The Mountain Goats releases new Video

The Mountain Goats Release Animated Music Video For “Estate Sale Sign” From ‘All Eternals Deck’

Directed by Brooklyn-based animation team Awesome and Modest, the video was made using mixed media and handmade techniques to craft the eerie landscapes and anthropomorphic creatures at war over a snow globe. Watch “Estate Sale Sign” here: http://vimeo.com/26631655

In December, The Mountain Goats return to the U.K. joining the line-up at All Tomorrows Parties curated by Jeff Magnum. Before then, The Mountain Goats play Lollapalooza in August and John Darnielle will perform a solo show at the Maximum Ames Festival in September.

The Mountain Goats on the Web:
http://www.mountain-goats.com
http://twitter.com/mountain_goats
http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-Mountain-Goats/17314008126

A Lull – Confetti Reprise

Too often bands release b-sides and rarities as compilations.  Too often these releases seem like a  desperate attempt by the record label to capitalize on the success of said band.  I typically scoff at this maneuver as I believe  there is a good reason these tracks weren’t included on the original albums…they’re not worthy.  They didn’t make the cut because they simply don’t cut it.

Chicago art pop outfit A Lull is a monolith, a beacon of creativity and part of the garde that is the last bastion of conceptual pop music.  This band rides on no one’s coattails.  At a time when two out of three bands are riding some sort of former era revivalism, this crew is putting on blinders and with nose to the grindstone is actually composing elegant and genuinely original pop music.

Reprise includes four pieces that weren’t included on the original album.  After hearing this, it seems that Confetti should have been a double LP after all.  The vocals are an individual sound that doesn’t seek to emulate anyone prior and there are too many instruments involved to even list.  Everything seems to have been thrown into the kitchen sink and processed just a bit.  And the arrangements are a whirlwind of chaos that somehow never sounds overdone.  They unveil a cacophony in each track that is sometimes built to a crescendo and sometimes given free reign in a minimal driving format that feels free but is always contained in six minutes or less.

As on the first release, the lyrics are childlike and primal, seeming like a hybrid of luddism and futurism, an interesting paradox that distinguishes this band from their contemporaries and one that aids in lifting them out of the mire that is the mindless, misdirected and stagnant dead end of the now.

Some familiar elements do abound.  I hear a bit of Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, The Dodos and Bear in Heaven but I also hear Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Henry and even a dash of Al Jourgensen’s 90′s production work.

A Lull is few and far between.  There is no retromania here, only the extremely focused and driven output of a few pop visionaries.

The Ridges – s/t EP

Ohio’s The Ridges are barely in their twenties, but they have an amazing command of a wide-array of instruments. From cello, to piano, to a glockenspiel, these kids can do it all. Their brooding folk music is both mature and fresh–not lazy or trite folk. Frontman Victor Rasgaitis croons melodically, while Talor Smith weaves her soft voice into a smooth harmony. The baroque instrumentation leads to a lot of rich textures, but the band wisely funnels those textures into hooks, dark as they may be.

“The Insomniac’s Song” lurches forward like a desperado’s theme, all to wonderful effect. The accordion lends itself to a nautical, Mediterranean-esque folk tune, not unlike Beruit would be capable of. The impassioned vocals undercuts the whimsical nature of the accordion in “Overboard,” creating an interesting contrast and a song belying their age. To hell with their age, it’s a good song regardless.

There’s an undercurrent of darkness on The Ridges EP, but “Not a Ghost” gives the band a groove, with its uptempo rhythm and driven vocals. The EP consists of five really good songs, but the best part is how varied and ambitious they are. The Ridges are not content being an orchestral dirge–they have different layers most bands aren’t capable of. The Ridges does everything a good EP should–entertain, engage, but also hint towards further brightness in the future.

New Album and Video from The Nocturnes

The Nocturnes announce new album, premiere video on Consequence of Sound

Red Sparowes guitarist leads dark, folky shoegaze band

The Nocturnes — the band led by Red Sparowes guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle — announce the forthcoming release of their second album, Aokigahara. As a preview, Consequence of Sound has posted the premiere video for the song “The Road“, an icy, trippy look at some kind of secret society ritual. Watch it HERE.

