First/Last-Paperhaus

"Paperhaus started in a basement in the suburbs of Washington, DC, where guitarists Alex Tebeleff and Eduardo Rivera spent their teenage years playing music together with ears buzzing from Radiohead, Television, and Fela Kuti. Miles away in Philadelphia, the dissonant vibrato of drummer Brandon Moses howled over distorted blues, while bassist John Di Lascio’s three drunken years playing absurdist prog-pop in shady Japanese yakuza bars were winding down. When the haze cleared, these four musicians found themselves in the Red Door room in DC’s legendary Gold Leaf Studios (R.I.P.), screaming raw vocal poetry into rickety old mics and bleeding cosmic noise through rusty tube amps. All night jams edged into anything from CAN to DC Gogo, while haunting noisescapes echoed of Sonic Youth and Scott Walker. Above it all hung Country-Blues & Pop-oriented arrangements with deeply personal lyrics."

Check out the 'psychedelic kraut-pop' band at their official Website, Facebook, Twitter and BandCamp. The band's latest release, "Lo Hi Lo", will definitely be prominent in their set as they hit Pittsburgh tomorrow night at the Thunderbird Cafe along with local favs Pet Clinic and Action Camp. I want to thank Alex Tebeleff (Guitar/Vocals) for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
The first album I ever bought was Nirvana's “Nevermind”. Definitely had a lasting impact on me! It's one of those obvious answers, but it really has stood the test of time. Nirvana brought a passion and intelligence rarely seen in punk or pop music.

Your last album bought?
The last album I "bought" was “The Smile Sessions”. Can't believe I didn't get this when it came out, I've always been a huge Beach Boys fan. It's truly a masterwork, one of the most original pieces of music ever created.

Favorite album of all time?
That's really tough.

First concert attended?
My first concert was O.A.R. at the 9:30 Club in DC. They went to my high school growing up, this was long before they were nationally famous, but they definitely sucked back then too looking back on it.

Last concert?
At our house venue in DC, The Paperhaus! It was Father Figures, an incredible jazz band from NYC, The New Heaven & The New Earth from Philly, who make as beautiful and haunting music as you'll ever hear, Marian McLaughlin, who is one of my favorite songwriters in DC, and Nevin Kight, who is a great songwriter from Virginia and also plays guitar in Wild Nothing. It was pretty incredibly diverse, and the crowd was extremely attentive as usual. We've been on quite a roll for a while now with the quality of shows at the house.

Favorite concert ever?
Radiohead at Bonarroo in 2006. I was front row, and they played their asses off. I love how different their energy and sound is live. Probably the most influential band for me growing up.

Least favorite concert?
Probably that O.A.R. concert, ha-ha.

Any thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
I've always enjoyed my time in Pittsburgh. Great people, great music, and great food. Can't ask for much more than that!

Thanks, Alex. I totally second your love for "The SMiLE Sessions". I can't believe he was so whacked out not to finish and release that back in the day.