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This is Part 1 of a live interview and concert with Dan Sartain that my friends Monti Smith, Tyler Dixon and I recorded for IRR. Dan is one of those rare talents whose many sounds are rivaled only by his many facial expressions. In this part, Dan talks Mexico, zebra-painted donkeys and compromising his morals. Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 where Dan talks about why his new record sounds British, why rock ‘n’ roll isn’t dead and why the Ramones are still his favorite band. And go out and buy his new record – Dan Sartin Lives (www.myspace.com/dansartain).

Dan Sartain Lives – Part 1 from Ryan Bunker on Vimeo.

Check out our previous interview with him here or our album review here.

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Dan Sartain Interview
by Thirst n’ Howl

In any type of deep diving or self control course they teach you to breathe deep and slow prior to jumping into the shit. As I was about to interview one of my favorites, I figured I would do the same. It’s a good thing I did because the rest of the interview I was laughing my head off. Dan Sartain is a wild man. A goddamn feral animal of music and probably the most revered phone number stored in my phone.

IRR – Hey Dan Sartain, this is Monti Smith with IRR, how you doing?

Dan Sartain – Yeah, man, good, how ya been?

IRR – Not to freak you out or anything but I am actually super excited about doing this interview. (At this point I am obviously as happy and confused as a puppy with two peters)

DS – Cool man. Right on. I’m stoked to do it too man. Where you at?

IRR – I’m actually out here in California, just outside of San Diego.

Ds Cool man, I’m headed out there in July. You get that Swami show out there?
The radio show and whatnot?

IRR – Yeah, we dig Swami out here.

DS – I wish that stuff would have got more infectious. It seems a little exclusive to so cal but there are even people up in nor cal that dig it. I wish everybody had that mentality because I always thought that stuff was great, what he was doing.

IRR – So where are you at these days?

DS – I’m back in Alabama for the time being.

IRR – Alabama? Cool.

DS – Uhm, yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know why it’s cool to claim you’re from the south or something like that. I mean back in the day I would have to be like I don’t fuck pigs, I don’t hate black people, I’m from Alabama yes but I don’t own a horse or remotely know what to do with a cow. I used to have to do that with people. Now I see these guys, because I’ve been going over to England and they have a love affair with the blues. Like some mystic view, probably how I would view an old time band of gypsies or something like that. They probably view the south or blues people like that or something. I told some people that I’m from Alabama, and they say “do you live there now” and they’re from Michigan or something. And its like yeah I live there but it sucks. I’m not claiming it or something to have some connection to some history that I don’t even know about. I mean I like the Swami radio show more than I like the blues. I mean I guess there have been some posers from the south lately. I mean I have been going around with a fake California accent all my life. Saying dude all the time and fucking, trying to ride a skateboard. I guess I’ve been trying to imitate you guys my whole life and than I go to England and we get invited to play this blues oriented festival and there is this total English guy who gets up there and he is singing like a total negro spiritual. He was this white dude who looked like Rick Rubin and he’s English but he’s up there singing like “Jump down, turn around, pick a barrel of cotton” and I’m going “oh my god” this is like the most black faced thing I have ever seen. He is contorting his voice to sound like that. Its fake south.

IRR – So he’s dropping ya’lls with an English accent?

DS – Yeah he was while he was singing and it was honestly kind of insulting.

IRR – So you’ve been touring quite a bit in England lately?

DS – Yeah, its been going better for me over there.

Irr How do you like England?

DS – It’s good man. I’ve finally figured out what to eat over there. It took years but I think I’ve got it. You usually can’t eat English food but there is tons of other food. Its kind of like all of America is closer to Mexico, so I don’t really trust a Mexican place in England. But we’re closer to Mexico so we have better Mexican food. I mean, we are better at imitating Mexican food cause we’re closer but they are better at imitating Italy or India. Actually there’s too much Indian food over there. Its tough to tell which is actually better.

IRR – Now when you are playing in England do you have a backing band?

DS – Yeah I get different guys all the time. Some of them are English guys when I m over there. Last time I had some guys from Atlanta, which isn’t too far from here. But I think I may have tapped out all my resources here with musicians in Alabama. They go “this is too crazy, I can’t do it.” Which I don’t get it cuz I’m not getting drunk or into fights or anything like that. They might prefer that if I did cuz than they would think this guy is cool.

IRR – So, no one is getting knifed or shot?

DS – No, no, not yet. There’s potential there for it I guess. Hasn’t happened yet. Pretty tame actually. These guys are like this sucks. I’m sick of the hotel rooms.

IRR – Now back in the day you toured with the White Stripes. What was Jack white like?

DS – Uhm, that was weird man. I mean they knew that it was a privilege for us to be on that tour. And yeah, they were aware that anybody at my level or any level for that matter could use that tour. I mean Alice Cooper is great, and he could have played in front of that many people and he’s been doing it since the 60s. It was a privilege to go and do that, but they knew it. It was like “Ooh, wow, we know that we can be replaced at the drop of a hat if we don’t do every little thing right”. It was totally hospitable though.

IRR – Really? Because the few things I have seen of him, he looks pretty pompous.

DS – Uhm. Off the record, I hate that fucking guy. Off the record I fucking hate that guy. He was totally pompous.

IRR – Ok don’t worry, that won’t go on the record.

DS – Fuck it man, I don’t care. I don’t care. I got nothing to lose at this point. That guy was a fucking jerk and I am sick of pussyfooting around. I mean you assume that you are a nice cool guy but than people take it the wrong way. And people might really like him but they didn’t walk a mile in my shoes. And he was a fucking dick. That man is uncool.
I mean when he is cool, he’s cool as fuck. He writes good songs, he sings good, he’s got good taste in musical equipment so what the fuck man? I know lots of friends that do, and they aren’t assholes. Fuck it. I don’t know. People been asking those questions and I keep saying he’s hospitable. And its true, we got fed, we got everything we needed. But you know, I didn’t feel like I walked away with any friends because of it. No, that dudes a dick.

IRR – Hahahaha, you are my idol. On the other hand, how was it working with Jon Reiss?

