when the sun hits.

Strangeways Radio Blog: Shoegaze Spotlight - A Weekly Gaze. This Week: Screen Vinyl Image.

2012-01-26T09:26:00.003-06:00

When The Sun Hits and Strangeways Radio are uniting on yet another level - activate the weekly Shoegaze Spotlight! Every week WTSH will present a shoegaze/dream pop band on Strangeways' blog, highlighting how very awesome the band is and how you should be listening to them and buying their music and supporting them because they deserve it.

The second edition went up today, and the focus is on WTSH faves Screen Vinyl Image. We at WTSH adore SVI and all of their projects, past and present, and after reading this, so will you.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE STRANGEWAYS RADIO BLOG

Tonight! Special Re-Airing of the Doomgaze Edition of When The Sun Hits.

2012-01-25T19:05:00.003-06:00

Tonight on Strangeways Radio! The Doomdaze Edition of When The Sun Hits. That's right, I'm replaying it! It's one of my favorite shows I've done and a lot of listeners seemed to dig it too, soo I'm re-airing it. Stream it live, 10pm-11pm EST, HERE. Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST!

Come join me tonight for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. In celebration of Halloween, this week's show is dedicated to DOOMGAZE. Yes, I've trolled the murky waters of fringe shoegaze for you in order to drag up the darkest, loudest mire possible. Black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole tonight on Strangeways Radio. Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any subsequent nightmares you may have. Enjoy All Hallow's Eve.

Expect to hear dark cuts from Nadja, [aftersun], Jesu, and a LOT more.

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

Interview: Mat Flint of Deep Cut and formerly of Revolver and Death in Vegas. Interview by Rob Turner.

2012-01-20T08:30:00.002-06:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews Mat Flint of Deep Cut, Formerly of Revolver and Death in Vegas

Interview by Rob Turner

How and when was Deep Cut band formed?

After Revolver ended, I played bass with Death in Vegas from the mid-nineties up to 2005. To begin with, I was really happy just being a musician in someone else's band - particularly when it was a band that was fucking great! It suited me, after all the pressures of being the singer, songwriter and guitarist of Revolver, to just play in someone else's group for a while. But as time went on, I missed not being able to write songs - I mean, I could make up bass lines, and be involved in the arrangement of how we played songs live, but I started to feel that I needed to do my own thing again. When they stopped touring in 2005, I decided to concentrate on writing some of my own stuff again. Me and Si - my brother and Deep Cut bassist - had been doing some stuff together before that, which was more electronic, but he agreed to work on some more guitar-based stuff with me. We got a few demos together, and tried out a few singers, but none of them really worked. One day Emma - my wife - said she wanted to have a go at the vocals. She did Rubbernecking, which is on our first album, then Commodity and Freezer Burn, and we thought they sounded so good that we put them up on Myspace. Robin from AC30 heard them, liked them, and asked us to play at the AC30 night. So we had to get a band together! We did that, played a few gigs, and then Tim from Death In Vegas agreed to produce a single for us, which AC30 released. And it went on from there.

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

Our new album Disorientation came out late last year. We started recording it in the summer of 2009, and finished it in September 2010... so it's taken a year to come out! We are very proud of it - I know that everyone says this when they bring out a new record, but I really feel that it's the best stuff I've been involved with writing. We just released a single from it, "Something's Got To Give." It's a really limited thing that you can only get via the AC30 site. We did a couple of videos which are up on YouTube, and we have done a few shows - we did Glastonbury, and we supported Ringo Deathstarr and Spotlight Kid. We might do another single - probably Dead Inside Your Heart from the album. We've got a few more gigs coming up, me and Si are remixing a couple of bands.. And then I guess we will start working on the next Deep Cut album. Plus, I am going to play on a couple of other people's records, hopefully.

Deep Cut. About Face.

Do you consider Deep Cut music to be part of the current shoegaze/dream pop scene, or any scene?

I don't ever think of music like that, to be honest, but I suppose that you probably could include us in it - if it exists! I'm happy to be included in anything, if it means that people hear our music. I actually see us as being closer to other current bands really - bands that don’t really get included in it.

Bullshit Detector by Deep Cut

Defining one's sound by genre can be tiresome, but do you feel that the band identifies closely with any genre?

The bands that I’m talking about, that I think we would sort of fit in with, are bands like the Horrors, the Duke Spirit, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Brian Jonestown Massacre and so on. You know, in that people that like their records would probably like ours. But I can see why you might lump us in with some of the more obvious shoegaze type bands. It's probably as much to do with the fact that I was in Revolver, as much as anything else. I mean, I can hear why you would think some of our stuff could be called “shoegaze” – but there is a lot more to it than that.

How do you feel about genres in music, in a general sense?

As much as I don't really like them when they’re applied to my own music, they are necessary I think. You know, if I go into a record shop, if I want a particular record, it helps if I can head straight to the psych section, or Krautrock, or hip hop or whatever! My problem with the “shoegaze” tag, really, was that I thought it sounded a bit silly... “Dream pop” is better, at least it tells you a bit about what the music sounds like!

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

I absolutely love the Horrors. I think their last two albums have both been fantastic. I like some other bands that might just about fit into those categories, like the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and there's an Australian band called Belles Will Ring that I really like. But I'm not crazy about many new bands, to be brutally honest. Maybe I just haven't heard the good ones! I mean I occasionally hear records that stand out, like that LSD and the Search For God record a couple of years ago, and I quite liked the Joy Formidable one... But generally I don't get to hear a lot of what you'd call "modern shoegaze". I’d be willing for someone to do me a mixtape though, of what’s really good at the moment. I don’t get to listen to as much new music as I used to and that’s a shame really. I do like some of the “new psychedelia” bands at the moment, though - the Black Angels, Asteroid #4, bands like that.

Deep Cut. Something’s Got To Give.

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

We are more about guitars and amps than we are about effects. I mean, we use a lot of
distortion, but if you listen to our stuff it's generally not overladen with loads of other effects, really. For distortion, we generally use the amp itself, or my Russian Bigmuff, or a Rat. I suppose we use tremelo quite a lot, but that's just on our amps. We used a Vox AC30 and a Fender Twin Reverb for pretty much everything on the album. And we just have nice guitars, you know – I have an American Telecaster Plus from the Revolver days that I still use, and I got a cool Jazzmaster a couple of years ago. We used a Rickenbacker 12 string on some tracks. And apart from the odd bit of flange or delay, the rest of the sound comes from which mike you use, and how you mike up the amp, and how you compress and EQ it afterwards. I dont believe in hiding behind loads of effects! I’ve always felt that the sound of a nice guitar plugged straight into an amp is a very physical sound – if you plug a Jazzmaster into a Marshall stack, and turn the gain up, you get a very physical, visceral effect from it. And to me, when you start adding digital effects into that, it takes away some of that visceral effect. And I don’t like that.

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?

I was talking to Robin from AC30 about this the other day, and he was saying that he reckons that of all the people that actually have the Ringo Deathstarr album, maybe 1 to 2 per cent of those people actually bought it. Which is really fucking frightening. It's so different to when Revolver came out, it's a different ballgame now. The only ways a band can actually make a living doing this now - unless you have an absolutely massive single or album - are through doing loads of shows, selling loads of merchandise, or getting your music licensed to an advert, or a movie or something. So for people in bands who are just starting out, who want to do this as a career, it’s a pretty daunting prospect. Because the chances are that you aren’t going to sell any records, or CDs, or whatever. Having said that, we don’t do Deep Cut for financial gain – we do it for the love of making music. I gave up on being a pop star when Revolver broke up! I’m not saying that I wouldn’t love to have a massive hit single – or a track used on a new HBO series or something – but we’re just very happy to be making music and putting it out.

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

I have to admit that I still like the label approach - it works for us, any way. On our new CD, we’ve done everything ourselves up to a certain point, which is where AC30 take over. We wrote and arranged the songs, engineered them, mixed them, got them mastered, and did all the artwork ourselves. But once it’s finished, I don’t want to do all the stuff like getting the sleeves printed, manufacturing the CD, dealing with distributors and getting it into the shops, and up onto iTunes and whatever. I just wouldn’t have the time to do that! Plus, we are very lucky to be on a label that carries a certain amount of kudos – people listen to stuff because it’s on AC30, and we wouldn’t get that otherwise. Also, they’re great guys, Robin and Dunk, Nick too, and it’s good to have people who aren’t in the band, but who are closely involved with it, who you can go to for advice – to help you make certain choices and so on. Having said that, I think if I was 20 and just starting out, I would go down the Bandcamp route. It’s a brilliant option if you can’t get – or don’t want - label support.

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’m a vinyl man – always have been, always will be! I don’t like CDs and never have done, really. Vinyl sounds better, the sleeves look better, and they stack up more nicely on your shelves! And vinyl will pretty much live forever, I think – it’s quite clearly going to outlast CD. Plus, I DJ a lot and it’s much more of a hands-on experience to do it with vinyl. You can’t scratch with a CD! But I also love cassette tapes. I’m going through a big phase at the moment of converting my old cassette tapes into digital, to put onto my iPod. And I love the sound you get on them, particularly when it’s a recording of a radio show from back in the day. You get that great radio compression sound, combined with the slightly hissy tape – I never used Dolby on my recordings! And of course, where would we be without mp3? I listen to so much music, whatever I’m doing, and I guess the vast majority of it now is on mp3, due to it being so portable. But if I get new stuff on mp3 that I really like, I always try to buy it on vinyl.

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

Wow, what a question. We could be here all day! To really try to narrow it down… the first band I really became obsessed with were the Smiths, back when I was a teenager. I literally didn’t talk about anything else for about 3 years! I was a massive Johnny Marr fan. The way he looked, the way he played the guitar, the way he churned out all those songs so quickly, was just phenomenal. Plus, the first two gigs I ever went to were the Smiths, so that had a massive impact on me. I saw their last ever show, at Brixton Academy. After that, the Jesus and Mary Chain were next up – Psychocandy just blew my mind. The amazing songs, juxtaposed with the white noise – and the fantastic way they looked, I just loved it. I tried to look like I was in the Mary Chain for a long time when I was younger! And I always really loved New Order – just the most uplifting band in the world, ever. They’re still pretty much my favourite band, to this day. And My Bloody Valentine of course – when You Made Me Realise came out it just completely blew my mind. The whole EP was just incredible, and I became obsessed with them, went to all their shows, for a couple of years. Then Primal Scream were the next band to really influence the way I thought about music; I always loved reading interviews with Bobby, I often agreed with the things he said, and he always enthused about records that you hadn’t heard, that you then had to go and check out. And when they did “Screamadelica” it just changed the game, really. I started going to clubs, and getting really into dance music around that time, and a lot of it was through the Scream and Andrew Weatherall. We used to go to Weatherall’s club night Sabresonic – and that was a big influence, really getting into stuff that was electronic, and not guitar-based. And then there’s Sonic Youth, who have always been really inspiring to me – still brilliant now, after all these years. These are the artists that I’ve “grown up” with that have inspired me the most; but there are so many older artists that have had just as a big an impact, sometimes more so – Arthur Lee and Love, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, John Lennon, Iggy, John Lydon.

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

I’m currently reading a really good book about Syd Barrett, it’s called A Very Irregular Head, and it’s great. I just finished a book about Arthur Lee – Forever Changes I think it was called. That was pretty good. I haven’t read a novel for a while, last one I read was American Pastoral by Philip Roth which did my head in a bit! The last interesting film I saw was Enter The Void, I think. And I saw the Creation film, “Upside Down”, which was ok. Music wise, I’m listening to a lot of mid-90s hip-hop, lots of radio mixes from that time – Stretch and Bobbito shows, DJ Eclipse and DJ Riz, just really amazing stuff. It makes me want to cry at how terrible “hip-hop” has become today! I run a lot, 20-30km a week, and I find it’s the best kind of music to listen to while I run! I love the new Horrors album, been listening to that loads, along with Bo Diddley, David Bowie, Neil Young, J Mascis, Flying Burrito Brothers, Wooden Shjips… I just remembered that I like that Tame Impala album a lot, too.

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

I’m tempted to say “Out Of Nothing” from the new album, as we did it in a really different way to how we normally write songs, and we will probably do that a lot more in the future. We played along to a loop of this really great hip-hop track by Godfather Don, and just basically wrote a song on top of it – and it worked. Then we took the loop out, and just let the song stand on its own. And it sounds like us, but it sounds like us coming from a different place, if you see what I mean. And that’s what we will do a lot more of. But, you could also say that a track like “Next Disaster” off the new album was more typical in terms of an “ultimate definition” of what we do, as it has all the things on it that we tend to do on most songs. Great lyrics and melody, noisy guitars, great rhythm section – but it’s not just a noise-pop thing. There’s brass on there, weird percussion, strange backing vocals… it has a twist to it. I’d very happy for people to hear that track, if they were only going to hear one song by us, to give them an idea of what we were about.

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

I normally come up with the first idea – usually guitar chords, or a bassline idea, or a sample or loop. And then me and Si sit at the PC and fuck around with it until it turns into a workable idea. When we’ve got something that sounds like a song, we give it to Em to put vocal melodies on, and to try to come up with lyrics, and we then try to get it to a “rough demo” sort of stage. We then take that demo into the rehearsal studio for the whole band to work on; or, we just decide to do a new version of the song that ends up becoming the finished version, with the whole band playing on it. We don’t write songs from jamming together much – but we might do that more in the future.

What is the band’s goal for 2011?

I just hope that people get to hear this album. We put so much into it, and we’re very proud of it, you know? And I think it stands up, really. I’d be surprised if people who were listening to bands like the Horrors heard our stuff and didn’t like it… And that’s all really. I just want people to hear it, and say, “you know what, that Deep Cut album is fucking good.”

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

I got asked this the other day, and to be really honest, I didn’t think I really had one. But when I thought about it, I suppose it’s to do things only when it feels right – and fits in with your life. I’ve never been pressured into doing stuff I didn’t want to do. I’ve turned some things down over the years that I could have done, but didn’t, and I think it’s stood me in pretty good stead. I’m still making music that people are listening to, 20 years after I started doing it. And I don’t think many people can say that.

Set List for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio, Aired January 18, 2012.

2012-01-19T21:06:00.002-06:00

Band Name. Track Title.
The Jesus and Mary Chain. Up too High (demo '83).
Ceremony. Regret.
Ringo Deathstar. Swirly.
Ride. Silver.
My Bloody Valentine. Slow.
The Horrors. I Only Think of You.
A Place to Bury Strangers. Never Going Down.
Chapterhouse. Satin Safe.
The Lost Rivers. Stay.
Dwayne Sodahberk. Open Cuts.
M83. Teen Angst (Montag remix).
Swallow. Holes.
Mahogany. Bunker Soldiers (OMD cover).
lovesliescrushing. Your Eyes Immaculate.

Tonight! When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2012-01-18T20:05:00.004-06:00

Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST! Tonight!

Come join me this Wednesday for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. When The Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole this Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Expect to hear The JAMC's earliest recorded demo, Mahogany's OMD cover, and some good old My Bloody Valentine, and suchlike...

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

Rad Bandcamp Discovery of the Week: Mellow Grave.

2012-01-18T19:30:00.000-06:00

<a href="http://mellowgrave.bandcamp.com/album/smoke-filled-the-room-we-slept">Smoke Filled the Room, We Slept by MELLOW GRAVE</a>

Strangeways Radio Blog: Shoegaze Spotlight - A Weekly Gaze. This Week: Matt Bartram.

2012-01-18T08:30:00.001-06:00

The second edition went up today, and the focus is on the extremely talented Matt Bartram. We at WTSH adore Matt and all of his projects, past and present, and after reading this, so will you.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE STRANGEWAYS RADIO BLOG

EP Review: Going for Gold. EP. Reviewed by Anne Marie Taul de Neergaard.

2012-01-12T19:07:00.003-06:00

Artist: Going for Gold.
Title: EP.
Release Date: May 2011.

Reviewed by Anne Marie Taul de Neergaard.

”Falling in love with noisy guitars, tambourines, distant pianos and no-bullshit drums surrounding catchy tunes...” - that's what their Facebook profile says, and I couldn't possibly agree more!

The Copenhagen-based danish band Go for Gold play a totally outstanding kind of shoegazy post-rock that really sweeps me off my feet right from the very first chord, I'm blown away, I'm in love!

