Interview: Exene Cervenka (X, The Knitters)

by Anjelica LaFurno

Legendary Los Angeles punk band X will be celebrating the 31st anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album, Los Angeles, performing the album in its entirety during the Los Angeles tour with tour dates from September to October 2011. The tour will bring the band to New York City twice on September 30 and October 1 at Irving Plaza. Tickets are still available for both. If that isn’t enough to excite a fan or anyone appreciative of American punk music, then the added bonus of viewing the film X: The Unheard Music before X’s live performance certainly will.

The 1986 documentary dissects the Los Angeles music scene X dominated, complete with live footage and interviews. Even more awesome, the band will also be performing 45 minutes worth of other songs from their rich catalogue (Wild Gift, Under the Big Black Sun) during these particular dates. We chatted up with punk royalty Exene Cervenka (vocals) via email about her own iconic role in punk history, the difference between now and then, and also X’s future.

Interview: Clint Conley (Mission of Burma, Consonant)

Clint Conley with Mission of Burma at Maxwell's. More here.

"What happens when the most influential band you never heard reunites after 19 years?"

That's the question the excellent documentary Not A Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story asked five years ago in 2006. It's safe to say we now know the answer to that question. Since reforming, Boston's Mission of Burma have released ONoffON (2004), The Obliterati (2006), and The Sound, The Speed, The Light (2009)--all to critical acclaim--paving the way for bands like Polvo, The Feelies and Dinosaur Jr. to make similar comebacks. All the while proving that reunions, and more specifically reunion albums, do not have to be embarrassing cash-ins.

Roger Miller (guitars/vocals), Pete Prescott (drums/vocals), Bob Weston (tape loops/producer) and Clint Conley (bass/vocals) make up one of the greatest success stories in the world of independent music. Fans in New York City will have the chance to catch Mission of Burma for FREE at the Beekman Beer Garden on August 7. As the band prepares for their upcoming fifth full length album, I had the chance to catch up with Clint on the phone to discuss the progress they've made so far on the new record, the status of his other band Consonant, and what it's like envisioning an end to Mission of Burma.

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So I know you guys are working on, or have at least begun working on the new Mission of Burma album. What’s the progress so far?

Basically we’ve laid basic tracks down and a few overdubs. Roger has a very busy year this year with Alloy [Orchestra] due in part to the release of a new version of Metropolis. Which has been in high demand at festivals and what not, so they have the good fortune of being in great demand these days. So anyhow, Roger’s more or less booked up through December with Alloy stuff . And you know, we were pretty up to speed with some of these new songs so we thought we’d better get in the studio and capture them while we're semi-confident. So we did that and that’s where it stands right now. It was a pretty simple recording, Weston came out and we spent three of four days, maybe more…

That’s what I wanted to ask you, if Bob was producing this one too.

Yeah, he was at the board. We’ve done overdubs—on our last record—at this studio where we rehearse, which is a combination of a recording studio and a rehearsal space. So we just decided to lay the basics down there and see how that sounded, so you know... it sounds great.

I wanted to ask you about Bob’s tape looping actually. In the studio is it done kind of on the fly like he does it live or is it a little more musically calculated?

It’s a post-production effect. I mean, he’s not doing it while we’re laying the basics. It’s something that’s after the fact. But that’s a good question because I mean, certainly live it’s all on the fly as we’re going. And as far as I know we’ve never done it that way [in the studio]. Basically because he has his hands full with all the other crap. You know, he’s trying to make sure that everything’s right. He can’t be paying attention to things to too many things at once… he’s already overloaded.

Interview: Naoko Yamano (Shonen Knife, Osaka Ramones)

by Damien

It's been 30 years since Naoko Yamano formed Shonen Knife in Osaka, Japan with her sister Atsuko and friend Michie Nakatani, and in that time the band has left an indelible impression on the world of indie rock with their blend of punk riffs and happy, pop-leaning, and often pastry-focused lyrics. Within ten years of their first gig in their hometown venue Studio One in front of 36 people, their catchy and unique songs had gained Shonen Knife a loyal following worldwide. Some of their most diehard supporters included bands like Sonic Youth, Redd Kross, and Nirvana, whose frontman Kurt Cobain became famously smitten with the band after seeing them in LA in 1991 and invited them on the UK tour in support of the now-classic album Nevermind.   

With these achievements and many more under their belts, Shonen Knife (with its current lineup of Naoko Yamano on guitar / lead vocals,  Ritsuko Taneda on bass / vocals, and Emi Morimoto on drums / vocals) will be celebrating this momentous anniversary by returning to their roots and releasing Osaka Ramones, a 13-track LP consisting entirely of covers of songs originally created by their "all-time idols" The Ramones. The legendary NYC punk band was instrumental in the evolution of Shonen Knife, who have often covered Ramones tracks under the Osaka Ramones moniker throughout their career. Osaka Ramones will come out tomorrow (7/19) here in the States, and the band will be touring North America this fall starting at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on October 20. 