DS – Great. Always. No, I mean there was a few times that I didn’t’ want to be there, but than I had to say that’s Jon. I mean the dude hasn’t been in a bad band. Ever. He’s never made a bad record. The dude has a flawless record since what, 1989? It’s going on a longtime. I really trust the guys’ opinion. Every time that I would realize that, I would think maybe that’s not where I would go with it but than I would think “I cant argue with him. It’s Jon.” But I didn’t feel like that working with Jack because I had to wonder, “Does he want this record to sound bad?” I don’t know man, I don’t know.

IRR – So what music are you listening to these days?

DS – Tons and tons of the Ramones. It’s been kind of a weird year and those guys just rode the happiness. It’s totally safe. For as dangerous as they must have seemed at the time, they are just really safe. I know that I can get any Ramones record and there will be 3 or 4 songs that I like a lot. I mean even the ones with the studio guitarist ripping in the background are always good. I mean even Brain Drain. They are just always good. A safe place I can go.

IRR – I think on your Daytrotter sessions you did a Rufus Thomas cover that I really dug.

DS – Yeah Rufus Thomas. I love that song “Tiger Man”. I know it as the funny Elvis version.

*At this point my phone recorder is dying after the standard amount of time we give each interview. I have not yet even spoken to Dan about the new album Dan Sartain Lives, Girlfriends, Cats, Chic-Fil-A and Cobras, which seem to fascinate him so he agrees to talk to me later.

Phone rings, I slow my breathing and pray he picks up again.

DS – Hey man.

IRR – Sorry about that, glad I got you back and I want to ask you some more about some of my favorite songs. I notice you have quite a penchant for Cobras. What’s the background on that?

DS – Well, its just that it was one of my earlier songs and one of my best songs. I really liked that song when I made it. When I wrote it I knew that it was good, so I’ve been trying to do it again. I don’t know. I thought I was done with em. And those problems that I had when I wrote it seem to be recurring.

IRR – Yeah it seems to be a recurring theme between cobras, leeches and hanger ons. Is that people hanging on you or memories hanging on you?

DS – Well, probably both. I heard Mike Tyson quoting somebody else. He was talking about his old trainer. This old white dude from the old days in upstate New York. He got Tyson, this kid from the city and he brought him into his house and kind of raised him up there in a place with a huge yard and things like that. And he was talking to him and just telling it to him straight. “Look there are people out there and they are animals disguised as human beings, and you aren’t intelligent enough to decipher the two” and he told Tyson that and Tyson still quotes it. Basically telling him that he wasn’t really that smart. And hopefully I can tell the two apart but sometimes you can’t. But I don’t know. I’m like that too. There are folks that I let down and they probably feel that way about me. I hate it, but that’s kind of life.

IRR – Another one of my favorites of yours is “ The world is gonna break your heart”

DS – I recently started doing that one live, because everybody was requesting it. But when I am doing these openings there may only be 10 or 20 of my folks there. That may be coincidentally a fan of the other band but if you are the opening act you don’t want to play a song that soft. You want to grab people’s attention with the harder songs. Plus if I play a softer song and the 10 or so people love it but the rest of the crowd is thinking “who is this pussy singing about his feelings” well than you know I’m not going to do it. But on this last tour I was playing by myself and I just started doing it and it got real quite. Like you could hear a pin drop, but not in a bad way, I mean everybody clapped at the end.

IRR – On that same album Join Dan Sartain you also had Besame Mucho and Flight of the Finch which both kind of had a Latino feel. Was that new for you and what caused you to go exploring that genre?

DS – Honestly, it probably had less to do with that culture and more to do with Italian Westerns. I mean I really like those movies and those guitar tones. So I guess I am trying to sound like Italian guys trying to sound like Latino guys. You know. Its just minor chords I guess.

IRR – So you’re headed out with Social distortion pretty soon. When does that start July?

DS – Yeah a little sooner than that. I have to head up to New York pretty soon. Yeah, I am kind of weary of it cuz I know that crowd. But I usually do pretty good in front of those crowds.

IRR – What’s that a rockabilly crowd?

DS – Yeah for lack of better words we can call them that. I don’t know what it is. People with old-fashioned hairdos with a purple stripe and Frankenstein shoes. Wear earplugs and have a haircut like Elvis. I mean its cool. I want to do it. It’s a privilege and I don’t want to appear ungrateful or anything.

IRR – Than in August you come to San Diego and will be headlining at the Casbah, correct?

DS – Yeah, it’s going to be my first headlining show there. Ive headlined at some other spots in San Diego but never at the Casbah. I’ve opened for friend’s bands there. IF its one of Jon’s bands or Garr’s bands or any of our friends out there. I usually end up opening but this time it’s my show, so hopefully one of my friends will open for me.

IRR – Cool, that will be great we’ll have to get some Mexican food also

DS – Yeah man, anything that ends in bertos.

IRR – Shoot , we got one of those on every corner around here.

DS – I know man, don’t remind me. Well how about Chic-Fil-A? You got those out there? We got one here and they have this new sandwich that everyone is fucking excited about. It’s actually pretty good. I’ll probably go get one when we ‘re done talking.

IRR – Sounds delicious, and in that same vein let’s talk about the new album Dan Sartain Lives. Did you go into the studio with something specific that you wanted to accomplish?

DS – Yeah, well, we went and did the whole thing with Liam this time. Ive worked with him before and he’s very meticulous. He basically breaks me down to the level to where I am like wow, I can’t play guitar at all, like I’m absolutely no good. Than he rebuilds it and I’m better than ever. I don’t know if I’m a better musician after but I know I’ve got a better ear. I’m hearing things that he hears and I go, you know what, you’re right. He’s a really good producer. I want to do it again. I’ve already got some things reordered with him and I want to do more. Hopefully it wont be long before the new record because I have some things written and plenty to write about and more to write about and we’ve got a good team.

IRR – I love the new record, I don’t have it as memorized yet as Join Dan Sartain seeing as I just got it but it’ll get there, it’s a solid record.