The band's put together by five people; Kristian Rasmussen (vocal + guitar), Sille Mosegaard (vocal + keys), Andreas Brixen (drums), Mads Nyboe (guitar + keys) and Kenneth Skovhus (bass + production) and they released their first and self-titled 5-track EP back in May 2011.

All the way through, the Go for Gold EP is a truly high-flying and euphoric experience, and just pushing 'play' should really require some sort of clearance for takeoff! No wonder the first track's called 'No Patience' since that's actually a very accurate way of describing the feeling that presents itself after only seconds of listening! I find myself having a seriously hard time remaining calm enough for typing – I feel like jumping up and dancing, or jumping out from high places, absolutely confident my freshly grown wings will carry me just perfectly! Oh no, I'm not coming down any time soon!

Go for Gold. No Patience.

Thankfully the EP's second track is slowing down the beat a tiny bit, giving me a brief chance to catch my breath.

I have to agree with the chorus, though; “There's no way out for me” - I'm totally hooked and really impressed with how the band has managed to create such a coherent and consistent set of songs, yet allowing each and every song to differ from the others, adding new and pleasant surprises all the time! Thus also the third track provides a really nice variation in sound and mood, it's a bit more blue sounding, mixed with Kristian Rasmussen and Sille Moesgaard's almost symbiotic vocal harmonies, while the fourth track takes me back up in speed to the burningly intense feeling that's a consistent characteristic on the whole album.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://goforgoldband.bandcamp.com/track/the-things-that-go-in-between"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The things that go in between by Go for Gold&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Finally, Go for Gold has mercy on me. The last track takes my heartbeat back to it's more or less calm and steady normal rhythm – or, rather it sets it's speed really, dictating every heartbeat in the same way some of My Bloody Valentine's greatest songs do. And once again I'm completely swept away by the most amazing vocal harmonies, deliciously covered by layers of crisp and noisy guitars.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://goforgoldband.bandcamp.com/track/roommates-tale"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Roommates Tale by Go for Gold&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Oh yes, this superb EP is definitely one of my personal absolute favorite releases from last year – and will remain a favorite for a very long time to come, I'm sure!

Album Review: Yakari. Feel It Two. Reviewed by Anne Marie Taul de Neergaard.

2012-01-12T18:36:00.005-06:00

Artist: Yakari.
Album: Feel It Two.
Label: Ikarus Records.
Release Date: December 2011.

Review by: Anne Marie Taul de Neergaard.

From time to time, you're somehow struck by luck, accidentally stumbling upon something new and awesome while following some online path of sound, looking for something completely different. But not infrequently you're then entirely forgetting what you were searching for in the first place, all hooked on this new discovery. New to you, anyway. This was what happened to me this morning. See, I'd never even heard of the Swiss band Yakari, which was definitely my mistake, it turned out!

The band released their second album, Feel It Two, on the Zurich label Ikarus Records December 1st 2011 (their first album was self-titled) and the bandcamp tags 'indie rock', 'noise rock' and 'shoegaze' are quite fitting – while the word 'shitgaze' has to stand entirely on the band's own account. While consistently more melodic, the influence from Sonic Youth is quite undeniable on most tracks, which shouldn't really be held against Yakari though. The resemblance to bands like Green Concorde, Dinosaur Jr. and Autolux may be a little less obvious and, I assume, not really as intentional – but nevertheless there. However, on top of influences and resemblances, Yakari are able adding something new, another layer or two, a sound of their own. Even if all six tracks on the album somehow feel and sound more or less similar to something you might have heard before, having loved this kind of music for years, Yakari has a clear and rather personal 2011 touch to their sound, and most of all the album's really catchy all way through!

<a href="http://yakari.bandcamp.com/track/kids">Kids by Yakari</a>

To an indie-kid like me Feel It Two feels kind of like coming home, the feeling becoming very intense already on the album's second track 'Higher Sphere' - oh yes, this is where I came from and I'm all in! Yakari approximates the Sonic Youth sound the most, almost making me sing 'Teenage Riot', on the album's fourth track 'Kids', which is very catchy indeed, however it's the album's last track 'Autospace' that gets to me the most and really blows me off my feet! Lasting more than seven minutes straight, this track's inevitably making me slip into a calm but yet very powerful ocean of sound, the flow taking me for a ride through the whirlpools with a couple of very nice surprises on along the way, only getting wilder and wilder, till at last it empties into a deep sea of white noise.

<a href="http://yakari.bandcamp.com/track/autospace">Autospace by Yakari</a>

This is definitely an album you should not miss! It's available on vinyl at Ikarus Records and could be downloaded via bandcamp for the very advantageous price of 'pay what you want'.

The First 100,000 Compilation: Re-Release via Bandcamp Now Available for Free Download.

2012-01-10T13:35:00.005-06:00

Our very first compilation, The First 100,000, which was originally released in May 2011, is now officially on bandcamp as a free download! It's bloody well awesome, so definitely grab yourself a copy. And yes, we have corrected the bandcamp problem, so it will remain free. Enjoy it!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

200,000 Gazes: Volume Two is nearly ready to hit the interwebs...we can't wait for you guys to hear it. Is it cocky if we say it's bad ass? Because it's bad ass.

Strangeways Radio Blog: Shoegaze Spotlight - A Weekly Gaze.

2012-01-09T14:23:00.005-06:00

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE STRANGEWAYS RADIO BLOG

200,000 Gazes Comp: Refunds and Release Dates.

2012-01-08T22:29:00.006-06:00

Greetings, gazelings! Several topics to cover here, so let's get to it.

Regarding the temporary bandcamp glitch, during which 200,000 Gazes: Volume One appeared on bandcamp as $5.00 to purchase: All refunds should now be completed. This error should not happen again, as I just dropped some good old USD to bandcamp so that they'd stop effing with our attempts to gaze. So, all is well! If your refund doesn't appear in your paypal account by Wednesday, contact me at:

editorwhenthesunhits@yahoo.com

Regarding the re-release of The First 100,ooo (WTSH's first compilation), it will be available to download on bandcamp,FOR FREE (seriously, for reals, FREE) tomorrow (January 9th) - for absolute certain!

Regarding the release of 200,000 Gazes, Volume Two, it will be released via bandcamp as a free download this Wednesday, January 11th. Fo' sho'. Special edition posters of the compilation cover art will become available shortly thereafter.

We apologize for the delays. It sucks for us too, since working on the blog ranks much higher on the "what we want to do rather than our silly dayjob" scale and all. Alas, we are real people with full time jobs. I know. We think it's lame, too! Luckily, with the expansion of our staff (we still have 3-4 new staff members to announce! You'll read about this in the coming week), it should be smooth sailing (smooth gazing?) from here on out. We hope you are ready for WTSH 2012- because things are about to get rad around here. Thanks so much, everyone!

Shoegaze Quote of the Week: Jim Reid on Depressing Songs and Drinking.

2012-01-04T11:07:00.004-06:00

Taken from an interview with Jim Reid by NYROCK...

NY Rock: Sometimes your lyrics are pretty melancholic. Isn't it a bit strange to sing a sad song, especially if you're feeling great at that particular moment?

Jim Reid: Not really, because a depressing song can make you feel really depressed, so that's OK. Don't take the lyrics too seriously...

I really do feel more like drinking now. I gave you all the answers I have. If you need more just make them up...

IMPORTANT 200,000 Gazes: Volume One Information.

2012-01-03T20:01:00.008-06:00

Ok everyone, a few things. Bandcamp only allows 300 free downloads before they force charging. I wasn't aware of this, so that's why the comp was suddenly $5. I paid off bandcamp, so now it is free again. IF you paid, you will receive a refund. Sorry dudes, just wasn't aware of that bandcamp rule. I'll get that refund to you shortly. Contact me via whenthesunhitsblog@gmail.com if you are uber concerned about it. Put in the subject heading "ATTN: AMBER, gimme my refund, and start reading the fine print on shit!" This will get my attention. I guess the cool thing is that tons of people wanted to download it, which is rad!

Secondly, I've highlighted the exclusive tracks on the comp below. Sorry I didn't do it before. I guess I just figured it didn't matter - cool is cool, why beat the dead cool horse? The comp rocks! But okay, the exclusivity is now included. :)

200,000 Gazes: Volume One

1. [aftersun]. Don't Touch.
2. Dead Leaf Echo. Woolgathering (Mark Van Hoen Remix).
3. Brief Candles. Permafrost.
4. Screen Vinyl Image. Station 4. (this is BRAND new - a week old)
5. Bloody Knives. Undecided. (this is an exclusive unreleased track, it will be on their next LP)
6. Was She A Vampire. Delusions.
7. Highspire. Believe.
8. Sansyou. Black Nerve Administrator.
9. Scott Cortez. You Have Burned Bright. (exclusive)
10. 2060 Chiron. Liftoff. (this band hasn't released an album yet. so - exclusive)
11. Deepfieldview (feat. Charlie Nieland of Her Vanished Grace). 21 Grams. (exclusive)
12. Dead Parties. Take Control. (this is a new mix of this song)
13. The Sunshine Factory. Can't Be Found (Falling Down).
14. Between The Cities Are Stars. Miss West.
15. Presents for Sally. Say Something. (this is brand new & unreleased)
16. Elika. We Have Failed.
17. Drowner. Chime.
18. The Consolation Project. King of Darkness.
19. Deep Cut. Decision Time (Electric Loop Orchestra Remix). (exclusive)
20. Hel Vetica. In Bed. (exclusive and unreleased)

200,000 Gazes Compilation: Volume One. Now Available for Download on Bandcamp.

2012-01-01T21:47:00.006-06:00

200,000 Gazes: Volume One is now ready for download on bandcamp. For FREE, naturally. We hope you enjoy it - it was certainly fun to put it together and we are very proud of it. 200,000 Gazes: Volume Two will follow shortly after, as well as the re-release of The First 100,000, our very first compilation that was originally released in May. It has a swanky new bandcamp home. Happy New Year! Follow the link below to download Volume One. The track listing is also below. Prepare to swoon.

Click here to download 200,000 Gazes: Volume One.

And now, for a bit of story time. For those unfamiliar, The First 100,000 and 200,000 Gazes are compilations that celebrate the number of blog views When The Sun Hits has received since it was begun in July 2010. We were shocked that we ever reached 100,000- that's a hell of a lot of people looking at our blog! We remember (vaguely) when When The Sun Hits was but a mere twinkle in Danny Lackey and Amber Crain's eyes. Now it's 1.5 years old (that might as well be a bazillion in blog years) and has been gazed at nearly 200,000 times. TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES. We can hardly believe it. When The Sun Hits now has an international following, a radio show on Strangeways radio, merchandise, compilation releases, and a staff of about 10 starry eyed shoegazers. We are beside ourselves with excitement about this unexpected turn of events, and we are beyond grateful to all of our readers. Keep gazing, everyone. We know we will.

Limited Edition Posters of Volume One and Volume Two Cover Art will soon be available. These will be an extremely limited run of 10 each. More on that later!

200,000 Gazes: Volume One

1. [aftersun]. Don't Touch.
2. Dead Leaf Echo. Woolgathering (Mark Van Hoen Remix).
3. Brief Candles. Permafrost.
4. Screen Vinyl Image. Station 4.
5. Bloody Knives. Undecided.
6. Was She A Vampire. Delusions.
7. Highspire. Believe.
8. Sansyou. Black Nerve Administrator.
9. Scott Cortez. You Have Burned Bright.
10. 2060 Chiron. Liftoff.
11. Deepfieldview (feat. Charlie Nieland of Her Vanished Grace). 21 Grams.
12. Dead Parties. Take Control.
13. The Sunshine Factory. Can't Be Found (Falling Down).
14. Between The Cities Are Stars. Miss West.
15. Presents for Sally. Say Something.
16. Elika. We Have Failed.
17. Drowner. Chime.
18. The Consolation Project. King of Darkness.
19. Deep Cut. Decision Time (Electric Loop Orchestra Remix).
20. Hel Vetica. In Bed.

200,000 Gazes Compilation: Volume I - The Release is Upon Us...

2012-01-01T17:53:00.003-06:00

200,000 Gazes: Volume I is almost ready for liftoff. Volume II will follow shortly thereafter. The First 100,000 compilation will be re-released with 200,000 Gazes: Volume I. Via bandcamp.

Call us biased, but it's completely bad ass. ARE YOU EXCITED YET OMG.

Stay tuned and stuff.

Merchandise: WTSH Limited Edition Posters for Sale.

2011-12-29T12:00:00.002-06:00

The time hath come: When The Sun Hits merchandise is now for sale!

The posters below are each a Limited Run of 20. These special edition posters will be numbered and printed on heavy matte cardstock, so they look extremely nice. They are approximately 12x12 and are $7.50 apiece. The money we receive from these sales goes directly into our WTSH fund, which is used to pay our writers and plan awesome things for our readers. Please allow 3-4 business days for processing. Photography by Amber Crain.

To order, go to the right sidebar, under "Merchandise".

International orders - there will be a slightly higher shipping fee.

Be the first to get yourself some gaze swag from When The Sun Hits! More merchandise coming soon.

WTSH001: Limited Edition Poster - Green & Blue.

WTSH002: Limited Edition Poster - Wine & Fuchsia.

Album Review: Screen Vinyl Image. Strange Behavior.

2011-12-29T07:30:00.000-06:00

When The Sun Hits

Reviews
Strange Behavior.
Reviewed by: Nikki Roszko.

Artist: Screen Vinyl Image.
Album Title: Strange Behavior.
Record Label: Custom Made Music.

Screen Vinyl Image, Kim and Jake Ried, a husband wife duo from Arlington, formed in 2007 from what was Alcian Blue. Since then, they have been a very industrious pair. Three LPs -- Interceptors (2009), Ice Station (2010) and now Strange Behavior (2011) along with a variety of split seven inches and EPs have kept them busy.

From the start, SVI set out on an expedition into the darker side of shoegaze. Or maybe they brought shoegaze to the Hacienda with Ian Curtis spastically twitching on a stage that turns out to be a club floor on industrial goth night. Whichever route they took, they ended up with a racing, haunting, echoing, reverb-drenched sound that is felt throughout their catalogue. Played at the right volume (loud, very loud) the sonic riot can put an already predisposed mind into an altered state. This is a very good thing (if you like altered states).

SVI. Station 4.

Strange Behavior is somewhat of a departure for SVI. While Jake’s vocals are still heavily drenched in reverb, on the first track “We Don’t Belong,” they seem to come up for air and more to the forefront. This trend continues on and off throughout the album. The thick fuzz-bass strips down for a while, resurfacing later, usually in tandem with the throbbing bass drum. Other sonic elements follow suit, allowing room for each to have its moment. They use this room to play more with the tension between its instruments.

The song that I really keep coming back to is “My Confession.” Maybe it’s the startling introduction of the very present acoustic guitar, but this song has an Angels of Light intensity to it. Jake’s voice, which drops an octave or two, picks up some serious delay, giving the song a morose, almost funereal quality. Yum! The acoustic guitar continues through Station #4, in which its stark contrast against the tachycardic drum beat and 80s synth melodies have a more of a Cure-like component, which although still melancholic, is more danceable.

SVI. My Confession.

And hey, if you’re looking for a darkwave rave, “Rx” brings it back. Fuzz base, check! Throbbing bass drum, check! Dance floor polyrhythms (hey, tambourine, I’m looking at you), check! And yeah, the cool, saturated vocals, check again! The final track, “Night Trip” is a bit of a tease, but one that summates Strange Behavior eloquently. At first you think you might still be on the dance floor, but it pulls you right back, intermingling sad melodies with a jittering rhythm section. Like Strange Behavior it pits nakedness and space against SVI’s familiar excessiveness and comes through with the goods.

Tonight! When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2011-12-28T19:58:00.004-06:00

Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST! Tonight!

Come join me this Wednesday for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. When The Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole this Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Expect to hear a mixed bag of classics and new stuff...

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

New Video Debut: The Spiracles. Fireflies.

2011-12-28T15:39:00.002-06:00

We've been anxiously awaiting the release of The Spiracles' How Things Went Well When I Met You EP, which is due out 1/24/2012 via Saint Marie Records (you can pre-order it HERE)...but until that day comes, we'll make due with the DEBUT video for the wonderful track "Fireflies" that we just received from the record label...ENJOY!

