EXACTLY !

As individuals, the members of Exactly have gained a certain amount of notoriety in DC’s small, but closely knit indie scene. Whether for their outrageous sense of dress, or their hard partying antics, Jesse (Keyboards, Vocals), Cole (Drums) and Adrian (Keyboards, Vocals) have cemented their reputations as very colorful characters. So you can only imagine our surprise when these three announced that they were forming a band.


(Photo by Sam Goldstein, for Brightest Young Things)

Their first show at Asylum was a reverbed-out performance art spectacle that left some folks wondering if they’d just had the wool pulled over their eyes. (In all fairness, the soundguy did a terrible job). But all doubts were jettisoned when the group staged a show at their warehouse/practice space in October 2008. By turning down the reverb and actually crafting songs with discernible melodies, Exactly managed to channel the sounds of Suicide, Big Black, Kiss and Animal Collective. (Let it be known that I was the first one to compare these guys to Suicide, not DCist).This performance was particularly memorable due to the fact that the entire group (and their topless dancer) were covered in fake blood and surrounded by strobe-lights.


(Photo by Zach Callahan)

Since then, Exactly have continued to perform in the DC area, and even managed to take their act to Baltimore and New York. Check out their MySpace and pray that they decide to play a concert hall near you! I strongly recommend "Jenny's Fine" and "Empire."

Playing @ the 930 Club TONIGHT

For all you readers out there who've been wondering why I've been absent, allow me to bring you up to speed.

My band, Ra Ra Rasputin is playing at the 930 Club here in Washington, DC. It's been an insane month, lemme tell you. Rehearsals, a guest DJ spot here, and some serious flyering all day/every day. It's been absolute chaos. But two years of hard work and toil have finally paid off. So in honor of US I've decided to post a few things.

Ra Ra Rasputin - Synaptic from MOPEDLORDS on Vimeo.

Ra Ra Rasputin - Sundowning from MOPEDLORDS on Vimeo.

Ra Ra Rasputin - Fade To Grey (Visage) from MOPEDLORDS on Vimeo.

More information:
Ra Ra Rasputin MySpace
Interview with DCist
Interview with Bands in Town

"We Fought the Big One Mixtape - June 2009"

Ra Ra Rasputin is playing a show with Love Is All tonight @ The Black Cat, and I, Colonel K from Ra Ra Rasputin will at DJing at "We Fought The Big One" on Friday @ Marx Cafe in Mt. Pleasant, DC.

Brandon and Rick, the hosts/DJs of WFTBO invited me to compile a mixtape to celebrate my ascension to "Guest DJ" status. Enjoy!




Simple Minds “Changeling”
Between 1979’s “Life in a Day” and 1982’s “New Gold Dream,” this Glaswegian quintet ambitiously fused Krautrock, ambient pop, Italo-disco and glam rock into a sound that was chaotic, yet inspired. But buried in the confusion, there are stunning moments of glory. Look no further than “Changeling,” an incredibly danceable single from 1979’s “Real to Real Cacophony.”

Family Portrait “Mega Secrets”
This is a band featuring some younger friends of mine here in DC. (They’ve all just completed their bachelor’s degrees at GW). I had no idea that these guys were in a band, and I was gobsmaked when they played me the rough version of this song. Recorded on a reel-to-reel somewhere in suburban New Jersey, “Mega Secrets” is a piece of enjoyable lo-fi pop by a very secretive band (they’ve only played 2 or 3 shows).

The Pop Group “She is Beyond Good and Evil”
Bristol’s the Pop Group were one of the most intense and experimental groups to emerge from the ashes of punk rock. “She Is Beyond Good and Evil,” is an aggressive bouillabaisse of free-jazz, punk, and dub - all of this topped by Mark Stewart’s fanatical, Yoko Ono-esque vocals. The lyric “Our only defense is together as an army, I’ll hold you like a gun,” sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. If Liquid Liquid can get back together for a series of concerts, why the hell can’t these guys.

The Pale Fountains “Always Something on My Mind”
I discovered the album “Pacific Street” while working as a teacher in the suburbs of Paris. “Always Something on My Mind,” a sunny Love/Burt Bacharach-influenced tune, was my favorite song on the album. A song that kept helped me keep my mind off the Continental winter.
One evening, while I was thumbing through paperbacks at a small bookstore in the Latin Quarter, I met a lovely American girl named Caroline. We would get together to sip drinks and complain about the weather. We ended up moving to DC around the same time and continued to post up. While driving around in my car one Sunday morning, we listened to my copy of “Pacific Street.” When I dropped her off, I gave her the CD as a reminder of old times.

