Interview with Matt & Kim

After a successful jamming session in Brooklyn two close friends were invited to play at a gig held in one of the area’s many empty spaces sporting make shift stages. Their response: “we have no band, we have no songs and we have no name.” But these shortfalls didn’t seem to worry anyone, least of all the event organiser. Word of mouth quickly spread about a gig that lineup comprised of a new band no one had ever heard of before. The band’s name was Kim & Matt.

Moving ahead a few years plenty things have changed. Their name’s, for one, have been rearranged (so they look better graphically) to Matt & Kim. Their anonymity is also fading fast. As they walk down the streets of New York people yell out “hey Matt, hey Kim” and neither of them are ever sure whether they are people they should recognise or enthusiastic fans.

When I spoke to Matt he had just stepped off the plane and is a bit tender from a recent back injury which resulted in the cancellation of number of shows back home. After a quick crack and pop of vertebrate we discussed the band’s localised origins. Matt and Kim’s humble name are a result of humble beginnings that are very closely linked to the creative community both artists found in Brooklyn. “I think it was somewhere that we just found a lot of inspiration and not just the music scene,” says Matt. “At first I felt kinda lost as in where I belonged. I grew up in Vermont and was schooled in New York and didn’t know what my place was until I stumbled upon the Brooklyn’s DIY music scene with people playing in warehouses and lofts. This is where we felt at home. People around us are doing rad shit. People working in film, art and photography and it inspires you to do more.”


From there Matt & Kim hit the net in search of a fan-base. As they documented their gigs and personal lives on a variety of social networking sites, more and more New Yorkers starting showing up to their gigs. In fact Matt and Kim are a band that can attribute their international popularity almost entirely to online media written and supplied by themselves. “It worked out great cos we got to do everything how we wanted to do it. We just always did what we always did and we controlled everything. We banked on word of mouth for so long and when people get to choose themselves they feel more connected. On the other hand people also get upset when you put your song in a TV commercial because they felt it was their thing. Music is very personal.”

Moving right along to 2009 Matt & Kim are struggling with the schizophrenic desire to progress and evolve musically while still keeping the essence of two friends jamming together in Brooklyn. With their latest album, Grand, the pair wanted to create a far more complete and polished product compared with their first, self titled record. “We were looking forward to writing and fleshing out this album. It was such a pain in the ass. We had set aside six weeks to work on it. After that time it was not done. We would work in-between tours non stop. Even though people say that albums are dead and people just down load songs or put them on shuffle it was really important to us to create an album that was a full piece.”

Grand is a real feel good album that just won’t stop playing in your head long after you’ve switched off your stereo. Songs such as Daylight with its delicate keyboard riffs and happy go lucky lyrics are certain to make you smile and fall in love with this amazingly talented band. So where does all of this chirpy music come from? “Writing songs is two different things” Matt explains “there’s writing a beat and melody and writing lyrics. We just write music from what we are inspired by without any preconceived notion of what we want the song to be. The lyrics are a different thing. When we were doing Grand we would figure out everything and start off using free word association until it formed with a personal meaning in a more abstract way.”

This simple formula, however, doesn’t mean there is any danger of a hundred Matt and Kim’s popping up around the world. The band’s unique take on pop is fueled by the creative use of keyboards to produce a variety of differing sounds that bear the pair’s vibrant signature. “When we started, Matt and Kim was gonna be whatever Matt and Kim played. Keyboards give a certain freedom. You can write similar songs on different instruments. Using the same cord progression on a keyboard rather than a guitar gives it a new life.”

In their live show Matt and Kim’s individual streak continues. For those with tickets to the band’s Australian tour a great night awaits them. “When those places in Brooklyn started getting full and we moved to other venues and clubs we were worried we would lose that party vibe. So when we go to a new venue we make the playlist for the entire night and give it to the DJs or hand pick the other bands playing. It’s important to us that we make the night still have that energy. We also have a couple of cover interludes going for that party vibe.”

Just make sure that if you see them around you yell out “Hey Matt & Kim!” now that we are all on a first name basis.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/18235/Hanging-out-with-Matt--Kim.htm

Essential Festival @ Oxford Art Factory & Exchange Hotel

So here I am again walking in through the entrance of Q Bar. I’m ascending the scraggy and forlorn steps trying to convince myself I wasn’t a little out of breath after the climb. But it’s all very different. The sun is shining through the windows on the faces of band members unpacking their instruments. The clubbing crowd is missing, tucked away along with the turntables and DJ booths. CD cases have been replaced by guitars and amps. On the elevated dancefloor now stands a stage.