Tomorrow: Screen Vinyl Image's "Strange Behavior" Reviewed by Nikki Roszko.

2011-12-28T09:16:00.002-06:00

We already know it's bad ass, but we want to read it in good soundin' english - TOMORROW - Nikki Roszko's review of Screen Vinyl Image's new album, Strange Behavior, goes live! Until then, enjoy the video...

Interview: Aidan Baker of Nadja.

2011-12-27T07:15:00.001-06:00

When The Sun Hits
Interviews
Aidan Baker of Nadja
Interview by Amber Crain

Aidan Baker is a musician and writer currently based in Toronto, Canada. Classically trained in flute, he is self-taught on guitar, drums and various other instruments. Baker (guitars/vocals/drum programming) is also one half of the band Nadja, along with Leah Buckareff (bass/vocals). Originally formed in 2003 as a Baker solo project, the now-duo creates ambient-shoegazey-drone-metal, combining ambient electronics & fragmentary vocals with snail-crawl, epic riffs & dirge-like percussion. To date, Nadja has released over 10 full-length albums, in addition to various EPs, splits, and collaborations. Baker himself has released numerous albums on independent labels from around the world and is the author of two books of poetry, two poetry chapbooks and has published poetry, fiction and criticism in various international and scholarly journals. When The Sun Hits is understandably thrilled to bring you the following interview with a very talented and enigmatic person - Aidan Baker of Nadja.

How and when was Nadja formed?

I originally formed Nadja a solo, studio-based project in 2003 to explore the heavier, noiser side of drone music (compared to the more ambient, mellower music I make under my own name). Leah joined on bass in 2005 to bring the project out of the studio and perform live.

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

We will be touring Japan for the first time at the end of January, then a short European tour in March, and a Scandinavian tour in May. As for releases, we have a few re-issues planned plus a 2CD compilation of vinyl-only or limited release tracks coming out with Important Records in the new year. We are currently working on a new full-length album that will hopefully be out by the end of 2012.

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?

We don't really feel to be part of any specific scene, since our music tends to span a few different genres. We tend to fit more into the metal or noise/experimental scenes, though, than the
shoegaze/dream pop -- although people often consider us too metal to be noise or too experimental to be metal. Defining one's work, and all music in general, by genre is ridiculous and limiting -- music is more interesting when it spans multiple genres.

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

To be frank, I tend to listen to older shoegaze/dream pop bands...but in terms of modern psychedelia or drone acts, though, some favorites are Date Palms, Expo '70, Thisquietarmy, Natural Snow Buildings...

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

I guess my Akai Headrush looping pedal is pretty integral to my sound. But as much as I rely on pedals, it's technique not technology that should make the musician.

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

We record in our home studio on a laptop, previously using Cubase but we recently switched to Logic (though we're still trying to figure out how the work the program). We generally record live and use the computer mainly for arranging and mixing and not for generating or
effecting sounds.

Nadja. Veil of Disillusion.

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?

Hopefully, the changing music industry will mean the end of the parasitic major label and give artists more freedom and ability to earn a living on their own. It would be nice if the commercialism of the music industry changed, but that seems unlikely in the immediate future. Perhaps it is in the indie scene, but the mainstream music industry is still too concerned about profits and marketability. Of course, indie record labels and musicians have a right to be
compensated for what they produce, but I think society needs to re-assess how they consume music before that can happen in a fair and meaningful way.

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

Both are equally fine -- it really depends on the individual label and/or artist and the way they operate.

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 think each format has its own legitimacy for different reasons. Apart from cassettes -- I see little value in them.

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

Here are a few: Caspar Brotzmann, Justin Broadrick, James Plotkin, Vini Reilly, PJ Harvey, Mark Kozelek, Adam Franklin, Alan Sparhawk, Glenn Branca, Michael Gira, etc.

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

I'm concurrently (re-)reading Steve Erickson 's Tours of the BlackClock, Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, and David Foster Wallace's The Pale King. Some recent listening: Kate Bush, Red House Painters, Rollins Band, Lenny Breau, Fugazi. I can't remember the last really good film I saw...

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

I guess "Stays Demons" since it features a little bit of everything that encompasses our sound: heaviness, melodicism, noise, drone, darkness, prettiness...

Nadja. Stays Demons.

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

We usually start with a few basic riffs and build the drums tracks around those riffs. We then put the song together allowing for textural and largely improvisational passages.

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

Grin and bear it.

Tomorrow: Interview with Aidan Baker of Nadja. Video: Stays Demons.

2011-12-26T19:02:00.001-06:00

WTSH is Expanding - Would You Like to Help?

2011-12-22T14:26:00.007-06:00

Tis the season - to dream big (we gazers are very good at the dreaming bit...) and to make it happen. When The Sun Hits has been gearing up for expansion for months, and starting in January 2012, we are taking the blog to the next level. We weren't expecting to grow so quickly or so fast (or at all, ever, really) but here we are.

Starting in 2012, WTSH will be expanding our number of staff writers, whom we plan to pay, because they deserve it. We will also be selling merchandise of all sorts - posters, pin badges, t-shirts and special edition compilations are just a FEW items we'll be offering our readers in the very near future. Cool, right? By mid-2012, expect to be able to buy the very first special edition PRINT version of WTSH, which is going to be RAD. We have even more surprises planned for the coming year, but we'll remain hush hush about those. :)

It is now possible, via Paypal, to donate as little or as much as you'd like (or none!) to our blog fund. The money will go toward maintaining the site, paying our writers, getting merchandise made, bringing WTSH to print, planning festivals, supporting musicians and more. You can click on the Donate button in the right sidebar of the blog, and you will always find that same button located in that same place, if you'd like to give in the future. We don't want to muck up the blog with adverts and such (plus we advertise the shit we like for FREE, that's just how we do), so a donation fund seemed like a better idea.

Thank you to everyone - gazers all over the globe - for reading and supporting us. We are beyond humbled by all of it. Happy Holidays, Gazers.

Tonight! When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2011-12-21T20:10:00.003-06:00

Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST! Wednesday night!

Come join me this Wednesday for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. When The Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole this Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Expect to hear cuts from The Prids, This Mortal Coil, The Stargazer Lilies - and a LOT more.

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

Interview: Be Forest.

2011-12-20T07:10:00.003-06:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews
Be Forest.

Interview by Rob Turner.

Be Forest is Costanza Delle Rose, Erica Terenzi, and Nicola Lampredi. Be Forest's sound is a clear and cold breath that comes from winter. It is not a memory, not a revival. There’s the same dark and dazzling shock that still shakes the feedback of their restless guitars, that bounces in their dark drums, which sparkles in the icy glare of that voice. A perfectly balanced sound, between the extent of absolute cold and the full passion of their songs. From the first moment hearing the band's 2011 album Cold, When The Sun Hits absolutely adored Be Forest. Enjoy the interview!

How and when was Be Forest formed?
Costanza: Be Forest was born in April 2010. Nicola and I had already decided to build a very minimal band from the point of view of the sound and the tools to use; however, things were not going in the right direction so we decided to call a third element, Erica, who complete our initial idea. That's how Be Forest was born.

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)?
Nicola: After our album, Cold (released in March with WWNBB) and a moderately successful European tour, we are working on new songs. We do not know exactly when the songs will be released but we do not think very quickly. Cosa vuoi dire? Obviously we didn’t leave the stage, not yet. In a bit we will pull the plug to devote entirely to composing.

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?
Erica: We play our music without worrying too much about categorizing our stuff. Music is music and musical genres are just conventions to describe a band to persons who are too lazy to listen to it.

What is the most important piece of gear for your sound? Any particular guitars/pedals/amps that you prefer?
Costanza: Among us, Nicola is the most meticulous. He can’t play without his Fender DeVille and his pedals. Erica and I can adapt more easily to other instruments.

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?
Costanza: In our, opinion that radical change is not positive at all. Of course, the music with Internet has become more easily accessible from all over the world. Anyone can illegally buy music...For musicians and labels it's not too nice...

Do you prefer vinyl, CD, cassette tape or mp3 format when listening to music? Do you have any strong feelings toward any of them?
Nicola: I prefer cds and vinyl. I have only original music, and I have downloads from the internet …

What artists (musicians or otherwise) have most influenced your work?
We are not inspired by a particular artist. We have a completely different musical path so it’s difficult to define what’s the common thread that brought us to do certain stuff in music...

Can you tell us a little about what you are currently into (books, films, art, bands, etc)?
Erica: We can say that we identify in the Sophia Coppola's film "The Virgin Suicides," in the Witkin’s photographs and in the Modigliani’s portraits. What else can we say?

If you had to choose one Be Forest track that was the ultimate definition of your sound, which would it be and why?
“Buck and crow” or maybe “Florence” but we don’t know why… We feel more connected to these two songs.
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://wwnbb.bandcamp.com/track/buck-crow"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Buck &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Crow by Be Forest&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

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

Costanza: First of all, the music. Just after finishing a song we (Erica and I) write the lyrics, completely subordinated to the music.
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://wwnbb.bandcamp.com/track/florence"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Florence by Be Forest&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
What goals did you have for the band in 2011?
We have already reached - and exceeded - our goal for 2011. Now we just think to 2012 and the end of the world, too!

What is your philosophy (on life), if any, that you live by?
Our philosophy of life is "the secret", the interpretation is up to you.

Track Spotlight: Matt Bartram. October Song.

2011-12-19T15:24:00.001-06:00

We love Matt Bartram. This song is from 2009's "Left to Memory". It isn't new - but it's amazing. Check out the whole album on bandcamp!

October Song by Matt Bartram

Interview: Etienne Mamo of Dead Parties.

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

When The Sun Hits

Interviews
Etienne Mamo of Dead Parties.

Interview by Amber Crain

Dead Parties is Etienne Mamo (guit vox) Marty Umanski (guit vox) Arni Rey Paras (guit vox percussion) Francis Mezza (Bass) Tim Martino (drums). Dead Parties is the musical project of Etienne Mamo, singer and songwriter for The New Black. With this band he has toured the east coast of Australia, has several releases and received airplay nationally, including rotation on Triple J. In 2007 The New Black were nominees for the Music Oz Song of The Year and Band Of The Year.

Dead Parties sees Etienne explore his shoegaze/indie roots, experimenting with layered guitars, vocals, percussion and noise. The first single to be released, "In Dreams Of Decadence," will be included on the upcoming Psychedelica 5 later this year through Northern Star Records (UK). When The Sun Hits has chosen a track from Dead Parties to be on the upcoming 200,000 Gazes compilation (which will be released Jan. 1, 2012) so that's how much we think they are awesome! Without further ado, here's Etienne Mamo of Dead Parties.

How and when was the band formed?

I was playing in The New Black and found that I was writing a lot that we didn’t have time to work on. That band was also becoming more collaborative and pushing in a different direction style wise. So in 2010 I started putting down all these new songs using Garageband and then Logic. This blew open the doors to my writing, coz for the first time I was able to complete songs without having to wait for each member to put down their parts. I was also writing songs that were very reverby and effected, and I was layering all these guitars, creating a dreamy shoegazey sound. It wasn’t really what The New Black was doing and so in 2011 Dead Parties was born.

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)?

I put together a band this year and we launched the first single in Melbourne in May. I’m currently recording and mixing songs for an upcoming release. I’d love to release an album but it’s quite costly, particularly coz it’s essentially a solo project. "In Dreams Of Decadence" is going to be released as part of a psychedelia compilation early 2012 through Northern Star Records.

Do you consider the music of Dead Parties 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?

Yeah I do, but it’s not intentional. People have labeled Dead Parties psychedelic or shoegaze, but they’re both such broad genres. I love layered guitar and effects that are used to move you emotionally. It certainly isn’t hero guitar music. At heart there’s always a pop song, something catchy that progresses. I’m into anything that catches my ear, whether it’s reggae, 70s country or 90s shoegaze. I think genres are a good starting point, then you can dig deeper and find what’s at the heart of each band. Then you can ask yourself, is it genuine? I relish discovering a new band that ‘wakes’ me up.

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

It’s all good. Anything that’s pushing that style of music is gonna get my interest coz it’s an antidote to everything that’s thrown at us via commercial radio. In Australia there’s a revival of all things shoegaze/indie with bands like The Laurels, Iowa, Gosteleradio and The Demon Parade. I’m loving a couple of bands at the moment from Europe – 93millionmilesfromthesun and Youngteam. Awesome stuff.

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

I’ve had my trusty green ts-9 and rat combo from the start. I’ve got an amazing shape shifter tremolo by Seymour Duncan that can really fuck with your sound, as well as a couple of boss reverb and delay pedals. I’m loving oscillations so I bought a rotary pedal recently and also a POG.

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?

What music industry? If you mean people setting up makeshift studios and creating music then sure, but I think it’s common knowledge that the big companies are dying; in their current format anyway. The best thing is that power has been handed to the artist, in that anyone can record music and put it out there, and that there are small labels that are helping these artists reach a wider audience, or more accurately, their audience. People are discovering new artists everyday via the internet and social networking and going to see them play live. It’s all positive.

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

You need it all. In effect the artist has become the label also. The role played by small labels is extremely important because it gives the artist time to work on their music. But if you haven’t got a label behind you then it’s up to you to get your music out there.

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

Mp3 is incredibly portable, so it wins there. But nothing beats the crackle of vinyl. As a kid I used to listen to cassette a lot, so it has a soft spot in my heart…cd is probably the most annoying coz they scratch so easily.

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

Where to start…The Beatles gave me pop, the Stones gave me grit, Teenage Fanclub and The Beach Boys showed me how to harmonize, My Bloody Valentine taught me about layering guitars, The Doors gave me a soundtrack, BJM helped me fall in love with music again, and Mazzy Star kept me dreaming.

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

I’m reading Lord Of The Flies by William Golding, one of those classics I missed. I’m watching a lot on Bill Hicks, what an amazingly beautiful soul. I’m currently living in Barcelona so I’m digging all the Dali and Gaudi works. Mindblowing actually. Hallucinogens anyone?

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

Tribe. It’s really fuzzy with big string bends that sound like sirens. I guess it captures that feeling of not knowing what’s coming next. Anxiety versus anticipation. It talks about the way people come into your life, play a pivotal role in who you are and then drop away. It’s looking back while moving forward. I like that.

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

I usually always come up with a melody or idea for a riff, then work on that. Meanwhile some lyrics will fall into place. I find walking helps me write. I also like to listen to the song before sleeping, coz I’ll often wake with an idea for it.

What is the band’s goal for 2011?

Finish mixing six songs, perhaps have the other 6 mostly recorded so we can release something in the first quarter of 2012 and tour.

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

Be kind. To never compromise your first love. No matter what’s at stake, if you have a burning desire for something, do it.

http://www.myspace.com/deadparties
http://www.soundcloud.com/deadparties

Track Spotlight: 2 Hearts and Chemicals. Slower.

2011-12-18T17:35:00.009-06:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://2heartsandchemicals.bandcamp.com/album/b-sides-outtakes"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;B-sides &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Outtakes by 2 Hearts and Chemicals&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am
Check out 2 Hearts and Chemicals' amazing track "Slower".
Listen, be blown away, purchase (its only $1!), repeat.
Enjoy! Click here to be taken to the bands' bandcamp page.

Video: Active Child. I'm in Your Church at Night (School of Seven Bells remix).

2011-12-18T17:31:00.001-06:00

Video: Secret Colours. Faust.

2011-12-18T17:25:00.001-06:00

Review: Haunted Leather. Desert Spells.

2011-12-18T15:00:00.003-06:00

When The Sun Hits
Reviews
Haunted Leather's Desert Spells
Reviewed by Jason M. Miller

Band: Haunted Leather
Album: Desert Spells
Release Date: 2011

When the word "Desert" is used in a band’s name, song title or in the case of the group Haunted Leather, their album’s name; a distinct atmosphere is usually evoked.

An atmosphere of mystery, desolation, distance, sparse landscapes, harshness and the raw beauty that is the desert; all these things describe the album, Desert Spells by the trio that call themselves Haunted Leather (and it doesn't hurt that the guitarist and vocalist is named "Dusty" either).

