Saturday, November 10, 2012
Bloomfield
"The twin heads of Brooklyn's most decorated Siamese psych-rock baby,
who will be dragging their technicolor diapers westward this November in
synchronized celebration of their newly released full-length albums. Both
bands pay tribute to sunny, psych-tinged ‘60s pop—pow wow! cut it with
the jangly urgency of early New Wave and Post Punk, while Quiet Loudly
pile on dreamy walls of Shoegaze noise with the sweaty abandon of
vintage Soul. Be
certain: Some people will lose their minds, some will fall in love, and
some will abandon their families and jobs in the dead of night and head
for the horizon, cackling at the open sky like rabid hyenas in heat."
The tour hits Pittsburgh at off all places Caliente on Saturday night with support from locals ATLAS and Dumplings. My thanks to QL's Max Goransson (Guitars/Voclas) and pw!'s Eddie Nazareno (Guitars/Vocals) for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.
The first album you ever bought?
Max Goransson: The first piece of music I ever owned was actually a cassette of the soundtrack for the movie ‘La Bamba’, the biopic about Ritchie Valens. The first record I actually bought with my own money was a Herman's Hermits record I found at the library sale in the town I grew up in. To be honest, I'd never actually heard Herman's Hermits before, but I remember being drawn to it because it had a goofy cover. Also, they looked like The Beatles to me (well, early Beatles), and The Beatles were my favorite at the time. It was also probably one of the only records there that wasn't classical or a Broadway musical, so in that context, it was relatively badass.
Eddie Nazareno: ‘The Crow’ soundtrack and Green Day, “Dookie”.
Max Goransson: The first piece of music I ever owned was actually a cassette of the soundtrack for the movie ‘La Bamba’, the biopic about Ritchie Valens. The first record I actually bought with my own money was a Herman's Hermits record I found at the library sale in the town I grew up in. To be honest, I'd never actually heard Herman's Hermits before, but I remember being drawn to it because it had a goofy cover. Also, they looked like The Beatles to me (well, early Beatles), and The Beatles were my favorite at the time. It was also probably one of the only records there that wasn't classical or a Broadway musical, so in that context, it was relatively badass.
Eddie Nazareno: ‘The Crow’ soundtrack and Green Day, “Dookie”.
Your last album bought?
Max: Chris Cohen, “Overgrown Path” and I'm totally in love with it. Definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. It's pretty low-key, but it's also pretty magical. Even at its most understated, it's just so cleverly composed and the musicianship, though not always very showy, is top-notch across the board and as tasteful as can be. Really beautiful psychedelic pop.
Eddie: Leonard Cohen, “Songs of Love and Hate” on vinyl.
Max: Chris Cohen, “Overgrown Path” and I'm totally in love with it. Definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. It's pretty low-key, but it's also pretty magical. Even at its most understated, it's just so cleverly composed and the musicianship, though not always very showy, is top-notch across the board and as tasteful as can be. Really beautiful psychedelic pop.
Eddie: Leonard Cohen, “Songs of Love and Hate” on vinyl.
Favorite album of all time?
Max: This question always stumps me. It's like a music junkie's ‘Sophie's Choice’, a harrowing ordeal that I don't have the strength to see through. I'm not Meryl Streep. So, I really couldn't pick one. However, one album I like to talk about is the self-titled debut by PacificUV because I think it's one of the most underrated albums I've ever heard. Not nearly enough people know it exists and, to me, it is the single most beautiful, perfect shoegazer album ever. It is definitely the album I revisit the most of any I own. I find it extremely cathartic and it never fails to give me chills. Whenever I'm "in a state", this is the only album that always succeeds in restoring my peace of mind.
Eddie: The Velvet Underground, “Self-Titled”.
Max: This question always stumps me. It's like a music junkie's ‘Sophie's Choice’, a harrowing ordeal that I don't have the strength to see through. I'm not Meryl Streep. So, I really couldn't pick one. However, one album I like to talk about is the self-titled debut by PacificUV because I think it's one of the most underrated albums I've ever heard. Not nearly enough people know it exists and, to me, it is the single most beautiful, perfect shoegazer album ever. It is definitely the album I revisit the most of any I own. I find it extremely cathartic and it never fails to give me chills. Whenever I'm "in a state", this is the only album that always succeeds in restoring my peace of mind.
Eddie: The Velvet Underground, “Self-Titled”.
Least favorite/most disappointing
album?
Max: I bought a hip-hop album once and didn't realize until my first listen that it was the edited version. That was pretty disappointing. Also, I think Weezer has put out more than their fair share of awful music over the last ten years. Some of their newer songs make me want to morph into the Incredible Hulk and destroy everything in sight…in a bad way. Which is especially disappointing because their first record was absolutely HUGE for me when it first came out. It takes a really special level of "awful" to make it so hard to appreciate the masterpiece that came before it.
Eddie: Anything by Adele.
Max: I bought a hip-hop album once and didn't realize until my first listen that it was the edited version. That was pretty disappointing. Also, I think Weezer has put out more than their fair share of awful music over the last ten years. Some of their newer songs make me want to morph into the Incredible Hulk and destroy everything in sight…in a bad way. Which is especially disappointing because their first record was absolutely HUGE for me when it first came out. It takes a really special level of "awful" to make it so hard to appreciate the masterpiece that came before it.
Eddie: Anything by Adele.
First concert attended?
Max: The Smashing Pumpkins on the ‘Melon Collie’ tour.
Eddie: Punk show in NJ, Bigwig.
Max: The Smashing Pumpkins on the ‘Melon Collie’ tour.
Eddie: Punk show in NJ, Bigwig.