DS – Right on, it’ll take a few spins. But, man… I really want this one to be successful monetarily. I feel like I’ve already done more than I thought I was going to do…I mean I hate to sound cliché or like I’m saying I’m a member of a club that I don’t have identification for but I think I’ve done as much as I think I can do underground or in the club circuit and it has branched out into doing big shows with big acts and things like that. So, i don’t know, I really want this one to be successful and I don’t really see any shame in that. People used to accuse bands of selling out and things like that. And yeah maybe in the early 90s or the early 80s when you could save up some money and have something to show for yourself. I mean, yeah, I’m in a punk band and I put out punk records and I own this house. But nowadays, I don’t know, I mean some friends of mine have just sold a song to Wal-Mart. And I know that Wal-Marts the bad guy and they aren’t paying those people living wages and they outsource everything and the jobs they do provide in this country aren’t really livable wages, but I also know my friends are good guys. They aren’t bad. And they are in their 30s or almost and they are still couch surfing and they aren’t really members of society or they wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for their girlfriend. You know what I mean. I don’t see any shame in that. There is no such thing as selling out anymore. And what’s even more fucked up is that they used to get people to write songs and whatnot. But I mean the music industry is dead or almost dead. I mean back in the day they used to employ people to write songs and write jingles for Ajax, or Coco Krispies or Coca Cola or whatever. They would hire somebody who had an ear for tunes to write something and they don’t do that anymore. They take pre-existing songs and the people in charge of that have better ears than people on the radio. I mean you don’t hear the Buzzcocks on the radio, at least not here in Alabama. But you do hear it on the TV. I fucking turn on the television a few years ago and I hear the Misfits. On the television! It’s fucking crazy. It’s not entirely bad because it’s showing that whoever does the hiring for those companies isn’t doing such a bad job. But that’s not their job. They are supposed to be selling you car insurance not turning you onto good music. That should be the radios job. You know what I mean. I mean I heard this great band from a Tony Hawk video game. And I can’t deny it because it is great music on those commercials man. And I want to be in a commercial man!

IRR – Let’s do it. Lets get you rich!

DS – Well at least out my parents goddamn house! That would be nice. That would be really nice. But really, I got no complaints. I know why I’m here. I’m probably not a very good boyfriend and it doesn’t really make sense to pay money for a place that i’m not really going to be at for moths at a time. I mean I don’t want to ask my friends to take care of my cat and crank my car once a week cuz I come back and my battery is dead and my cats fucking skinny and has got fleas. Ya know. I’m waiting around for the right girl to move in.

IRR – There you go, lets start the Win A Date With Dan Sartain contest

DS – Yeah, man. A holiday in Cambodia. Those guys in England that put out my record. Some of the stuff we don’t agree with but ultimately I’ve decided I really like those guys. Sometimes they’ll do something that irks me or leaves me scratching my head but I like them But one time I showed up at the club and there was this god-awful picture of me that I never approved. Like with my shirt off or something and under it, it says “ win a trip to Alabama” I was like “Why? Man why? I mean Alabama is not a vacation destination at all. I mean anything that we have there, there is somewhere better that has it better. I mean Memphis is a town that actually has culture and things going for it and it’s still a pretty lousy vacation. So why would you want to come to Alabama? And than I found out it wasn’t even a contest. It was to get on a mailing list. But I mean if they want someone to win and come to my house cool but they will be thinking “ why the fuck am I here? I just flew 17 hours or something and now I’m in Alabama. What am I going to do” I guess they can hang with my parents, we got some Neil young records or we can go get that Chic-Fil-A sandwich I was talking about. I mean now I can look at it as funny but at the time I was like “What the Fuck” Plus I hate mailers. Those things are annoying.

IRR – Yup the mail never stops.

DS – Not for bad bands it doesn’t. Those things just keep coming, Myself included man. I’m not above anybody. I’m sure some people are sick of hearing about me. Maybe they don’t even want to know about this third record.

IRR – No man, I think the world is going to recognize.

DS – I hope so man, and it kind of felt like it this last time in England. I mean there were kids kind of dressed like me and they handed me this song and they said “we wrote you a song” and they give it to me and I’m like wow, this sounds like one of my songs. A lot of bands get bummed by that thinking that their sound is getting ripped off but I know what that means. It means if they rip you off they like you. And I would like to feel like I’ve accomplished something. I mean I’m almost 30 and I’d like to have something by this time. I mean I feel like I’ve accomplished some things definitely but its just that every job I’ve had I get fired at. I’m just not very good at it. Music is the only job I’ve ever got a promotion at. So i’m going to stick with that and hopefully it goes somewhere. And if it did, I wouldn’t be a dick.

IRR – Well, shoot, I hope it does go big. I hope you get all the money and you, your cat, your girlfriend and your car live happily ever after.

DS – That sounds great man. That’s what I’m trying for.

IRR –Alright man, this has been my favorite interview and you are one of my all time favorites out there so I’m looking forward to seeing you in San Diego. I just want to warn you that 2 or 3 of my friends love your music so much they will probably be so excited to see you they may go gay for you.

DS – Awesome, I’m ready for the Gay. See you in San Diego. Later man.

The Appleseed Cast has had tremendous longevity over the years.  The band is working on album number nine and is also looking to release some new 7”s in the near future.  Recently the band embarked on a 50 date tour playing Low Level Owl Vol. I-II in its entirety at each show.  I talked to guitarist Aaron about the tour, new music, and much more.

Interview by Kevin Corazza with Aaron Pillar

What is the story behind the recording of Low Level Vol. I-ll? Did you have the album prepared before you went into the studio or did it come to be during the actual recording?

We actually only had about 5 songs going into the studio, the idea was to make two records so we could fulfill our contract with Deep Elm. However with Ed Rose and ourselves holed up in the studio we found some magic happening and really went with it..few weeks later we had it done. It was an amazing time recording.

What made you decide to go out on the road and perform Low Level Owl Vol I+II in its entirety?

We had discussed this for quite awhile, its seemed like a great challenge to us to pull it off. It also seemed like a fun thing for our fans of course were pretty stoked to do it, but glad its over now. Same set for 50 shows is boring after awhile.

You are also releasing a new 7″ soon. Can you tell me more about that?

This will be a cover of the Van Pelt a song called “The Speeding Train”, the B side is almost done, its a new piece, very different. We plan to maybe expand the 7 inch idea into a four part series.

What is your favorite release and why?

Don’t really have one but probably Sagarmatha because its newer and fresh to me. It feels like the band now.

What do you think of Graveface?

Ryan is an amazing man. We love him…he is what a label should be…very glad to be working with him.