The seven compositions on their album are a journey through a mystical landscape of fuzz and wah-wah guitar solos, plus plodding drums and distorted bass tones that are surrounded by hazy, distant vocals that reverberate amongst the instruments like a desert night wind. The band is from Michigan, so they obviously have some secret methods and concoctions that they use to conjure up this musical mind warp!

Each song leads to the next in a seamless manner that takes you deeper into the psychedelic expedition that is Desert Spells. Once again, if you think the combination of guitar/bass/drums is played out, Haunted Leather will make you reconsider. Bang your head slowly and forcefully to the music of Haunted Leather, while you tag along on their desert trip!

You can download their album at http://hauntedleather.bandcamp.com/.

By Jason M. Miller

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://hauntedleather.bandcamp.com/track/sun-it-shines"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Sun It Shines by Haunted Leather&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

When The Sun Hits Welcomes New Staff Writer Nikki Roszko.

2011-12-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

You all know her as one half of the awesome band 2060 Chiron (with Jonathan Allen, also of Music for Headphones), and now When The Sun Hits is lucky enough to have the beautiful and intelligent Nikki Roszko on board as our newest staff writer! Thanks for joining the family, Nikki. :)

200,000 Gazes Compilation Update - Release Date Officially set for January 1, 2012 via Bandcamp.

2011-12-15T11:00:00.005-06:00

Update: Due to an unprecedented number of submissions (over 200! Seriously!), When The Sun Hits is still compiling the double volume 200,000 Gazes compilation. We are all working hard, and we are FOR SURE (we swear) releasing it on January 1, 2012. 200,000 Gazes will be the first rad release of 2012! We are looking forward to starting out the new year with such an awesome offering. Thanks to all the bands who submitted - your collective talents have made choosing the bands for the compilation difficult indeed!

Read below for more info.

The compilation was meant to be released on November 19th, celebrating it's release with a party during the XD Festival in Chicago that night.

We cannot take any more submissions, so please don't ask. We apologize, but we have already received close to 200 submissions (whoa!), so we want to be fair. The upside to postponing the release of 200,00 Gazes is now we can do what we had originally wanted to do - release 200,000 Gazes: Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. That's right, TWO full albums of some of the best shoegaze and dream pop being made on the planet, hands down. Both volumes will be released on Tuesday, December 10th, 2011 as free downloads on bandcamp. We will also be re-issuing our previous compilation, The First 100,000, on bandcamp on that same day. We have some surprises in store, so stay tuned!!

RELEASE DATE FOR 200,000 GAZES: VOL 1 & 2 - January 1, 2012

Have any questions? Email whenthesunhitsblog@gmail.com with a title of "ATTN AMBER: compilation questions" and I will answer them. Don't message me, Danny, Rob, or WTSH via FB about this.

Tonight! When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2011-12-14T19:53:00.002-06:00

Tonight: When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. When The Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole this Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Expect to hear cuts from Nadja, Loop, and Deepfieldview - and a LOT more.

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

New Video: Screen Vinyl Image. Night Trip.

2011-12-14T10:37:00.001-06:00

Hell yes! Taken from the brand new LP Strange Behavior.

New Morpheme Single: Pandemic.

2011-12-13T10:13:00.001-06:00

<a href="http://themorpheme.bandcamp.com/track/pandemic">PANDEMIC by Morpheme</a>

Free Download: Skygazers and Dreamchasers Compilation.

2011-12-13T09:29:00.002-06:00

This is absolutely amazing. Bravo and well done, one of the best compilations this year, hands down! Download it for absolutely free, share it with your friends, sing its praises, you get the idea!

side a

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://shoegazr.bandcamp.com/album/skygazers-dreamchasers-side-a"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Skygazers &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Dreamchasers - Side A by Various Artists&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

side b

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://shoegazr.bandcamp.com/album/skygazers-dreamchasers-side-b"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Skygazers &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Dreamchasers - Side B by Various Artists&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Interview: deardarkhead.

2011-12-13T09:00:00.001-06:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews deardarkhead
Interview by Amber Crain

Formed in 1988, deardarkhead are a trio based in the Atlantic City, New Jersey area consisting of: guitarist Kevin Harrington, drummer Robert Weiss and bassist Kevin McCauley, who came on board during the fall of 2010 after the departure of longtime singer/bassist Michael Amper. The band takes its name from an anonymously written Irish poem of the 18th century Cean Dubh Dilis, about a beautiful girl with black hair.

The group’s sound is openly and proudly Anglophilic, combining both elements of the blissout shoegazer scene and a slightly older vein of post-punk guitar experimentalism, making a rich combination between the two influences. Words like "atmospheric", "ethereal" and "dreampop" are often used to describe their original guitar driven, psychedelic storm of sound that balances moody textures and shimmering melodies.

They have played with the likes of Supergrass, The Psychedelic Furs, Everclear and The Lilys, to name a few. deardarkhead has released five recordings since their formation on their own Fertile Crescent Records label. Their music has also appeared on various indie compilations from the USA and Japan.

When The Sun Hits is proud to present to you an interview with Kevin Harrington, Robert Weiss, and Kevin McCauley of deardarkhead. The band simultaneously represents the very best of the classic shoegaze movement and the contemporary one - their sound is timeless and beautiful. If you haven't heard of deardarkhead yet, now is the time.

How and when was the band formed?

Rob Weiss: I started deardarkhead in 1988 (after my first band Aslan's Pride broke up) with friends: Kurt Douglass (guitar), Blakely Parent (guitar and vocals) and Josh Minor (bass). Our first recording was a 7 song demo tape called "Greetings From The Infernal Village" which we recorded by ourselves on a 4 track. We all had very similar taste in music. We wanted to sound like the Jesus and Mary Chain meets the Cocteau Twins...dreamy yet noisy. I think there's also a strong Cure, Bauhaus and Joy Division influence on those early songs. After that we went through some personnel changes, but have had fairly stable lineups over the long haul. Michael Amper joined the band as our vocalist around 1990 and also played keyboard, bass and guitar...he left at the end of 2009. Blakely moved over to bass after Mike joined and was with us until 1994. Kevin Harrington became our guitarist after Kurt left in 1992 and has been in the band ever since.

Kevin Harrington: This is kind of a funny story, to me at least. As Rob had stated, Blakely was part of the band. Well Blakely and I actually graduated from high school together. I remember meeting Blakely for the first time and he told me about being in a band. He went on to tell me that he was in this band, kind of like the Cure and that they may be the next big thing and that he may not be here tomorrow. Well, my friends and I looked at each other, laughed and walked away. I thought it was pretty funny at the time, however the memory stuck with me for some reason. We eventually became friends at school, but I never saw him after graduation. Imagine my surprise when I auditioned for DDH and there was Blakely! Needless to say we had a few laughs about it! It's funny how things work out.

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)?

Rob Weiss: Currently deardarkhead has been playing out live as an instrumental three piece consisting of: guitarist Kevin Harrington, myself on drums and bassist Kevin McCauley, who came on board during the fall of 2010 after the departure of our longtime singer/bassist Michael Amper in 2009. We are still seeking the right person to take over on vocals but we've been having a hard time finding a good fit.

Prior to Amper leaving, we had been in the process of working on a new recording, which he was engineering. It's currently in limbo 12/for the moment, but we would like to finish things up and release it at some point. It's mainly an issue of funding and getting things to sound correctly.

Also Captured Tracks from Brooklyn is putting out a retrospective of our early material called Oceanside:1991-1993, which will be released at the end of November. We're very excited to have those songs exposed to a new and larger audience.

Beyond that we've been working on new material and would love to get some of that recorded and released...so if there are any labels out there that might be interested, hit us up!

deardarkhead. Rollercoaster.

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?

Rob Weiss: We started in 1988, just prior to people heavily using the shoegazer or dream pop tag. Initially we identified with post-punk/indie/underground bands mainly from the UK. We're certainly fans of the shoegaze/dream pop genre and at this point it's a convenient descriptive to let people know what we sound like. At the end of the day we're a rock band that plays very atmospheric music which is melodic, dreamy and often loud or noisy. We'd like to think we bring our own unique take to the genre. In general, genres are convenient but we don't really worry about it too much. The main thing is good music. As Shakespeare said: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"...

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

Rob Weiss: So many great bands out there! Ringo Deathstarr, The Depreciation Guild, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Ulrich Schnauss, Blonde Redhead, Pinkshinyultrablast, Nothing, The Sky Drops, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Wild Nothing, Exit Calm are a few favorites that come to mind.

Kevin Harrington: I think it's great that there are so many modern shoegaze/dreampop bands to check out these days. Ulrich Schnauss, Destroyer, The Mercury Program, MGMT, Passion Pit, The High Violets, Helen Stellar, Wild Nothing are some bands I've been listening to lately.

Kevin McCauley: I agree with Rob, there are so many great bands. The Sky Drops, Nothing, Mira, Chapterhouse, Morpheme...all bands I can listen to over and over and each time I hear something new.

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

Rob Weiss: The guitars and the effects are a huge part of our sound. It's something we spend a lot of time on. I use Tama drums and Paiste cymbals primarily. When I'm writing and recording demos I use a Japanese reproduction Mosrite Ventures guitar.

Kevin Harrington: That would definitely be my Digitech 2101 artist. It allows me do pretty much whatever I need or want to do sound wise. Our songs rely on major sound changes from section to section for different dynamics. I spend a lot of time on the sounds for each song to keep it interesting. Once I have everything programed for each song it's great, I just power up and we're ready to go. I've been using the 2101's for all our live and studio work since 95-96. They've been out of production for quite a few years now so I have to be careful with them. I'm powering that with a Mesa Boogie 50/50 which allows me to send everything out in stereo. I've used a variety of guitars over the years; a modified Ibanez Roadstar, a Gibson 335, a 12 string Fender Strat, a modified Squire Strat, an Ibanez Iceman (Paul Stanley of course), and recently a modified Les Paul Pro.

Kevin McCauley: The effects and the textures they create are definitely integral to our sound. When I first joined the band, I was just using a severe amount of compression on the bass but more recently have been experimenting with a multi fx processor. As for my bass itself, it is a Fender Mark Hoppus Signature Jazz Bass. It is not the most well behaved bass guitar, it has no tone control so it requires some special attention with my amp's eq, but the sound is really unique as basses go.

deardarkhead. One of a Kind.

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

Rob Weiss: Most of our recordings have been done with as little studio trickery as possible. We go in and try to do a song in a few takes as if we were playing a show. We do the occasional over dub as needed if we really like a take. The vocals are usually redone after the music, just to get a better isolated sound. We have mainly recorded on reel to reel tape, but the last thing we were working on was all digital, using a Mac with Logic Pro. There are certainly many benefits of working digitally. Once you have a recording down there are practically infinite options for the production. That said, I don't think there's a right or wrong way to go about it. It's really an individual choice that each band needs to make. Trying different things is the best way to educate yourself.

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?

Rob Weiss: The internet has obviously been a huge game changer, both for good and bad. The upside is it's easier for an artist to get their music out there now. Music fans can be anywhere and use the net to find out about super-obscure bands. The downside is that it's very easy to get lost in the crowd with so much music being out there. Also I think people aren't willing to spend as much on music as they used to. Record stores are having a very hard time these days.

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

Rob Weiss: It's always great when a label is willing to put money behind a good band, but the main thing is that the music gets out there. We've put out all of our releases on our own, so being unsigned shouldn't prevent you from making music.

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

Rob Weiss: I used to work in record stores for a very long time, so I'm a bit of a junkie when it comes to music! I like all formats, but these days I do tend to listen to MP3's, but mainly out of convenience. Being a graphic designer I like vinyl and cds for their sleeve artwork possibilities. Digital formats are great for their ease of use. After you start getting a large collection, storage becomes an issue. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the physical format. I spent a lot of time traveling to cool record stores back in the day so I have lots of fond memories. The internet certainly has made it easy to track down just about anything you could ever want, but perhaps some of the romance is gone.

Kevin Harrington: I've been listening to MP3 format the most lately, I have to say that for me it's the most convenient format. Cd's are still great thought, I've all ways liked reading the liner notes and seeing the artwork.

Kevin McCauley: MP3 format with really good headphones...you hear so much more of the music.

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

Rob Weiss: On some level everything I hear influences me. My biggest influences on starting the band would be: The Cocteau Twins, The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, U2, The Police, The Chameleons, Joy Division, Dif Juz, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Church, The Psychedelic Furs, The Beatles, 4AD Records, Creation Records, Factory Records.

Kevin Harrington: I like to think that everything influences me a little but the biggest are: The Cocteau Twins, The Kitchens Of Distinction, The Church, Slowdive, Curve, The Chameleons, The Cure, Lush, Adorable, Jane's Addiction, Catherine Wheel.

Kevin McCauley: Ironically, it is a lot of the same music I listened to in high school and college; music that I didn't even know were part of a specific genre. I just listened to it because I liked it and related to it...The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Cure, Rites of Spring, Lush, Slowdive. More recently I would say Oasis, Radiohead, the Dandy Warhols, and The Verve.

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

Rob Weiss: Lately I've been reading the manga series Akira. I listen to a ton of music, but some of my heavy rotation favorites currently include: Washed Out, Tycho, Wild Nothing, Ivy, Blouse, Dum Dum Girls, The Joy Formidable, Tame Impala, Kaiser Chiefs, Ringo Deathstarr, Secret Shine, The Horrors and lots of 60's bebop. I recently watched the film Kuroneko (a Japanese ghost story) which I really enjoyed. I'm also looking forward to picking up the new Haruki Murakami novel 1Q84.

deardarkhead. Lighthouse.

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

Rob Weiss: That's a tough one! I don't think I could narrow it down to just one song after 23 years. Probably whatever our latest song is at any given moment.

Kevin Harrington: That's hard to say. We've sounded different through out the years, it has evolved and captured what we are at that time. That being said, I do have many favorites!

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

Rob Weiss: Most bands tend to have one or two primary song writers. We've always been a bit different in that department. Throughout the history of the band, everyone has written and contributed songs and/or lyric ideas. Sometimes one person will bang out an entire song by themselves and other times we'll build the song off a riff, a chord progression, a bass line or even a drum beat. We really don't have a fixed way of writing. We are willing to try different things and come up with songs that everyone feels strongly about. Lately I've been demoing all my ideas in Garageband, which I find incredibly effective and expedient for developing new songs. After that I send the rough sketch over to the rest of the group...from there we really refine things with the arrangement and the sounds/textures. By the end of the process everyone has contributed to get the song where it needs to be...it's a very intuitive, organic process. We really just try to entertain ourselves to create what we feel is interesting music.

Kevin Harrington: It's been different for each song, which has been nice. Some ideas develop very quickly, other times, not so quickly and we're ready to kill each other, just kidding. No matter what the process, we've worked well together and have had fun doing it. We've been lucky to have had so many great songwriters in the band over the years.

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

Rob Weiss: I think the Golden Rule pretty much sums it up for me. Also I believe it's important to try and add to the world in a positive way. I've always felt that being an artist is a noble pursuit.

Kevin Harrington: Work hard, good things will follow.

Kevin McCauley: Surround yourself with talented and creative people. Take interest in the world around you. Live don't just exist.

Interview Tomorrow: Robert Weiss, Kevin Harrington & Kevin McCauley of deardarkhead.

2011-12-12T09:54:00.002-06:00

Prepare thyself accordingly.

Interview: Her Vanished Grace.

2011-12-12T08:30:00.001-06:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews Charles & Nancy Nieland of Her Vanished Grace.

Her Vanished Grace are Charles & Nancy Nieland, with Maria Theodosiadou and Billy Loose. In the past seven years they have released six studio albums - Paradise (2004), Get Up (2005), Satellites (2006), Twilight (2007), Blue (2009) and See The Moon (2011). Releasing six studio albums is a feat unto itself - and for all of those to be high quality, which they are, is even more rare. We've heard their music described in all sorts of beautiful ways that we couldn't possibly hope to match - they make "dark urgent pop singed with white noise" ... "Her Vanished Grace is a vivid, shape-throwing bliss machine" ... "HVG captures the enormous sound of the Earth spinning on its axis" ... you get the idea. And yes, Her Vanished Grace sounds like all of those things and more. This band is more than primed for the limelight, and When The Sun Hits wants to make sure they get there and stay there, so get onboard. Enjoy the interview with Charlie and Nancy of Her Vanished Grace, and follow the links to discover what many of us gazers already have - this band is epic.