The brain child of promoter Select Music, Essential Festival spans the Exchange Hotel complex with stages in Qbar, Spectrum and the Oxford Art Factory. If you were prepared to weave around people in a fire escape, one ticket bought you a giant three-storey iPod. Forget skipping that track or making a play list. Set it on shuffle, finish off your drink and check out what the next bar has to offer. There were no light shows, shufflers or chatter boxes choking on their gum in the corner (an environment that can be fun sometimes…sometimes). Instead at every stage stood a crowd transfixed around an up-and-coming Australian band trying to make a mark, build a following and have some of fun.

Before endlessly planning out who I should see, I decided to wander as I pleased, confident that I would stumble on something that would take my fancy. There on the stage at Qbar, clad in the very un-rock ‘n’ roll ensemble of black suit jacket and buttoned shirt stood Shaun Mitchell, the frontman of Perth band December Seven. They, like so many bands coming out of Perth, were well rehearsed and flawless but lacking in a unique sound.

That kind of Sydneysider pretentious criticism led me to wander the three storey music collection in search of someone trying hard to be new. Within minutes it turned out I didn’t have to try very hard at all. I walked into the back of crowd packed densely against the wall, keeping a safe distance from the harmless musicians up ahead. Traps, a band from Sydney as it turns out, didn’t stand up to any truly unique ideology. However, they pulled an ever-growing group of onlookers to join the rest of those dwelling against the venue’s boundaries. It was indie rock, plain and simple. It was gelled together by forceful vocals and wailing guitars, but it felt new. Even though I had a horde of talented headliners to go, Traps had already made the afternoon worthwhile.

Following the same theme as before, my feet dragged me further down into the Oxford Art Factory’s uber-trendy depths. There I found a much more populated venue, with an audience gently tapping their feet along to Tennis. These ‘80s pop/rock revivalists oozed cool, from their pointed leather shoes to their matching fringe haircuts. It’s not uncommon to find a synth or midi console in rock bands these days, but soulful vibrato vocals and an endless pool of energy separated the band from the stereotypes. Essential Festival is, after all, about the music and performance.

Which leads me from a satisfying set from Tennis to the outrageous and memorable presence of Young & Restless. Having my back turned to the stage trying to find a place to leave my empties kept me oblivious to their speedy and silent entrance. Just as a delayed applause began to pick up, rocking geisha Karina Utomo was screaming into the mic. Dropping my ill-fated plastic schooner, I turned to find a band almost inanimate: except for its frontwoman moving about the stage like a darting moth. Light as a feather went to thick and heavy, as Young & Restless changed the tone of the festival for an exhilarating half hour. Utomo leapt onto outstretched hands and talked the crowd into a timid circle of death, while the rest of the band proved their worth with tight and punchy performance.

At this point there was a break, dinner run, breath of fresh air and another visit to the bar. By this time, I was back in Qbar on a passing recommendation, leaving the packed-out Oxford Art Factory below. There I found the Atrocities, clad in flannel and black cowboy hats. Things got even heavier. It was like a ho-down with a death metal theme: music as thick and as stark as mud pressed down on the audience’s shoulders.

Back in Oxford Art Factory, Dappled Cities punched balloons around the stage in front of a club at full capacity. Despite playing out of their skin, Essential Festival had already been a complete success. There were no subjects for complaint, an awesome venue and an appreciative crowd. Entertained by the blue orbs floating around the ceiling, we all watched on, assured that Australian music (parts of it at least) is in safe hands.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/18194/Essential-Festival--Oxford-Art-Factory-and-Exchange-Hotel-Sydney-250409.htm

Children Collide @ The Annandale Hotel

Prying my foot from the sticky floor, I looked around the interior of the Annandale Hotel – a diminutive but popular venue nestled against the eternally busy Parramatta Road. The stage was crowded with light, leads, pedals and amps being tweaked by a hunched sound engineer crammed against the far wall.

Once I dislodged my foot from the dried alcohol on the floor and started to walk around, I noticed another interesting aspect of the layout. The pokies (despite still being around) were removed far enough away from the music not to bother anyone. Why can’t all venues in Sydney be like this one?