Hey Paulette “I Really Do Love Penelope”
There was a period back in ‘07 when I could not fall asleep at night. I’d stay up for hours watching either stand-up comedy or looking for old music videos. One night I searched for “C86″ and found this song. It wasn’t the most groundbreaking video -it was just Super8 footage the band playing in a warehouse (actually Temple Lane Studios in Dublin). But the guitar playing was heavenly and the lyrics made me laugh out loud. I tried to dig up information on the band, but came up with very little.
Hey Paulette were an Irish group whose sound referenced the jangly guitars of the Smiths and the self deprecating lyrics of Edwyn Collins. Typical of most bands of their era, Hey Paulette released one album, two seven inches, one twelve inch and a Peel session. And despite their brief blip of a presence on the indie-pop radar, the band somehow managed to attract fans in Japan and the Philippines. And thanks to today’s reissue culture, all of their material has been compiled onto a CD that is available on I-Tunes. I love it.

Felt “Fortune (12″ Version)”
This version of “Fortune” (which appeared as the b-side to “Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow), is much better than the original found on 1981’s “Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty. Lawrence’s vocals sound a lot better when they’re up front in the mix. And Maurice Deebank’s atmospheric approach to classical scales sounds so much better with the right amount of chorus and reverb. In my opinion this is probably one of Deebank’s finest performances. Felt really suffered when he decided to leave the band. Sure they gained Martin Duffy - but he didn’t really start to shine until he joined Primal Scream. But that’s another argument for another day.

Ringo Deathstarr “Starrsha”
The key to playing shoegaze/dreampop is VOLUME. A Place to Bury Strangers knows this. Screen Vinyl Image knows this. And Ringo Deathstarr definitely knows this. This Austin quartet has played DC five times in the last year, and will probably be here twice before the end of 2009. If you haven’t heard their music, do so ASAP. Along w/the aforementioned APTBS and SVI, they manage to carry the torch of early Jesus and Mary Chain/Isn’t Anything era My Bloody Valentine without sounding hopelessly derivative. “Starrsha” is the second song on their debut EP, which was recently reissued by on vinyl by none other than Fan Death Records.

The Style Council “Long Hot Summer”
Some people will never forgive Paul Weller for breaking up the Jam and forming the Style Council. And while Weller and collaborator Mick Talbot did many questionable things during the 80s, they always looked sharp and always came through with dope and soulful songs.

Nite Jewel “What Did He Say”
In his review of 2009’s “Good Evening,” Ian Cohen of Pitchfork complained loudly about the album’s tape hiss, unquantized drum programming and shaky playing. But something tells me that he’d never complain about the poorly tuned guitars and flat vocals that seem to dominate most indie rock.
Rockist statements from crabby reviewers aside, I sweat this song cuz it reminds me of hot summer evenings. You know, when you’re getting ready to go out and you have the AC on blast and you’re trying to find a good shirt. Much respect to Spin Magazine for writing a little blurb these ladies in last month’s issue.

The Teardrop Explodes “Like Leila Khaled Said”
I love this song for the sheer audacity of the subject matter. Leila Khaled was a member of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who was briefly imprisoned in the UK due to her involvement in two high profile airline hijackings in 1969 and 1970. In today’s post 9/11 world, I can’t think of any group that would dare to compose such a love song. But considering the fact that Palestine is no longer a cause célèbre amongst the young and hip set (most people wear kaffiyehs without even acknowledging the political significance of that particular garment), I doubt anyone would care.

Jacob Miller “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown”
I used to trade cassettes with this dude Johannes, a hip Filipino kid from San Francisco. We met during an exchange program in Nice, France and instantly bonded over music. Upon returning to the States, we began trading mix tapes. He’d send me cassettes of late early 90s house, Kool Keith and dub reggae. In turn, I sent him tapes of underground NY hip hop and hardcore punk.
This version of Jacob Miller’s “Baby I Love You So,” was the first dub song I ever heard. I damn near destroyed the cassette because I kept rewinding it to hear the huge spaced out drum fills in the middle of the song.