How and when was the band formed? Is there a story behind the band name?

Charlie: Nance and I met in front of the Ionic Column while working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City 25 years ago this month. There was instant chemistry and our relationship quickly formed as we talked about music and art while working and hanging out at the museum. We were both into Siouxsie & The Banshees, Love & Rockets, The Cure and Cocteau Twins. Several months later, I quit the museum, we started working on music together and by the summer of 1987, we formed Her Vanished Grace along with a guy I knew from college named Sean Stromsten. He contributed the name, which he got from an alchemy text, but he didn't stay very long. By 1988, HVG was a duo and Nance and I were married. We've continued through several lineups and we're currently a four piece, with Nance and I on vocals and guitars, Maria Theodosiadou, who joined in 1997, on bass and Billy Loose, who joined in 2003, on drums. 11 self released albums later, the music of HVG is still an expression of the mysterious something that brought us together.

Nance: I just did music back then to try and be with Charlie. I listened to SKYLARKING for a month to try and impress him (laughs).

Charlie: I liked XTC a lot.

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

Charlie: We've been promoting and performing songs from our 2011 CD, SEE THE MOON, and we've been getting our best response so far. Starting this summer, we began writing and recording a new release for 2012. We're playing with more layers and more noise. This is going to be a dense and dreamy set of songs, with guest appearances, so far, by LG of Dead Leaf Echo, Daniel from The Invisible Kid and Andee Blacksugar from Black Sugar Transmission.

Nance: I really love the new songs. So far "Bridge of Sighs" is my favorite, but they're not all done yet.

Do you consider Her Vanished Grace's 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?

Charlie: We've always had our own sound so I think that deciding whether Her Vanished Grace is part of any scene is really best left to others. Shoegaze bands were originally an obvious influence but we went on to explore stylistic hybrids with prog and post punk. Our music has always been some combination of strong melodies and dreamy noise. Recently, we've found a more consistent way to both gaze and be a driving pop band all at once, which has led to a productive run of 6 records in 7 years. Anyway, genres like shoegaze or alternative or post punk or indie have all become broad outlines that have less descriptive power with each passing year. So we made up the name "power dream pop".

Nance: I really don't think about it. If someone's gonna connect us to a genre, it can't be us. I think they have funny cute names though. What was that one I liked? Oh yeah "chill wave".

You guys are newly signed to XD Records. How does it feel?

It's great to be part of a musical family after being on our own for so long. We're really glad that XD approached us. What a sweet roster! It's exciting to be getting in on something that's just starting. We had such a great time in Chicago in November at the XD Festival with Bloody Knives, bliss.city.east, Music for Headphones, Panda Riot and Lightfoils.

Nance: It feels great. It's just funny. We've been doing this for so long....

Her Vanished Grace. Desire.

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

Charlie: To me shoegaze, dream pop and psych describe music where the mood and atmosphere are put front and center and there are lots of new bands that do this well. I really love Animal Collective with their detailed atmospheres; School Of Seven Bells songs are dreamlike hymns; Washed Out is lush and erotic; A Sunny Day in Glasgow is delirious: and this year Drowner's hypnotic debut really stands out. Of course, I love our NYC friends like Dead Leaf Echo, Desire Lines, Me You Us Them, The Invisible Kid and The Stargazer Lilies.

Nance: I usually think new bands are mostly bad. Charlie filters it for me and plays me the best stuff. I don't need it though; I have so much good music to listen to. I don't have that much time. I just want to be entertained. I like the friendship with the music I have already. I just want to hang out with my old friends over and over. I did like School of Seven Bells, though, when I saw them open for Interpol. The three of them really held it down. It reminded me of us a lot. Different but.... I wish I had her outfit. I also really love Blonde Redhead.

Charlie: She hates all her new favorite bands at first.

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

Charlie: Our most important pieces of gear are our main guitars: my '74 Hagstrom Swede Guitar and Nance's '66 Fender Jazzmaster Guitar. As far as effects go, much of my sound comes from the Digitech RP-10 (early '90s multi fx with a completely programmable expression pedal), the Digitech WH-1 Whammy (the first one) and the Roland GR-33 Guitar Synth. I also use the Digitech XP-300 Space Station, Digitech PD 8000 Echo Plus (for looping) and the MXR Micro Amp for a boost. Nance uses the Digitech RP-70 for her effects and we both use Marshall 900 series amps. There's lots more stuff we use in the studio.

A recent debate sparked the following question, and remains unresolved: must shoegaze or dream pop songs, by their very definitions, include some use of reverb?

Charlie: I love great use of reverb, especially if its dirtied up a bit, but sometimes less is more when it's used conventionally. I have a bootleg of Slowdive in Oslo from 1993 and it's my favorite recording of their music. With less billowy reverb in the mix, a real intensity comes through. The question gets into "What is Shoegaze?" There are bands like Chavez that use zero reverb and feel like shoegaze to me so I really don't have an answer.

Nance: I like the way Charlie makes me sound pretty. I like the reverb on Kate Bush's voice. I think all vocals should sound like that.

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?

Charlie: The music industry has been shattering in slow motion since we got into it. I feel hopeful though. There is so much great music that I've been exposed to solely because artists can now easily produce and promote themselves. So many assumptions are being tossed out. I don't agree, though, with the argument that all music should be free and that ownership of copyrights is an outdated concept. People have no idea how much work goes into writing and recording something that's been truly cared for.

Nance: What music industry. I miss record stores. Does that have anything to do with it? I miss Tower Records. I miss Virgin. I liked it better in the 90s.

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

Charlie: Well we've been DIY for our entire career, first getting consignment deals with record stores and later, using CD Baby to get digital distribution and more recently Bandcamp. And now we're with XD, so we'll let you know how it goes being on a label. We think it will build on our years of DIY.

Nance: We write 'em produce 'em and then mix them ourselves. It's just us doing this thing. If XD can make it better and they can spread it further that that will be great. I only care about the songs. I don't really care about the rest of it.

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

Charlie: I love vinyl (we of course grew up with records), but my turntable is broken. We listen to 320 kb MP3s most of the time. There are audible differences between even high quality MP3s and full bandwidth WAV files and CDs but they don't bother me. MP3 players mean less scratched up CDs.

Nance: I like the way it sounds in my V Moda headphones coming out of my IPod. I like that I can hear it over my Toro.

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

Charlie: The Beatles, then Led Zeppelin, Yes and Bowie were my childhood musical heroes, and inspired me to start playing. Cocteau Twins really changed me. I heard PINK OPAQUE in a record store and I ran to see who it was. It was like music that I'd heard in my head for years. Then Echo & the Bunnymen with their dark jangle and Ian's fantastic voice. There was Daniel Ash's amazing guitar work. Of course along came My Bloody Valentine and Curve then Shudder to Think and Chavez then Flaming Lips and Interpol. All these artists inspired me to find a cinematic approach to playing, writing and producing. We still go to the Met to get inspired by the dark romantic modernism of Cezanne, Kandinsky, Klimt, Balthus and so many more. I love Tom Robbins and David Lynch and "Donnie Darko".

Nance: There's Kate Bush, Elizabeth Frasier, Siouxsie and PJ Harvey. I don't know how much they've influenced me. I just want to be like them 'cause they're the best. I need a lot of visual stimulation; I get it from surrounding myself with beauty. That's what influences my music.

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

Charlie: I'm watching Boardwalk Empire and Joseph Campbell's Mythos. I've been listing to The Horrors SKYING, The Joy Formidable THE BIG ROAR and I've recently discovered the electronic music duo Silver Apples from the late 60s.

Nance: George RR Martin, Edith Wharton, Interpol, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Otis Redding. I listened to a lot of Chavez and Shudder To Think this year. A lot of boy music.

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

Charlie: The answer to this question changes on whatever day you ask me. I feel that "Passenger" is a good choice. It just does exactly what I hoped it would do. I love the intro. I think B.A Miale brought it to life with her video too. I always thought that "Early Bird" (from 2005's GET UP ) summed everything up: the zero gravity guitars, the galloping rhythm and Nance's voice slicing through the whole thing.

Her Vanished Grace. Passenger.

Nance: "Make it Lighter" is my favorite right now. My favorites are what's new. They aren't going to be my favorites after we make something new next year. I do love "Remember" from BLUE. I think that's the perfect HVG song.

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

Charlie: Some songs like "Desire" and "See The Moon" came from spontaneous moments recorded during rehearsals. While I'm plugging in all my pedals, Maria will start a cool bass line, Billy begins pounding away and Nance starts a stream of consciousness creation of lyrics, melodies and guitar. I'm standing there going, "This is two parts of a great song!" When I'm finally plugged in, I get to jump in and tie it all together. Then Nance and I work on intros, choruses and bridges. Of course, there are many other songs that Nance and I write on our own and present to the band. They always come up with the perfect parts. Of course, at this point we can't help but write with them in mind.

Nance: I get song writing ideas while I'm working in the garden. I get inspired by nature and I spend a lot of time outside. I write about mowing and how much I love Charlie and my friends but some of my songs are about characters I invent. I also get up very early; I think it makes me more creative.

What is the band's goal for 2011?

Charlie: To get to the end of the year with the tracking done on the new album so we can focus on mixing in January. Really we've surpassed a lot of goals this year. The music seems to be getting it's own momentum and reaching more people than ever.

Nance: I'm done. I don't have a goal now. This year is so over. (laughs)

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

Charlie: What we are looking for is an experience of being alive.
Nance: I have a very organic philosophy on life. You live. You die and then you're compost.

Set List for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio, Aired December 7th, 2011.

2011-12-11T17:27:00.001-06:00

band name/track title
Keith Canisius. Meltdown.
2 Hearts and Chemicals. Teenage Angst (Placebo Cover).
The Never Years. Aquarium.
2060 Chiron. Liftoff.
Blackbird Blackbird. Tear.
Halls. Chakra Drum (Sun Glitters Remix).
Readymade. Outlast By Rain.
Glider. Where Have All Your Dreams Gone.
The Meeting Places. Love Like the Movies.
Her Vanished Grace. Passenger.
Catwalk. One By Words.
Between the Cities are Stars. All That Mad Trouble.
SPC ECO. You Tell Me (Buzz Mix).
Film School. Compare.
Aerosol. Sleepy Sunset.

Tonight! When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2011-12-07T18:56:00.003-06:00

Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST! Wednesday night!

Come join me this Wednesday for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. When The Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole this Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Expect to hear cuts from The Never Years, 2 Hearts and Chemicals, and Keith Canisius - and a LOT more.

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

Interview: David Nicholas of Sansyou.

2011-12-06T09:00:00.002-06:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews David of Sansyou.

Interview By Danny Lackey

Sansyou is comprised of the duo David Nicholas (guitar) and Matt McGarraghy (guitar, piano, percussion), with Davis White lending his percussion talents for live performances. The band's recently released EP, When We Become Ghosts, has been a blog favorite since its release in September 2011, so we were understandably thrilled to get a chance to interview David Nicholas.

When We Become Ghosts was recorded in a mere two days, but that 48 hours easily managed to capture the expansive and introspective sound of Sansyou. By weaving atmospheric guitar textures into songcycles and tonepoems, the band creates soundscapes that invite deep dives to inner-space.

Sansyou has performed in Washington DC since 2006 under acoustic-oriented lineups before establishing their current electric sound. In 2010, Sansyou made a stand for scientific literacy, performing at the State Theatre Fundraiser in Falls Church, VA to save the Arlington Planetarium. Sansyou takes much inspiration, and their name, from Japanese culture. This sensibility is reflected in the artwork for When We Become Ghosts, featuring ethnologist Fosco Maraini’s photographs of pearl divers in Honshu, Japan (1962). Responding to the disasters in April 2011, Sansyou curated a fundraiser performance at the Marx Café to benefit Red Cross Japan.

When We Become Ghosts is poised to be at the top of our list as one of the best EPs of 2011 and we can't wait to see what Sansyou does next. Enjoy getting to know guitarist David Nicholas in the following interview, and keep your eyes and ears on this band!

How and when was the band formed? Is there a story behind the band name?

David: We started playing in 2006 with different lineups and kept the instrumentation to acoustics only. We played some shows in the DC area with that configuration and it gave me a chance to understand what is possible with instrumental music and how to make space for cello as an implied vocalist. In 2010, I really wanted to plug back in and work with different sounds so Matt re-entered the equation after playing with us in earlier versions of Sansyou and we started working as a trio; two guitars and hand percussion and continue with that now that Davis White has joined on percussion. Lots of people think Sansyou is a French term, “without you”, but it actually is a loose translation of the Japanese word for giant salamander. It’s an endangered animal, native to Japan that I’ve always been fascinated with, and always had an ongoing interest in Japanese culture and creative arts. The name sounded nice phonetically so it stuck.

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

David: We’re excited to play as many shows as we can now that we have our EP out, When We Become Ghosts, starting with a release show at Galaxy Hut in Arlington VA on November 7. We have some new songs that we’ll feature too for that show and I’m looking forward to playing those. With Davis on percussion, we’re exploring some really different sounds. It’s good to keep evolving and growing; it challenges me to re-examine my playing.

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?

David: People who appreciate those genres do seem to connect with what we do so there must be something to it. We use the textures of overlapping echoes for the two guitar parts as much as we choose chord changes that weave together and that probably associates our sound in those genres. At the same time, I hear elements of our music that are more minimalistic and we do come from an acoustic foundation so that sets it apart I think. Labels and genres can be confining when you think about your own music, but I see the need for them to just have some way of organizing and filtering the ocean of music out there but the interesting stuff to me always blurs the lines too.

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

David: We are definitely lucky to have played with Screen Vinyl Image at a fundraiser show and always enjoy seeing them play. They have that rare match of great songs and great performance energy. There are some great variations on the genre happening now. I really like the new Hammock cd. Often I’ll listen to things with no guitar too; like Lost Civilizations, an improvisational combo that uses saxophone and bass cello and other elements. It can reset my ears in a good way.

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

David: Mostly a 1950s Gibson ES-295. The resonance and overtones it generates just unplugged really come through that much more when amplified. I have to give Geordie from Killing Joke due credit for getting me interested in this model. The big hollowbody really becomes a drum in itself. For amps, I like to work with Billy Penn at 300guitars.com to design a circuit and select the components that give me optimal headroom and clarity. He’s built two amps for me that really let the guitars shine through with the different delays and reverbs I use. Matt uses an Agile AS-820 as well as a recently acquired Ibanez AS-73. He plays through a Schreyer Sage-7 amp and uses an array of delay, chorus, and reverb pedals.

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

David: This is where I consciously put myself in the hands of a professional. Matt did pre-production recording with his Mac which was good preparation. When we were ready, we recorded at Asparagus Media Studios in Takoma Park, Maryland with Steve Steckler and that enabled me to focus on getting the sounds together and then making mixing decisions immediately afterwards. The whole recording was recorded and mixed in two days so I had to limit myself to what I really know how to do best. I would definitely recommend taking the time to have any recording you care about carefully mastered. Taylor Deupree at 12k mastering works in analog, and I’ve been a big fan of his work and other artists on the 12k label. He really brought out the detail and clarity in each song without abusing compression like so many other recordings I hear today.

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?

David: There’s more of it, that’s for sure. I can sympathize with touring bands and artists that are trying to sustain themselves strictly through selling music because that’s gotten harder to do. So the accessibility and portability of music can be positive but it also seems to promote an attitude of disposability and entitlement that it should be free in all forms. I’ve never gotten comfortable with that idea unless the artist wishes to give it away.

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

David: We’ve had success with bandcamp and before we went into the studio I made a few inquiries with labels but the amount of control that you hand over just isn’t worth it. When the means of production are readily at hand, I just didn’t see the point. For others, the situation may be different. There are benefits to what a label can do with distribution but for what Sansyou is doing and the people who want to hear it, I think we’re on the right path.

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

David: I grew up with vinyl and still love that tactile experience of connecting with the music in a very physical way…the packaging, the opportunities to expand the artwork, the sequencing of the 2 sides. I looked into releasing When We Become Ghosts on vinyl and I think the pacing of the songs has an implied beginning, middle and end that would have worked well in that format, but the cost was prohibitive. It became a choice of quality control too because I didn’t want to trust it with a substandard pressing. Maybe that’s where a label could have helped shoulder some of the cost, but releasing it on cd meant it could be done on our timetable, and would not see the light of day until we were satisfied with every aspect, from the audio quality to the packaging. I’m certainly not averse to exploring vinyl releases in the future.