The Annandale’s charm may well be why its events are always so popular. It’s a venue for music and nothing else. On this muggy Friday night, Children Collide were visiting with their upbeat, punchy sound that was sure to send the small pub into a frenzy.

But first the three-piece Border Thieves lulled the milling crowd from the adjoining rooms. Dedicating their set to the pirates off the coast of Kenya (for “having a go”) the band filled the room with a soulful twist on indie. Sounding like a mixture of Sonic Youth and The Stone Roses, Border Thieves were engaging yet derivative. The event photographers had their work cut out for them as singer/guitarist Kat Harley and bassist Joel Werner battled their instruments and posed like stadium rock stars.

As Border Thieves retreated in search of a stolen beer, the crowd buzzed in anticipation. Conversations about managing to get tickets to the sold-out event were the hot topic. The chattering was broken short by the arrival of Regular John, sporting long hair and matching emaciated frames. At first the onslaught of rock ‘n’ roll captured everyone’s attention. The songs Language and We Spell Love… were so energetic and powerful they ignited a flurry of bobbing heads and fists punching the air. However, as the set continued, Regular John’s repetitive set-list cleared the room somewhat, as they lost the interest of a distracted audience. For all of their talent, the band’s full-throttle party sound slowly wore thin.

It was well and truly Children Collide’s night. The venue reached capacity while adoring fans continued to stream in. As a brief sound check was performed behind a lowered projector screen, screams of excitement filled the air as soon as any head revealed itself. Wedged between sweaty bodies, I easily forgot all of my discomforts as the white barrier was raised and We Are Amphibious burst my eardrums. It was only possible to see brief glimpses of the stage whilst yelling “it was so long, so long ago” amongst the manic throng. The crowd’s sheer enthusiasm shocked frontman Johnny Mackay into a broad smile that he couldn’t wipe from his face for the entire gig. With the announcement of every song from Across the Earth to Marie Marie, Pt. 2 it was near impossible to hear any music over the ecstatic cheering.

Every ounce of praise was well deserved. Children Collide are born performers, working the stage with an unchallenged energy and intensity. Fans leapt along with Johnny as he pummeled his guitar back and worth, head slung low around his knees. Bassist Heath Crawley and drummer Ryan Ceasar added their own flawless and practiced elements to the performance. Even as the comparatively down-tempo Farwell Rocketship came wailing through the speakers, no one could slow down. That was of course until we were all treated to a majestic cover of Walking on the Moon by The Police. Effortlessly making it their own, Children Collide held the crowd in silent awe as Johnny rivaled Sting’s falsetto.

Don’t miss another opportunity to see this band live. The smiles and laughter of the post-show rabble that spilled out onto Parramatta Road was testament to Children Collide’s awesome ability and talent. This was an unforgettable gig.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/18062/Children-Collide--The-Annandale-Hotel-170409.htm

Interview with Super Furry Animals

Born from the 1990s Welsh creative renaissance, Super Furry Animals have defined their careers, spanning nine studio albums, by following a musical philosophy of impulse and spontaneity.

As a result, genre and convention have always been at play in their work – from the Guinness Book of Records-listed E.P. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (In Space) to this year’s hotly anticipated Dark Days/Lights Years. Yet, despite their unique flavour and thick Welsh accents, Super Furry Animals, are no underground phenomenon. The clamour of genres from psychedelic rock to techno, grunge and sixties pop has captured the imaginations of a large host of devout fans and critics.

Dark Days/Light Years spans a vast array of influences with an uncanny sense of self awareness. Each track, in its playful tone and experimentation reveals the band’s style altering form. After listening to the album a number of times I couldn’t help but ask how close an influence the band’s nationality has on its music.

“It is inevitable that you are influenced by where you’re from,” vocalist Gruff Rhys’ timid voice crackles down the line. “We were never motivated to produce Welsh music and we always hated traditional Welsh music. But we were influenced by bands coming out of Wales at that time.”
From the beginning of their career, Super Furry Animals have sought to expand their work beyond country borders. An insatiable thirst for discovering and exploring new music led to each member’s very distinct preferences, which came together in a beautiful but schizophrenic form.

“When we were starting out it was the tail end of the rave era. We were listening to a lot of techno. We were also going through a phase of ‘70s pop, like E.L.O. That all got mixed up with our interest in techno. We would buy all these second-hand records from thrift stores and mix them with our techno. Also we used to play with punk bands.”