The MP3 single for “The Road” is available via the group’s Bandcamp page HERE.

The Nocturnes are the folkgaze brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Emma Ruth Rundle. While the band began as a duo in 2007 and built a cult following prior to her joining Red Sparowes in 2009, Aokigahara is nonetheless a dramatic rebirth for The Nocturnes. Featuring a revamped quartet lineup, the 8-song album ventures into multiple textures of style and sound that create a lush haze of melody that blends hints of folk, shoegaze, chamber pop, goth and post-rock.

Rundle is joined on this recording by guitarist/vocalist Julian Rifkin, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Paris Patt and drummer Dave Clifford (also of Red Sparowes). Aokigahara was written collectively, combining the different styles and personalities of the players. Some of the songs were built from Rundle’s unrecorded older songs, others were written by Rifkin (“Craving”, “Hello Neighbor”) and others penned as a group (“Aokigahara”, “The Road”). The album takes a more ethereal approach — leaving behind the more direct vocal and rock-leaning song structures of the band’s earlier releases — for a new sound awash with reverb, drifting voices and harmonies, atmospheric guitars, Twin Peaks-esque bass lines and orchestral style drumming.

On the Web:
www.thenocturnesmusic.com
www.thenocturnes.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Nocturnes
www.kickstarter.com/projects/emmaruthrundle

Rachel Taylor Brown releases album in September

Look up “pithy” and “pith.” The thesaurus reads: “succinct, concise, compact, to the point, epigrammatic, crisp, significant, meaningful, expressive, telling.” “Pith” means “essence, fundamentals, heart, substance, core, crux, gist, meat, kernel, marrow, weight, depth, force.” “Pith-rock” is a weird and awkward moniker for Portland, Oregon-based Rachel Taylor Brown’s music, and maybe a little too close to
“piss” said with a lisp. But, it fits, especially when you put on her seventh full-length, World So Sweet (Penury Pop), which will be released nationally on September 20, 2011.

Rachel Taylor Brown might best be described as a dubious but hopeful observer who watches the world and the people of the world destroy and create beauty daily, just one witness who can tell a story through song.

For all the hurt and pain in the world, like all of us Rachel Taylor Brown goes on. Creating music that is equally pretty and haunting, sometimes simple but sometimes epic, the perfect strange cocktail of darkening doubt, lightening hope and “it’s got a good beat, you can dance to it.” Music that’s meaningful but catchy, a paradox of everything the world has to offer. With World So Sweet she brings to the surface good and evil, creating an album that is as rich as it is sparse, dense as it is airy.

Amos Lee – Live From SoHo

If you don’t consider the music of Dylan protégé and folk-rock aficionado Amos Lee to be your bag, then the odds of his recently released Live From SoHo iTunes album swaying your mindset are minimal.  Sure, the Philly-born songwriter has copped a style that is a sure bet for fans of Zimmy, Neil Young, and James Taylor, but his well-worn roots aesthetic seems to cast him more as a steward than one of the genre’s modern torchbearers.

Lee’s SoHoset arrives on the heels of his Mission Bell LP, which was the recipient of predominantly lukewarm reviews upon its release in January.  Boasting a formidable roster of names from the country and indie rock circuits, the record found Lee stout-heartedly seeking to evolve as a songwriter, particularly after three well-received but ultimately derivative albums of earthy neo-soul.  Everyone from Lucinda Williams to Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam to even Willie Nelson showed up, but neither them nor the production work of Calexico’s Joey Burns could prevent Lee from falling victim to more of the mellow acoustic musings that garnered him attention in the first place.

Serving either as a placeholder to satiate his core fanbase until the next studio album or perhaps as a strategy to boost Mission Bell sales, this latest offering from the iTunes Live series features eight songs that span Lee’s discography.  Recorded at Apple’sManhattan store this past February, every track boasts the same reliably wistful, intimate atmospheres as his studio records.  Sadly though, the album fails to capture the galvanizing spontaneity that often (and uncannily) takes place in live environments.

