Monday, February 11, 2013

First/Last-Day Joy


"Day Joy makes beautiful lush dream folk landscapes caressed with crooning and heart felt melodies and deep poetic lyricism. Hailing from Orlando, FL the now five sometimes six piece was originally a two person project started by Peter Michael Perceval and Michael Serrin. Peter and Michael met in college years ago where they acoustically wrote all the songs via late nights on porches and rooftops that are just now coming to fruition and being released on Small Plates Records on their debut LP Go To Sleep, Mess. They were recently hailed as one of the top 10 Florida Bands You Should Listen To NOW by Paste Magazine alongside their friends and other up and comers Levek and Hundred Waters."

Check out the band at Facebook, BandCamp, Tumblr, Big Cartel, Twitter and SoundCloud. Their debut album, "Go To Sleep, Mess", drops tomorrow on Small Plate Records but you can head on over to Paste to stream it now. My thanks to Peter Perceval (Guitar/Banjo/Ukelele) and Michael Serrin (Vocals/Keys/Guitar/Bass/Drums) for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
Peter Perceval: I'm not 100%  sure of mine because I was like 6 or 7 but it would be one of the following Spin Doctors, “Pocket Full of Kryptonite”, Red Hot Chili Peppers, “What Hits /Blood Sugar Sex Magic”, REM, “Automatic For The People”.
Michael Serrin: I secretly bought Third Eye Blind's self-titled record when I was about 9 years old because my mom wouldn't let me listen to ‘Semi-Charmed Life’.



Your last album bought?
Peter: I have been buying older, really obscure stuff on vinyl that I don’t even know what it is and just checking it out. Our local record store Park Ave CD's does these mystery vinyl packages for &12 that comes with 12 vinyls and they are always such an interesting compilation of obscure records and some are really great. I found some really great 80's ones like this guy named Mark Place, “Third Planet From The Sun”. I also really enjoyed the Jive Bombers which are super old and classic. Here is a link to their song ‘Bad Boy’, which I think is just phenomenal.
Michael: I am a guilty music thief, but I do buy albums when I'm compelled to by the greatness of the music or because I know the band is so small that they really need the money…but there isn't really a moral code to it per se. For example, the last album I bought was Grizzly Bear's "Shields" whereas I torrented Kendrick Lamar's "Good Kid M.A.A.D City" last weekend.
Peter: Clearly Michael is racist.

Favorite album of all time?
Peter: This is such a hard question to answer. I mean to narrow it down to one is fairly difficult... I have the obvious choices like “Revolver”, “Kid A”, “Graceland”, those are all some of my favorites. Some less stereotypical choices would be Circulatory System, S.T., Les Savy Fav, “Inches”, Broken Social Scene, “You Forgot It In People”, Animal Collective, “Sung Tungs or Feels”, Beck, “Odelay”, Arcade Fire, “Funeral”, LCD Soundsystem, “Sound of Silver”. I don’t know, there are so many.
Michael: Firstly, I have to say this is an impossible question but to answer I'd say Velvet Underground's fourth record "Loaded" will always be near to my heart.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
Peter: Another terrible one to answer. I think a lot of bands now a days get so much buzz on the internet and such it creates false expectations of them and certainly a lot of pressure for themselves. I know that we are nervous enough about releasing this album and I’m sure we will be even more on the second. I was pretty let down with the most recent release from the Chris Chu and Pop ETC AKA Morning Benders. I was a big fan of their last album and their first release and I just don’t know what he was thinking with this past release but I applaud his bravery for stepping into uncharted territory.
Michael: Every album Third Eye Blind put out after their self-titled record disappointed me. More recently, I was (sort of) let down by Animal Collective's latest "Centipede Hz". Not that it was a terrible record or anything, it's just that "Merriweather Post Pavillion" moved the band into such a different direction and I just thought they'd continue in that direction until some amazing unforeseen musical greatness emerged.

First concert attended?
Peter: My first two concerts were Tom Petty on the ‘Wildflowers’ tour and Smashing Pumpkins on the ‘Melancholy’ tour.
Michael: My first concert was an Incubus and Deftones concert when I was about 11 years old. The show was held in the stadium of the university I eventually attended.

Last concert?
Peter: We go to so many concerts just being involved in the local scene here. The last local show I attended was our friends Father Figure, Saskatchewan, and The Dark 60's. The last non local show I went to in Orlando I think was probably Future Islands.
Michael: Same answer.

Favorite concert ever?
Peter: This is another super tough question. I have seen so many amazing shows. I know one of my favorite days was in 2007 in NYC at Randall’s Island. Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Les Savy Fav, Blonde Redhead, and Wild Light all played and that was amazing. The first time I saw Animal Collective in support of “Sung Tungs” was amazing. Same thing with Broken Social Scene in support of “You Forgot It In People” and the first time I saw Grizzly Bear in support of “Yellow House”...
Michael: The first time I ever saw The National play they had a chamber orchestra playing with them. They encored with ‘Fake Empire’ and I literally cried. It was so beautiful.

Least favorite concert?
Peter: I hate to even answer this. I don’t want to say least favorite but perhaps one of my biggest let downs was The Ruby Suns. I was in love with The Ruby Suns around the time “Sea Lion” was released and I waited awhile to see them and when I finally got the chance it was really an awful show but I think that was mostly due to the fact that there was only 2 members in the band live at that show and their recordings are so layered and lush that it was hard to probably do some of the songs justice.


Any thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
Peter: I have never been to Pittsburgh nor the state for that matter. However, I have grown up around some pretty big Steelers fans, lol.
Michael: I haven't really had any experiences in Pittsburgh. One time a friend and I drove all night through the boonies of Pennsylvania on our way to Chicago. It was very beautiful and pristine. I definitely hope to visit or play in Pittsburgh soon though.

Thanks, fellas. Really love the album. Hopefully, a Pittsburgh stop is in the future for you guys.

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