What will the new album sound like and how will it differ from Peregrine and Sagarmatha?

Not really sure yet, the new stuff so far is different, maybe like Sagarmatha but not as aggressive and dark, but we’re still working…about 5 songs done.

Your band has history in both California and the Midwest.  Where is everyone living these days?

Everyone calls Lawrence, Kansas home these days.

How would you say your band differs from the days on Deep Elm?

We’re older and have kids and mortgage payments now but the responsibilities take care of themselves. We still love playing and writing. Touring is more fun now than in the past…being in a band is pretty cool.

What do you think of Ed Shultz? I know someone in the band had called into his show and he has played some of your music.

Ed is fine, I don’t watch the show, but I like his stand for the little guy and regulations on banking and corporations. The country is going through some growing pains I think.. We’re a hybrid fascist country, something new, but I don’t dwell on it much, I do what I can, recycle, buy local, etc….I think the people of this country will realize we’re getting screwed by free market unsustainable corporatists and rise up..but it will take time. It will be a very interesting new couple of years.

On your latest album Sagarmatha, you went for epic, sprawling landscapes with less emphasis on vocals.  Do you intend to keep this style alive on your next album or do you foresee yourself having another evolution of sound like you have continued to do throughout the years?

It will be different, it always is but many of the ideas of Sagarmatha are still influencing our writing. So we shall see…

You use a lot of effects in studio live.  What kinda effect pedals do you use the most and how do you think this enhances your sound?

For me personally it is my sound, I use the Line 6 M13, Line 6 DL4, EXH Cathedral, Boss PS3 Delay, and Fulltone OCD and a Devi Ever Fuzz…but delays and reverb are my tones, I cant play without them.

How do you go about writing songs? What is the exact process of constructing an album?

Get in the basement and bang away. Chris and I bring ideas like a riff or a chord progression but we just play a lot and work it out. Its a long process at times.

Your band has been strong for over a decade.  What would you contribute to this longevity?

We love this…..simple. You have to keep on going this long.

What are some new releases you are listening to lately?  Anyone you can recommend?

I’m a huge XX fan, also Surfer Blood.

Where do you see yourself and the band in five years?

Touring and making music I hope.  If we are lucky.

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Interview by Kevin Corazza

Walter Schreifels started out his career in hardcore legends Youth of Today and Gorilla Biscuits deeply immersed in the DC/NYC hardcore scene.  Since then, he has rocked out in Quicksand and currently Rival Schools.  He has also released a few solo albums between projects.  Look out for a new Rival Schools record later this year.

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Braid was a highly influential emo/post-hardcore band from Illinois that helped define the genre in the mid to late 90s.  The band played four final shows in 1999 before disbanding.  They reunited for a reunion tour in 2004 playing US, Canada, and Japan dates.  After much demand, in April 2010 Polyvinyl re-issued their first two full lengths as well the Movie Music volumes.  I got a chance to discuss with the band their history, DVD release, influences, vinyl collections, those re-issues and so much more.

Interview by Kevin Corazza with Bob Nanna, Chris Broach, and Todd Bell

BN: Bob Nanna
CB: Chris Broach
TB: Todd Bell

IRR: First things first, LPs of your older albums including Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five, The Age Of Octeen, Movie Music Vol I+II, and I’m Afraid of Everything 7” were just released because of public demand after years of being out of print.  What is the story of getting these releases back in print to begin with?
BN: It was all Polyvinyl’s doing. Being the shrewd label folk that they are, they saw the value in having the vinyl available again, as it’s having a nice revival, what with mp3 backlash and things like Record Store Day, etc. This is not to dismiss the folks that just straight up love vinyl. Like Todd. : )

TB: It has been on my mind for years to get all of this redone and Matt and I talked about it now and then and we finally made it happen. The point to note here is that it took a long time. We wanted to do it right and have a handful of limited copies on different colors while staying true to the original art. We were able to make it all happen and they look and sound great. A lot of people are to thank for making this happen including all of the people who originally did the artwork and of course the Polyvinyl crew in it’s entirety all contributed – they understood our vision and how it needed to be. Bob and I did a majority of the grunt work – test pressings, proofing, etc. but we all are close and everyone saw everything before it was done. We all had a voice, even Roy. Thank God for email! Even if we cringe at our past occasionally, it’s nice to have those albums all available on the vinyl format again.

IRR: What are some of your favorite 7” and split releases you released?
BN: My personal favorite of the 7″ records is “Niagara.” It’s like none of the others. Weird covers, lyrics printed on the actual label, two fun songs.

CB: My fave 7” was probably “I’m Afraid of Everything” – I liked the artwork (we even made a shirt out of the cover art for a while) and I think our music at that point was becoming more interesting.

TB: The “Afraid” 7″ holds a special place in my heart. It’s Grand Theft Autumn number 001 and Polyvinyl number 008. We laid out the artwork for that one and Bob and I pressed it. The handwriting on the labels, liner notes and on the back “logos” are mine. Bob hand wrote the lyrics. It reminds me of a simpler time sitting at our house stuffing records before tour. I touched every single copy of “Niagara”. GTA ended up pressing 3000 copies of that over several years. All numbered and hand assembled. First press is clear, second is black and third is clear blue. 1000 each color.

IRR: Your twitter account @braidcentral is loaded with trivia and fun facts about past shows you played on the same day years later.  Who updates this and where does all this info come from?
BN: We all have access to it. As for the historical info, we’ve kept pretty good track of all of the shows we’ve played and for most of them I have notes scribbled down. I was an obsessive note taker back then. Who knew that such a thing as Twitter would help more folks see those useless notes.

CB:  Bob updates it mostly w/ trivia.  He always wrote extensively on tour and kept track of details that otherwise would have been lost.  Unfortunately, everything I wrote and collected from those days was lost when someone broke into my car and stole a bag filled with all of my notebooks and journals.

TB: Bobs’ memory is invaluable to our legacy – I’ll occasionally add to our twitter but Bob is online most of the day and keeps it alive. I’ll add old stuff (interviews, show memories) now and then but it’s Bob’s note taking that saves us. I think Broach and I were partying and Bob was writing alone in the van most of the time. Maybe that explains my lack of memories? The grand Braid showography is online and helps me remember certain dates – every show we ever played has dates, bands and venues online. I’m glad we documented that. I still have flyers from our first shows and early stuff – much of that was one spring cleaning away from being tossed in a dumpster at some point. Glad I’m a pack rat.