Liechtenstein “Roses in the Park”
In age where so many artists are using AutoTune in the studio and on stage, it’s such a relief to hear the sound of a singer’s natural voice. Liechtenstein’s vocal arrangements not only sound beautiful, they are also very well thought out. This was the first of their songs that I ever heard and I instantly fell in love with it. Some pundits have compared them to Kleenex and Liliput. Some of my BYT Colleagues swear they sound like the Mo-dettes. Me? I think they sound like the Shop Assistants or Darling Buds. Whatever you think they sound like, they sound great and I can’t wait for them to come back to DC.

Antena “Camino Del Sol”
Les Disques du Crepuscule was more than just a dumping ground for A Certain Ratio and Durutti Column 7″s. In the early 1980s, they released several recordings by one of the innovative groups to come out of France’s electro scene - Antena. By mixing Afro-Brazilian rhythms (played on cheap rhythm boxes and drum machines) with icy synths and jazzy vocals, the group created “electro-samba” (a term coined by Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant, who reviewed one of their early singles).

This mix and the accompanying notes were originally posted on Brightest Young Things

A lot of words with Nate Frey (of Last Tide, Detox Retox)

I’m not 100% sure how I met Nate Frey. I do remember remarking that he was wearing Uniqlo T-000 jeans. I gave him much respect for this, as I can only think of a few people in DC who enjoy going up to NY and shopping at Uniqlo as much as I do.
But this is not an interview about fashion – no. Nate is a talkative fellow and he's in a couple of bands. Detox Retox is his longtime band and I've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with those guys several times. Homeboy also has a new band called Last Tide and they'll playing at Red and Black on Tuesday June 2nd.

Nate you’re a pretty busy guy(he also has a post-rock group and occasionally does noise sets). How do you find the time to devote this much energy to making so much music - I mean you do have a full time job as well!
It's pretty much my favorite thing in the world. I could easily spend every waking minute playing music and be happy.


Boring question - what made you wanna pick up the guitar?
I started playing when I was about 13. At that time I was mostly trying to learn a lot of classic rock, stuff like Jimi Hendrix, The Police, Neil Young.

Who are your primary influences?
Depends on the project. Here's a few of the more obvious ones:
Last Tide: MBV, Slowdive, Red House Painters, Smashing Pumpkins
Detox Retox: Talking Heads, !!!, Modest Mouse, Head Automatica
Reversal: Mogwai, Don Caballero, Explosions in the Sky, King Crimson

And then there are loads of others who've influenced me in more subtle ways.

What’ve bee you listening to in the last 6 months?
Old:
"Isn't Anything" - My Bloody Valentine
"Year After Year" - Idaho
S/T (I) - Red House Painters
"The Name of this Band is Talking Heads" - Talking Heads

New:
"Dark Was the Night" - VA. (The Bon Iver song on this record is incredible!)
St Vincent - I saw her play at the Black Cat the other week, not knowing much of her music, and I was really blown away.

Now, your band,Detox Retox, has been quiet for a few months due to the fact that your singer is doing an internship abroad. When is he returning and what your plans are for the next few months?
Well, we have some tracks recorded that we're hoping to have Justin Moyer (Edie Sedgwick) mix in the near future. Not quite enough for another EP though, so when Parker gets back we'll need to record another song or two before we can do an actual release.
Show-wise, we just found out we're playing MidPoint Music Festival in Cincinnati in late September, so we're probably gonna do a couple additional Midwest dates around that. Plus, there will definitely be some local shows later this summer that aren't quite nailed down yet.




And I just heard that y'all are playing the Warped Tour. Congratulations!
Yeah, that is definitely happening, July 14th at Merriweather on the Kevin Says Stage. We're looking at it as a great opportunity to get some exposure to an audience we probably wouldn't have access to otherwise, and to get to see Bad Religion play for free... among other things. I think it probably means even more to the other guys than it does to me; they all went to Warped Tour as kids, but yeah, we're all pretty stoked.

It's great that you've managed to make so much progress. But it must be a bit odd to have so much momentum and then have to switch focus to another project.
Playing in Detox Retox is a blast, but I've also always loved a lot of dense, moody stuff that doesn't really fit in with what we do. When I found out we were going to be taking a break from April to July awhile back, I seized the opportunity to start up another project.