The four cuts presented here from Mission Bell are a mixed bag.  “El Camino” begins the session with the sort of tender melancholia that has earned Lee such a devoted following.  The song soothes, but also smacks of banality.  “Well, all my friends / have treated me so well / you know I’m head out / to that mission bell / gonna wash my soul / get it clean,” he sings in a gravelly Dylan warble.  The setting is an intimate one; only acoustic guitar and a touch of pedal steel round out the instrumentation.  “Violin” finds Lee pushing his voice into falsetto territory, lending the song a broader melodic range that also highlights the soulful ambience he so deftly creates.  “Cup of Sorrow” exudes a road warrior sort of presence with the addition of some electric guitar and barroom-style piano licks.  In spite of lyrics like, “I want to bathe in your holy blood / I want to sleep with the promise of tomorrow,” the track still retains a playful bent that encourages imagery of convivial cross-country hijinks.

Of Lee’s newest material, “Windows Are Rolled Down” is the most stirring.  Shimmering, hopeful, and soaring, the track hints at epic gestures with sustained vocal melodies (“Windows are rolled down / sun is setting high / windows are rolled down / I’m fixin’ to die”), a sturdy triplet groove, and enterprising guitar solos.

With his two cover choices, Lee pays homage to folk-rock forefather Neil Young and alt-pop oddballs Gene and Dean Ween.  Young’s “Are You Ready for the Country” isn’t much of a stretch for a guy whose back catalog bears myriad similarities to Harvest, but Lee’s decision to take on Ween’s “Buenos Tardes Amigo” is a welcome departure from his usual singer/songwriter fare.  Downtrodden and dark, Lee’s setting of the 1994 Chocolate and Cheese cut is peppered with a Tex-Mex vibe that was undoubtedly the influence of Joey Burns.  The lyrics may not be Lee’s (“You killed my brother last winter / you shot him three times in the back”), but the union of dark humor and folksy southwestern atmosphere is a winning combination for him.

Though Live From SoHo is a perfectly gratifying display of taut songwriting and ace musicianship, it suffers from a lack of vigor that nearly translates into malaise.  No one should question Amos Lee’s penchant for crafting an earnest folk tune, but at this point in his career, a few more risks could pay bigger dividends down the road.  If he’s willing to give Ween a go, maybe Zappa’s not faraway.

Armand Margjeka – Margo Margo

The style of music that one creates is never the most important aspect, well not necessarily. For many artists, being able to create something daring and stunning while staying true to your roots is very important. This is how we can arrive at an album of hip-hop stylings that is arguably, as good as the smash electronic album. And while many artists listen to many influences for inspiration, there is always a singular aspect to one’s music. For Armand Margjeka, music has been able to invigorate and touch deeply enough that his newest album Margo Margo is a brisk collection of country-influenced, folk songs that make up one strong album.

There are songs that reflect on softly-strummed guitars and Margjeka’s voice. “For This” goes through a treatment where reaching out for a good friend turns into a solemn hymn for help. Consoled with staggered patterns that reveal pedal tones and intertwining guitar melodies the lushness of the lull completely takes over. It’s endearing where required and far more pensive when exposed, and as on the aforementioned, there are many moments where the beauty of the music greatly beguiles. It leaves for tender moments throughout that are in turn combined with poignant touches and in the end, a fitting closure.

Much of the album’s easygoing feel comes from Margjeka’s ability at twisting the most wistful melody and combining it with a fashionable harmony. On The Shins-like swoon of “What Feeling” Margjeka sings about the kind of feeling where you feel almost invisible, almost able to jump off a building. And while he reasons this through different metaphors, it’s the song’s swelling instruments and the country twang of the guitar that resonates a cozy, warm feeling. And on “Spring Season Babe” the music continues to ebb and flow around another country twang that this time breaks away to reveal Margjeka’s voice as he sings about the lusting feeling of spring. There’s always the American feel that permeates the music but fortunately it’s in fitting touches and not over-done.