IRR: What was life like in Champaign as well as Chicago and Milwaukee?
BN: Champaign was, for the most part, like a typical college town. Pretty good music scene, a lot of house shows, and a lot of impressionable students. Thankfully Broach and I were both impressionable students or else we would have gone on to do something worthwhile with our lives! Haha, that’s a joke.

CB: Champaign when we lived there was a hot spot for bands to stop on tour.  I think it was headed that way before we got down there, but we started bringing all of our friends’ bands down – introducing people to the music we were into, and so I think we had a big part in nurturing a scene that was receptive to what we were doing there at the time.  Touring constantly kept us up to date on what other bands were doing elsewhere, and they knew that we would help them get a show in our hometown.  We were out putting up fliers for our shows all over the city all the time… we even spent a lot of time putting up fliers for friends’ bands to make sure that we would get people out.  There was a community of people there that would book shows at many different venues and there were so many places for bands to play… so many shows going on every week that it was easy to stay in the loop and make sure you didn’t miss anything.

We were really a Champaign band, even though Bob and I grew up in the Chicago suburbs.  Chicago was really great back then, though.  The Fireside Bowl was just starting up and it was the most fun place to play.  All ages, big crowds, big scene, and people standing almost on top of you when the shows were full.  It was like coming home when we played Chicago.  Eventually, Bob and I moved back up here toward the end of the band.

TB: Champaign was rad. Plenty of basements to play, cheap places to live easily with big practice basements, all complete with good neighbors who put up with the noise. It was a friendly scene and everyone was neighborly, especially the bands. Poster Children added us to a show once and we barely knew them. They were just being nice. It was like that. We spent weekends staggering to parties and hanging out with like minded people and talked about music and where we could throw the next house show. It was a great time and we “networked” though we didn’t call it that at the time, we were just nice approachable people. We made zines and had pen pals. We did record distros. I worked at the record store on campus and spread the word about music I liked and our bands and friends bands. We made and put up flyers for shows that we were not even playing. We wanted people to come to those shows and not miss out. I put out the first Wolfie 7″ because I thought they were awesome. I think they were maybe 18. We did our best to be the next generation of bands in the town and carry the flag. Ward, the main promoter still to this day in that town is to thankful for a lot of it. He was open to the new bands, let us make up the bills (add our own bands to shows), and was fair. Without him that town would have never seen out of town bands like Seaweed, Jawbox, Kinghorse, Brainiac, Rodan, June of 44 – not to mention a thriving local seen with EXTREMELY TALENTED original bands. Shows were like a reunion and everyone would be there to support. I saw some crazy stuff back then. I saw Hum many times in an ear-splitting basement. I saw the floor collapse at a show Menthol played because of how many people were packed in. I saw Honcho Overload play in full Halloween gear with Matt from Hum playing bass on stilts dressed as a mummy. Good times. Champaign was also in the middle of St Louis, Chicago and Indy so bands kinda had to come through. We were lucky as far as location. That helped.

IRR: What were some of your favorite Chicago and Midwest bands growing up in the 90s?   I know that besides Midwestern bands another huge influence was the great DC scene of the 80s and California punk.  Who are some of your greatest influences?
BN: My favorite local band was Gauge. Any time they played, they packed the place and the energy was incredible. Super inspiring. Nationwide, for me, it was equal parts Jawbreaker and Fugazi.

CB: Biggest influences (or bands that had the greatest impact on me) from the 80s and 90s whether I tried to imitate them or not and in no particular order: Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Religion, Minutemen, Big Boys, Hoover, Cap’n Jazz, Pixies, Jawbreaker, Archers of Loaf, Brainiac, Ida, The Van Pelt, Dead Kennedys, Naked Raygun, Pegboy, 8 Bark.  The DC scene had a lot of interesting things happening so the whole thing affected me.

TB: We listened to everything and we all lived together at different points and swapped music. If I needed Guided By Voices and Palace I knew Bob had it. If I needed Big Boys, Chris had it. Roy had the hip-hop and DC stuff. Growing up, I listened to Dinosaur Jr, Descendents, Bad Brains as well as top 40. Skate rock stuff and the CU scene mixed with Chicago bands and the DC scene. We BOUGHT records new and old. We took chances and were open minded. I brought home STACKS of cds from work and they would just be in the kitchen next to the boombox. I think this was a bigger influence on us than we actually think about. We were a band playing what we thought was interesting and not thinking too much about it while taking notes on what we liked from all different kinds of stuff; this kept us fairly original.

IRR: Any new bands in particular you guys are digging and would recommend to people?
BN: My favorite bands right now are Aloha and The Velvet Teen. As for NEW bands, I like Maps & Atlases & Japandroids.

CB: Some new and some not so new bands I’ve been spending time with are Surfer Blood, The Drums, Passion Pit, Archers of Loaf, Beauty Pill, Teddybears.

TB: Too many to mention. More concerned with boxing up and moving my music collection right now. I’m half way through and have 17 boxes of LPs. This has got to stop.

IRR: What went into the process of releasing Movie Music Vol I+II in 2000? I know you had a lot of work in terms of gathering photos, coming up with linear notes and compiling all those scattered comp, 7”, split, and cover tracks.
BN: Haha, it wasn’t that much work! As i said, we were really good about archiving things!

CB: I think Bob had the idea.  All I said was, “good idea,” and everyone got to work on it.  I think I may have contributed a photo or two I had.  I know we had to track down a few DAT tapes here or there that we thought could have been lost, but in the end, they turned up…

TB: Bob is lying or in denial. It was a pain but a fun one. At times we thought it would be incomplete and then someone would find that elusive DAT tape in a milk crate in the closet or something. I’m so glad we did it at the time – it’s nice to have all of that in one place and on cd.

IRR: How was it working with J.Robbins on Frames and Canvas?  Any notable stories or happenings during the recording process for the album?
BN: Working with J was a dream come true. My favorite memory of recording Frame and Canvas was catching him air-drumming to one of the songs.