So what's Last Tide's songwriting process like? Do you hand the group finished songs and say "play it like this" or is it a more communal effort?
With Last Tide, usually Libby or I will have a fairly complete song, and we'll take it to the band and try to work out an arrangement collaboratively. I tend to think that it's pretty hard to "jam it out" with this type of music, particularly in a five piece band.
In Detox Retox, on the other hand, usually songs start with Parker bringing a riff to the band, and then all of us collectively jamming the rest out.

So how'd you manage to start a new group and book a mini-tour of the East Coast on such short notice?
Well, I went into the project with a lot of songs I wanted to play already written, plus Libby's written a bunch of great songs too, so we weren't short on material like a lot of new bands are. Beyond that, everyone has been good about practicing regularly, which is helpful.
As for booking the shows, I have a lot of contacts from doing almost all the booking for Detox Retox, so I was able to use those connections to my advantage.


There are a lot of bands experimenting in post-rock and shoegaze. In your opinion why is there so much interest in this sort of music right now?
I guess I have two answers to that. Taking a very broad view, God only knows what drives public opinion. But more narrowly, I would say that it may be related to the fact that bands like MBV and Slowdive made such amazing records, but had very little mainstream exposure stateside. And now with the advent of digital music, it's been easier for people to obtain their music, and it still sounds fresh because there really never was a mainstream record anything like Loveless, and because the best shoegaze records were years ahead of their time in terms of production and arranging techniques. That's totally a guess though.


(Photo by Andy Watts)

Ok, so how does one approach such a popular sound and still come off as original?
I think it's important to keep an open mind about what your sound is and not let yourself be constrained by some preconceived notion of what the music should sound like. For example, I started Last Tide as a "shoegaze" project, but there's a lot of other stuff that's made its way in, psychedelic music, minimalist stuff, some punk, all kinds of things, and I'm not even sure a purist would consider what we are doing to be shoegaze music at this point. And that's okay with me. We just try to let the deciding factor be whether we like it or not, and so far, that's worked out pretty well.

Now for inevitable "the scene questions." What do you think about the Washington DC scene right now?
Another broad question. There are a lot of bands I dig, True Womanhood, Imperial China, The Tennis System, Greenland, Title Tracks, Mittenfields, to name a handful, but there are loads of others. (Apologies to any friends I failed to mention!) My biggest disappointment has been that so many DC bands seem to not capitalize on the buzz they accumulate for one reason or another, and seem to end up just another great band that nobody outside of DC ever heard of.

Favorite venues? Are there any places you'll never play again?
Well, maybe it will be different with Last Tide, don't really have enough experience to say yet, but with Detox Retox... we've found Rock and Roll Hotel's sound to be really good, the best we've had probably. Velvet Lounge has a really cool vibe to it that we like a lot. I've never played Black Cat or DC9, so I can't really speak to those from a performer's perspective, but I love seeing shows at both.
Outside of DC, there's this BYOB space in Philly called Connie's Ric-Rac which is just a huge party, (the place Detox Retox played with you guys a few months back), that was just a great atmosphere.
There actually haven't been very many places I've disliked playing. I'm easy to please, I guess.

And who are your favorite bands to play with?
These are all bands Detox Retox has played with, though I am really stoked to play with some of the bands Last Tide is sharing bills with in the next couple months. We love playing with you guys (Ra Ra Rasputin), we love playing with Loose Lips. Oh, and I definitely have to mention the guys in Fight the Bear; they've been great to us basically from the beginning, and they rock so hard.

And finally, I must acknowledge our many conversations about musical equipment we findon Craigslist and Ebay. Tell me about some of your recent purchases. Any regrets?
I spent a few months this winter acquiring a small arsenal of cheap guitars. In retrospect, some of them probably weren't worth buying, but they are gonna make fun DIY upgrade projects, so I don't really regret them. I will say that I regret buying three chorus pedals that all kind of sucked before finally spending the extra money on a BBE Mindbender, which was what I wanted in the first place. But c'est la vie.

Do you have any predictions on how the economy will affect the market for vintage instruments?
I had to sell some stuff a few months back and I can honestly say it's very much a buyer's market right now. I think the future direction of the market depends upon the state of the economy at large, and if I knew that I'd be a much richer man.

