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Turbonegro’s nightmare interview

Turbonegro_byRaymondMosken5

So much bad stuff goes down on band tours that it’s sometimes fun to sift through them to find out what exactly goes on behind the scenes just for laughs. Thankfully Turbonegro were up for revisiting some of their nightmares ahead of their exclusive Halloween Massacre live show at the House of Vans this Saturday. Front man The Duke of Nothing (aka Tony Sylvester) and songwriter/bassist Happy-Tom (aka Thomas Seltzer) share the tales.

Tony, do you want to kick this off?

Well, most of my experiences with the band before joining were always on the cusp between nightmarish and glorious: Two days holed up in the K-West Hotel with nothing for company except the band, the mini-bar, mountains of blow and a ready diet of Don Henley and Dimmu Borgir on the stereo. These things can be almost Lovecraftian in terms of cosmic horror. Or the record release party for Party Animals in Oslo, where I found myself so hammered on the copious free champagne that I almost accompanied Hank to an all-night after party at the Hells Angels clubhouse 40 miles outside the city! That was probably a close shave of monolithic proportion. Tom – You have the best stories from the days before my arrival, so you should probably take it from here.

Come on then Tom, spill those beans…

What HASN’T gone wrong on tour?! Mental breakdowns, mental hospital emergency rooms, overdoses, we even have a cocaine-induced heart attack on a plane on our shit-vee (a shit-vee is like a CV but for bands that God hates and therefore tries to destroy time and time again).

Has much blood spilled over the years?

There has been some bottle-throwing incidents that have cost quite a lot of blood. After one of these incidents in New York City some big guys in the crowd managed to spot the guy. They carried him out and beat the shit out of him while the NYPD just stood there smiling, they knew what had happened. Nazi skinheads in Germany a few times covered our stage with broken glass. But nothing some solid footwear couldn’t handle.

Who has had the worst broken bone injuries whilst being in the band?

I’ve broken a few fingers, but Pål Pot actually broke his neck and had to wear one of those collars for a year. He had a custom-made collar for stage use. Euroboy once had some dude trying to rip off all his strings with one grip, that was pretty bizarre.

Knowing that your road schedule changes if there’s something to deal with, have you missed many many connections along the way?

Missing public transport? Dude, we MISSED EVERY CHANCE IN OUR CAREER. But it’s not over. As an old drunk screamed at me outside the local pub waiting for it to open at 7 in the morning: “THE NIGHT IS YOUNG!”

What about hostile situations with fights, flames or bullets etc on the road?

It’s just been too much. But highlights include playing in a small park in the ghetto of Hamburg and some little turds were perched on a nearby roof firing on the small make-shift stage with signal flare guns. We didn’t really notice but the crowd freaked out and threw themselves face down on the grass. We just kept playing.

Any disasters with break ins, stolen gear, burglaries etc

Due to ongoing disputes with an insurance company we can’t really talk about this.

What about gigs? Stuff gets thrown about a lot, anything spring to mind that was thrown into the crowd that may have caused injuries?

Well, we did have a dwarf on a US tour, he was really nice to us guys in the band but he turned out to be really obnoxious to the guys in the crew, they HATED him. So on the last show of the tour they threw him into the crowd. He reappeared backstage 10 minutes later, with some hair missing!

Haha! What about stage divers and mosh pit incidents?

Once in Oslo some dude did a flip off the stage and planted his boots right in the mouth of a girl. That was ugly. On a lighter note, we tend to get a LOT of larger-sized dudes crowd surfing with no clothes on, it’s like some weird tradition or conspiracy that the crowd has going all across the globe. You see some 300 pound guy with a beard being held upside down with his fatty flabby amphetamine penis dangling in the wind, the dude is smiling with his eyes rolling around in his skull, and you think: «OK. This isn’t the reason I started playing in a band.» But you know what a wise man once said: A BAND GETS THE FANS THEY DESERVE.

