TONIGHT! Preston Maddox of Bloody Knives to Guest DJ WTSH on Strangeways Radio.

www.strangewaysradio.com

New Video: Beaches. Send Them Away. New LP Out Now.

This track is from She Beats, the sophomore full-length from Australia’s all-female quintet Beaches, released on May 3rd by Chapter Music.

It’s been five years since debut album Beaches, which was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and made it into 2010 book 100 Best Australian Albums. In the intervening years, the band have toured the US twice, played All Tomorrow’s Parties at the invitation of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, released an EP for NYC label Mexican Summer, shared stages with the likes of Roky Erickson, Deerhunter and Wooden Shjips, and even celebrated the birth of beautiful twin daughters to guitarist Alison Bolger.

But a second album was always on the cards. For She Beats, Beaches have once again joined forces with producer Jack Farley (Twerps, Scott & Charlene’s Wedding). And like its predecessor, the album reflects a love for 60s pop, 70s psych, shoe-gaze, prog, southern boogie and Krautrock. But She Beats is bigger, bolder and more ambitious than the debut. She Beats is rich, confident and layered, a multi-dimensional sonic world to get lost in over and over again.

WTSH Classic Trax Archive: 1000 Violins. To Make Your Tea.

This song is an early version of 1000 Violins later, more synth-oriented track entitled "If Only Words". Both versions are incredible.

Bandcamp Track of the Day: The Telescopes. High on Fire.

The Telescopes

High on Fire

BANDCAMP.

WTSH 3rd Annual 4/20 Interview Feat. Preston Maddox of Bloody Knives.

WTSH 3rd Annual 4/20 Interview

Featuring Preston Maddox of Bloody Knives
 

Another year, and another 4/20 holiday has gone fuzzily by…and then an additional several weeks have gone fuzzily by...and then... (Where am I? What’s going on? It's May 15th??) Exactly.

In keeping with the spirit of 4/20, this interview is naturally posting late (in stoner time, it’s only been like, a couple of days or whatever). However, WTSH’s 3^rd Annual 4/20 Interview with Preston Maddox of Bloody Knives is now FINALLY available for your reading pleasure (and/or dismay).

Here’s a bit of history for you (that the white man will one day re-write):

Since 2011, to celebrate 4/20 and our joint (is it worth pointing out that pun?) affection for the spirit of the day, Preston and I have sat down to do an interview via chat. (You can read 2012’s 4/20 interview HERE and the 2011 OG 4/20 interview HERE).The only rules for the 4/20  interview are:  1) one must be super baked and 2) … well, that’s the only requirement. Oh, and show up to the chat, I guess. Rule 2: One must show up. And because of our great strength and tenacity in all important things, Preston and I have successfully continued this respectable tradition for 3 years (and counting).

Expect our usual 4/20 fare – discussions about outer space, death, human-to-feline transformations, stalwarthiness, drinking on the motherfucking moon, suffocation, maximum realness and so on. Interspersed between all of that captivating content you’ll also get up to date on all things Bloody Knives, including upcoming releases, touring, and their newest band member. You just got hooked up, yo. 

WTSH: WORD, DUDE! 

Preston: WHAT UP?!

WTSH: I was just reading an article about a surgeon prescribing Brian Eno to his patients. Best article ever.

Preston: Smart surgeon. I’m retarded high.

WTSH: Same here. I have been sitting here staring at my keyboard, trying very hard to remember how to use it. It finally came to me, obviously.

WTSH: Dude, I can't believe this is our 3rd year doing the 4/20 interview.

Preston: Yeah, totally.

WTSH: I'm impressed by our stalwarthiness in continuing this tradition. “Stalwarthiness” is definitely a word I just invented.

Preston: “Stalwarthiness” should be in the dictionary. I knew what it meant.

WTSH: It should be canonized immediately.

Preston: Oxford-worthy. Contact the proper people and get the process in motion.

WTSH: I'll get that shit notarized. Then it’s for REAL real.

Preston: As real as it will ever be.

WTSH: Good point.

Preston: Max realness.

WTSH: UBER REALNESS.

Preston: THE REALEST SHIT I EVA WROTE.

WTSH: Exactly.

 

WTSH: I have been dying, no pun intended, to ask you this - so you've done an album called Blood, you have a shit ton of songs about murder, strangulation, gore and ghosts, and now you have this Death EP coming out soon. In terms of thematic progression, where are you going to go from Death? Where IS there to go after death?

Preston: The EP is meant to be really heavy. I wanted to mix old garage 4-track techno and industrial metal sounds with what we do. We could maybe get heavier, but that's not what we are going to do next.