Last Tide will be playing @ the Red and Black on Tuesday June 2nd. Doors are at 830pm , first band is on at 9pm.
Last Tide MySpace
Detox Retox MySpace

Simple Minds “New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84)” (1982)

New Gold Dream holds a special place in my heart because it is the first Simple Minds record I ever owned. It was the record that really got me to dismiss their “80s Music” legacy and seriously examine their back catalog.

The story of "New Gold Dream" begins in January 1982, when the group recorded demos for “King Is White and In the Crowd,” “Promised You a Miracle,” and “Hunter and the Hunted.” Following these demo sessions, the group returned to the road until the end of spring. A completed version of “Promised You a Miracle” was released as a single in April 1982. Much to everyone’s surprise, it crashed the top twenty, landing at number 13.



With a top-20 U.K. single and a supportive record label, Virgin, behind them, the band retreated to Fife in late spring to record some more demos for the new album. Producer Pete Walsh would later recall “They would jam for two hours on the same song, and then we would listen to it back on cassette, pick the good bits and make the song around that. A lot of it was what they'd call pure shit, or not very good anyway, and there were some magic bits that maybe were never captured on the album.”

Following the Fife rehearsals, the group headed to London to record the album’s basic tracks. Virgin encouraged Walsh to capture the energy of the group’s live sound, and so it was decided that the album would be a live studio album with minimal overdubs. To achieve this, the band would play each song several times, and Walsh would assemble an edit of the best performances.

Now, lineup changes were nothing new to the group. So it was rather unsurprising when they ran into drummer issues while recording the album. Drummer Kenny Hyslop, who played on “Promised You a Miracle,” left the group after that single’s release and Mike Ogletree was quickly drafted in to replace him. But despite his competence on the road, the other lads found his style of drumming was not meshing well with the new material. In an attempt to rectify this, Pete Walsh suggested his friend Mel Gaynor to fill in the gaps. Ultimately, both Ogletree and Gaynor are credited on the album’s sleeve:

Ongletree plays on:
“Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel"
"Somebody up There Likes You”
"New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)

while Gaynor plays on:
"Someone Somewhere in Summertime",
"Big Sleep",
"New Gold Dream.",
"Glittering Prize",
"Hunter and the Hunted"
"The King is White and in the Crowd".

Upon completing the basic live tracks, the band again moved house to record the overdubs. This time to Virgin’s “The Manor Studios” in rural Oxfordshire. The manor was more country club than recording studio, and the group regularly dipped out to swim or play ping pong when they found themselves feeling stuck. If only every band had this sort of luxury...

Interestingly enough, Simple Minds did not stop touring altogether while recording. A quick examination of their 1982 calendar shows that they managed to squeeze in a number of European Festival appearances between June and August. That the group were able to keep such a hectic schedule AND be productive in the studio is impressive. It really makes me wonder how bands today can defend taking such lengthy pauses between touring and recording.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of “New Gold Dream” is FOCUS. “Sister Feelings Call/Sons & Fascination” and “Empires and Dance” may have been ambitious, but they were cluttered and even sound unfinished in some parts. But it seems as though the heavy experimentation that defined Simple Minds’ first four albums paid off. On “New Gold Dream,” they emerge as a band with a sound that is very much their own. While the album does sound glossier than previous releases, it never comes off as boring. The melodies are strong and memorable, and the songs are cohesive. So unlike "Empires and Dance," it's much easier to listen to this album start-to-finish on repeat.
My favorite song on the album? “Hunter and the Hunted,” because it features it features a keyboard solo byHerbie Hancock. Apparently, the jazz-funk legend was recording in a studio next door when the band asked him if he’d like to contribute to the album. His solo is probably of the most poignant and moving performances on the album.





*Interestingly enough, this album sits very comfortable next to Roxy Music’s final release, Avalon, which was released in June of 1982. Simple Minds, like many of their contemporaries (e.g. Duran Duran), were heavily influenced by Roxy Music. So it’s rather interesting to notice how their work matched up stylistically in 1982.

More Information HERE
Wikipedia Entry HERE

Simple Minds “Empires and Dance” (1980)

For better or for worse, people will remember Glasgow’s Simple for two reasons
1) “Don’t You Forget About Me” from The Breakfast Club
2) Their performance at Live Aid.