Last concert?
Max: Well, I go to see friends' bands all the time. We're very luck to know so many amazing bands in Brooklyn that we've played with and hang out with regularly. I gladly spend money to see these shows because I know so many great people making so much exciting music right now. But, as far as bands that I don't know personally go, I just saw two really great shows at Death By Audio within a week of each other: Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees and then Big Business.
Eddie: Suā at Brooklyn Bowl.
Max: Well, I go to see friends' bands all the time. We're very luck to know so many amazing bands in Brooklyn that we've played with and hang out with regularly. I gladly spend money to see these shows because I know so many great people making so much exciting music right now. But, as far as bands that I don't know personally go, I just saw two really great shows at Death By Audio within a week of each other: Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees and then Big Business.
Eddie: Suā at Brooklyn Bowl.
Favorite concert ever?
Max: This is another Sophie's Choice question! BUT, my favorite concert of the last 5 years, at least, was probably when I got to see Neil Young for the first time with my dad a few years ago. Neil Young is one of my all-time favorites so I was a little apprehensive going to see him play live. He's just one of those untouchable legends for me and I was terrified of being disappointed. But, saying I was not disappointed would be the understatement of the century. That dude still has it, big-time. Although, his recent recorded output hasn't been too consistent....that didn't matter in the least. He played almost every song I could've asked to hear from throughout his entire career and he ripped a hole in the sky with his guitar. That's why Hurricane Sandy just happened. Because Neil Young ripped a hole in the sky with his goddamn guitar. I was utterly astounded. It was one of the biggest thrills of my entire life.
Eddie: Spiritualized perform “Ladies and Gentleman, We Are Floating in Space” at Radio City Music Hall.
Max: This is another Sophie's Choice question! BUT, my favorite concert of the last 5 years, at least, was probably when I got to see Neil Young for the first time with my dad a few years ago. Neil Young is one of my all-time favorites so I was a little apprehensive going to see him play live. He's just one of those untouchable legends for me and I was terrified of being disappointed. But, saying I was not disappointed would be the understatement of the century. That dude still has it, big-time. Although, his recent recorded output hasn't been too consistent....that didn't matter in the least. He played almost every song I could've asked to hear from throughout his entire career and he ripped a hole in the sky with his guitar. That's why Hurricane Sandy just happened. Because Neil Young ripped a hole in the sky with his goddamn guitar. I was utterly astounded. It was one of the biggest thrills of my entire life.
Eddie: Spiritualized perform “Ladies and Gentleman, We Are Floating in Space” at Radio City Music Hall.
Least favorite concert?
Max: This one is easy, actually but heartbreaking. My answer is Eric Burdon & The Animals at B.B. King's five years ago. To this day, it's something I have a hard time talking about. I am a very, very big fan of Eric Burdon & The Animals and after hearing him do about three dated, ultra-slick, adult contemporary-sounding versions of his classic songs, I had to leave. I felt like I was on a cruise ship for single senior citizens. I will forevermore think twice before seeing my idols from the ‘60’s try to rehash the good old days. You can't see me now, but I am actually shuddering as I type this.
Eddie: Converge.
Max: This one is easy, actually but heartbreaking. My answer is Eric Burdon & The Animals at B.B. King's five years ago. To this day, it's something I have a hard time talking about. I am a very, very big fan of Eric Burdon & The Animals and after hearing him do about three dated, ultra-slick, adult contemporary-sounding versions of his classic songs, I had to leave. I felt like I was on a cruise ship for single senior citizens. I will forevermore think twice before seeing my idols from the ‘60’s try to rehash the good old days. You can't see me now, but I am actually shuddering as I type this.
Eddie: Converge.
Any thoughts, experiences about
Pittsburgh?
Max: Yes! Pittsburgh gave us one of the best nights we had on our last tour a couple years ago. It was our second-to-last stop on tour, so we were kind of running on empty at that point. However, we had a pretty decent-sized crowd turn up at our show and people were really, really receptive to our music and put out a really welcoming vibe, which completely revitalized us. Despite sleeping on floors for a few hours a night for several days leading up to our Pittsburgh show, we got up on stage and it felt like the first day of tour again. The energy in the room was so infectious that exhaustion just went right out the window. And one of the local bands we played with was kind enough to take us all in that night. They lived in this amazing squatter's house at the top of this big hill overlooking the city. They fed us tons of fresh homemade soup and booze and they had this beautiful little garden and we just sat in that garden underneath the stars and talked until 5am. It was a really unforgettable night. THINK YOU CAN TOP IT???
Eddie: Have only passed through, really excited to check it out and play there!!
Max: Yes! Pittsburgh gave us one of the best nights we had on our last tour a couple years ago. It was our second-to-last stop on tour, so we were kind of running on empty at that point. However, we had a pretty decent-sized crowd turn up at our show and people were really, really receptive to our music and put out a really welcoming vibe, which completely revitalized us. Despite sleeping on floors for a few hours a night for several days leading up to our Pittsburgh show, we got up on stage and it felt like the first day of tour again. The energy in the room was so infectious that exhaustion just went right out the window. And one of the local bands we played with was kind enough to take us all in that night. They lived in this amazing squatter's house at the top of this big hill overlooking the city. They fed us tons of fresh homemade soup and booze and they had this beautiful little garden and we just sat in that garden underneath the stars and talked until 5am. It was a really unforgettable night. THINK YOU CAN TOP IT???
Eddie: Have only passed through, really excited to check it out and play there!!
Thanks, fellas. Never realized that shows were at Caliente. Might have to check y'all out.
Dumplings is super excited to play with these talented dudes!
ReplyDelete