The strength of the album truly lies in the ability of Margjeka to take one of music’s simplest forms of music and turn them into corresponding creations that interest both in terms of subject matter and song structure. Even the album’s title track is honestly poignant when he sings, “I’m gonna love you more than just words,” and you realize that music is much more than just saying you’re creating it but rather, creating something memorable with it. Margjeka hasn’t necessarily crafted the next great singer-songwriter album of the decade but he has successfully enabled music to be free and open without ever sacrificing a shred of integrity. The album comes with drawings created by Margjeka himself and it’s further testament to his working-man’s mentality – skillfully strong – Margo Margo is a success because of it.

BMI

Album and single from Tidelands out now

“Marigolds”is the epic eight-minute closing track from the Tidelands debut album “If…”

[SOUNDCLOUD]: http://soundcloud.com/fanaticpro/tidelands-marigolds

San Francisco duo Tidelands has just released its debut album If… to critical acclaim and a packed record release show at the band’s hometown venue Café du Nord. In addition to a special guest set from John Vanderslice (If… was made atVanderslice’s Tiny Telephone studio), the night showcased much of the dreamy, hypnotic material from If… including the album’s epic closing number “Marigolds”which has now been made available as the album’s latest single.

For more on Tidelands, be sure to check out the unique animated video (built from over 1000 watercolor paintings by its creator Ami Kutata) for the album track “Holy Grail”. The video was recently featured by YouTube and also profiled by venerable tech magazine, Wired.

Tidelands is the duo of San Francisco’s Gabriel Montana Leis (Guitar, Flugelhorn, Vocals) and Mie Araki (Drums, Keyboards, Vocals) along with the Magik*Magik Orchestra, conductor Minna Choiand Deerhoof engineer Ian Pellicci.

http://www.facebook.com/tidelands.music

The Jumpin’ Quails – Bishops In Tea Shops

Some bands make it easy on their listeners. They play things if not exactly safe, then a little obviously, staying within boundaries of style and genre that are instantly identifiable to listeners and CD buyers. Other bands take risks, going out of their way to confuse their audience with what are sometimes conflicting signals regarding influences, musical, artistic and others. There are the bands which, without making too much of an obvious effort, strike upon a formula which instantly marks them out as possessed of the combination of talent, of inspiration, skill and commitment that all great and influential musicians share. Then there are bands like The Jumpin’ Quails.

Formed several years ago as a garage Psychpop tribute act, one of many such on the European guitar club circuits, The Jumpin’ Quails have outgrown their origins as present day reconfigurers of the 60s beat combo style, forgoing the quiffs and besuited Rock ‘n’ Roll glitz for a sound that owes as much to the 1980s as it does to what is now that of five decades ago. Exactly how they’ve gone about doing this is less obvious than that description sounds. Bishops In Tea Shops is possibly a better album than they thought they’d recorded, although exactly why may yet provide plentiful discussion material for cultural commentators, music fans and perhaps even one or two actual bishops.

No two songs on Bishops In Tea Shops really sound very much like each other, although they are all linked by two things. One is the gritty guitar sound that is characteristic of each song. The other is the frankly baffling lyrical imagery that, while many bands attempt surreal wordplay and take inspiration from modern and other writers and poets, few really succeed with in the manner which The Jumpin’ Quails do. This is mostly down to the unrelentingly bizarre invention which the Quails lyrics never appear to run out of. “You’d better be nice to that green flamingo” runs the chorus of first song “Green Flamingo”, and by the first 120 or so seconds of the album you will have decided whether it is either a) a work of genius or b) a load of utter nonsense. Like all great works of DaDaist literature, it is of course both.