Hahah! This is getting good. What about the tour bus itself, any near misses on the road in that?

There have been MANY «drunk person pushing his torso out of the air vent in the ceiling not seeing the approaching tunnel» near death episodes. Some idiot mechanic in Italy hooked the exhaust of the bus to the ventilation system, so instead of fresh air there was exhaust blowing into the sleeping bunks. This time it was my turn to go to the hospital. I wasn’t feeling too hot.

That sounds like fun. There must have been a few rucks too right?

We used to have huge beef with Gluecifer, another band from Oslo, over really obscure in-scene stuff. Basically it was this inane fight over who was «fake» and who was «for real». There’s a fight like that wherever there are two bands in the same village. Get the popcorn. Or get the poppers!

I’m sure there will be loads of poppers at the London show waiting for you! Looking forward to this Halloween Massacre set this weekend?

Yeah, I’m really excited to come play at the House of Vans in London. I have a long, sentimental relationship with London skateboarding. Our little skate gang used to buy our boards at Alpine Action in Notting Hill, the guys who worked there seemed like old REALLY worn-out Motorhead roadies, I have no idea why they were selling skateboards and BMX to little kids. So many cool skate spots in London: the South Bank, Meanwhile under the Westway, the pool at Romford, the oval bowl in that park in Kennington, and that funky old skatepark in Brixton. Good times.

Photo: TN rocking the LA massive shot by Steven Thomas

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Any advice for young bands getting ready for the glorious life of rock n’ roll:

Just keep playing. We grew up playing death punk. It’s been our way to learn about people and the world. No regrets. And hey: THE ETERNAL NIGHT IS YOUNG.

Turbonegro fans will be happy that we have held back a few free tickets for Saturday night’s event. Grab them here asap. First come, first served to 50 people. We will email you if you made it!

Find their catalog on iTunes.

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Music News

DRILL : Brighton add 30 more acts to the line-up

DRILL_Brighton

DRILL : BRIGHTON, the Wire curated festival, have today announce over 30 more acts to the line up. The festival, which is curated by Wire and One Inch Badge and will take place on December 4th – 7th at 14 dfferent venues across Brighton.

The new additions to the line up are:

British Sea Power (W/ The Bournemouth Symphony Brass Quintet), Young Fathers, These New Puritans, Cassetteboy Vs DJ Rubbish, Three Trapped Tigers, Zu, Esben And The Witch, Fujiya & Miyagi, Vessels, Bad Breeding, Younghusband, Jesca Hoop, Plank, Lonelady, Games, Sauna Youth, It Hugs Back, Dawn Of Midi, Negative Pegasus, Adrian Crowley, Black Honey, Exes, Monotony, The Slow Revolt, Flies + Flies, Hexenschuss, Shabberoon, The Squadron Leaders, Graham Duff, Steve Beresford and Paul Kendall.

Below is a day-by-day programme of the current line-up.

Thursday 4th December
Wire / The Pink Flag Guitar Orchestra (W/ Wire) / These New Puritans / Cassetteboy Vs Dj Rubbish / The Wytches / Telegram / Jesca Hoop / Younghusband / Games / Adrian Crowley / Monotony / Graham Duff

Friday 5th December
Savages / British Sea Power (W/ The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet) At All Saints Church / Toy / Three Trapped Tigers / Mono / Traams / The Physics House Band / Bad Breeding / Lonelady / Sauna Youth / Black Honey / Exes / Helen Money / Steve Beresford / Krautrock Karaoke

Saturday 6th December
Courtney Barnett / Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin Perform Suspiria At St Bartholomew’s Church / East India Youth / Fujiya & Miyagi / Esben And The Witch / Githead / Plank / Spectres / Man Forever / Negative Pegasus / The Slot Revolt / Cuts / Shabberoon

Sunday 7th December
Swans / Wire + Swans Perform Drill (World Exclusive) / Gold Panda / Young Fathers / Zu / Vessels / Ulrich Schnauss / Grumbling Fur / Dawn Of Midi / Samaris / God Damn / Gulp / Hexenschuss / Flies + Flies / Paul Kendall

Tickets are on sale now on this link.