While the band certainly benefited from the exposure, it’s unfortunate that they became so bland and pompous in the late 1980s. To me, it seemed as though this group had produced nothing of any real value. So you can only imagine my surprise when I learned that the cover of the Manic Street Preachers “The Holy Bible” was inspired by Simple Minds’ “Empire and Dance.” I remember thinking “Wait, what? Simple Minds? The band with the song from the Breakfast Club – get the fuck out!” Since then, I’ve gained a real appreciation for Simple Minds’ early albums and I’ve decided to share some of the things I’ve learned about this group over the last couple of years.

First up, 1980's “Empires and Dance.”

At the end of 1979, Simple Minds embarked on a tour in support of their sophomore album, “Real to Real Cacophony.” While their record label, Arista, initially refused to release the album, critics loved it and the band was excited to hit the road and expand their audience. Between October 1979 and June 1980, they performed in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, and the Benelux region. They even managed to squeeze in two dates in New York.

It was the European leg of the tour that turned out to be the biggest eye-opener for the young band. The Continent was stumbling further into economic and political crisis thanks to a spike in oil prices, civil unrest, and a recently reignited Cold War. Singer Jim Kerr would later recall “I was twenty, and I looked around me. We had the talent always to be in the place where the neo-Nazis exploded another bomb. Bologna, a synagogue in Paris, a railway station in Munich. Don't tell me anything like that could leave you unmoved.” Despite the ever present instability, the tour was a resounding success and left a profound effect on the young group.

Upon returning to the UK in June of 1980, Simple Minds immediately began work on a new album. This time around, they were much better prepared to record. Seven new songs had been road tested and demoed by the time the band entered the studio. The album, which was produced by John Leckie, was completed during the summer and delivered to Arista Records, who refused to release it. But after much pressure from the band and their management (Jim Kerr took it upon himself to regularly telegram label representatives to release the album), “Empires and Dance” was released in September 1980. But this was not without controversy; Arista initially pressed 15,000 copies, waited for those to sell out, and then pressed another 15,000. As a result the album stalled at number 41.

(That’s all well and good, but what about the music).

The album begins with the stunning, “I Travel,” that was inspired by the group’s visit to a divided Berlin and tumultuous changes in geopolitics. Jim Kerr’s lyrics reflect both fear and fascination. (Again, he was only 20 years old at the time). Musically, it’s one of the most exciting songs the band ever produced. Drummer Brian McGee and bassist Derek Forbes provide a funky backdrop to Charlie Burchill’s soaring guitar and keyboardist Mick MacNeil’s gurgling synthesizers. At times, the song recalls Donna Summer’s 1977 “I Feel Love,” a song that went to #1 in the UK Charts. That such a danceable track could come from a Glaswegian band is actually no surprise. Dance Music was immensely popular among the post-punk crowd, with groups like Orange Juice singing the praises of Chic.



Now, while “I Travel,” is an excellent leadoff track, it is a bit misleading. Yes, the album has its groovy moments, e.g. “Celebrate,” and “30 Frames per Second,” but the remainder of the songs are not that dance floor friendly, and they draw more heavily from the experimental end of the Krautrock spectrum. “Twist/Run/Repulsion,” seems to capture the feelings of confusion and alienation that one might experience in a European train station – complete with announcements in French. (The French announcements are actually passages from Lolita read by Chantalle Jeunet, a friend of the group).

The album’s undeniable apex is “This Fear of Gods,” a song that best be described a Giorgio Moroder track being played at half-speed. The steady bass and drums are augmented by screeching saxophones and synths; all of this topped with a distant and ominous vocal by Jim Kerr. “Don’t You Forget About Me,” it is not.



Listening to “Empires and Dance,” I get the impression that Simple Minds were a young band in a hurry. They were full of ideas and wanted to commit them to tape as quickly as possible. Perhaps they should’ve taken a little bit more time to polish their ideas and make a more cohesive record. This is not to say that this is a bad record. But I can sort of understand Arista’s frustration with the group.

Almost immediately following the completion of this album, Simple Minds hit the road. This time as an opening act for Peter Gabriel, who was touring in support of Peter Gabriel III (aka Melt, featuring the songs “Games Without Frontier”, “Biko”). Problems with Arista Records would come to a head in early 1981. The label had routinely failed to promote albums, singles and concerts and the band nearly broke up in order to avoid dealing with the situation. Eventually, they were let go from their Arista contract (at considerable cost, the band was forced to take on a significant amount of debt) and signed to Virgin.