The music’s good too, whether it’s the angular funk of “Green Flamingo”, the more obviously Garage Punk influenced “Than Today”, the Django Reinhardt inflected Swing Jazz of (sung in French) “Pattie”, the industrial techno of “Marigot Bay”, the skewed beat pop of last track, the Syd Barrett-esque “Talk To Your Father And Lie”. What will really decide whether you, the CD and download purchaser, are going to spend any of your hard earned bucks on Bishops In Tea Shops is really down to the question you will inevitably ask yourself when reading the album’s track listing, and it is this: does your collection require an album which contains a song entitled “A Dysfunctional Wave Is Coming From The South And I’m Wet”? If the answer is yes, then The Jumpin’ Quails have made the album that your collection has always had a space reserved for, one that you will play again and again, one that is possibly your favourite album at least of this year, even of one or two others. Perhaps more by chance than design, Bishops In Tea Shops is something greater than the minor classic its writers and performers intended.

www.jumpinquails.com
www.soundaymusic.com

Interview with French of Annie Automatic

Hiya French! How is everything going? Your debut album Don’t Look Down is scheduled for an August 23rd release. What are your musical, and/or other, plans in the meantime?

Hi! Yes, August 23rd release, we’re extremely excited.
Other than waiting patiently, we’re rehearsing like crazy for upcoming shows! Always fun.
I’m also working on a collection of really beautiful acoustic songs I hope to release later in the year, and working with a couple other artists – including the sultry siren, Briana Cuoco.
Really good stuff.

From what I’ve read, you formed Annie Automatic in 2009 and have a 4-member line-up. Who’s in the band? Is it safe to say that you’re the captain at the helm as well as singer, song-writer, and guitarist?

Yes, for the most part.
When “Annie” came together, it was a side-project.
I was on hiatus from touring with my previous band, and couldn’t stop writing.
I put the Fighting Chances EP together, with David Berg, Mike Benigno and Dylan Howard, in a few weeks – more for fun than anything else. It was a blast.
And people started really picking up on it, so it naturally turned into my main focus.
Currently the line-up is Trevor Howard on lead guitar, Andrew Perusi on bass, Sara Sinclair on keys and backing vocals and Dylan Howard on drums. They’re all insanely talented, and we’re all hilarious friends. I handle most of the keys and vocals in the studio (as well as guitars), but Sara has been really helping the sound get to another level live.
I usually come to the table with a song, but allow everyone else to play around with it and we shape and mold it together from there.

I’m diggin’ your first single, “Burn This Prison”, with its catchy and full-on, sweeping chorus. I just did a short review of your tune for this site and I mentioned that I hear shades of Thursday, AFI, and The Cult in the song. Are my ears deceiving me or would you count those bands among your musical influences?

Yes! I saw that!! Haha that’s so awesome, thank you.
Yeah, well those are some seriously radical groups to be mentioning, so I can’t help but smile about that. All 3 bands were absolutely influential, especially The Cult. I think Ian and his huge, direct, commanding voice definitely had an effect on me growing up, for sure.

I’ve heard some other songs off your new album and “Don’t Look Down” also caught my attention. I really enjoy its restless energy and your emotive vocals. I love how you let loose on the chorus sections of this song (as well as others). As a listener, it’s an exhilarating feeling to hear you go for it vocally, and I’m wondering what it feels like for you when you’re singing.

Ah, thank you.
Sometimes I’ll try some different things, and I often want to be a little more subtle or calm…but when it comes down to it, I end up just going for it and it feels more right. Everyone usually goes, “Yeah, the other stuff was cool, but just go for it dude.”
It’s a beautiful thing, to just drop your fear and let go of doubts, be direct and strong and take a running leap off the cliff, you know? There’s no holding back, which is what I’m usually trying to get through to people, that if we hold back, the message gets lost and we miss it completely.
That song was written in the hospital actually, while I was staying there, taking care of my girlfriend.

I haven’t had the chance to listen to your album in full yet, so I’m curious to find out if it’s wall-to-wall alternative rock or if perhaps you have some quieter numbers? From what I’ve seen online, you did record a lot of acoustic guitar parts for the album.