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Music News

DEVO to release new album

DEVO_Miracle_Witness_Hour

In 1977 DEVO played an intimate show at The Eagle Street Saloon in Cleveland, Ohio. Unknown to many onlookers, this performance was recorded to tape and is about to see it’s first release this December.

Miracle Witness Hour is said to include raw, primitive versions of classics such as ‘Jocko Homo’ and ‘Mongoloid’, as well as some of their more experimental gems.

Due for release December 1st via Futurismo Records, Miracle Witness Hour is a release for the collectors, featuring a reversible sleeve with rare, unseen images and brand new liner notes by DEVO founding member Gerald Casale.

Clikc here to watch Crossfire’s interview with Mark Mothersbaugh himself.

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Music News

Free Download – Run The Jewels 2

Run-The-Jewels-RTJ2

El-P has dropped the new Run The Jewels 2 album online overnight for FREE, so get downloading this shit now before he changes his mind.

You know how this works though, these guys work tirelessly to write, record and deliver dope tunes all day and night long, so if you want an upgrade on your freebie, note that the vinyl is available right here.

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Album Of The Week Album Reviews Buzz Chart

J Mascis

J_Mascis_Tied_To_A_StarJ Mascis
Tied To A Star
Sub Pop

Some were shocked when J Mascis used a synth on the opener to recent Dinosaur Jr album I Bet On Sky. Some were more surprised that the man behind the ear-bleeding band had released a (whisper it) “folky solo album”. Many were amused to see J dressed as a cult leader in the video for lead single ‘Every Morning’ from his second solo album Tied To A Star on Funny Or Die. Those people didn’t know the might of Mascis, but it’s been obvious all along to those who’ve looked close enough.

This album may be solo but it doesn’t lack punch, just like the adventures in synth didn’t turn Dinosaur into Depeche Mode. J’s always been able to craft a great song, ranging from the pop-like ‘Freak Scene’ to emo-ish ‘Out There’, it’s just that where it was once wrapped in a maelstrom of noise, here it’s more exposed, and, (without sounding wet) more beautiful. He’s also always had a sense of humour – think of that great Spike Jonze directed ‘Feel The Pain’ video with its urban golf and J’s plus fours and Pringles. And just look at that white beard which he wears so well. J was made to be a cult leader if ever I saw one.

There’s some real stand out moments on Tied To A Star, including opener ‘Me Again’ (lest we could ever forget) which displays his trademark vocal range which has aged like an oak-smoked whisky, and the aforementioned ‘Every Morning’ featuring Chan “the greatest” Marshall from Cat Power. There’s also the appealing Shangri-la-la-land of ‘Heal The Star’ and the poignant ‘Wide Awake’ – two ends of a phone call between lovers from a more innocent pre-Snapchat era. J Mascis’ star in rock music is assured, but it’s still shining brightly, even with the amp turned down below 5, and I’m still happy to hitch myself to it.

Nick Hutchings

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Music News

Dawn of Def Jam: Rick Rubin revisits dorm room

rick-rubin-return-to-his-nyu-dorm-room-where-he-started-def-jam

There are not many record labels that can really boast the ‘legendary’ tag but Def Jam would get a look in for sure. Take in this trip back to where it all started at his dorm room with Rick Rubin and the crew behind one of the most life changing labels in music history.

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Features Music

Pissed Jeans interview

Interview by Nick Hutchings

pissed_jeans_band

If you tell your mates you like Pissed Jeans, they look at you all funny. When you explain that it’s a band on Sub Pop Records they assume they are loud. And they’d be right. But they’re also really funny. Singer Matt Korvette fronts a band powered like a V12 engine, tauter than a washboard stomach, yet that’s as macho as it gets, since his whip smart lyrics deal with the emasculation of modern man and self loathing on a scale not seen since Larry David last pounded the streets of LA.