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

David: I’m sure all the music I’ve listened to in every genre comes out at some point in Sansyou. It has to doesn’t it? Certainly Robin Guthrie comes through and I really love what David Grubbs does on his solo work. Sam Prekopp and Archer Prewitt definitely have an economical phrasing that I love. And sometimes the influence of others shows up but not in the sound necessarily. The work of Chris Haskett in the Rollins Band and Geordie Walker in Killing Joke are inspiring from what I feel in their playing and how innovative they are – really original voices on guitar. The intensity of their sound is inspirational even when playing softer music like we do. Geordie gave me a piece of advice in 1989 when I asked him how he comes up with his sound. He said, “play what you want to hear.” Easier said than done, and it never left my mind.

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

David: One artist that had a direct influence on us is Chet Zar. I had a print of one of his paintings titled “Black Nerve Administrator”. Matt and I were writing one day and I said, let’s look at this print for 30 seconds and then write a song. We did and that’s how that song developed on the spot I asked Chet if we could use the title for it and he graciously agreed. His paintings find a way to blend the frightening with the sad and tragic all at the same time. I like that. I’m usually reading non-fiction in the anthropology/history area. Jared Diamond and Mark Kurlansky have yet to let me down. They see the trends that ultimately become truths and futures.

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

David: Hopefully that work is still in front of us. There’s one we’re writing now called “Sunflower” that I’m pretty excited about. If I had to choose one from When We Become Ghosts, it would be the title track because it covers so much territory in one song. Matt came up with great piano and percussion parts on it that imply a bassline and add so much to the piece. It was a great experience watching and listening to that one as it was recorded.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://sansyou.bandcamp.com/track/when-we-become-ghosts"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;when we become ghosts by sansyou&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

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

David: It tends to be pretty intuitive. One of us will start a chord progression and we just develop it from there. The guitars seem to find a way to intersect with each other on their own. We are aware of covering space that leaves room for the other, so we rarely stack up in unison. Another part of our sound is that sometimes Matt will play in an altered tuning and I’m in standard, or vice versa. There’s a natural resonance that starts to happen with that too sometimes. Almost like a third element in the room or an implied bassline will emerge.

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

David: Good question. Honestly, I just try to live with intention and integrity.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://sansyou.bandcamp.com/album/when-we-become-ghosts"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;when we become ghosts by sansyou&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Download IATP 016 - Adorable, Dead Skeletons, Stevenson Ranch Davidians, and more!

2011-12-05T17:35:00.001-06:00

Click HERE to download IATP Radio 016 from iTunes.

Commence enjoyment!

Band Spotlight: Sansyou. Interview Tomorrow!

2011-12-05T16:50:00.005-06:00

When The Sun Hits has an interview with Sansyou coming tomorrow. In preparation, we are putting the spotlight on them today! Stay tuned for their interview, conducted by our very own Danny Lackey, tomorrow on WTSH.

*****

Sansyou Website
Sansyou on Facebook
Sansyou Bandcamp

Sansyou weaves atmospheric guitar textures into song cycles and tone poems. The echo-laden guitars of Matthew McGarraghy and David Nicholas blend into soundscapes that invite deep dives to inner-space.

Recorded in 2 days at Asparagus Media Studios by Steve Seckler, When We Become Ghosts captures the expansive and introspective sound of Sansyou. Dynamic tensions that resolve into melodic arpeggios and a willingness to explore the power of silences were realized by the talents of Taylor Deupree at 12K Mastering for this recording.

Sansyou takes much inspiration, and their band name, from Japanese culture. This sensibility is reflected in the artwork for When We Become Ghosts, by ethnologist Fosco Maraini's photographs of pearl divers in Honshu, Japan in 1962. With the release of When We Become Ghosts, Davis White (Lorelei, Night & the City) joined to accompany live performances.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://sansyou.bandcamp.com/album/when-we-become-ghosts"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;when we become ghosts by sansyou&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Interview: The Nova Saints.

2011-12-05T09:00:00.003-06:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews The Nova Saints

The Nova Saints are a gang of five disenchanted yet ambitious mates from Hereford, relocated to Bristol, UK where they live, sleep and rehearse under the same roof.
Driven by a shared love of golden-era Creation Records, and an unshakable belief in their collective music vision, The Nova Saints blend spaced out rock ‘n’ roll, psych-tinged pop, anthemic choruses and west coast harmonies.

Among their champions is The Verve’s Nick McCabe who has gone on to lend his expertise in the studio as well as choosing the band’s appearance at Bristol’s Ashton Court festival to mark his return to the live stage, joining them for their set finale.

Read on to learn more about The Nova Saints and check out their latest release, Newfoundland, which is certain to be one of the top releases of 2011. Thank you to The Nova Saints and Scott Causer of Northern Star Records for being awesome, as always.

How and when was the band formed?

John: Properly about 6 or 7 years ago! But we were mates for years before that. This was around the time that bands like The Libertines and The Cooper Temple Clause were the coolest thing in the UK and we all looked and acted like a band. We walked the walk but didn’t talk the talk so we thought we’d stop pretending and pick up some instruments.

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)?

John: Our album, which has taken the best part of two and a half years.
Steve: We’ve got a couple of shows to help launch the album then we’ll be back in the new year. I’d like to do another album.

Do you consider The Nova Saints' 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?

John: I don’t feel that we’re a part of any scene at all. We don’t really fit in anywhere. We get a lot of love from bands like Towns and Exit Calm that have that shoegaze element but I don’t think of ourselves as a shoegazing band. That’s just one of many influences.
Steve: If you listen to the album you can possibly put different songs into genres but not the album. With 5 very different people writing that would be pretty much impossible. You think you’ve got us nailed then “I Wouldn’t” comes along and it all goes out of the window…

The Nova Saints. What Does It Feel Like?

What is it like working with Northern Star Records?

John: It’s a rollercoaster. Scott Causer is genuinely insane.
Steve: Have you seen ‘Upside Down’? When the bands involved were wondering what was going on every time they went to the Creation ‘offices’ I empathized.
John: Although I will say that Scott’s masterfully in control of everything. He’s more of a Malcolm Maclaren or Andrew Loog Oldham than an Alan McGee or Tony Wilson. He seems like a nutcase but his head’s very screwed on.

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

John: Like I said, I don’t really see ourselves as a shoegaze band. We use elements of shoegaze in our music but we also use elements of loads of other genres and I like bands that do likewise – Deerhunter, The Horrors, The Besnard Lakes, Towns.
Steve: The stuff Alan Moulder’s been doing of late sounds really good.
John: Oh yeah, I really liked a lot of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart record.

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

John: The Boss delay pedals used to be a staple of our sound because they masked a multitude of sins but we consciously ditched them for the new album. We didn’t want to hide behind anything.
Dom: Whilst we were recording with Mat (Sampson), he got us to use completely different pieces of kit for each sound. Not just different pedals but different guitar and amp combinations for each track to make them have a different feel - it wasn't just him showing off how much gear he had in the studio!
John: Which was a lot by the way! We were like kids in a candy shop. Gibson 335s, Telecasters, Stratocasters, Jazzmasters, Jaguars, everything from big Orange and Marshall stacks through smaller Fender Twins and AC30 combis to tiny cigarette packet sized transistor amps and every pedal you could think of and a load you couldn’t because Mat had made them himself!
Dom: Some albums you listen to just sound the same all the way through as they have gone in and used the same things for each track. We wanted that variety of sounds so each song had it's own identity.
John: Whilst still working as a complete whole.
Dom: At the end of the day we used all sorts of things on this record and so it would be impossible to say what one thing makes our sound.

The Nova Saints. I Wouldn't.

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?

John: It’s fucked. But in a good way.
Steve: I know a guy who used to go down to Spiller’s Records in Cardiff on the bus from Bristol whenever a decent single came out. I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing that you just wouldn’t do that any more.

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

Steve: We’ve released Newfoundland on a label because the label’s into us regardless of whether it makes any money or not. How many bands can genuinely say that? We’re lucky.

The Nova Saints. Indian Summer.

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

Steve: I have a box of CDs in my room that I never touch even though I know they sound better than my computer or ipod but I’m a slave to the times. I still revel in being able to carry pretty much all of the music I own in my pocket.

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

John: The Beatles.
Steve: Yup.

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

John: Cocaine Nights by JG Ballard, Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, I’m also organising a screening of a new film called Anyone Can Play Guitar about the Oxford music scene that’ll involve an acoustic performance by Mark Gardener which I’m very excited about.

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

John: Sugar Coated. It was the first song we wrote where we found our ‘sound’.

The Nova Saints. Sugar Coated.

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

Steve: There isn’t one! There are several. From one of us coming up with a chord sequence, to two or three of us jamming a song to another of us writing completely on their own.
John: We use pretty much every method of writing there is.
Dom: The best thing about it though is that we don't just rely on one person to do it all, even if one person has had most of the idea, we will all input into it in some sort of way.
Steve: And we have a lot of stuff because of it.

What is the band’s goal for 2011?

Steve: I hope the album gets the appreciation and the audience it deserves.

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

Steve: Take an holistic view of the world. Even when it’s shit.

Band Spotlight: The Never Years.

2011-12-04T09:38:00.001-06:00

After discovering their album and debuting a track on Strangeways Radio several weeks ago, I still somehow didn't learn until just a few days ago that The Never Years live and make music in Houston, about 15 blocks from where I currently live. How cool is that?

The band's first LP, Life of Dreams, has been in constant rotation at my apartment since its release, which was November 1, 2011. Check out the music and links below - I'm sure you'll find them quickly in constant rotation at your place, too. We have an interview with Jamie Long of The Never Years coming up in the near future, so look forward to that, as well!

"The Never Years comes across, at least somewhat, like an early Radio Dept. However, the vocals are deeper and have a sadness unaccounted for in that other group...Given these sounds, one would expect them to hail from some exotic land – Sweden perhaps, or New York...No, they come from Houston. Well played, Texas." - The Fense Post

bandamp page
facebook
LastFm

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://the-never-years.bandcamp.com/track/two-words"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;two words by the never years&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Never Years - Honey island from edenStar on Vimeo.

Record Label Spotlight: Captured Tracks.

2011-11-28T08:30:00.001-06:00

When The Sun Hits is honored to feature Captured Tracks, one of our very favorite record labels, in the 7th Record Label Spotlight of our ongoing Record Label Spotlight Series.

Brooklyn-based label Captured Tracks has released material from exceptional bands like Blouse, Wild Nothing, Craft Spells, Catwalk, Beach Fossils, The Soft Moon... and the list goes on (see their entire catalogue HERE) in short, these guys have one hell of a band roster! Factor in the cool side projects Captured Tracks is responsible for, such as the Shoegaze Archives series, and you've got on your hands a solid and creative record label - they know what they are doing and they are doing it right!

Just as a recap, the Record Label Spotlight series will focus on the dedicated people at work behind the scenes of our favorite records and bands - the ones out there discovering new music and finding a way to bring that music to us - the record labels. Believe it or not, there are some labels that are still honest, passionate, and fair to their artists. The Force is strong with them. These are the labels When The Sun Hits want you to know about.

Record Label Spotlights include an interview with the label, tons of information about the bands on the label (including in depth spotlights on 5 bands on the label), videos, links, photos, resources, and a FREE mini sampler put together exclusively for When The Sun Hits readers by the record label. In short: It's a win.

And so without further ado, we present to you The Awesome.

When The Sun Hits Interviews Mike Sniper
Owner of Captured Tracks

How did Captured Tracks get its start?

It was actually my second try at a label. I'd had a reissue-only label with a friend called "Radio Heartbeat" but I found the agreed upon era and type of music we were focusing on too limiting for me. At the same time, I was recording and releasing output as Blank Dogs with a lot of different small labels. I was also pitching a lot of artists to these labels, quickly realizing I can be doing all this myself. So, that's how it happened. I was working at Academy Records in Brooklyn and on off-hours would be in the basement putting together Dum Dum Girls 12" EP's. It was pretty hectic right from the start.

Would you consider Captured Tracks to be a shoegaze and/or dream pop oriented record label?

No, not at all. Although I do love that music and I think it's fair to say in influences a lot of artists on the label in some way shape or form. Even Soft Metals, who are 100% electronic and dance-friendly have stated in interviews how much the sound of that music has influenced them. Shoegaze/Dream Pop was my favorite current music when I was in high school ('91-'95) so I was deeply entrenched in it. I was buying Pale Saints and Slowdive releases as they were coming out. Pretty exciting.

How do you choose the bands that are to be represented by your label? Is there a specific sound you are looking for?

There's no checklist, per se, but there needs to be dynamics and songwriting chops above all else. Sorry if that's vague.

Who are the 5 most recent shoegaze/dream pop acts to be represented by Captured Tracks?

Well, without saying any of them are purely shoegaze, I think Dignan Porch, Wild Nothing and Aias are the closest. Catwalk's "One By Words" is a perfect shoegaze song to me, but most of his songs aren't as swoony. Beach Fossils, Minks and Craft Spells all have songs that can be described as shoegaze, too.

Catwalk. One By Words.

What do you think of the modern shoegaze/dream pop scene?

I don't think it ever really went away, it's just kept ebbing along and evolving. I think it's interesting where it's gone and how you have bands as different sounding as M83 and Weekend gaining popularity. To put it simply: I like it!

Are there any other shoegaze/dream pop record labels (old or new) that you admire?

You have to say Creation, don't you? Where would we be without Alan McGee? 4AD, Creation and smaller labels like 53rd and 3rd, Fluff, Hut, there were so many in the 90's to try to keep up with. But Slumberland is the one that stuck around and is still relevant today. Mike Schulman is a class act and someone who cares about and loves good music and his bands.

Can you tell us a little bit about what's currently going on with Captured Tracks (new releases, new bands signed, tours, etc)? We're especially curious about the new Shoegaze Archives! Can you talk a bit about that, as well?

Sure. We're eagerly awaiting debut LP's from some recent signees like Catwalk, Heavenly Beat, DIVE and The Jameses. It's pretty exciting for me and my staff to heat new material by our artists as we're all fans. We have the debut LP by BLOUSE on Nov. 1st, so that's been a focus of our attention for a while. We've also just confirmed a huge Cleaners From Venus reissue project which is very exciting for all of us.

The Shoegaze Archives idea sprang out of the fact that the era wasn't really being investigated by too many reissues while the late 70's and 80's have been mined so heavily. That coupled with most talk about that first wave of Shoegaze from '88 to '93, it's almost only ever about Slowdive, MBV, Ride, etc. in the mainstream indie press when there was a really huge international scene. I thought it was time to really investigate it more and offer wider releases to bands that never had that opportunity when they were around. Neither Should (aka shiFt) nor the deardarkhead material we're doing was ever on vinyl, because they were released when vinyl was pretty much dead. In that way it's almost a project of mine so I can personally have the records in my collection! Our next confirmed reissue in the series is Half String, beyond that we have two other things that we're working on that are currently unconfirmed.

What is your goal for Captured Tracks?

I always use Daniel Miller from Mute Records quotes on this. He very simply stated that a record label should be the result of the tastes of the owner and staff and that should be the only rule. This is why you had the same label (Mute) doing Non AND Depeche Mode, Diamanda Galas AND Erasure. If there was a goal with us, it's just to do our best to get the music we like to the widest audience possible for the artist without compromising our or their integrity.

deardarkhead. Oceanside.

What do you think about free downloading and file sharing? How does it affect a record label?

We work with it. I'm ok with it and don't fight it. At this point, it would be like horses trying to fight the existence of the car. I think if someone downloads a record for free, likes it and then buys it at a record store or when the band comes to town at the merch table, well than that's an ok thing. As a label we're focused on making things that people want to physically own, so that they can feel like more a part of it. I'm 34, so I still have a lot of records and tapes I bought when I was younger, I can listen to the Lush Spooky double 10" that I bought at the merch table in Philadelphia. You can't really have that experience pointing to an mp3 and saying "I downloaded that, right after it was on Pitchfork.... those were the days!" However, the easy access to download music has really opened up people's tastes and allowed them to hear way more than simply whatever your local radio DJ would play. I think a lot of labels forget that the reason why people like a lot of their bands is because they tried it for free first. That's a modern situation that most labels are trying to react to in an antiquated way.