CB: I found out I was apparently singing the “wrong” note on a song.  I thought it was right, but was out-voted and sang the “new” note – I was singing a note that only I was playing on my guitar, which worked on the guitar, but not vocally.  It was crazy working with a guy whose music I had grown up listening to.  The following things were cool – when we were listening back and I saw J. air drumming to one of our songs – I think we all talked about how cool it was; when he laid down some (drums?) on one of the songs; when we later got to do a European tour with Burning Airlines.

TB: J is the cats meow. Recording with him was awesome. Touring (w/ Burning Airlines) and getting to know him was equally special. He is a sweet dude. Love some J. I have several quotes I still use from those tours not to mention our fake backstage band tagging. It makes me laugh out loud.

IRR: How did your relationship come about with Polyvinyl?  What are some of your favorite releases on the label?
BN: Matt from Polyvinyl set up the very first Braid show! We’ve been friends since the very beginning so once his label got rolling, it was the natural choice. Aloha “Here Comes Everyone” is a damn near perfect record.

CB: Matt (owner) was a kid from Danville, Illinois who used to book shows for us there.  He was starting a label and wanted to put out some of our stuff… so we did a seven inch (I’m Afraid of Everything) with him and a comp or two and then later – when we were looking for someone to do our third album, he came along and offered.  He had been good to us, and we liked him and trusted him.

TB: Roy and I used to skate with Matt. We trusted him and it grew from there..

IRR: What do you think about the resurgence of vinyl?  What type of collections do you guys have and what are some of your most treasured LPs, 10”s, and 7”s?
BN: I love vinyl and it deserves a comeback. There’s always something special about the tactile process of putting on records, making sure not to jar the needle, flipping it, caring for it, etc. It makes the music that much more worthwhile and less throwaway. I recently got rid of many of the records i’d been lugging around but i still have a decent collection. Todd is the guy to speak to about this.

CB: I think it’s great to have vinyl come back… I have a ton of vinyl that I got from garage sales, church sales… old sound effects records, wartime records, ‘learn french’ records… My great aunt moved a few years back and gave me all her old swing and jazz records then.  I don’t know why I keep this stuff, but I do.

TB: I’ve been buying and trading for a long time. There is something very relaxing about the process of putting on a record and flipping it over every 20 minutes. You are there to listen to it. Not do other things. The art is nicer, the format is fragile and sexy – it’s not expendable – you have to be careful with it. I could probably tell you when and where I bought most every single record. My collection gets big and then dwindles and then grows again. I have about 2,000 records right now. It’s a good size. It is tight though – no filler. I will never be done – there is always something I’m looking for. It’s a fun hobby to go on a mission to find a promo copy of a record they made few of or limited the pressing. I come across copies of records I own for cheap and I buy them again and give them to friends. I buy “better” copies and upgrade too. I’m kinda crazy. I bet I have 5 or 6 doubles right now of titles like Led Zeppelin, Joe Jackson, Seam. It never hurts to have doubles of a good record to donate to a friend.

I try to stick to LPs and 12″s so rarer tiles are a promo only copy of Failure: Comfort. A russian pressing of Stooges: Fun House with all russian lettering. Shudder to Think: Your Choice Live german live LP. Material Issue: International Pop Overthrow. A test press of Dinosaur Jr: Just Like Heaven 12″. I just found the first Blake Babies LP, that was a nice score. All kinds of stuff.

IRR: Killing A Camera is one of the best band documentaries I have ever seen.  How long did this take to put together and what was the process of gathering all the footage from the last four shows you played? Also, in 2004 you re-released the documentary and added a whole new version with additional commentary and updates on the band.  What more were you looking to add to it?

BN: Filming and documenting those last shows was the brainchild of Bifocal Media so they did all of the grunt work. As for the DVD, we just thought it would be hilarious to get together and do a commentary, so we did! I wonder if folks even listened to it.

CB: That has everything to do with the BiFocal guys – Charles and Brad.  Charles wanted to update the documentary for BiFocal with new interviews and some commentary, as well – which seemed fun.  Charles flew in to do the interviews separately, and we had literally just talked about doing the reunion a short time before this… so we all got together for the first time in years and did the commentary.  For me, it seemed like it was a dry run to see if we all could get along and have fun together again before we really agreed to do the tour.

TB: It’s no secret we all love film and movies and we couldn’t pass up the chance to re-do our VHS video with extra stuff and commentary. Bifocal dudes were into it and loved the band. It was super fun and we did it mostly at my old house over a weekend.

IRR: Any notable tour moments or funny stories that you would like to share?
BN: We will share them with the world on our twitter acct @braidcentral. Just recently we celebrated the 12 year anniversary of our tour manager getting in a fight with a high school hockey team.

CB: Yes, there are stories… we were in Louisiana and we all decided (some of us in Braid and some guys and gals from other bands we were playing with) to take what we thought would be a short trip to a river and the woods to hang out after a show.  We ended up driving a couple hours to a backwoods trek that led us to a river.  I almost stepped into a giant web of some huge spider that was in directly eye level with me.  I don’t know if it was poisonous, but it certainly looked like it could kill.  It was hot, so we all decided to go swimming in this river.  I really didn’t think about it at the time, but we were probably surrounded by alligators.  We spent a good amount of time in that river that night.  It was totally clear and the stars were in full view.  It was beautiful, but probably not the smartest thing in the world to do…

TB: Too many to mention and most not appropriate for interviews. Ask us in person or catch some hints on the braid twitter!

IRR: How did your reunion in 2004 come about?
BN:  Since the DVD was coming out and Hey Mercedes was taking a break, it seemed like the perfect time to do it! And we were all game!

CB: I don’t really know.  One day I got an email from Bob asking if I wanted to do a Braid reunion tour.  I wasn’t playing with them (Bob, Todd and Damon were doing Hey Mercedes and I was doing The Firebird Band) – so I don’t know how it was discussed w/ them – but I was down, and we did it.

TB: Why not get together and play music you love with your friends? If everyone is into it and it’s fairly easy. It seemed right, we had the connections to book the tour and the DVD was coming out so it worked perfectly.