 WTSH: So like, post-Death … is the music going to get all after life-y? Err...ghost-esque? Dreamy?

Preston: Some of the songs are like that, yes. There is more variation and balance in what we are doing next. That covers the full spectrum, though. It’s going to be much harsher and noisier, too.

WTSH: Sounds badass. When the hell is it coming out? Not that I am demanding anything new, since Death is still brand new…

Preston: It’s going to be a while before we put it out. We have other releases before that. I'm going to put off our next full length release for a while. Death is very old to me. That record has been done for over a year.

WTSH: I especially like the track “Kill You All" - I like to kick off my day listening to it.

Preston: That's a good start to the day.

WTSH: I know.

WTSH: How many releases before the next LP, then? It sounds as if there’s a n endless string of EPs floating out there in the ether, preceding this LP … Hmm. We should get some ether. We would rock that shit.

Preston: I’m down with the ether! Two releases prior - a split with Screen Vinyl Image and a split with Bug Chaser.

WTSH: NICE, a split with SVI!

Preston: YES. Finally. We’ve been talking about that shit forever.

WTSH: They are the fucking best.

Preston: Oh yeah, I really like their band. That's gonna be a cool record.

WTSH: Who's putting it out, or will it be a Bandcamp/self-release thing?

Preston: I think both of those are going to be self-released. I know the SVI one is.

WTSH: Excellent. That's truly exciting.

Preston: Yes. 

WTSH: Pretty excited for the show Saturday! I can't believe you are finally playing Numbers. It’s like a gift from the dark gods.

Preston: Yes it is! The dark gods have commanded us to be there. It will be awesome.

WTSH: Wait until you see how fucking disgusting that place is. You'll love it. You have to embrace it; it’s part of the Numbers experience. But after you embrace it, you should go directly home and disinfect yourself.

Preston: That’s my kinda place. I wouldn't feel comfortable otherwise.

WTSH: Ah, Numbers. I love that venue. And Kim loves it, too. Which brings up my next topic – Bloody Knives’ newest band member.

Preston: Yes, Kim (Calderon).

WTSH: So how did that happen?

Preston: Kim moved to Austin and then she started to come to all of our shows. Then Jim (Moon) had to leave the band. We tried a couple of other people, but it didn’t work out one way or another. Eventually Kim became more and more cat-like, eventually getting more and more hello Kitty shit, until finally she got the Hello Kitty glasses. Then she started wearing cat ears - at that point, I knew we needed a cat in the band.

WTSH: Naturally. I approve of this choice.
Preston: I agree.

WTSH: One of the Bloody Knives needed to be the menstrual blood covered dagger, and so now you have a female member. The blood circle is complete. Plus, any good black magic spell needs to have that particular ingredient in it. Eye of newt also seems to be a biggie.

Preston: Kim is very goth. Pastel goth. So she probably has that shit at her house already.

 

WTSH: Did you know recreational space travel is on the cusp of being easily affordable and readily available?

Preston: No way, how much? I don't believe it.

WTSH: Just that little trip that rich people are already doing for like a million dollars; you can’t go to Pluto or anything. Yet, that is. I don’t know the price, but I was reading this article (I seem to say that a lot) about the topic, and it was saying that in the near future it would be akin to booking a cruise or something. Like that usual and ordinary.

Preston: Hmmm. That would be horrible for NASA. It would be cool for people though.

WTSH: I’m torn, because I definitely like NASA better than people, but I am also so very selfish, in that I want it anyway. I WANT THE SPACE CRUISE. I want to be able to go to work, nonchalantly ask for a request-time-off slip, and write on it: "Going to the motherfucking Moon. June 10^th-June 21^st. Word."

Preston: Good point. I WANT THE SPACE CRUISE. I don't want to burn up like the Challenger though…

WTSH: It didn't occur to me that they might fuck this up completely, until you said that. Oh god, we're all gonna die in a motherfucking SPACE CRUISE.

Preston: That would be a cool way to die.

WTSH: It will be like...the Titanic of outer space. One day someone will make a shitty movie about it.

Preston: Rich people floating out into space, slowly suffocating.

WTSH: I love when rich people suffocate slowly.

 
Preston: That would actually be an awesome movie. But if it really happened and they tried to make a movie about it, it would suck.

WTSH: Truest shit you ever said…

Preston: THE REALEST SHIT I EVA WROTE.
WTSH: I WANT THE SPACE CRUISE.

Preston: GIVE ME THE SPACE CRUISE. I’M DRINKING ON THE MOON MOTHERFUCKER.