Download the album HERE
Buy the excellent reissue from Amazon.
A very helpful source of information on this album HERE.

A Friendly Chat with 100 dBs

I have a really wonderful story about Dan “100dBs” Brenner. Back when were students at University of Maryland, he expressed an interest in Dj-ing at one or two of the local bars in College Park. He went to every bar in town (all four of them) and handed the nightlife promoters a copy of a reggae/hip-hop mix he’d made.

None of them returned his calls.

A year later, me, him and a few of our roommates began throwing parties at a dilapidated colonial house that we called the Francis Estates. The combination of Dan’s dj-ing, cheap drinks (dollar shots, $4 for all you can drink beer) and a very good looking crowd made the parties legendary. If only the folks at Cornerstone and Santa Fe knew what they’d missed out on…

It is now 2009, and 100 dBs has not DJ’d a grimey college basement in at least two years. But his strong sense of independence and belief in DIY ethics has not diminished one bit. If anything, it helped prepare him to navigate the unfriendly waters of the NYC hip-hop scene. Homeboy was kind enough to take a few minutes to speak to us about setting up an independent label, real vs fake DJs, and NY’s finest fried chicken establishments.



TOMORROW'S HEROES TODAY:

Right off the bat son, tell us a little bit about your new label, Drum Attix. What is the label’s philosophy? Who are your artists?
Drum Attix is the label I'm officially launching this year. I think our goal is the same as any label: bring dope music to the people. But I think I have a unique perspective in that I really embrace technology while maintaining interest in traditional techniques. All of us are down with that philosophy in some way. There are a few rappers I'm producing for... of course Ryan-O'Neil (we're working on a second LP now), Sirah (really fly girl from LA), and Hicoup (dirty Jersey all day).

We've got DJ Scallywag, whose club mixes are just phenomenal. I swear, I lived in Maryland for years but didn't fully appreciate Bmore Club til I started spinning with him. DJ Far East is a young cat who is really ahead of his time with the mashups he's been executing. It's Overture are also killing it with the mashups, and their mixes are always flawless. Nefarious and Voidstar Runner are working on a grimy EP of breaks and blips.

One of the projects I'm most excited about is a full-length dub treatment of NYC's own Slackers. A while back Dave Hillyard handed me the masters to their back catalog and I've been slowly compiling a series of remixes for them. So yeah, I have my hands full, and we're coming from all angles.



What are some of your upcoming releases & projects for 2009?
#1. Sirah's EP. This girl has tons of attitude and an appreciation for classic material that is pretty hard to find these days. I went out to LA this past January to record with her and we did this release from scratch in five days. She is a beast in the studio.

#2.Hipster Bullshit Redux. This is really just a bunch of leftovers that people have been asking me about. No real concept, just remixes and such that didn't see the light of day for whatever reason.

#3.Voidstar / Nefarious Split EP. Nefarious is a jungle producer (yeah, jungle) with an attention to detail that scares the shit out of me. Voidstar makes breakcore and electronic compositions that bump. These guys are going to blow out your eardrums

What advice do you have for artists who are trying to release their music independently?
Forget about getting signed. Put out some QUALITY music for free, do a lot of shows in your hometown, and build a support system. Slow and steady is the way. Everyone is so worried about blowing RIGHT NOW that they're missing the point: if you release garbage today, nobody will be listening tomorrow.

What’s changed the most about your working habits and lifestyle as a producer/DJ?
I think a few years ago I was still pretty scattershot with scheduling sessions and knowing how something is going to form. These days I'm still pretty random, but I generally know what's going to work and what's not before I even approach it. I've also learned how to work with different artists and understand who needs to be pushed and who needs to be left alone. It's important to focus on the human aspects of producing a session; definitely even more important than the technical ability to do so.



"MOVING.... WE KEEP MOVING..."

OK you seem to be a bit of a serial mover. When you first moved to NY, you were in Sunset Park. Then you were in the East Village. Then you were in Bushwick for a minute, now you’re back in Sunset Park. What’s real good man?
I'll tell you what's NOT real good. Scumbag landlords who don't turn on the heat in the winter. To tell you the truth, I'm really happy to be back in south Brooklyn. The rent is reasonable, kids don't have asymmetrical haircuts, and there are (a few) trees. And people are definitely less uptight. No one can yell at you for swamping your building with dub basslines when they're cranking bachata all day.