Last year they released “Honeys” (Crossfire Album of the Year) which was like Killdozer meets The Jesus Lizard, and despite the title was no paean to their potency with the ladies. Instead it mostly dealt with the pain they feel looking in the mirror in the mornings. They make an almighty noise but sing about healthcare, insurance, awkward parties, office bores and cafeteria food. This may sound like it’s a novelty but Half Man Half Biscuit have made a career out of it, and this is not half baked, it’s full pelt. Think “National Shite Day” just got diarrhea and crapped in your cochlea.

They have just re-released their first album “Shallow”, originally out in 2005 on Sub Pop, and it’s a visceral thrill, showing glimpses of “Bleach” era Nirvana and the very best Amphetamine Reptile used to offer but with filled with subject matter that’s right now, modern manxieties and boy-sterous tales of ineptitude. It’s a heady mix, even if it sounds like Korvette is documenting the do-ing in of his own head. If The Clash or Guns N’ Roses were the gang you wanted to be in, Pissed Jeans are the one you were already in and didn’t know it yet. They give you permission to feel awkward in your own skin and yet let your receding hair down.

I had the chance to ask Korvette some pertinent and some impertinent questions exclusively for CITC.

I love it, how do you think the “Shallow” reissue stands up?

I’m glad you love it! I think it stands up pretty well. That’s one thing that I really like about Pissed Jeans – we haven’t done a ton of records, and I am really proud of every record we’ve done. We still play songs off Shallow live, and a lot of people seemed to be unable to get it or even aware of its existence, so we figured it was a good idea to make it available again.

I have been a big fan of your work for a while and I often find myself relating to, and laughing with your lyrics – does this mean you feel sorry for me?

What? No. I don’t think enjoying my lyrics is anything to be ashamed about. I don’t even think my lyrics are a big deal at all, which is probably why people seem to enjoy them. There’s not a lot of murder and intrigue in them.

How much of Pissed Jeans work is about being an emasculated man? Even the idea of having Pissed Jeans is one of mortal embarrassment right?

I don’t know about emasculated, so much as a ‘real’ interpretation of being a man? Or maybe rather, just my interpretation of manhood? I’m sure it means different things to different people. Embarrassment is a feeling that can be thrilling and horrifying, and writing about that sort of stuff is a good way to kind of work myself through it.

I find that in a lot of drama and adverts, the husband/father figure these days is portrayed as hapless, loveable but basically an idiot, why is that? Do you agree? If so, what do you feel about it?

I think it’s just clearly a representation of our sexist culture – men are allowed to be rotund dolts who remain in charge, while the women have to maintain improbable figures and perform the balancing act between “prude” and “slutty”. I think it’s utterly horrible, and it leads to a lot of miserable mentalities and, perhaps indirectly, violence against women. Fuck that.

Is there “Hope For Men” and what is it?

You’re talking to him.

So the “Shallow” reissue features your first 7” “Throbbing Organ” – what with that and the song “Ashamed of My Cum” there’s a certain amount of sexualized self-loathing going on – how much is autobiographical, how much is second person story telling and how much is for pure shock?

It comes from a very real place – I didn’t have to imagine a guy who wishes they didn’t waste an hour jerking off, you know? I guess part of it was for shock – I wrote that song in like 2003 or so, and there weren’t many hardcore bands approaching sexuality in a way that’s deeper than “I’m horny”, maybe.

“Shallow” starts with the song “I’m Sick” but it’s not in the same vein as Mudhoney’s “Touch Me, I’m Sick”, you are genuinely talking about being ill, plus in “Honeys” there’s “Health Plan” which details your fear of going to the doctors – why is this such a recurring theme?

