuances I didn’t catch before. Plans in Progress (latest album minus Radiohead cover) is a album filled with longing and discovery, and maybe I can’t get enough because that’s the place I am in my life right now. The Robotanists have an electric future ahead of them, just the right people need to hear them. Comparable to The Sounds, but ten folds better…(trying to hold back this summary as I have a review of their show last night to write as well)

Please listen to more of the Robotanists on their bandcamp

Tera Melos : Cartoon Cereal

Posted on February 18, 2011 by B_MAOI

Name: John Clardy
Nickname: Clardz, “the TP”
Sign: Aries

Favorite:
Fruit. Ambrosia Apples or Strawberries
Number. 78
Book. Junky

Q1. Most wild and crazy thing you have done thus far in your life?

A1. Joined Tera Melos

Q2. Whats the most interesting thing you found lying on the street/sidewalk/ground/random place?

A2. That’s more Nick and Nate’s thing.

Q3. Do you have a phobia?

A3. a few

Q4. If you could morph into any animal what would it be?

A4. Something that could fly, but maybe an octopus

Q5. Do you have a lucky charm?

A5. I carry an Irish Punt

Q6. If your music was a cereal, which one would is be and why?

A6. That Nintendo cereal from the 80’s, Link and Mario… where could you go from there?

Q7. What is the best show (music) you have ever been too?

A7. Probably Fugazi in Fort Worth, TX April 1st 2002

Q8. If you could live in any time period or be anyone dead or alive, who would you be or where would you go?

A8. I think about living in other time periods constantly, I’ll say the Cretacious Period or the 1960’s. I would like to live as Jimi Hendrix for a week.

Q9. What is something you hate doing, but must do anyways?

A9. shower

Q10. If you had to give up one of your 5 senses, which one would you abandon?

A10. Smell, I’m nostalgic enough as it is.

Name: Nick Reinhart
Nickname: Nick Reinhart
Sign: stop sign

Favorite:
Fruit. richard simmons
Number. the highest number
Book. mad magazine

Q1. Most wild and crazy thing you have done thus far in your life?

A1. the craziest thing i’ve done is waste hundreds of valuable hours of my life while sitting at my computer.

Q2. Whats the most interesting thing you found lying on the street/sidewalk/ground/random place?

A2. a vintage tube guitar head in an abandoned practice space and a small booklet about dreams in the gutter in los angeles.

Q3. Do you have a phobia?

A3. yea, melophobia.

Q4. If you could morph into any animal what would it be?

A4. an earthworm.

Q5. Do you have a lucky charm?

A5. yes, a five gallon bucket of earthworms that i ceremoniously dunk my head in before each show.

Q6. If your music was a cereal, which one would it be and why?

A6. krusty-o’s, because it’s so fucking awesome.

Q7. What is the best show (music) you have ever been too?

A7. possibly jon brion at largo.

Q8. If you could live in any time period or be anyone dead or alive, who would you be or where would you go?

A8. i’d live one thousand years in the future and work as a shift leader at mcdonald’s but moonlight as a party city owner and manager.

Q9. What is something you hate doing, but must do anyways?

A9. smell farts.

Q10. If you had to give up one of your 5 senses, which one would you abandon?

A10. probably smell, because i hate smelling shit smelling farts.

Complex to say the least and experimental with out a doubt. Tera Melos plays their instruments to create unique and different music that is clearly their own style. As there is so much going on in a single Tera Melos song, I can’t help but to feel movement in the music. Sometimes the guitar chords and drum beats flow like a drunken waltz, with coordination hindered one still invents their own fun seamless movements from one dance step to the next . Or one is jerked around on a roller coaster of sound, twisting and bending with the shifting guitar chords and rapid drumming from snare to symbol to bass. There is nothing safe about Tera Melos, pushing their music with honest artistic freedom not every ear is going to fall in love with them, and that’s just one of the many reasons I have.

Please check out more of Tera Melos on their Bandcamp page

Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits – A Lurid Stew

Posted on February 3, 2011 by B_MAOI

Name: Christopher Frederick Newcomer
Nickname: Chris
Sign: Pisces

Favorite

Cookie: EMPIRE BISCUIT
Holiday: New Years Eve
Flower: Ranunculus

Q1. What is one of your vices?
A1. Sometimes I have a real flip attitude.

Q2. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A2. Hearing other people’s shitty loud music through my apartment walls or blasting out of their cars.

Q3. Have you ever been in a food fight?
A3. I was once slapped in the face with a burrito.

Q4. Have you ever done a physical challenge, like drink an entire gallon of milk in an hour?
A4. I never haven’t accepted a challenge of any kind.

Q5. What movie would you want to live in for a day? Would you be yourself or another character?