Beach Fossils. Youth.

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?

Labels will still be relevant if they're looked to as a source of consistently good and interesting music and providing their audience with more than just a bunch of hyped artists they had enough money to sign. A lot of labels are doing that now and are losing the focus of what makes a label a label. Once you dilute whatever it is about yours that makes it special, what does a label even mean in 2011? Bands don't need labels anymore to have their music heard, but a label is still an asset if it has a culture that goes along with it. We will see a lot of labels cease to exist if they're not applying that.

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'm a record geek. Worked at record stores from 18-27 and currently co-own a record store, so there you have it. I really do like listening to music digitally though. It was really infuriating making cassette dubs and carrying them to school every day, though tapes still have an intrinsic charm. CD's were OK until the music industry killed them. They made them cheap by trying to sell the same object for $17.00 that falls out of a magazine everytime you open one.

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

Try to get by without causing too much pain, I suppose.

5 Captured Tracks Bands You Need To Know

Craft Spells

Toward the end of 2009, in a bedroom in Stockton, CA, a 21-year-old Justin Vallesteros began layering simple synth and guitar lines to create the sound that would become Craft Spells. What began as an experiment soon became a vibrant world of elegant guitar chords laced over looped rhythms, heavenly synth melodies, and pulsating bass. When Vallesteros recorded his first track "Party Talk," an outpouring of online enthusiasm led him to return to his native Seattle and flesh out a full band for the debut LP Idle Labor, released on Captured Tracks in Spring 2011. If you love Felt, The Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, and the beautiful monotone drone of Ian Curtis, Craft Spells might soon be your favorite nuevo-new romantics.

Wild Nothing

Wild Nothing is the solo project of Virginia born Jack Tatum, whose music is the product of an unhealthy obsession with nostalgia. Equal parts teenage wasteland and inexplicable regret, his songs are the kind that could only be made by the young at heart. Tatum began recording under the moniker Wild Nothing in the summer of 2009 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Upon gathering attention in indie music circles, he was signed to Captured Tracks and began touring with a band. His debut full-length, Gemini, was released in spring 2010 to acclaim.

Blouse

"The closing bars of Portland trio Blouse's "Videotapes" find Charlie Hilton singing but trailing off and never finishing her thoughts”What it was like to see you again, what it was like. And you kind of figure there is no conclusion, or at least not one happy enough to repeat. Or maybe the story ends when the song starts, like love is just a cycle and you find the key when you hit rewind, so Hilton's answer is scored by the woozy intro synth that dips in and out of tune, mimicking a nervous, dreaming brain flirting with lovesick loss of consciousness, or as if the band over-drank to fight off butterflies and now they're staggering to right themselves. "Videotapes" is the first track we've heard off Blouse's presumably heart-wrenching, multiple-Kleenex-necessitating self-titled debut full-length, produced by the band's own (and Unknown Mortal Orchestra bassist) Jacob Portait." - The Fader

Soft Metals

Soft Metals is a multi-disciplinary electronic duo from Portland, Oregon now residing in Los Angeles, California. Its members Ian Hicks and Patricia Hall were brought together through a common love of 1970s and 80s synthesizer music and began writing and recording songs together in the spring of 2009. Inspiration came to them by way of experimental electronic sounds, film soundtracks, early industrial music, minimal synth, house, techno, synth pop, krautrock, psychedelic rock, and shoegaze. Ian and Patricia share songwriting duties and compose the music together before writing lyrics and adding vocals. Their songs are built from moody, improvised sessions together using exclusively electronic instruments. The meaning of the raw music they make is explored and interpreted afterwards with lyrical themes ranging from life experience, films, literature, history, science, love, conflict, and death. Soft Metals prefer to express themselves freely rather than adhere to a particular genre. This freedom gives them a diverse sound somewhere between dance music, austere synthetic pop, and experimental electronic composition. Their two best known songs, "The Cold World Melts" and "Psychic Driving" are demonstrations of this varied sound. "The Cold World Melts" is driving, assertive, and passionate. "Psychic Driving" is delicate, introverted, and vulnerable. Some of their songs remain in their unpolished improvised form to pay homage to authenticity, spontaneity, the joy of sound, and experimentation while others are studio based exercises, fusing new and old production technologies.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://softmetals.bandcamp.com/album/the-cold-world-melts-ep"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Cold World Melts EP by SOFT METALS&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Soft Moon

Raised under the burning sun of the Mojave desert, Vasquez channels both his punk upbringing and Afro-Cuban heritage to sculpt decidedly dystopian soundscapes for a new generation of torn romantics. It’s a record set somewhere in the near post-apocalypse where technology enchants as much as it destroys.

Captured Tracks Mini Sampler
Free Download

Click HERE to download the Captured Tracks Mini Sampler - for absolutely free! The 7 tracks on this Mini Sampler were hand chosen by Captured Tracks, just for you. Rad. The set list is below! (You can download individual tracks from the Mini Sampler by clicking the track name in the set list)

1. The Soft Moon. Total Decay.
2. Beach Fossils. Vacation.
3. Craft Spells. Party Talk.
4. Blouse. Videotapes.
5. Soft Metals. Eyes Closed.
6. Minks. Araby.
7. Wild Nothing. Vultures Like Lovers.

Set List for When The Sun Hits Screen Vinyl Image Exclusive Show on Strangeways Radio, Aired November 23rd, 2011.

2011-11-27T17:00:00.005-06:00

Screen Vinyl Image. Night Trip.

Screen Vinyl Image. Until the End of Time.
Alcian Blue. You Just Disappear.
Screen Vinyl Image. Rx.
Screen Vinyl Image. Roaming Spirit Freedom.
Ceremony. Don't Leave Me Behind.
Screen Vinyl Image. Revival.
Last Remaining Pinnacle. They Are Lost.
Screen Vinyl Image. Too Much Speed.
Ceremony. Cold Cold Night.
Alcian Blue. Years Too Late.
Screen Vinyl Image. New Visions.

Video: Televise. The Longing.

2011-11-26T20:36:00.001-06:00

Video: Aerosol. Let the Seasons Drift.

2011-11-26T20:34:00.001-06:00

Fonda. Summertime Flight.

2011-11-25T14:30:00.000-06:00

Video: Screen Vinyl Image. Until The End Of Time.

2011-11-23T17:05:00.000-06:00

Tonight: Screen Vinyl Image Exclusive on When The Sun Hits - WIN 2 WTSH POSTERS!

2011-11-23T16:49:00.005-06:00

In celebration of the high levels of Awesome associated with this week's Screen Vinyl Image exclusive show on Strangeways Radio, there will also be a CONTEST! So - the first 3 people who log into the Strangeways chatroom during the show at 10pm-11pm EST and state their 3 favorite SVI tracks will receive 2 full sized When The Sun Hits posters! Swag, baby!

Join me tonight for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. This week When The Sun Hits will feature a Screen Vinyl Image exclusive set that you would be a fool to miss! Not only will the entire set be dedicated to all things SVI, but we'll also be previewing tracks from their upcoming LP, Strange Behavior!

Strange Behavior is set to be released on December 13, 2011 on the Custom Made Musiclabel, but Screen Vinyl Image are awesome and exclusively gave Strange Behavior to When The Sun Hits - to preview just for Strangeways listeners! Rad. Expect to hear several tracks from Strange Behavior, classic cuts from the pre-SVI days of Alcian Blue, as well as tracks from a handful of their label mates on Custom Made Music. This show is going to be astronomical levels of awesome.

TUNE IN! Stream it live this Wednesday, November 23rd, from 10pm-11pm EST (that's 9pm-10pm CST local folks) on Strangeways Radio.

Lovesliescrushing and Astrobrite Release New Material in November.

2011-11-22T13:49:00.003-06:00

Scott Cortez has been busy! He is the musical mastermind behind both Lovesliescrushing and Astrobrite, both of which released long awaited new material this month. Both albums were released via bandcamp, with Lovesliescrushing's Ghost Colored Halo EP released November 11th and Astrobrite's highly anticipated full length, Boombox Supernova, went live on November 1st. Check out the tracks below and head over to bandcamp to get yourself a big dose of impeccable gaze.

<a href="http://lovesliescrushing.bandcamp.com/track/blemished-sunspot-halo">blemished sunspot halo by lovesliescrushing</a>

<a href="http://astrobrite.bandcamp.com/track/boombox-supernova">boombox supernova by astrobrite</a>

200,000 Gazes Compilation Update - Release Date Postponed Until December 10th, 2011.

2011-11-20T15:08:00.006-06:00

When The Sun Hits is now closing in on 200,000 blog views! If you were around for the first 100,000, you know that we had a big celebration with fun events and posts, as well as created an exclusive compilation of donated tracks, which had a VERY large circulation.

For the past 2 months, we have been taking submissions from bands for the release of our next compilation, 200,000 Gazes. The deadline for submissions was November 10th.

The compilation was meant to be released on November 19th, celebrating it's release with a party during the XD Festival in Chicago that night. Due to Amber not being able to get a flight out to Chicago that weekend, our release party, and the release of the compilation itself, had to be postponed until DECEMBER 10th, 2011. Danny was at the XD Festival however, and he was When The Sun Hits representin' for all of us!

We cannot take any more submissions, so please don't ask. We apologize, but we have already received close to 200 submissions (whoa!), so we want to be fair. The upside to postponing the release of 200,00 Gazes is now we can do what we had originally wanted to do - release 200,000 Gazes: Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. That's right, TWO full albums of some of the best shoegaze and dream pop being made on the planet, hands down. Both volumes will be released on Tuesday, December 10th, 2011 as free downloads on bandcamp. We will also be re-issuing our previous compilation, The First 100,000, on bandcamp on that same day. We have some surprises in store, so stay tuned!!

RELEASE DATE FOR 200,000 GAZES: VOL 1 & 2 - DECEMBER 6TH, 2011

Have any questions? Email whenthesunhitsblog@gmail.com with a title of "ATTN AMBER: compilation questions" and I will answer them. Don't message me, Danny, Rob, or WTSH via FB about this.

When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio Presents A Screen Vinyl Image Exclusive. Wed Nov 23 10pm-11pm EST.

2011-11-20T12:01:00.010-06:00

Come join me this Wednesday night for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. This week When The Sun Hits will feature a Screen Vinyl Image Exclusive that you would be a fool to miss! Not only will the entire set be dedicated to all things SVI, but we'll also be previewing tracks from their upcoming LP, Strange Behavior!

Strange Behavior is set to be released on December 13, 2011 on the Custom Made Music label, but Screen Vinyl Image are awesome and exclusively gave Strange Behavior to When The Sun Hits - to preview just for Strangeways listeners! Rad. Expect to hear several tracks from Strange Behavior, classic cuts from the pre-SVI days of Alcian Blue, as well as tracks from a handful of their label mates on Custom Made Music. This show is going to be astronomical levels of awesome.

TUNE IN! Stream it live this Wednesday, November 23rd, from 10pm-11pm EST (that's 9pm-10pm CST local folks) on Strangeways Radio.

When The Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole every Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

Set List for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio, Aired November 16, 2011

2011-11-19T16:22:00.005-06:00

When The Sun Hits is a radio program dedicated to bringing you the best underground sounds from within the realms of shoegaze and dream pop. When The Sun Hits airs every Wednesday night from 10pm-11pm EST (9pm-10pm CST) on Strangeways Radio. Stream Strangeways 24/7 at www.strangewaysradio.com and join us live in the chatroom for maximum Awesome.

band name/track title
Claps. Gruzzles.
Isan. Celia's Dream (Slowdive Cover).
Sun Devoured Earth. The Worst is Yet to Come.
Phantom Caste. Here in Hundreds.
The Never Years. It's Yours.
Airs. Ghost.
Chapterhouse. Frost.
....break....
Small Black .Despicable Dogs (Washed Out Remix).
mindthings. Consequences of Unseen Effects.
The KVB. Hide and Wait.
Dirty Beaches. Shadows.
Apparat. Black Water.
Whirr. Sundae.
Brief Candles. So Long.
Washed Out. You'll See It (Small Black Remix).

Tonight! When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2011-11-16T18:51:00.004-06:00

Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST! Wednesday night!

Come join me this Wednesday for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. When the Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole this Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Expect to hear cuts from Sun Devoured Earth, The Phantom Caste, Claps and a LOT more.

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

Interview: Marc Ostermeier of Should.

2011-11-14T07:15:00.000-06:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews Marc Ostermeier of Should

Interview by: Amber Crain

Should is Marc Ostermeier, Tanya Maus and Eric Ostermeier. Their debut six song CD-EP on Austin's ND label, 1995's A Folding Sieve, was a true gem of the 1990's American shoegaze scene. Since then, Should has released 2 more full length LPs, both as uniquely excellent as the first. With Captured Track's new Shoegaze Archives series poised to re-release A Folding Sieve later this month, Should will no doubt be gaining the adoration of a new generation of gazers. We hope you enjoy our conversation with M. Ostermeier of Should, and we want to thank him for being truly awesome.

How and when was the band formed?

I had used the name shiFt since the late 80s for my own recorded music that initially was electronic and not guitar based. Then in 1992 I became inspired by The Lilys wonderful album In the Presence of Nothing. I was a fan of bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Pale Saints, but they seemed to be making music that was out of my reach, especially since I did not know how to play guitar. In the Presence of Nothing was a bit more low-fi, and I really connected with the experimental nature of the sounds and songs they were doing. Tanya had recently moved to Austin and was a friend of my wife, Elissa. Eric (my brother) lived in the Midwest during most of the year but spent two summers in Austin giving us time to work together.

Should. Resonate.

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)?

We just released a new album in April (Like a Fire Without Sound, Words On Music) that was five years in the making. I am very pleased with how it turned out. Captured Tracks is rereleasing our debut CD from 1995, A Folding Sieve, but with many bonus tracks, some of which have never been released. The release will be on vinyl (for the first time) and on CD. In a cool nostalgia twist, they are also doing a limited run of a reissue of our first cassette (Resonate) that was first released on Whirling Pool on cassette in 1993. We are very honored to be the first release in their Shoegaze Archive Series. We have no plans to play live. We’ve only performed live four times (ever), and that was in the period 1993-1995. It just doesn’t interest me. I am interested in the art of the recorded song, not the art of performance.

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?

Our 1990s albums had many elements of shoegaze. Like a Fire Without Sound (2011) does not have much in the way of stereotypical shoegaze guitars. But because the songs are slower and atmospheric the dream pop reference is apt, even though I don’t think of them as dream pop. Artists often think what they are doing is more unique and not easily pigeon holed into one genre, and I am guilty of that.

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

First, I want to put forth the disclaimer that I am not very up to date in listening to these genres. I am sure I am missing a lot of great music. The amount of music released these days is just overwhelming, which is more of a curse than a blessing. My general criticism over the years of shoegaze bands is that not enough of them embrace the experimental nature that characterized the best early shoegaze bands. Instead too many artists just overly rely for the stereotypical shoegaze sound, but this seems to be enough for many fans. I like the shoegaze bands that add something different.

Should. Own Two Feet.

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

By far the most important item for what I do now is Logic software. Since, we don’t play live, I have never owned an amp and have almost never used pedals. I used an overloaded portable mixing board for distortion A Folding Sieve. The only guitar I own I bought in 1996 and, to the horror of most guitarists, I have never changed the strings. I am a big believer in “its not what you have but what you do with it.”

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

Should from the 1990s was mostly programmed on an Ensoniq EPS sampler and recorded on a Fostex R8 reel-to-reel. Almost all guitars on A Folding Sieve are sampled (often from cassette recordings) and looped. For Feed Like Fishes (Words On Music, 1998), I was still recording on the R8, but most all the songs have non-sampled guitars because I had reached a modicum of ability on the guitar by then. For a long time I didn’t record, as I was busy with my career, and my daughters were born in 1998 and 2001. But then in about 2006, I bought Logic software. This enormously facilitated what I could do. However, it is sometimes easier to be innovative when you are forced to work within limitations. Logic’s limitations are few and that is challenge.

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?