Because I am fairly obsessed with my own mortality, and getting older. It’s kind of a fascinating thing, to realize your body isn’t as sprightly as it was five or ten years ago. And it’s also motivation to keep myself from falling into total disrepair. Plus, when you’re injured or have the flu or something, it’s kind of impossible to think about anything else.

Has there ever been a time when a gig has made you feel literally sick?

No, I don’t think so. I actually barfed for the first time during a show last year, but it was from sheer physical exhaustion, and no one knows because I politely ran off stage and barfed out of sight. It was more of a retching than full-on blown chunks, though.

You make banal subject matter sound really angry, how difficult do you find daily life, and how rubbish is modern life?

I think life is both miserable and joyous – who would disagree? There’s a lot of pointless crap involved though, and the beauty of being a vocalist and lyricist is getting to say whatever you want about it. It’s really quite fun.

“Bathroom Laughter” from “Honeys” is a real anthem; does it come from observation at drunken house parties? The video is funny but very dark – the bit where the production assistants are clearing up but ignoring the plight of the infomercial presenter seemed unfortunately totally believable. Have you ever seen those horrific Canadian public information films on safety at work – they seem so banal and end so shocking – it really reminded me of those…have you seen these?

I haven’t! I try to stay away from horrifying YouTube videos. I get affected too easily.

Killdozer seems like a touchstone, how big a lyrical influence has Michael Gerald been?

Seeing as I have to deduce from context clues that Michael Gerald must be the vocalist (or at least lyricist) in Killdozer, I have to be honest and say that he has been of zero influence to me. Never was a big Killdozer fan, but maybe they come from a time and place that I personally missed out on. I have no problems being compared to him and Killdozer, though! Whatever people here in us, that’s cool.

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I’ve read that sometimes your audiences come expecting one thing and end up on either side of the auditorium parted like the Red Sea, holding onto the walls for dear life – why do you think that kind of thing has happened? Is it students attracted by the obnoxious name but not being able to cope with the reality?

Really? I never noticed that. I think people generally get what they expect, but also, if it’s a crazy and wild show, it’s because of the crowd that came. If people want to politely sit in chairs and watch us, that’s cool too – we aren’t going to leave the stage and attack anyone, we stay put. Any crowd that is amazed by the violence and energy is probably also the reason for it.

“Shallow” has a touch of Nirvana’s “Bleach” about it – how big an influence were / are Nirvana?

I love Nirvana, and we had a few moments where we’ve though “okay, that’s a serious Grohl drum part” or “that’s kind of a Nirvana-ish riff, don’t you think?”, but honestly those moments happened more on King Of Jeans and Honeys than Shallow.

What do you think about that song they did with Paul McCartney?

I haven’t heard it. I can only assume it kicks major ass.

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Have you seen the Amphetamine Reptile film? What do you think of all those bands, I had the 1993 AmRep sampler and you could easily have been at home on that?

I haven’t, but I’d really like to! I love music documentaries. I think Am Rep is cool, although I very rarely spend my time listening to records on that label. Much respect though.

There’s a definite early 90s sound but what makes you right now (the lyrics) – do you give a damn about being right now?

I think it’s important that I write about things that are affecting me, and those things are generally happening in the present – thankfully I am not still deeply grieving over my high school dating career or Little League baseball performance. I want to write songs that are relatable ten years from now, but still very much about the present. There aren’t nearly enough people writing songs about iPhones and portable electronic devices, that’s for sure – that shit is utterly shaping our history and existence and it’s scary as hell.

I recently interviewed The Jesus Lizard about their album “Down” which was my favourite but which they hated – how personally do you view your work after the fact? What if someone misunderstands your work and loves it for the reasons you never intended?

I would be disappointed if someone misses my sarcasm and thinks like, bad behavior is good, but I don’t know that that has really happened. Like I said before, I’m really proud of all the records we’ve done overall, so that’s a nice feeling. There are other records I’ve done with other bands that I can’t say that about.