A5. Patton/Patto

Q6. Do you have a phobia? Or what is your most irrational fear?
A6. Spiders. Dying in the fireball of a plane crash. That actually doesn’t seem too irrational to me, though.

Q7. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A7. Being born was probably exciting.

Q8. What do you wish was invented?
A8. Human flight. Invisibility. Giant cats that you can ride like horses.

Q9. Childhood ambition?
A9. The first thing I apparently ever wanted to be was a garbageman.

Q10. What is something everyone else loves and you just don’t get why?
A10. People must like it or there wouldn’t be any, but I don’t really understand why Yoshinoya exists.
Name: jenni Tarma
Nickname: Tarms
Sign: aries

Favorite:

cookie: mint chocolate chip
holiday: Halloween
lower: lily of the valley

Q1. What is one of your vices?
A1. The sauce.

Q2. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A2.Incompetence.

Q3. Have you ever been in a food fight?
A3.No. Seems like a total waste of delicious food, which you could munch on instead.

Q4. Have you ever done a physical challenge, like drink an entire gallon of milk in an hour?
A4. I once challenged myself to eat a bite of catfood, which it turns out is surprisingly bland.

Q5. What movie would you want to live in for a day? Would you be yourself or another character?
A5. I would be any character from Scott Pilgrim, and live in their magical video game fantasy land.

Q6. Do you have a phobia? Or what is your most irrational fear?
A6. Murky water= no bueno.

Q7. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A7.I got to play a show on top of an Austrian mountain, another one on an outdoor stage overlooking the Bosphorus, and another one at the Hollywood Bowl. All three of those were pretty rad. And cold.

Q8. What do you wish was invented?
A8. Teleporting, although I think they’re already working on that. Also, it would be cool to see the inside of a black hole.

Q9. Childhood ambition?
A9. Astronaut/ secret agent.

Q10. What is something everyone else loves and you just don’t get why?
A10. Beer- it’s not that I mind it, I just think it’s overrated. And mayonnaise fucking sucks. Most of all though, the thing I currently hate above everything else, is that stupid show Glee.

Name: Jack Burnside
Nickname: I’ve had a bunch of these. Most are vulgar.
Sign: Capricorn

Favorite
cookie: Mint chocolate chip
holiday: Christmas
flower: Jacaranda

Q1. What is one of your vices?
A1. I feel it would be unfair to my myriad vices to pick out just one.

Q2. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A2. Bad spelling.

Q3. Have you ever been in a food fight?
A3. Yes. Several, actually.

Q4. Have you ever done a physical challenge, like drink an entire gallon of milk in an hour?
A4. I prefer to goad others into food related challenges.

Q5. What movie would you want to live in for a day? Would you be yourself or another character?A5. The Life Aquatic. I’d like to be Steve Zissou and see it turn out a little better.

Q6. Do you have a phobia? Or what is your most irrational fear?
A6. I hate confined spaces, particularly multi-level parking lots.

Q7. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A7. Either rafting down the Zambezi in Zimbabwe or waterfall rappelling in Costa Rica. Or maybe seeing David Byrne play Naive Melody at Disney Hall a few years ago. One of those. I think.

Q8. What do you wish was invented?
A8. Some kind of a real life command Z / undo button.

Q9. Childhood ambition?
A9. Starting center fielder for the Chicago Cubs.

Q10. What is something everyone else loves and you just don’t get why?
A10. Bloody Marys.

Name: Dan Horne
Nickname: Horn
Sign: Capricon

Favorite:

Cookie. Holiday. Flower…. Whatever is the current craze.

Q1. What is one of your vices?
A1.Beer

Q2. Biggest Pet Peeve?
A2. Cheapskate rich people.

Q3. Have you ever been in a food fight?
A3. No. I like food why would I fight it?

Q4. Have you ever done a physical challenge, like drink an entire gallon of milk in an hour?
A4. I play real sports. I’m not trying to be the best at eating or anything.

Q5. What movie would you want to live in for a day? Would you be yourself or another character? A5. Willie Mays Hayes in Major League

Q6. Do you have a phobia? Or what is your most irrational fear?
A6. Spiders

Q7. Most exciting moment of your life thus far?
A7. 89 earthquake at Candlestick Park. I like earthquakes.

Q8. What do you wish was invented?
A8. The guitar solo

Q9. Childhood ambition?
A9. Jimi Hendrix

Q10. What is something everyone else loves and you just don’t get why?
A10. Mediocre Music. Very in right now.