Now Dark Days/Light Years exudes experience, with the band balancing a child-like abandon and the musical experience that comes over nine albums. This freeform abandon is very evident in track titles like Crazy Naked Girls or lyrics such as “there was the mountain. It was a big fucking mountain. So I climbed the mountain.” But Gruff is adamant there was no attempt to bring any comedic elements into Dark Days/Light Years. “That’s just in our personalities. We don’t shy away from bearing our souls. Sometimes our music can be dark and depressing and sometimes we make incredibly uplifting music. We are fine with making people smile but we have never set out to make a comedy record.”

At this point Gruff brings my attention to the band’s website www.superfurry.com, where fans can view two videos taken while the band was recording Dark Days/ Light Years. As the camera swoops through the spacious and isolated studio each member is smiling and laughing as they jam together. It’s a perfect illustration of how this group produces such a playful style of music.
“Also we bring different influences in,” Gruff explains. “All the members have known each other for a really long time. [Keyboardist] Cian Ciaran runs a minimal techno label and I specialise in downbeat folk music. It definitely makes our music more unlikely and more unique. I think when you listen to it, it is very much grounded in the history of music. You can hear a lot of references because we are all record junkies. So it is important for us to bring it to a unique conclusions otherwise we just sound like our record collections.”

Calling Super Furry Animals a band of ‘unique conclusions’ may well be the most apt description available. Dark Days/ Light Years is an album of endless surprises, cheeky grins and sideways glances.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/17959/Super-Furry-Animals.htm

The Big British Sound @ The Paddington Town Hall

The Big British Sound was a strange beast. Outside of festivals it's rare to find live gigs that are hosted by a corporate partner with such a heavy influence over the event. Unsurprisingly Ben Sherman dressed The Paddington Town Hall in blue and white lights on Friday night, nostalgically celebrating that 1960s British chic. The main hall was draped in photos of double decker buses and young mods driving scooters while each set was followed by popular British hits from The Stone Roses to The Ting Tings.

On the surface it looked like a great event, albeit a little cliched. The Paddington Town Hall’s luxuriously large space hovered over a comparatively diminutive crowd. The large hall peppered with people clumped in groups or just sitting against the wall, which had no shortage of Ben Sherman paraphernalia. From the fashion label’s symbols to Andy Warhol-esque portraits of Mr Sherman himself, everyone was constantly and shamelessly reminded of who was running the party. At the bar the Sosume DJs danced by themselves with an uplifting enthusiasm that, according to the wandering crowd, was not contagious.

It was this constant wandering brought about by the event’s layout that detracted from the diverse and talented lineup. As beautiful as it may be The Paddington Town Hall provided too much space. The bar was located outside of the enormous main hall and oddly short sets (half an hour to forty-five minutes) were separated by a 20 minute block of aimlessly put together “British music.” The result was a constant flux of people walking in and out, buying drinks and occupying themselves form balcony to balcony waiting for some live music.

Before I knew it Art vs Science had left the stage and The Seabellies were announcing their final song. A shame as these two speedy sets were the real highlight. Art vs Science enveloped the room with their happy-go-lucky electro pop, which at times assaulted the ears but nevertheless drew the small crowd together. The Seabellies were flawless. Vocalist Trent Grenell belted out each lyric at the top of his lungs, perfectly in pitch. Feet shuffled ever closer to the stage as we were all introduced to a band with vast amounts of talent. Their set finished with a cover of Rod Stewart's Young Turks. It was hard to see even a glimmer of Rod’s straightened hair as The Seabellies had doused the 1980s hit with a fresh coat of their own originality. It was disappointing to see them walk off stage leaving everyone to another twenty minute block with little to do.

In good time Jack Ladder gathered everyone back in the main hall. After a shakey set at his previous gig supporting The Duke Spirit I was happy to have another opportunity to see a comfortable performance. Again Jack quickly opened with The Barber’s Son a track dripping with his unique, soulful essence. I always feel a sense of anticipatory excitement at the future of Jack Ladder as his awkward body and startlingly smooth voice lather the crowd with this song. I stood thinking, “now I’ll see Jack Ladder really nail it.” But that was not to be the case. Standing before him was a crowd bemused. As the rapture of The Barber’s Son wore off I looked around too see those shuffling feet, shuffle away. You need to be close to that voice in a small dark room heavily clad with smoke. The clean cut feel of The Big British Sound was not the place. Once again Jack Ladder performed a set misunderstood.