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The drumming in Pissed Jeans is immense, what drummers do you admire and why?

Chris Corsano, Brian Chippendale and Han Bennink instantly come to mind. I love drummers that are absolutely totally crazy and capable of insane physical feats. Sean, our drummer, is pretty good, although I want him to work on his upside-down one-handed snare rolls.

Technique is obviously high in Pissed Jeans but how important is showmanship?

Interestingly, I feel that showmanship is far more important for us! I don’t have to worry about having actual talent, but the other guys have been playing their instruments for decades and it’s second nature. We just want to have fun when we’re playing live, really, and I think showmanship, or anti-showmanship, are a big part of that.

You guys look so unassuming; you could be office workers when you walk out on stage, which belies the audio power that emits. As a fellow short-hair Joe Average I have always found that inspiring, dating back to when Helmet first emerged – what role models did you have? How much do you enjoy confounding expectations?

My role models were not office workers, thankfully. I don’t know, I love to dress up in interesting clothes and costumes, probably more than your average person does, but playing shows often results in destroyed clothes, so I generally wear stuff I don’t care about. I think we look decent on stage though, not too nerdy.

The Jabberwocky festival was cancelled, so no UK appearances this year, when do you next plan to drop by?

We came to the UK anyway, cancellations be damned! You missed it. No plan to come back to the UK at the moment, but it’s been a yearly thing lately. We’ve been to the UK way more than California in the past five years, and I’m not sure what that says about us.

Pissed Jeans album ‘Shallow’ is out now from Sub Pop’s Mega Mart or in your favourite record shop that stocks fucking cool punk records. Find it, buy it, listen to it and then destroy it.

PissedJeans_Shallow_900

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Music News

GOAT share new video for ‘Hide From The Sun’

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Following the sonic takeover that GOAT have embarked upon with their new album release, Commune, and their cosmic live performances across Europe through the past months, we are delighted to share their first official music video online.

Naturally, this visual is an ode to all things mystic and mind melting, existing in a virtually unexplainable realm all of its own. Stream it below!

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Music News

Kim Gordon announces memoirs release for 2015

KIM_GORDON_BOOK

One of, if not the, mightiest women in music Kim Gordon has announced her highly anticipated book release, Girl In A Band, for publication in February 2015.

An icon to many a young musician, Kim Gordon inspired the masses in her Sonic Youth days as the driving force behind Lee, Thurston and Steve. Standing out in an often male dominated scene, Kim fast gained status as an underground hero, and until now has remained a very private person, rarely agreeing to interviews. The upcoming memoir’s blurb was released online today and reads as:

Often described as aloof, Kim Gordon truly opens up in Girl in a Band. Telling the story of her childhood, her life in art, her move to New York City, her love affairs, her marriage, her relationship with her daughter, and her band, this is a rich and beautifully written memoir. At the heart of the book is the examination of what partnership means—and what happens when it dissolves. An atmospheric look at the New York of the 80s and 90s that gave rise to Sonic Youth, as well as the Alternative revolution in popular music that Sonic Youth helped usher in, paving the way for Nirvana, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins and many other acts. One of the most revered people in modern rock and roll, Kim Gordon is also a highly regarded fashion icon, visual artist, and the source of much fascination.

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Buzz Chart Reviews Single Reviews

King Tuff

KingTuff
Black Moon Spell
Sub Pop

kingtuff

King Tuff’s new video for the Black Moon Spell is an epicly shot, dark, psychedelic dream machine, perfectly matching the mesmerising rock n’roll that frontman Kyle Thomas conducts underneath his swinging hair and garage persona. Director Jared Eberhardt (who also made the Band of Horses ‘Knock Knock’ video) has mixed every rock n’ roll cliche in the book from Marshall amps to skulls, snakes and gravestones to form a kaleidoscope of fun for King Tuff’s lead album track.

Plug in, press play and enjoy this.