In advance of the release of the album, I spoke with Yamano-san via email about her love of both the The Ramones and sweets, Shonen Knife's cult following among audiences and the indie rock community half a world away, and the band's future beyond its 30th anniversary. 

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First of all, congratulations on your 30th anniversary! Our readers are big fans of yours, and we're looking forward to hearing Osaka Ramones and seeing you here in NYC in the fall. How do you feel the worlds of both pop and punk music have changed since you first started out?

Naoko Yamano: Thank you very much!  Pop and punk music haven’t changed.  It always fun.

You mentioned that you wanted to record an album under your Osaka Ramones namesake for this anniversary in honor of The Ramones. What were your first memorable experiences listening to The Ramones and other punk bands like Buzzcocks, and what drew you to them over the more localized J-Pop movement of the time?

NY: American and British rock were popular in Japan in 1970’s 80’s and ’90.  I naturally became to listen to rock music when I was a teenager.  I became a fan of The Beatles first.  At that time, of course the Beatles were broken up, though.  Then I started to read music magazines and listen to radio to get information about rock bands.  I liked KISS, Aerosmith, Queen and Cheap Trick. One day I heard Ramones songs from radio and I rushed to the record shop.  For Buzzcocks, I read a review of their album Love Bites in a magazine and I thought it looked interesting. Then I went to buy their records.  I don’t know why I don’t listen to Japanese bands but my basic is the Beatles and English lyrics was attractive for me.

From "I Wanna Eat Chocobars" on Pretty Little Baka Guy to "Rock 'N Roll Cake" on Free Time, food has clearly been an integral part of your songs. There seems to be a growing, or at least more visible, connection between food and music nowadays, with many famous rockers now sharing recipes or favorite restaurants or even entered the restaurant business  themselves. Have you dabbled in making the kinds of pastries and sweets that are present in your songs, and do you have any favorite pastry shops you've been to in your travels?

NY: I always like sweets.  Japanese pastries shops are great.  You can find many sweets shops at the basement of department stores in Japan.  Every sweet is so delicious.  I like cakes very much.  In U.S., I sometimes buy See’s candies’ Tofee-ettes at the airport in California. I like nuts and chocolate.

As you're about to release Osaka Ramones as a tribute album to The Ramones, you yourselves have been the subject of a tribute album - 1989's Everybody Has A Shonen Knife Who Loves Them. That's an incredible accomplishment considering Shonen Knife had only existed for eight years at the time. How did that album come about, and how did you feel about your reception by the international underground music community at the time?

NY: In 1989, I didn’t know even the word ‘tribute album’.  In 1985, we first released our cassette album from K Records in Olympia, Washington.  And we released some albums in U.S.  Then a man who owns a record label called Gasatanka Records made that project.  I was very honored about it.  Every band plays Shonen Knife songs very well.

Shannon and the Clams are slated to join you for your fall tour around North America - what contemporary / new bands are you fond of, and what have been your favorite shows to attend recently?

NY: I went to see High on Fire and Melvins show.  They are great. I saw Ozzy Osbourne, Motor Head last fall.  They are not new bands but I like hard rock bands.  Since the big earthquake in this March, many shows were cancelled and I didn’t have many chance to see foreign bands show.

With your 2010 album Free Time being released in Europe this week, do you have any other new songs in the works at the moment? What are your plans following the fall tour in support of Osaka Ramones?

NY: I have just a few new songs.  I have to write more songs.  We might play Ramones cover songs and our original songs for the fall tour.  I’d like to make a set list under our fan’s requests.

Thanks again for the opportunity and your time!!   

NY: Arigato!  Thank you.

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Osaka Ramones is out tomorrow (7/19) on Good Charamel Records. Check out the latest fall tour dates after the jump, including a stop at Brooklyn's Public Assembly as part of the 2011 CMJ Showcase, and a video of Shonen Knife rocking through "Ramones Forever" and "I Wanna Be Sedated."

Interview: Dave Wakeling (The English Beat, General Public)

by Anjelica LaFurno

While prepping for my interview with Dave Wakeling, I visited his website to read that, according to his biography, “Dave Wakeling is a hell of a nice guy!” I happily found this to be true. He really is a nice guy, simple as that. The King of Ska continues to woo crowds with the sounds of The English Beat and is very willing to explain the content and story behind this great band’s origins and work. We discussed that music today is no longer dissected and analyzed like it once was. Nowadays digital downloads remove the warmth experienced by vinyl and also the informative nature of a cover sleeve. The modern music listener rarely knows the history of their favorite musical act or the story behind that song they like so much. It was a certainly a pleasure to be nostalgic for a short time with a man whose guitar glows in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, yet admittedly has never once downloaded a song digitally.

Anjelica LaFurno: You’ve certainly used your music as a platform for both social commentary and activism. This was especially the case for your work/involvement with Greenpeace. What is it about music that you find to be an ideal outlet for a socially conscious individual like yourself? And do you feel it is your duty as a musician to not only entertain, but also shine a spotlight on relevant issues and causes?