Yes
I have so much Love for things that are pretty and emotionally-based.
I’m always writing on acoustic, and I love doing softer songs too.
Yeah, there are a few songs that are much more soft and beautiful on this record. It really covers all the bases, from huge crazy rock, to more low-key alternative, to even a couple ballads. There’s even one that’s all piano, with some friends from the LA Philharmonic who sat in on strings.

Where did you record the album? Was it only at Ladybug Sound or did you go to more than one studio?

No, we did a lot of it at Conway Studios and EastWest Studios – both of which are like 2nd homes to us. Amazing, legendary places around Hollywood. Ladybug is a studio my engineer, Seth Waldmann, and I built in a loft overlooking downtown, which is where we’ve been getting vocals, some guitars and editing and stuff done. Experimentation. It’s like my private lab.

In conjunction with the release of Don’t Look Down, you also created a comic book titled Annie Automatic: Killer In Disguise. Who did you work with on the comic and how does it tie in with the album?

Yes! Oh man, what a fun process.
I put the concept together with my good friend, and comic book expert Joey Feldman.
Our story and script were written by the awesome Sam Scott, British screen-writer, and then everything was brought to life by the amazing illustrator Russell Dauterman.
It came out so well, very chic and sexy, we’re really happy.
It goes into the character of “Annie Automatic” – who she is, where she’s from – and involves me and the Howard brothers (my drummer and guitarist), as pieces of the puzzle. It’s a fictional story, of course, but it provides a better look at the deeper levels we’re all about. There are references to lyrics and song titles (“Killer In Disguise” is in reference to “K.I.D.”, a song from the album), and implies a lot about what we’re really all doing as artists, or time-travelers, and even throws a couple jabs at big silly companies like Marvel. It’s cool.

I think you were recently at Comic-Con and distributed a ton of copies of your comic book for free, which is awesome. How was the Con and did you get to be a fanboy and meet all your heroes and heroines?

Ha! No, no. Unfortunately I was caught up in the studio and didn’t get to make it this year, but I was there last year for the 1st time – that whole thing is pretty unbelievable. I’ve seen some really large crowds, but nothing like that! Our team was there though, they had a blast. They handed out 10,200 I think, to be exact. For free, directly to the readers, the comic book fans. Response was great! People seem to really love it, I think, because we tried to avoid all the corporate pitfalls, people appreciate that.

This is going back a bit, but did you move to the L.A. area specifically to start a band? If so, why L.A. and not New York or areas like Seattle, Philadelphia, or Athens?

No, actually.
You know, I’ve been making music since I was about 11, but I’ve never been too involved with trying to really make money with it – in a lot of ways I still don’t worry about that. It’s just what I do, by nature. I’m from Northern California originally, near Santa Cruz, so it’s not that far. I moved to Southern Cali for a girl (of course), a long time ago. Needless to say, that didn’t work out, as that sort of thing rarely does when you’re so young and insane. But, it was definitely a turning point in the adventure that is my Life.

Before your debut album, you released the EP Fighting Chances and 3 singles, one of which is a duet of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” with Kaley Cuoco, who stars as Penny on The Big Bang Theory (I heart Sheldon; you know, in a fangirl way. LOL). How did that come about?

Ha! Awesome.
Well, Kaley and I have been together for a while, and when she broke her leg, I was there.
I was fortunately able to push some work dates and stay with her in the hospital and help take care of her. It was really intense, she went through so much. She really is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. I had a guitar there in the hospital room, and was getting some work done from there, when one night, when the pain meds weren’t enough and she was really hurting, she asked me to play something she could sing to – to distract her. I figured out this silly little way to play “Over The Rainbow” and got her singing, and in a few minutes she was laughing and smiling and we were trading off verses. We played through it like 15 times, into the morning, it was beautiful. We talked about recording it, even though, in her words she’s “not at all a singer”, and finding a way to do something positive with it the same way it was in the hospital room. When I got her home, I had my engineer bring our portable system to the house and we recorded live real quick in the living room. I spoke to our friends at The Humane Society of the United States about teaming with them on it and they loved the idea. They put the PSA video together, and, voila. The video is still online, and all profits from the download still go to The HSUS!

