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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The Hedgehog (Coffee Shop)

Posted on February 22, 2013 by B_MAOI

2201 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 – Eastside Eat/ Echo Park

(photo courtesy from: http://www.backyardbite.com)

I’m excited to bring the first inspiration story for 2013; she is Erin, owner of Hedgehog Café!

Owner/Manager: Erin West

Favorite :
Book. Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace (because it was the most influential when I was a teenager in the 90s, but there are one million “favorite books”!)
Color – yellow
Season – Seattle summer (but it’s 17 non-consecutive days long)

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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.

The Pity Party

Posted on December 2, 2010 by B_MAOI

Name: Julie Edwards

Nickname: Heisenflei

Sign: Libra

Favorite:

Fruit: Avocado

Book: Post Office, Bukowsky

Place: White Sands, New Mexico

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

A1. And this is your business because…

Q2. Whats the most interesting thing you found lying on the street/sidewalk/ground/random place? A2. A wet t-shirt with “fuck it” scrawled across the front in sharpee

Q3. How many car accidents have you been in?

A3. 6

Q4. Do you have a phobia?

A4. economic slavery, spiders

Q5. If you could morph into any animal what would it be?

A5. a housecat

Q6. What was your childhood ambition?

A6. notoriety

Q7. Have you ever been in a food fight?

A7. no

Q8. If you had to give up one of your 5 senses, which one would you abandon??

A8. sight, don’t need it

Q9. What do you wish was invented?

A9. The Morchant Timeline

Q10. Do you have a childhood memento you keep with you always?

A10. Animal.

Name: Marc

Nickname: M

Sign: Cancer

Favorite:

Fruit: Green apple

Book: Infinite Jest (David Foster Wallace)

Place: Bora Bora, French Polynesia

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

A1. I rode my bike at night with the Wolf Pack Hustle years ago. Less than 2 blocks into the ride, I rode straight into a pothole and was launched over the handlebars of my bicycle. I ended up with two pins in my pinky and six stiches in my face. It was awesome.

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

A2. $20. I was 10 years old. My two older brothers and I were walking home from school in the San Fernando Valley, and I caught sight of it. They took it from me and insisted that we buy baseball cards with it. I didn’t get to use any of the money for myself.

Q3. How many car accidents have you been in?

A3. At least 10. I have a knack for hitting inanimate objects (dumpsters, parked vehicles, etc.)

Q4. Do you have a phobia?

A4. Acrophobia (irrational fear of heights). The older I get, the more intense the fear.

Q5. If you could morph into any animal what would it be?

A5. A cat.

Q6. What was your childhood ambition?

A6. Decline to answer.

Q7. Have you ever been in a food fight?

A7. Yes, in 3rd grade. I was suspended from Hebrew Day School for one day.

Q8. If you had to give up one of your 5 senses, which one would you abandon?

A8. Smell. As a male, I already suffer from a bad sense of smell. I can’t miss what I’ve never really had.

Q9. What do you wish was invented?

A9. A “waste black hole,” to put all the trash of the world in so that it can no longer pollute the earth.

Q10. Do you have a childhood memento you keep with you always?

A10. A picture of my bandmate from when we were 12 years old. It’s adorable and prominently displayed on the refrigerator.

I have a tendency to talk about things I know nothing about. Take The Pity Party for example, their music has a late 90’s Lower East Side sound to them. But if you asked me to compare it to another 90’s group I can’t name one, all I can say is I think “Love Lies” could have fit in perfectly on the tv show Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s soundtrack (which is my favorite show of all time – I love that soundtrack, so that’s quite a compliment). And I’ve never been to NY’s Lower East Side, but I know a bit about it and there is a basement bar quality to the hypnotic voice of singer Julie Edwards. It seems lately the LA music scene seems to be saturated with a vintage beach/ surf sound, so it’s refreshing to be torn from this “California” sound and hear something a bit more grity.

Listen to more of The Pity Party here…

So Many Wizards – so many reasons to love…

Posted on June 17, 2009 by B_MAOI

Name:Nima Kazerouni
Nickname: ha, no thanks
Sign: Leo

Favorite
color: green
Day: Sunday Food: albacore sushi

Q1. What can you not live without?
A1. The world wide web, working on changing this…

Q2.What movie would you live in for a day? Would you be yourself or another character?
A2. What About Bob. Ide be Leo Marvin but do things very different. Everytime i watch this film i always want matters to unfold differently.

Q3. Favorite part of what you do?
A3. Harnessing The energy in a good crowd

Q4.If you were a cereal, which one would you be?
A4. Lucky Charms

Q5. One wish, what would it be?
A5. Teleport to any place on earth

Q6. Are you superstitious?
A6. Yes but I’m trying not to be

Q7.Pet Peeve?
A7. A messy bedroom

Q8. Whats your vice?
A8. Absent minded, always losing my things

Q9. Best compliment ever received?
A9. Best compliments are genuine ones regarding any aspect of my music making. There’s been some very good ones sent from all over this globe. Thank you!

Q10. Have you ever stolen a library book?
A10. Goodness no. But I have lost my fair share in the past. Had to pay 100 dollars in fines for lost and late books more than once … The library loves me

See this amazing band at Silverlake Lounge Tonight!!!
And be So Many Wizards friend

*UPDATE 12/2/12- Three years later I am still a huge fan of So Many Wizards and now all of its talented members. When I first saw Nima play the Silverlake Lounge, the same night this post was originally published. It was him on stage with programmed television sets that played disjointed scenes from old movies. With his friend assisting on guitar or pull string toy for a few tunes. So Many Wizards was Nima’s inspired music invention which has grown from televised band mates to live flesh rocking out on stage. I’ve loved watching the band grow and evolve into one of LA’s favorite local bands. From rowdy mosh pits in Pasadena to packed shows during their Echo residency, SMW has garnered an international fan base, thousands of followers, and rave write ups online and on the gloss (glossy paper that is- printed press). Well deserved, hard earned, and a pleasure to all who has enjoyed their music. p.s. Did I forget to mention Lou Reed has called him up regarding the song Nico, I don’t know the details but apparently it was played on a radio show. Although I do think I heard this story for the first time when we were chatting at Spaceland, and yes it was still called Spaceland then….or I think it was.

NOW:

THEN:

My Favorite MAOI

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