WTSH: "My uncle went to the moon and all he got me was this fuckin' t-shirt."

Preston: "My Dad is a dick. He won't let me go on the field trip to the moon."

WTSH: “If everyone was jumping off the moon and slowly suffocating, would YOU do it, too?” Pretty sure we are writing futuristic cliches right now.

Preston: Poetic.

WTSH: We are SO ahead of our time.

WTSH: So is the band touring a ton, like last year? I don’t think I've asked you that yet this year. The touring was an insane amount last year.

Preston: It was a lot. We are playing a lot this year, too; a bunch out of town, but it’s mostly in state. And that's good because my van is older and I need a new van. We are playing Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Dallas twice, a few really cool festivals. We are really busy. We have places that have asked us to play, but it’s going to be a while before we get out there.

WTSH: Bloody Knives are in demand across the nation.

Preston: Haha, I guess. When cool people from out of town ask us to play, that rules. Touring is my favorite thing to do. I get to meet the good musicians of that area, play with the good bands … I like knowing what everybody else is doing, how things are. Music is still regional, even with the internet.

WTSH: What’s it like to be in a band and experience becoming more and more known, get more and more recognition?

Preston: I can't even tell unless I think about what I was doing a year or two ago.

WTSH: Well, think about what you were doing a year or two ago, and then report back to me with details.

Preston: It’s just the perspective, really. The stress of doing things is high. So sometimes things that should be cool really are not a lot of fun. But then you think: "Damn, I just did _____" and compare it to what we were doing a couple of years ago, or some of the really crazy shit we did 10 years ago, and it’s easy to appreciate. Most of my effort is spent trying to do better than I did before, and the better we do, the more it takes to satisfy me. So it’s really kind of ruthless…but mostly it’s fun as hell. Partying with random people and seeing weird shit is my favorite thing to do. And playing music lets me do more of that. The better we do, the more of that I get to do. That's awesome.

WTSH: So, are you proud of me? I just asked REAL interview questions and everything. THIS INTERVIEW IS 4 REAL.

Preston: Yes, YOU DID IT!!! ALL BY YOURSELF. YOU DON’T NEED A HELPER!

WTSH: Will you print this interview out and put it on your fridge? That’s how I know that you're really proud of me and not just full of horse shit.

Preston: Sure. Because I’m da proudest.

WTSH: You know, like when you're a kid and your mom takes a magnet and puts a math test you aced up on the refrigerator door…wait; I was always the one to hang my good test scores up on the fridge, actually - not my mom. That says a lot about me as a human being, I think.

Preston: Yes. Yes it does.

WTSH: I'm about to drop the final question on you and sidenote - it's gonna be a motherfucker (and I expect to hear a super poignant ass answer). No pressure though. Here it is:  If you had to describe what music meant to you in a non-cheesy way, what would you say? BOOM.

Preston: Hmmm…

[two minutes of silence]

Preston: Fuck.

[another minute of silence]

Preston: I’M TRYING.

WTSH: TRY HARDER.

[more silence]

Preston: WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME.

WTSH: I know, I'm the worst ever.

[silence….]

Preston: This is what music means to me:

WTSH: That’s pretty much the best answer possible.

****

Bloody Knives are:

Jake McCown

Kimberly Calderon

Preston Maddox

Bandcamp Track of the Day: Elephant Stone. Heavy Moon.

Elephant Stone

Heavy Moon

BANDCAMP.

WTSH Classic Trax Archive: Lush. Monochrome.

Live Video: Purity Ring. Shuck. (FYF 2012)

New Video: Melody's Echo Chamber. Some Time Alone (Alone).

4AD Releases Deerhunter's Latest LP, Monomania on 6th May 2013

4AD Releases Deerhunter's Latest LP

Monomania

After a brief hiatus following the success of third album Halcyon Digest, during which time Bradford Cox and Lockett Pundt released their own albums as Atlas Sound and Lotus Plaza respectively, a new Deerhunter line-up (with additions of bassist Josh Mckay and guitarist Frankie Broyles) reconvened in January 2013 at Rare Book Studio in Brooklyn, New York. 

Produced by Nicholas Vernhes and Bradford Cox and recorded in the dead of night, Deerhunter’s new long player Monomania will be released on 7th May. Monomania finds the group recalling its scrappy punk aesthetic; a perfect nocturnal garage rock album full of the layered and hazy vintage guitar sounds that define them.

Video: Primal Scream. River of Pain (2013).

Interview: Andy Jossi of The Churchhill Garden.