IRR: How were the shows in 2004?  What were some of your favorite places to play and how did it differ from some of your last shows before that?
BN: The whole experience was amazing but in retrospect, too long! Favorite places on that tour: Chicago, Boston, Champaign, North Carolina…

CB: One of my favorite nights was playing in St. Louis w/ Minus the Bear & Murder By Death.  For some reason, it became one of the craziest nights on the tour.  We (Braid) decided it would be funny to bring Minus the Bear a shot after every song they played.  By the end of their set, they were refusing drinks and sloppy.  Unfortunately, we didn’t think about how that would turn out for us.  They tried to do the same thing for us, but instead ended up bum rushing the stage a few times and it was mayhem.  The rest of the night was followed by more insanity…

FL was cool, too – but again, we started swimming in the ocean at night during shark time.  I didn’t know why the Floridians we were with wouldn’t come out and swim with us until the next day when someone told me about shark city times (the newspaper).

TB: It was all a blur. Ask Bob if he took notes. I blame Minus The Bear. Back on top!

IRR: Any chance of any Braid reunion shows in the future?  I know it has been discussed to promote your new re-issues, but there might be some difficulties with all of your guys schedules…
BN: Yeah, we’re all super swamped but I’ve learned to never say never.

CB:  We’ve talked about one offs here or there b/c we’ve been asked, but schedules and jobs/life are happening, too.  Maybe we will, but I don’t have any idea when or how.  I’m sure you’ll hear of it if we ever do…

T: Incredibly busy like everyone else, but if the planets align you never know. I’ll say it again, why not get together and play music you love with your friends?

IRR: Chris and Bob, I know you have started to DJ together at Bar Deville.  Bob, you also DJ at Logan Bar.  How did you get into doing this and how do you go about the tough job of picking out your playlists for each night?
BN: It just fell upon me! Logan Bar is near my house and my friend was a server there. I noticed they played good music and she suggested I DJ there on one weekend, so i did! I’ve been doing that for probably almost 9 months. Bar DeVille just started 2 months ago. An old friend who bartends there asked if i wanted to do an all 90′s indie night so i couldn’t refuse! The Logan gig is more contemporary stuff. It’s not tough picking songs. I just play to what i think the crowd will like (and what i like. i’ll never play something i hate!) So if i see someone walk in with a Rocket From The Crypt hoodie, I’ll play RFTC or Hot Snakes over the next few songs. Easy!

CB: Bob was doing this, and I came out to see him DJ at Bar Deville a couple of times.  He asked if I wanted to guest DJ with him at Bar Deville one week and then it just became a weekly thing for us.  The job of picking a playlist for me isn’t difficult at all.  I do it all on the fly based on what I feel like hearing next or what I feel fits next.  If I get some “new” old music that I haven’t heard in forever, you can bet it’ll be on the list.  I usually tweet some of my playlists.

TB: If I was living in Chicago I’d be in on it whether the guys liked it or not. Believe it.

IRR: Besides DJing, what are all of you up to now?  New bands, projects, bands, or jobs?
BN: I work at Threadless.com now doing promotions, social media, and marketing. It’s the perfect job! I love the people and a good portion of my day is spent on Facebook and Twitter giving away free stuff. I still play solo shows now and again and hope to put out at least one more record!

CB:  I’ve been working with kids at an after school enrichment program for Chicago Public Schools.  I tutor the kids in math and reading, play sports, do art and music, and tons of other things with them.  Musically, I’ve released a few things under my own name solo and still plan on doing more with that.  The Firebird Band released a new 7” record in March, and I’m working with John Isberg sporadically on various projects.  I also started working on compositions for film, TV, and live theater w/ an old friend (Todd Finkel) that’s mostly orchestral in nature.

TB: I’m in grad school and teaching in Milwaukee. Played bass yesterday on a friends project and filled in with Roy’s band a year or so ago. Nothing serious. I love to play and rarely get to – so if the chance does arise I try to make it happen. If Broach, Bob or Damon called and needed something, I’d be there on the spot.

*Buy all of Braid’s albums remixed and remastered over at Polyvinyl Records
Visit Braid
Tweet with Braid – @braidcentral

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Laura Burhenn has made me weak in the knees with her vocals a few times. Once was in the Sunset Tavern’s womens bathroom stall when we did an Acoustic Video when she was playing with Orenda Fink’s band O+S. The other time was when I first heard her new band Mynabirds!

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Interview by Thirst’n Howl III

Dan Black is gearing up to visit the good ole U.S. of A.  He will be kicking off his tour in the little beach town of Costa Mesa, Ca.  This also happens to be right around the corner from my house.  Upon reading the following interview, one may get the correct idea that if my heart wore pants, they would be getting tighter and tighter upon the thought of this show.  In order to prepare me and you, the most excellent reader, we have a little chat with Dan Black to get us all equally excited.

IRR – Hey there, I’m sorry my phone wouldn’t pick up for the last five minutes.  Darn iPhones.

Dan Black (all his parts can be read in a suave british accent, almost Jude Law-ish) – Yes, well, I guess technology can’t solve all of our problems.  At least, not yet.

IRR (I chuckle because that is funny, but not too much, because I am playing this cool and let’s imagine my voice with an American accent and with vocal range between Barry White and Moses((played by Charlton Heston)) – Hahahah.  So true.  So where in the world are you at these days?

DB – I am currently in Paris, France and have been here for a bit.

IRR – Ahhh, Paris.  I’ve never been.  What should one do if they make it to Paris?

DB – The first thing to do in Paris is just walk around.  It is literally soaked in History.  It is one of the few places that was not bombed away during World War II so it is not buried and blown to pieces.  Paris is also filled with amazing art, amazing food and quite a lot of women.

IRR – Soon you will be headed out on tour.  Where all are you headed and for how long?

DB –  The tour will more or less be all summer.  It will be closer to 2 smaller tours.  The majority of the areas that will be covered will be New York, Chicago, and LA.  I enjoy the newness of a tour.  Going to new places and seeing new parts.

IRR – Where is the smallest town in the U.S. that you have played at?

DB – I would have to say Trenton but I am not sure if I am saying it properly.

IRR – Sounds good to me.  On a totally unrelated subject though, how did the collaboration with Kid Cudi come about?

DB – I guess Kid Cudi had heard some of my stuff because he contacted me and more or less said that he wanted to do something together.  I sent him the music and almost overnight he had the vocals done.  The entire thing took less than 2 to 3 days.  It was very fast.