Well I'm sure Sunset Park is glad to have you back. You spent quite a few years in the DC area, and you’ve made a handful of appearances here since you left. What do you think it would’ve been like if you’d stayed?
Well, I think I probably would have started a dancehall/reggae party somewhere and that would be that. Not that there isn't any opportunity for growth in DC, but I found it sort of... anti-competitive. I feel like it's easy to get comfortable and stay "in a scene" down there.
In New York, I feel more stimulated, but yeah, I grind my teeth at night.

If you could move to any other city to continue doing what you’re doing (DJ ing, producing, etc) what would it be?
I really like Berlin, but it's really cold there. I can't quite deal with that, but the scene there is incredible. Still cheap as hell, and very friendly to artists and musicians.
If I'm honest, I'd like to go to Bucharest for a while too.

"UGH, KIDS TODAY...."

It seems as though these days everyone’s a DJ. But in my opinion, you’re not really a DJ if you’re not beatmatching, scratching, and doing good transitions between songs. Is it just me, or are people too drunk to realize that so many cats are trainwrecking for hours on end? What’s your take on the rise of the amateur DJ?
It's not just you. Those people are drunk.
Here's the deal: clubs don't want to pay twice as much for entertainment if they don't have to. So kids get Serato, show up to the club, and are happy to take $100 home for the night. The really great DJs (who aren't huge yet) are losing jobs to these guys... it's just the market playing out, but in the end the bar patrons are on the losing end.

It's funny, my brother (a senior in high school) recently told me he wanted to start DJing. Well, I went back home to surprise him with two turntables and a mixer... and he immediately asked about Serato. I told him he should run blind for at least half a year or so until he can blend properly. There's no other way to truly understand the mechanics of what's going on. We're losing the physical and tactile "feeling" of playing with instruments. We'd rather see what's going on than feel it, because it's a shortcut... and I think this is a vital oversight. And in more practical terms... what happens when your Serato box dies in the club?

What makes a good remix of a rock or pop song? What makes a bad one?
I think often times, producers feel like they have to outdo the original. A great remix is one that goes down a totally different avenue but respects the original ideas.
Redos are boring. I don't know.. take Rihanna when she did Tainted Love. Terrible. I would be embarassed to put that out. But I'm not Rihanna. An example of a good one? I don't know... oh! Diplo's old remix of Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks" was kind of cute. I like what he did to it.

"LAST CALL"

Last time we spoke, we spent quite a bit of time discussing the work of J. DIlla. Is there anybody out there who, in your opinion, is carrying on Dilla’s legacy?
Well of course, everyone's talking about dudes like Flying Lotus and such... I think he's as good a torch carrier as any, really. It's good to see people loosening up their drums again.

Your thoughts on the return of MF DOOM?
Uh, he already returned. The new album was OK. At least there are some Dilla beats. He should probably stop trying to rhyme the last five syllables of every couplet just for the sake of doing so, though.

Favorite chicken spot in NY?
Birdie's in the East Village. Unfortunately the rent has gotten so high that the owner is closing it down soon. Mara's (also in the Village) is great too but kind of expensive. Nowadays it's just JFK halal chicken in Brooklyn.

Best record you’ve stumbled across in the last few months?
Recently I signed my mom up for Last.FM and she's been putting me onto a bunch of shit. Have you ever heard "Magic Fly" by Space? I feel like Animal Collective's video for "My Girls" really ripped off their video. Anyway, it's a 70s electronic pop jam that kind of blew my mind. Not too much new shit is really jumping out at me right now. Recently I've been listening to a lot of Stax shit. Booker T and the MGs' Soul Dressing is a classic, anything by Carla Thomas is great too.


Editor’s Update:
On 4/20/2009 100 dBs released Mr. Echo Inna Killah Dub. It is available for download here.

UPDATE YOUR CLUB & CONCERT CALENDAAAAAR
Friday May 8th 2009
100 dBs and Scallywag will be spinning at Flat Out!
@ Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington DC.

Saturday May 9th 2009
100dBs, Scallywag, Ryan O’Neil, Balagan, Hicoup,Outputmessage, and others will be spinning/performing
@ the Hexagon in Baltimore, MD