When The Sun Hits Interviews

Andy Jossi of The Churchhill Garden
Interview by: Wayne Guskind

The Churchhill Garden is the one man band belonging to Andy Jossi. The Churchhill Garden is based in Lucerne, right in the heart of Switzerland. Growing up in time with the best alternative music (late 80’s & early 90’s), Jossi always liked the melancholic sounds of bands like the Cure, Cocteau Twins, Joy Division and later went on to become a big fan of the shoegaze movement. Please do enjoy the interview!

:::THE CHURCHHILL GARDEN::: 

How and when was the band formed?

Back in 2009, I did a little session in a practice room (in Lucerne, Switzerland) with a friend of mine. She decided to record the noise on her MAC GarageBand and I thought to myself, “Wow that was easy!” Perhaps I can do this myself at home (since GarageBand is a free app)…this could be the solution to my problem (of not wanting to play “live” on stage – resulting in very few musicians wanting to record with me). 

Starting out, I had a fixed idea of what I wanted to record and I was not interested in just playing rock music. The first recordings using GarageBand weren’t so good, but it was a lot of fun. As for the band name “The Churchhill Garden” - it has actually been around since the early 90’s, when I organized several gigs (Stereolab, The Catchers, Naked Souls) in my hometown and did some graphic artwork for bands (Naked Souls).  

Note: The name The Churchhill Garden came to me on a Wedding Present single ("Churchill Gardens, Leeds" was part of the fan address listed on the single) – I just liked the sound of the words. (see image below)

Can you tell us what the band has been working on and what you've got forthcoming in the near future (new releases, tour, etc)?

The Churchhill Garden is just a "for the love of music thing". I don’t have a real goal at all. All my stuff can be downloaded for free. I will just continue to record some new songs and post them on Soundcloud, Facebook or wherever. I do it basically for my own pleasure, but I also enjoying having feedback. In the future, I'd really like to master some songs, for a better sound quality but it depends on my money situation and on my mood. I really hope I could add some more vocals on my songs… that would be my greatest wish for the moment. Touring and live concerts are not an issue for me – because it is not possible for me to tour as a one-man band (I would die a thousand deaths). If I ever do play in front of a crowd, I much prefer to be in the background.

Do you consider your music to be part of the current shoegaze & dream pop scene, or any scene? Defining one's sound by genre can be tiresome, but do you feel that the band identifies closely with any genre? How do you feel about genres in music, in a general sense?

If you listen to my songs, you'll notice that I have a variety of different songs to sample. If you compare "Noisy Butterfly" with "The Girl with the Crystal Eyes" it sounds a bit like a mixture of new wave, shoegaze and guitar pop. I don’t really care about genres. My songs have a lot of influences because I am a big music fan and have a huge music collection. You will hear this in my songs. I really don’t need to do something very new, or try to be unique. I love those old bands and I think it is nice to hear those influences in my songs. For example – in "Beading be, You Still" the final part definitely sounds like the Wedding Present. 

Other bands that you will hear in my music that I grew up with include: The Cure, The Chameleons, The Cocteau Twins, but I also love guitar bands like The Smiths, Railway Children, Razorcuts and The Church. Genres are ok as a means to collect some bands/music and file it under one name. Or in the past - to find the right area or box in a record store. It also makes it easier to find new music that has the same feelings. But sometimes it is also better to not think too much about genres… just listen to what you like and it will open new worlds. For me - I collect old ‘77 era punk records, northern soul and early reggae stuff.

What do you think of modern shoegaze/dream pop/psychedelia artists, any favorites?

I think there are a lot of great bands. And since I am a member of the Shoegaze Collective Group on Facebook I explore new bands day by day. I love the Asian stuff like Broken Little Sister, Purple Bloom and Hideka (you should check out Hideka’s bossa nova stuff – great, but very different, plus she’s a very good musician). But I also adore bands like Air Formation, Spotlight Kid, and M83.

What is the most important piece of gear for your sound? Any particular guitars/pedals/amps that you prefer?

When I first started - I was a big fan of F-hole guitars and I used a very beautiful and good German guitar DUESENBERG CC. I still like that one, but I got more interested in Fender Jazzmaster and Jaguar sounds. So I start to do some combinations, if I want to produce some noise I’ll use the Fender / if I want to play more "guitar-pop stuff" I’ll use the Duesenberg and Rickenbacher. When I started The Churchhill Garden I was certain that I didn’t want to play “live” so I sold my Fender twin reverb amp, and most of my pedals. I just wanted to record music very simply. All of my new stuff is just "Guitar RIG and Logic Pro" and for the drums I use Superior Drummer. It took me ages to create a customized new sound using Guitar RIG. Finally. I am quite happy with the sounds, but I should start to learn to use Logic Pro more professionally, in order to create better recording qualities (because all of my recordings need more volume).