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IRR – Which artists would you like to work with next or are currently working with?

BD – Well, the majority of the artists I currently love as they are and don’t want to ruin it for them.  I have never really thought about which artists I would like to work with…but when they contact me or we kind of come together…well than I guess it’s fate.  Yeah…Fate.

IRR – This is kind of my favorite part of the interview.  I love knowing what bands or artists I love are listening to.  So, what are you listening to these days?

DB – Uhmmm,  I am really enjoying what Janelle Monet is doing these days.  And of course Jamie Lidell.  His album Compass is amazing.  I also like to listen to Crystal Castles and Salem.  Also Warpaint.  They were very good at SXSW.

IRR – How was SXSW for you?

DB – SXSW has won me over.  It had a nice atmosphere of people.  Very mellow and friendly.  It was also the most intense craziness that had a calm and friendly feel to it.  But then again, maybe my non U.S. eyes were oblivious to all the danger.

IRR – What can we hope to get our ears on soon from you?

DB – There will be a remix of “Symphonies” to be released at the end of the month.  That’s probably the next thing that I will have coming out.

IRR – We’re looking forward to it.  What are some of the artists that you are currently working with?

DB – Next things I am working with are probably with Bag Raiders and also Kids in Space.

IRR – Bitchin.  Now on a personal note, I was wondering why every time that I tell a British person that my grandparents are from Wales they usually say “Ohhhh, I’m sorry.”  What does that mean exactly?

DB – Hmmmm.  Well I am guessing that it could be that up until about 1939 the English were quite awful to the Welsh.  But now they are all OK.  I actually grew up in Buckinghamshire.  Which was a very nice place to grow up.

IRR – Well, I think we have taken up all of your time and squashed some centuries-old racial problems.  I would say this interview has been a full success.  We can’t wait to come see you in Costa Mesa next week.

DB – Yes, do say hi.

-Dan Black

June Tour Dates:

June 2 : Costa Mesa @ Detroit Bar
June 3 : LA @ The Roxy
June 4 : San Diego @ Casbah
June 6 : Mountain View @ Live 105′s BFD 2010
June 7 : Fresno @ Starline
June 8 : LA @ Logo’s New Now Next Awards

Visit Dan Black
Download Dan Black’s Weird Science Mix Tape here

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Matt Marks ‘The Little Death Vol.1′ Album Stream by IndieRockReviews

We probably bored Matt Marks  to death with our 18 Questions interview, and that’s part of our goal – to make musicians really think about if it’s really worth being in a band when you have to do lame things like answer form questions for a website. Too bad for him, he’s good, and we like his publicist, and when you are good people want to ask you stupid things. Thanks Matt Marks!

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Please Do Not Fight – Up, Up, Up
(click to listen, right click to download mp3)

IRR: What were the reasons behind the name “Please Do Not Fight”?

I used to have a band called Brave Not Noble and we had a sticker that was based on a song we had. The sticker said “You’re Not a Bad Person” and people really loved it – more so than the stickers with the band name! I really wanted a band name that could illicit that same reaction in people and at the same time reflect the vibe of the people involved.

IRR: What are your plans for “Please Do Not Fight”?

To continue to grow artistically and to keep expanding the definition of that. I love writing songs and playing shows but I would also love to do more with video and other forms of media. We host an Open Mic in Redwood City as well and I love helping to create things like that.

IRR: Have you ever feel that your fan base has hit a Plato or have you noticed a steady increase throughout the years?

I would say there has been a fairly steady increase throughout the years. Things always go slower than you want them to but I can’t think of any time where I feel like we haven’t been making strides forwards.

IRR: I know being an artist is difficult, how do you deal with the difficulty and cultural bias towards artists!

Great question – by making sure we have lots and lots of fun. I realized early on that if it’s not fun – what’s the point? And who would want to see us perform anyways? I think as someone who wants to make their art their living it’s really easy to push yourself to go all out all the time. And while I think that’s essential it’s also important to keep in mind why you’re doing what you’re doing.

IRR: How do you stay creative and how do you approach writing a song?

It can be really hard sometimes – when you’re in a band the business of being a band can really get in the way. For me being creative is a really long and spontaneous process so when my time is really tight it can be hard. Sometimes I’ll have to take a few days or a week off of managing and promoting the band to get songs finished. and every song is different.

IRR: Who were the original band members, and how did it all begin?

Myself, Erin, Spike and Beau were the original members and they all joined on board with the simple goal of recording a full length album in mind and no commitments beyond that. Please Do Not Fight has kind of interesting dynamic – I designed the commitments within the band to be very mailable so that the band could continue on with just me if need be. But at the same time members of PDNF are never just ‘guns for hire’. Everyone is actively involved in the creative process and each band member that has come and gone has absolutely changed the sound of the band in some way. I like it like that – bringing new people in to song write is really exciting for me!

IRR: What do you think of the music industry in current times?

I don’t think I or anyone else really knows what’s going on! Honestly it’s both a pretty exciting and pretty stressful time to be a musician.

IRR: What are the major influences for “Please Do Not Fight”

I grew up on late-90s indie and power pop. Bands like The Get Up Kids, The Jealous Sound, Cursive, Bright Eyes and The Weakerthans to name a few and I’m also big into bands driven by social issues like Against Me! and Desaparacidos. I just love that kind of honest story driven song writing and the subtle tackling of social and political issues. Creating those kind of moments has been a big driving force for our sound.
IRR- Do you have a favorite venue?

I have a lot of fond memories of seeing many of my favorite bands at Bottom Of The Hill growing up.

IRR: Do you have any funny stories about the band?

One time we went to the Black Bear Diner while on tour to the Northwest and Kubes asked if ‘Bobs Big Black Bear Burger’ – one of their menu items – was made of real bear. He’s from a small town in Minnesota originally and was completely seriously. And I quote – “Where I come from if it says it’s made of bear then it’s made of bear!”. Come to think about it most of our funny stories involve Kubes – he definitely makes us all laugh more than anyone else.

IRR: Who is your favorite super hero?

Batman!

IRR: What is your favorite city?

San Francisco but Portland is a close runner up!

Free Download “Please Don’t Wipe That Smile Off Your Face”

Visit Please Do Not Fight