Sorry to be a pain and pry, but with the celebrity/entertainment connection, have you been able to party down and meet performers that you normally wouldn’t rub elbows with?

Yeah, absolutely.
I’ve been around entertainment for years now, and it’s always a little funny meeting and getting to know people who you’ve respected or admired for one reason or another. I see it more for the sociology of it all. Whether I know of someone and their work or not, I’m always interested in how all people are the same, how we all share experiences. The thing is, we’re all just people living our lives, doing our thing. But, I honestly tend to live in my own little world, and am blissfully unaware of so much. I rarely recognize people. Living in LA, that ignorance is an advantage, for sure.

You did a cover of the compelling INXS song “Don’t Change”, which is at your official site at: http://www.annieautomatic.com/. Why did you pick that song to cover as opposed to the zillions of other rad 80s tunes?

“Don’t Change” was a song that stuck with me from somewhere.
It just directly talks about how important it is to be ourselves, to be authentic, and not worry about what other people think. I wanted to reiterate that, in our own kinda punk way, and remind people that there’s no need to conform to any kind of generalized social ideas – like a “Hey, you’re beautiful. Just be you.” for our listeners. Plus, it’s such a fun one to play live!

Okay, I’m going to sound like a dinosaur now, but what is up with Twitter? I see that you’re on it and I’m wondering what it does for you. I just feel like it’s frittering up my time if I’m on it, but I seem to be in the minority! LOL

Ha!! I know, right?
Well, you know – all social media is a waste of time.
…I think that’s exactly what we need though.
Growing up, before the Internet blew up, we (me and my friends) wasted time with drugs and crime and other stupid things that we’d end up regretting. Now, I think it’s pretty great that kids can be at school, and instead of ditching if they get bored, they can check Facebook or Twitter, talk to someone on another continent for a minute if they want, or whatever – not need to reach so far for a distraction. Plus, how great is it that while we’re in line at the DMV or need a quick break from work, checking your Twitter feed can help you tap back into the world for a minute and plug you back in to something bigger than “Why is this line moving so slow?!” As an artist, though, I’ll say that there is really nothing greater than being able to so directly connect to the audience as well.

Who designed the cool band logo of the letter A in the crosshairs? Does the ‘automatic’ of the band name refer to weapons? Is ‘Annie’ a killer in disguise? I haven’t read up on the full story behind your band name. Can you go into some of it here?

The best answer to the question “Who is Annie Automatic?” can be found by reading the comic book. But, I’ll also tell you that Annie is a real girl, a crazy badass chick who followed my old band, Palmerston, through the Midwest for a while when we were out with Stone Temple Pilots. I came up with the idea for the logo, setting our sites on something beautiful, and went to my friends at The Ether Designs for help creating it.

You’ve got some way rad tattoos on your arms, specifically on the side of your left arm. Who inked you and what do the tattoos signify? Are you planning on getting more?

Ah thanks!
Yeah, I get ink done everywhere I can.
I started the cherry blossom tree that now comes down my left arm, in Montreal, Canada. I wanted to get a new branch done in each new country I visited, and it just kept going. It was finished and touched up by my good friend Frank, here in Downtown LA at Onizuka Tattoo in Little Tokyo. I always have reasons behind each tattoo. I believe that if it’s on my body permanently, there better be a reason for it. I will definitely get more.

Will you be doing any touring soon to promote Don’t Look Down? Are there other sites online besides you official one to check out to find out more about you?

Yes, absolutely.
Right now, still being without any kind of label support, touring is difficult.
It can be pretty costly, and tough to organize.
But we’ll definitely be doing some regional stuff, and if we can get the right kind of backing for tour support, we’ll be anywhere there’s people that want us!
All our pages can be found from our main homepage, but our Facebook, Twitter and news pages are great places to connect with us and other listeners -

Facebook – http://listn.to/AnnieAutomatic
Twitter – http://twitter.com/AnnieAuto
News – http://AnnieAutomatic.com/news.HTML

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