When wonder kids Tame Impala coasted on stage it was refreshing to see less floor as fans poured into the over sized hall dancing with little inhibition. Modular took a big risk with this relatively young band from Perth but their talent is unquestionable and for the first time in the night I saw everyone really enjoying themselves. Since their last few Sydney gigs in 2008 the set list hasn’t changed and that Boy Blue cover is still a staple. So it’s no surprise that there was a repetitive nature to Tame Impala’s live performances. Each song starts with a kick ass riff that has the crowd chanting along. Then without fail everyone is taken on a long minimalist psychedelic journey that becomes predictable. I look forward to seeing Tame Impala diversify their live performance, breaking up their solos and a daring to be more flamboyant in their jams onstage.

After a night that felt like a light bulb being switched on and off *Little Red* delivered a very appropriate closing set. Simple and fun there is no question that every song of Little Red’s has been inspired by 1960s British rock ‘n’ roll. The hall was transformed into a scene from Grease as the band performed with popped collars and broad grins. At last the space was being used as intended. The intensity of the previous bands washed away as a party atmosphere brought The Big British Sound to a close.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/17864/The-Big-British-Sound--Paddington-Town-Hall-Sydney--03042009.htm

Interview with Silverstein

From Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band to Smile the concept album has always held a bizarrely sensitive place in the hearts of reviewers and music historians. Do it right and you have bought yourself a one way ticket to the rock ‘n’ roll hall of fame. Make one false move and your credibility as a musician takes a battering.

When Shane Told from Silverstein embarked upon writing the band’s latest album, A Shipwreck in the Sand, he drew inspiration from a very powerful source. Boredom. “All three previous records had been written the same way. We would jam until we had enough songs and then work out an order for them. We were bored of doing the same thing.”

After boredom, however, came a thirst for change. Silverstein’s career at this point was defined by songs and albums that focused on personal struggles. Their last album Arrivals & Departures was entirely written about a seven year long relationship of Shane’s that had just ended. Now A Shipwreck in the Sand follows the story of a family who experience a horrific set of circumstances which parallel the defunct state of much of the planet. In Shane’s own words “the world is pretty fucked up right now. That was the biggest motivation behind the album.”

So from a band that predominately wrote about heartbreak Shane believes Silverstein have matured musically enough to tackle politics in the concept album format. “If somebody had a gun to your head and asked you what really concerns you that answer is always bound to change. This record has a lot of political undertones to it. It is a political record. That’s not something I would have done eight years ago.”



Shane, however, admits that writing A Shipwreck in the Sand was not an easy task. Taking over a year to produce the finished product, a great deal of creative planning was involved. While grappling with an emotionally heavy topic and the rigors of producing a worth while ‘concept’ Shane’s main concern was writing an album that everyone would want to listen to over and over. “I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to write a concept album. But it really came out great. It was difficult, it was a lot of work but it came together so well. If people listened to this album one hundred times each it would make me really happy.”

Musically A Shipwreck on the Sand showcases Silverstein’s gradual progression towards a heavy metal sound. Song such as Born Dead drag the album deep into ‘hardcore’ territory. “We have always written lyrics separate to music. We have always been influenced by metal bands. It really works for the concept of the record though.”

Yet one last frontier remains unexplored in this concept album. So often bands who embark on such an ambitious project become drawn into a narcissistic level of musical experimentation. This is perhaps the reason why concept albums are surrounded by such turbulent criticism. But for Shane Told a respect for the band’s roots and the accessibility of the album were always a major concern. “I like the experimental stuff a little but for our band I just don’t really know if it’s right. It might be fun for us but not for those listening. I don’t want someone to listen and think it is boring. We are just gonna try and write great song.”

It is this endearing dose of modesty that has lead to Silverstein producing a very rounded and polished album in A Shipwreck in the Sand. When I read the following quote from a press release about the album: “After A Shipwreck In The Sand it will be easy to understand why Silverstein are in the ranks of bands like Rise Against and the Foo Fighters,” Shane’s response was a small chuckle and “I don’t think we are in the ranks of those bands. I’m not sure if this record will get us there. I don’t compare our band to other bands. This record we are really happy with it. I think people are going to embrace it.”

A Shipwreck in the Sand is in full release as of the 31st of March.

Published @ www.fasterlouder.com.au
Link: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/17863/Silverstein.htm