I have two perspectives on this: as an artist and as a label owner. Since 1998, Eric and I have run the label Words On Music (www.words-on-music.com). We have about 30 some releases, some of it in the shoegaze/dream pop territory (The Meeting Places, Coastal, Lorna, and Fiel Garvie). We have also reissued a couple of artists from the 1980s that can be seen as forerunners of shoegaze/dream pop (The Lucy Show and For Against). I also started an experimental/ambient label in 2010 called Tench (www.tenchrec.com).

The ability to make cheap, decent sounding recordings at home is empowering to the artist. The problem is because there are few, minimal barriers to recording and releasing your own music, everyone does it. It’s created a situation that is akin to a “tragedy of the commons.”

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

I think labels can serve two very important functions: a filter for quality and a conduit for the listener to be exposed to and seriously listen to something outside what they think they like. That is not to say that quality can’t be released DIY/bandcamp. But a good label establishes a sound/style/reputation that can serve to help listeners wade through the sea of mediocrity to find the gems. Labels, by virtue of their reputation, can present listeners with something new they might not otherwise pay attention to.

Should. Sarah Missing.

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

Since I grew up listening to music on vinyl, I have a fondness for my records. I am very excited that Captured Tracks is doing a vinyl pressing of A Folding Sieve. But the reasons for buying vinyl (or cassette) have little to do with sound quality, despite what vinyl diehards may believe. And since I am into the art of the recorded song, I strongly prefer CD. High quality digital is fine to listen to, but I like having something physical. I have a collector streak in me.

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

I like artists that take chances and innovate in the pop/rock format. The Beatles and Wire are prime examples.

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

The last several years I have really become interested in experimental/ambient/electro-acoustic music. Most of my recent recording has been in that vein. I have several releases under the moniker “M. Ostermeier,” the most recent two being on Tench. I am a big fan of labels like 12k and Home Normal. This type of music is mostly what I buy these days.

Bands in recent years that I’ve enjoyed a lot include Weekend, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Mode Moderne, The Go Find, and Lower Dens. I think The National’s High Violet is one of the best albums of all time.

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

For our early music, "Breathe Salt" is the quintessential Should song. I am not sure there is one song for our recent music.

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

Except for a few songs over the years, I have written and recorded most of the music myself. Nowadays, I write and record simultaneously using Logic. Tanya writes the melodies and lyrics on songs she sings alone. She is almost always the one who comes up with the vocal harmonies – she can do that in her sleep.

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

I often feel I don’t have enough time to have a philosophy on life.

Last Call For Submissions: 200,000 Gazes Compilation Due Date is November 10th!

2011-11-07T18:22:00.001-06:00

WE HAVE RULES! Please follow them so that we don't weep into our shoes.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOVEMBER 10th, 2011. No exceptions.

(Seriously.)

- If you are in a shoegaze and/or dream pop oriented band (even if you consider yourself on the fringe), then you can submit. You do not need to be on a label. You do not need to have an album out. If you are gazing and recording it, you can submit. Even if it's a solo effort. Even if this is your FIRST effort. You have a chance at this!

- Submit your track to whenthesunhitsblog@gmail.com. You MUST put "200,000 Compilation Submission" in the title of the email, or be forever lost in the insanity that is our email.

- You can submit ONE track, in mp3 format only. Don't flood our email with multiple submissions, please!

-Don't waste our time submitting a track with poor sound quality. Seriously. If you are recording music, you know the difference between good and bad audio quality. Use these skills. GOOD QUALITY AUDIO ONLY PLEASE.

- In the body of the email, you need to put 4 things: a) Your/your band's name. b) The track title. c) links to anything promotional (bandcamp, a fb page, WHATEVER), if you have it. You don't have to if you have none. d) (optional) tell us about you/your band.

Have any questions? Email whenthesunhitsblog@gmail.com with a title of "ATTN AMBER: compilation questions" and I will answer them. Don't message me, Danny, Rob, or WTSH via FB about this.

Pretty easy, right?! We are so stoked to hear what you guys have! The 200,000 Gazes Compilation will be even larger (it may even be a double album) and more widely circulated than the first, so get onboard! Feel free to share this note with anyone you know. Ready, set, GO!!

Tonight! When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2011-11-02T18:24:00.004-05:00

Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST! Wednesday night!

Come join me this Wednesday for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. When the Sun Hits is one full hour of distilled shoegazey goodness, so black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole this Wednesday night on Strangeways Radio.

Expect to hear cuts from sansyou, Warm Ghost, Presents for Sally, and a LOT more.

Don't forget to log in to the Strangeways chatroom during the show to hang out with me and many other awesome people while we talk about the music that is airing in real time and god knows what else...

Tune in live every Wednesday, 10pm-11pm (EST), for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Join us in the Strangeways chat room for additional entertainment!

Stream it here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

"When The Sun Hits: Many nude pelvic thrusts will be made tomorrow evening in honor of bad ass music." - David Goffan

The Spiracles Prep for January Release via Saint Marie Records.

2011-10-28T17:01:00.007-05:00

SAINT MARIE RECORDS proudly announces:

The Spiracles
How Things Went Well When I Met You
Release date: January 24, 2012.

Tracklisting:
Fireflies
Mercy
End Of The Affair (Field Mice cover)
Fireflies (Elika remix)
Fireflies (Canu Altocamet remix)

For over a decade, Luis Rodriquez has been writing songs and playing guitar for the shoegaze band Resplandor. During this time he has played with Robin Guthrie, The Radio Dept, Airiel, The Ocean Blue, Mark Gardener (Ride), Mahogany, Elika, House Of Love, Altocamet, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Asobi Seksu and many more. Luis brings all of this experience to the forefront, along with the majestic and enigmatic vocals of Aracelli Fernandez, in The Spiracles.

This first EP includes the beautiful indie-pop single “Fireflies”, followed by a mid-tempo “Mercy” and a lovely version of The Field Mice’s “End Of The Affair”. It also includes a remix by the shoegaze/electronica Brooklyn based band Elika and another by Canu, lead singer/DJ from the Argentina band Altocamet.

Interview: Jonathan Allen and Nikki Roszko of 2060 Chiron.

2011-10-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

When The Sun Hits Interviews Jonathan Allen and Nikki Roszko of 2060 Chiron.

2060 Chiron is Jonathan Allen (founding member of WTSH faves Music for Headphones) and his fiancee, Nikki Roszko (former Black Strip Withdrawal member), and they are based in Philadelphia, PA. Their sound is best described as some sort of brilliant space-folk-electropop hybrid, with tendencies towards swirly noise, grooves and hooks; these guys exist within several genres at once, but they are transcending them all with the amazing sounds they create. 2060 Chiron was born out of many late nights listening to records and drinking wine, and we can't think of a better way for a project to be begin. We adore these guys and are anxiously awaiting the debut LP (read below for more info on that). We hope you enjoy getting to know Nikki and Jonathan of 2060 Chiron!

How and when was 2060 Chiron formed? Is there a story behind the band name?

Jonathan: I don't know that we could pinpoint an exact time, but it was probably in the winter of 2010 that we seriously decided to start recording. Of course, anything we did then, fueled by freezing cold temperatures, cabin fever, and wine, are pretty different than what we've let people hear. The concept for the debut record was totally inspired by a certain sci-fi TV show... the answer is in the lyrics...

Nikki: The name "Chiron" popped into my head when we were brainstorming band names. I'm not exactly sure...it was snatched from the universe. Chiron is a planet/asteroid that exhibits the behavior of a comet and orbits between Uranus and Saturn. It's from a class of objects known as centaurs. As I further researched Chiron, it just fit perfectly for the type of weird, genre-defying music we create. Also, I am a big Greek mythology geek and astronomy nerd from way back.

Can you tell us what you've been working on and what you've got forthcoming in the near future (new releases, tour, etc)? We know there's an album ready to release...what's the status of that?

Jonathan: Well, the album is almost done, but was temporarily put on hold when Music for Headphones picked up suddenly in October. We should have it completed very soon, I've decided to go back and add some gazey-noisy guitars to all the songs. We are playing at the XD Fest on November 19th in Chicago, so working up the live arrangements of the new songs has brought me to a place where I want to add the guitars back in to the mix. I left them out originally because I was trying to separate my playing in Chiron from that in Music For Headphones, however I think that was detrimental to the songs, so they're going back in. We've already put "Sonar" and "Liftoff" out there, but expect to hear expanded versions on the completed record.

2060 Chiron. Sonar.

Jonathan, you're involved with both Music for Headphones and New Speedway. How do you balance your time between all those projects? The three also sound very different from one another, which we think is awesome. And Nikki, have you done any other musical projects in the past, or is this your first?

Jonathan: Well, I am no longer involved with New Speedway in any way, so that changes the game quite a bit. Before Chiron was the project I worked on my in my super free, hanging out at home time, but that is changing. It's definitely turning into a project I want to focus more on and see where we can take it. Being that its just Nikki and me, we can go pretty much anywhere without much hassle. Chiron very easily exists on the backside of MFH and MFH has talked about taking Nikki out on tour with us and having two built in acts.

Nikki: I have been performing since I was 16. My high school band was Gidget and Potted Plants, a folk-punk duo with surreal lyrics, kinda adorable and heavily influenced by Kill Rockstars bands. It was not long-lived. I played the same type of music solo for many years, often with fabulous sit-in musicians. Nothing really jived as a band though. More recently I was in a post-punk/darkwave band called Black Strip Withdrawal in which I played guitar. Now Chiron, which is by far my favorite project and in which I am exploring music in previously uncharted ways.

2060 Chiron probably isn't what anyone would call traditional shoegaze, but that dreamy undercurrent is nevertheless there. 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?

Jonathan: As anyone who's followed MFH would know, I have a really hard time with genre. I can't stay and exist in one place for very long. I can tell you we set out to make a "space folk" record, and it got all dance-y some how. There are some songs on the album that I think you could classify as more traditional shoegaze, we just haven't let anyone hear that part of the record yet. Its a lyrical and musical concept record, so it has a certain flow to it.

Nikki: Traditional genres bore me. I like all types of music and have bounced around quite a bit. I have always enjoyed pushing boundaries and have no preconceived notions as to what Chiron can be.

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

Jonathan: I'll let Nikki answer this one, I don't want to repeat myself to much from the MFH interview we did with WTSH, but I will add that our recent dates with the Foreign Resort blew me away. They are the most dynamic, professional musicians I have seen in ages and the nicest, sweetest guys. Last Remaining Pinnacle were also truly brilliant! Can't wait to play with either of those bands again.

Nikki: There are so many artists in those genres that I am in love with. Morpheme is probably my favorite current shoegaze band. I also absolutely adore Foreign Resort, Tamryn, Spell 336, Drowner and absolutely cannot wait to hear the Bloody Knives live. As for psychedelia, I can't get enough Sleepy Sun or the Warlocks.

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

Jonathan: I have mostly used Rickenbacker guitars for the last 14 years, but occasionally play my Jazzmaster or Casino if I need a change. I've been very seriously considering buying another DiPinto Galaxie and switching back to offset body guitars for the next little while. I miss owning one. The Galaxie and the Jazzmaster were my main guitars 1996, 2006 and 2007. I'm still using my Orange Rocker 30, its super awesome, but I am going to add a second amp back into the mix to fill out the sound. All the boxes on the ground change from time to time, and always will.

Nikki: I have yet to become a gear-head. I have an Alesis Micron that I have been exploring as well as sparkly new guitar sounds. I have a Danelectro and play a Rickenbacker 625.

What recording gear do you use?

Jonathan: Well, that's part of how this Chiron record was recorded. All the MFH stuff is recorded at my studio with "professional" gear. I was curious what I could do with a home set up, I purchased a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, Pro Tools 9, and a B.L.U.E. Spark and went to work with out all my more expensive pre-amps, microphones, and mixing equipment. However, now that I want to add in all the guitars, I'll be transferring the whole thing into Nuendo at the studio, so I'll probably end up mixing it there, which will give it a different sound.

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?

Jonathan: I'm going to let Nikki answer this one, we are coming into this project from different places.

Nikki: The music industry, like so many other great giants has exploded and in no way resembles what it once was. This is an exciting time to be an artist because it frees us from expectations, binding contracts and the need to fit one's music into a specific genre for the purpose of marketing. At the same time it has created a massive chasm in which it is easy to get quite lost. It is imperative that artists and labels band together to help each other get heard and develop fan bases. It has become much more populist and requires a great deal of work from the artists with little monetary reward. This means that only those in it for the love of it will survive.

When it comes to label releases versus DIY/bandcamp and the like, what is your stance, if any? Do you know if you'll be releasing the 2060 Chiron LP via a label (and if so, who?) or will it be a self release?

Jonathan: Well, MFH exists in both worlds. I release so much material via my own Evol Recordings and primarily use Bandcamp and limited edition physical product, but we are also clearly involved with XD Records who are putting out the new MFH full length next year and it looks like "reissuing" Life.in.Mono on cassette in the very near future. We honestly haven't given any thought as to who will pay for the Chiron record, but have a an idea of what we want the release to be. We will give some more thought to it in coming months.

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

Jonathan: I prefer vinyl by quite a lot. There's nothing better than sitting on the couch listening to records and having good conversation. I love DJing as well. However, mp3s get listened to everyday as well. I haven't listened to a cassette in years, but am totally excited about the prospect of releasing music in that format because it takes me back to my DIY high school riot grrl days where we made tape after tape to see in school and at shows. There was something raw about that process and the format that felt so good.

Nikki: For the purpose of hearing the nuances of music, give me vinyl any day. MP3s certainly have their place. There is so much music out there that I would never have heard without the massive pool of MP3s available. It's like a giant mixtape. Of course, I love actual mixtapes as well, for the same reason. I never had much money growing up so I relied heavily on music sharing.

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

Jonathan: Sonic Boom, David Roback, Jason Pierce, William and Jim Reid, Jonathan Donahue, Neil Young, Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow, Her Space Holiday, Neu! and La Dusseldorf, Thurston Moore, Anton Newcombe, Bobby Hecksher, Peter Holmstrom.... and so many more...

Nikki: God, where do I start? Mazzy Star has been a huge influence on my music like forever. I also am into the Cranes and Tamryn. From the standpoint of vocals, I like the sound of the little girl lost immersed in a sea of sound--noise, fuzz, big electronics. I am also heavily influenced by literature--- Burroughs, Kathy Acker, Debra Levy, Henry Miller.

If you had to choose one 2060 Chiron track that was the ultimate definition of your sound, which would it be and why?

Jonathan: I think its too early in the process to answer this honestly. I think the whole cycle of songs are necessary to truly get to the essence of what 2060 Chiron is about, but I will say its more like "Liftoff" than "Sonar." Though there is more of the sensuality that permeates "Sonar" throughout the record, there is more a overwhelming feeling of desolation and loss that prevails, Nikki?

Nikki: I would agree. We are still a young band. Liftoff is probably a good illustration of where we are going. I think the juxtaposition of sensuality and desolation between both Sonar and Liftoff best defines our sound.

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

Jonathan: It actually works pretty much the way MFH writes. The musical tracks are all almost completed before Nikki even starts writing the lyrics.

Nikki: I like having a concept when I am writing lyrics, even if I never ever ever tell anyone what it is. I listen to the tracks that Jonathan records over and over again until phrases come together then the songs write themselves.

What is the band’s goal for 2011?

Jonathan: Get to Chicago and blow people's minds!

Nikki: ditto!

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

Jonathan: Everybody knows this is nowhere.

Nikki: Somewhere between Taoism and Buddhism. I go where the river takes me without trying to direct it too much. Sometimes this gets me into tight spots but I always manage to find my way.

Tonight: The Doomgaze Edition of When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. Hosted by DJ Amber Crain.

2011-10-26T14:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight on Strangeways Radio! The Doomdaze Edition of When The Sun Hits. Stream it live, 10pm-11pm EST, HERE. Heads up, local folks, that's 9pm-10pm CST!

Come join me tonight for When The Sun Hits on Strangeways Radio. In celebration of Halloween, this week's show is dedicated to DOOMGAZE. Yes, I've trolled the murky waters of fringe shoegaze for you in order to drag up the darkest, loudest mire possible. Black out the windows, grab your headphones, and go down the rabbit hole tonight on Strangeways Radio. Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any subsequent nightmares you may have. Enjoy All Hallow's Eve.

Expect to hear dark cuts from Nadja, [aftersun], Jesu, and a LOT more.