Dave Wakeling: Well I think the key word is ideal. I think a lot of people who get to be songwriters are idealists, originally, you know. And long before I was ever in a group I was spouting off my political and social comments, as a lot of young people do. I remember at the age of twelve watching the black and white television news with my dad and thinking how happy I would be that all this rubbish would be over. That they’d have stopped killing each other’s children by the time that I was a grown up because it was disgusting. And of course they didn’t, did they? And so you feel outraged by things like that and then you start playing the guitar. And then you start singing songs. And I think it’s a natural thing if you feel that way, and you’ve got opinions. And that sort of stuff comes out in your songs.

I do think an artist has some responsibility to sing about the environment that they live in with their fans. And so, I thought, that it’d be wonderful to be in a dance band and to be able to sing about the social issues that were of concern to me. And that if I got people happy and dancing, their minds would be more open like mine was when I was dancing. And so they’d be more susceptible to suggestion…but I don’t want them to hold my opinion. I really don’t. My shoes don’t fit them. However, I ought to let them know what my views are.

Interview: Mark Arm (Mudhoney, Green River)

Mudhoney (left to right: Steve Turner, Guy Maddison, Mark Arm, Dan Peters) Photo credit: Shawn Brackbill

by Francesca McCaffery

Mudhoney are probably one of the most defining and significant bands of the early Seattle underground music scene in the early nineties, which of course became horrifically termed “grunge” forever after. With wailing lead singer and guitarist Mark Arm, drummer Dan Peters, guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Matt Lutkin (present bassist, Guy Maddison), Mudhoney’s roaring, nostalgia-free punk sound both inspired and paved the way for Soundgarden and Nirvana’s astonishing commercial success. Mudhoney continue to play their wonderfully searing and sonic punk rock today. Singer Mark Arm recently spoke with us about the band’s early success, his favorite bands as a kid, Mudhoney’s upcoming album, and that damn callous in his throat.

Francesca McCaffery: I wanted to start out and ask about your very, very beginnings-how you actually got to be a real, authentic rock star without selling out for a second. We’re particularly interested in your beginnings with one of your first bands: Green River. (Half of the band, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament went on to form Pearl Jam.)

Mark Arm: I really at this point don’t remember all the facts, necessarily. It’s so long ago! I kind of remember…but when things happen so long ago, it’s kind of hard to remember what was real, after telling the story so many times. I’m not sure how far away from the truth they are, if that makes any sense? But when we got together for the Sub Pop 20th anniversary in 2008, you know, I had to go back and listen to Green River records. And it really just became apparent to me, the way the music was, the way it was produced… it was kind of, much lighter than the shit that I was bringing to it.

Interview: Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr., Folk Implosion)

Lou Barlow with Sebadoh @ Bowery Ballroom in April (more here)

By the time J Mascis retired the Dinosaur Jr. name in 1997, few music fans would have guessed that one day you'd be able to catch them on the road again, let alone with original bassist and co-founder Lou Barlow. Now six years deep into the reunion of original members Mascis, Murph and Barlow, Dinosaur Jr. have released two critically acclaimed albums, Beyond and Farm, and are about to embark on a tour performing their third album Bug in its entirety (tickets are still on sale for the 6/23 NYC date). Henry Rollins will also interview the band onstage as part of the show.

Barlow's other band Sebadoh recently finished an East coast tour in April in support of the upcoming Bakesale reissue (which you can preorder here), a deluxe edition of the classic album that will be released on June 14th on Sub Pop. In September, Sebadoh will head to Australia for the first time in twelve years for a few performances. I had the chance to talk to Lou over the phone on Monday about the upcoming Dinosaur Jr. tour, new Sebadoh material, and the awesomeness of the Jesus & Mary Chain's Psychocandy.

Interview: John Schmersal (Brainiac, Enon, Caribou)

Enon (left to right: Matt Schulz, Toko Yasuda & John Schmersal)

Around four years ago, my band and I were introduced to John Schmersal through a mutual acquaintance. Prior to that, I was unaware of John's history in music--his presence in legendary Dayton, Ohio band Brainiac, his solo work under the pseudonym John Stuart Mill, and of course his very great and underrated band Enon.

Since then, John has become a touring member of psychedelic/electronica act Caribou and has been on and off the road with them for quite some time. Luckily, I had the chance to ask John some questions via email regarding his tour experiences, his role in curating the upcoming ATP Nightmare Before Christmas Festival in London, and the status of his own band Enon. 

What city are you in right now and what's it like?

Istanbul. It's an amazing city. Steeped in the old but, still very cosmopolitan and just bustling. Lots of places open late and very lively atmosphere.

It seems like you've been on tour with Caribou non-stop for the past year or so. How are you holding up?

Well to be fair, we have had a few breaks by now. I was officially done with the crazy nonstop touring by mid-December. Then we did New Zealand and Australia in February. Post which I was home until several days ago. But, we did really have a solid run there. 180 some shows in 8 months. I absolutely love to travel so this is the right job for me.