Small confession: I’m never fully confident about writing my little sum up of the bands I survey, because I don’t write like a music writer (and this is no exception). It seems as adults the insecurites of our teen years are supposed to be gone, and we are to be confident in all our actions. But the more I talk to other people in the realm of “adulthood” it’s not that your insecurities fall away from our teen years, we just get better at working through the fear. Why do I go into this? Because I feel Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits is music for adults, the twenty thirty forty somethings all still figuring it out. With lyrics like “Saturday friends, are you sure of them?”, from the song Right Ones, it opens up a peep hole into the land of “adults”. When we are teens we know who our friends are, we have our clique, and even if we don’t like them we stick with them. As adults we have the power to walk away, we can find new friends, we don’t have to stick with the wrong ones. There is a familiarity about the music of Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits, and I believe that familiarity comes from the fact their music encompasses the insecurity and the power that we have as “adults”. I don’t really care for the term “Young Adult” because it indicates an age in which you grow into an adult. I feel that being an adult is a mindset. And that mindset, I don’t think anyone ever feels like an adult.Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits get that, or at least their music conveys it.

( and for a friend that said i didn’t say anything about the band, in my best music writer voice: the music is dreamy but not trancey, upbeat but not pop, more like you have a small pep in your step, there is no gimmick or niche, it just is what it is and that’s good.)

Listen to more Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits on their Myspace Page.

Find more artists like RABBITS RABBITS RABBITS at Myspace Music

Murder by Death

Posted on January 10, 2011 by B_MAOI

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Name: Adam Turla
Sign: Cancer
Nickname:Don’t really have one

Favorite:

Food– grilled food in general
Book– either East of Eden by John Steinbeck or One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marqeuz
Season– summer. absolutely

Q1. How many times have you been pulled over? And why?
A1. at least 20, but most were when i was young.

Q2. What animal is your spirit guide?
A2.i like elephants a lot

Q3. What’s your vice?
A3. movie theater popcorn

Q4. If you could live in a movie for a day, which movie would it be? Would you be yourself or another character?
A4. i would be Indiana Jones.

Q5. If your art was an ice cream flavor which one would it be?
A5. Neapolitan

Q6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
A6. no my real friends were exciting enough

Q7. Personal Quote?
A7. never had one. life is too varied to sum it up

Q8. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs?
A8. more than i would expect that i’d believe in them

Q9. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day?
A9. 1-2 a day

Q10. Best show you have ever been too?
A10. iron maiden doing all their 80’s stuff was pretty incredible. also we played a show with Gogol Bordello in Amsterdam last year that was really impressive. When i went down to the dressing room to grab a beer the ceiling was moving up and down from people stomping their feet at the show above.

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Name: Matt Armstrong
Nickname: Battlebot
Sign:Pisces (as far as I know. That didn’t change, did it?)

Favorite:

Food.- Italian or Mexican
Book.- Cormac McCarthy, Nick Cave, effect pedal instruction manuals
Season- Fall

Q1. How many times have you been pulled over? And why?
A1. I tend not to get pulled over because I don’t drive very often. If I were to get pulled over it would probably be for swerving because I was messing with the radio instead of focusing on the road.

Q2. What animal is your spirit guide?
A2. A shitting buffalo, according to a blood stain I got on my knee at a show one time.

Q3. What?s your vice?
A3. Oh boy…Smoking, drinking, coffee, musical equipment

Q4. If you could live in a movie for a day, which movie would it be?
A4. Would you be yourself or another character?- It might be fun to be the Lone Biker of the Apocalypse from Raising Arizona.

Q5. If your art was an ice cream flavor which one would it be?
A5. It would probably be a root beer float but with whiskey instead of root beer.

Q6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?
A6.No, but I had a lot of action figures. Mainly G.I. Joes and Star Wars guys.

Q7. Personal Quote?
A7. “Anything for a lover, anything for a friend.” -Afghan Whigs

Q8. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs?
A8. I find that stuff really interesting.

Q9. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day?
A9.Yes. Anywhere from 2-6 cups a day.

Q10. Best show you have ever been too?

A10.There have been many. Off the top of my head I would say The Jesus Lizard reunion show last year in Milwaukee was a face-melter

Strong coffee and crisp morning air. A curious sun peaks through the blinds after the voyeuristic moon goes to bed. Murder By Death is grounded in there honest song writing and rich thick sound, playing the soundtrack to a passionate hearts intimate moments. Capturing the soul touching and gut wrenching knots we all try to ignore giving our genuine emotions an authentic voice. I define music by the emotions and images it invokes, I tend to stray away from normal Music journalism jargon. But I want to say that to me alt-country has always been a genre of music that speaks to my soul. That in another life I was a whiskey drinking man with a beat up truck, and a broken heart carrying a tragic story with hope always on the horizon but sometimes gets to hard to see. Well my past life would listen to Murder By Death and with songs like Foxglove, might be inspired to try again for that glimmer of love and hope.

Listen to more of Murder By Death