What is your process for recording your music? What gear and/or software do you use? What would you recommend for others?

I am actually not a good guitarist and I am happy the software offers me the possibility to record "takes". If I have an idea for a new song, most of the time, I just record a very short melody. At this point – I don’t have a clue as to how the final song will sound. When I am recording an idea - I am fast, and most of the time I record the song in one Sunday. Then, I just have to add the drums soon thereafter. I can’t sing!! That’s very bad, I wish I could. It is not very easy to find musicians with nice voices nearby. It my hope that my recordings and songs start to attract some of my favorite vocalists to contribute. I will definitely record some other songs with Eva Tresch (you can hear her beautiful voice on “Lost” and “1001 Wee Birds”). I really like her voice. I don’t have to tell her how I want it done. She has a great feeling for it and I am very thankful that she took the time to support me with her lovely voice. There are two other music vocalists that have told me they will sing for me - I hope we will be able to do this!

How do you feel about the state of the music industry today? There is no doubt a massive change underway; how do you see it and do you feel it’s positive at all?

Basically, for me as a non-commercial home-recording band, the situation is quite good. I could reach people in the whole world. Just a few years ago nobody would take notice off The Churchhill Garden. But now I receive feedback from different places in the world (except my home country Switzerland). I heard that one of my songs was played on a radio station in Lima - it’s amazing. On the other side - when I was younger, we would spend hours in record stores searching for new bands. When we finally found something - it was like the holy grail! We couldn’t wait to listen the whole record at home (I am talking about vinyl, of course!). I remember fondly listening the music and read the lyrics in the booklets. There were some records I purchased just because I liked the artwork this is how I started to collect 4AD records). Now you could just download - what I think is not the same feeling.

When it comes to label releases versus DIY/bandcamp and the like, what is your stance, if any?

I like the way I work. No pressure at all. So, there no need for a label release! BUT!!! For sure it would be nice to record the songs on professional equipment and with people who know what they are doing. Anyway, I think I will continue the DIY thing.

Do you prefer vinyl, CD, cassette tape or mp3 format when listening to music? Do you have any strong feelings toward any of them?

I am a big vinyl fan!! If I can’t find records from a band on vinyl – I will buy mp3 downloads. I definitely stopped buying CDs.

What artists (musicians or otherwise) have most influenced your work?

Well as for bands, for sure it was The Cure. Other bands that touched me when I was younger include a local band called Red Rain Coat, a great Canadian band called A Neon Room and my friends from Prague - The Naked Souls. For guitar playing, it was the Edge (on the Unforgettable Fire album), Robert Smith and Johnny Marr. There were a lot of other bands I think I was influenced by... Close Lobsters, House Martins, Big Country, Wedding Present, The Chameleons, Joy Division, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Swans, Fields of the Nephilim...

If you had to choose one track of yours that was the ultimate definition of your sound, which would it be and why?

This is definitely not a easy question. Maybe "The 8th day". This song is only on my website because i should replace my voice. But, I like how the song is growing - for me he's really intensive. But if you like to know more about the person behind The Churchhill Garden then you should listen two songs. Start with "I Hate This Fucking World" and continue with "Yow Mow Go Chor" These two songs were recorded on the same day. I lost sleep and then started to record "I Hate..." - I was angry about what had happened during that day… then my mood turns completely around in the afternoon and I recorded "Yow…”. Two very different feelings in one day - captured in two songs.

Can you tell us a little about the band’s song writing process?

I often use My iPhone to record some melodies so that I will not forget them. Then I begin writing a song using these short ideas. I have many songs I have never posted on my website or on Soundcloud because I am not sure if they are really good enough. There are also a couple of songs that will only work with a voice (I need to find someone to sing vocals). Without a voice, I feel they are boring. When I record, I rarely think of how a voice would
work.

Can you tell us a little about what you are currently into (books, films, art, bands, etc)?

At the moment I am reading “Swiss History for Dummies” (no joke) – it is quite interesting and it is amazing how little I remember from school . As for music – my favorite band at the moment is Broken Little Sister and I am listening to some older stuff like Into Paradise.

What is your philosophy (on life), if any, that you live by?

Oh, that is definitely not an easy question. I try to do a balancing act between deep melancholy and an incredible love of life and nature.

Rare Promo Footage of the first 1986 12" release by A.R.Kane.

Rare Promo Footage of the first 1986 12" release 
on One Little Indian Records

by dreampop pioneers || A.R.Kane