First/Last-Dream Shake

 

"Like many songwriters who spend most of their time developing ideas behind closed doors, James Nee hit a creative wall in the middle of making his debut album as Dream Shake. (In case you’re curious, the name’s a Hakeem Olajuwon reference.) So he did the first thing that came to mind: he put his pen down, ignored the incessant calls of his guitar, and spent a couple weeks watching the Summer Olympics. Which isn’t to say he walked away wanting a gold medal of his own or an album full of anthems about going the distance in that game called life. In fact, Dream Shake’s self-titled record isn’t as autobiographical as you’d think considering its tracklisting looks like a collect-’em-all compilation of women who broke his heart over the past couple years. Since Nee is more of a pop culture junkie than the kind of indie rocker who refreshes Pitchfork’s homepage at least 10 times a day, the singer/multi-instrumentalist let Dream Shake’s songs connect the dots between his own personal experiences and the all-too-real storylines of characters from shows like Degrassi Junior High, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Check the band out at Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, and Vimeo. The band formerly known as We Are Trees have just released their beautiful debut self-titled "Dream Shake" via Frenchkiss Records. My thanks to James Nee (Multi-Instruments/Vocals) for taking a few minutes to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
Britney Spears “...Baby One More Time”.

Your last album bought?
Dream Shake “Dream Shake”.

Favorite album of all time?
Al Green “I'm Still in Love With You”.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
A record that's been scratched.

First concert attended?
Iron Maiden.

Last concert?
Swirlies.

Favorite concert ever?
Joe Hisaishi in Budokan.

Least favorite concert?
We Are Trees.

Any thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
How's the weather?

Thanks, James. The weather is great here. How about coming to Pittsburgh for a show?