Release of the Day: The Bachs - Out of the Bachs

I've been digging into private press albums ever since my pal Dave McCune hipped me to the Acid Archives, luckily with the help of some buds more in the know. It's been like uncovering a treasure chest - I've had the opportunity to learn about and listen to so many new records, many of which were impossible to track down before the spread of the internet. Out of the Bachs, for instance, was only pressed in an edition of about 150 copies privately. And now you can hear it on Spotify or YouTube or use discogs for a reissue without having to rely on rare record catalogs, books, or word-of-mouth.

So does this detract from the mystique of rare records or enhance it? Well, that's the million dollar question. Is it now easier to develop a mental encyclopedic reference list of records anymore? Yes and no. The process of getting to know a record is still to listen more than once, become familiar with its backstory, and hopefully grace your fingers and eyes with its cardboard sleeve. Listening and familiarizing are the more easy and affordable parts of this learning experiencing, which are hands-down easier feats with the internet. The tactile part, though, requires time and place. There is nothing like holding a record, if you ask me. This feeling for collectors is much more than a simple reward, but an accomplishment. The process of tracking down a record may be made easier with discogs or ebay, but holding or touching a record must still be done in person.

Enough philosophizing: the Bachs were a garage rock band that came out of the Chicago suburbs Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, and played for private parties and dances in the 60s before releasing this record and then calling it quits. The vocals and instruments were recorded at different times, which accounts for some of the shaky balance - sometimes the music will switch speakers if you're listening in stereo or on headphones, but I think that's part of the charm.

Doing a little extra research was really funny to me: for instance, Ben Harrison of the Bachs made an appearance on Rihanna's "Rated R." How weird is that?! It's easy to look up little trivia like this now, which can make the experience more enjoyable, but it can also disprove some of the record legends you might hear. Like, the other day, I was talking to Jamie at Permanent about record trivia and discogs and he told me that that story about Anton LaVey being in the back of the artwork for Hotel California was completely fake and it took away a little bit of the magic or at least the intrigue. The partial truths of record collecting folklore are just as valid and important as the reality, as much of it used to be spread in ways not dissimilar to folk and blues songs of old, perhaps around a campfire o at the saloon.

There is more magic in communion than in loneliness.

Interview with Tara McManus Hubbard of Mr. Airplane Man

C'Mon DJ Cover

There are a few bands that changed the way that I listened to music - bands like Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Neutral Milk Hotel, Libyans, Bad Brains, Burzum, The Who and a few others. Another one of those bands is Mr. Airplane Man. Mr. Airplane Man was the project of Margaret Garrett and Tara McManus (now Tara McManus Hubbard after her marriage).

To this day, Bull City Records in Durham is the best record shop I have ever been to. Most of the reason behind that is Chaz Martenstein's unbelievably conscientious methodology behind selling the record to you that you didn't even realize that you wanted - you in fact needed it. Currently, BCR is on Hillsborough Rd in Durham, but it used to be above the Avid video store perpendicular to 9th street. When I was 18 years old, I walked into the shop and heard Mr. Airplane Man's cover of "Sun Going Down." It changed my life. The bright guitar strikes accompanied with a haunting reverb and psychedelic know-how was something that I had never seen done at the same level of proficiency. It was only after I heard Mr. Airplane Man that I first got into Jay Reatard, Ty Segall, King Khan & the BBQ Show, Thee Headcoats and other bands that both recalled the old rock world while promoting a modern view on the world at large.

But Mr. Airplane Man broke up even before I had bought their CD. It took me a long time to find out how to figure out what happened to them, but I basically stumbled luckily upon Tara's husband Justin Hubbard while checking out the band Far Corners. It was totally serendipitous and awesome. I started talking with Tara and really wanted to figure out what happened to Mr. Airplane Man (and also try and get a Mr. Airplane Man T-shirt).

Tara and Margaret

Tara was more than receptive to my questions and wanted to help me with an interview, which seriously has made me starting this blog worth everything. I am so honored to be able to relay this interview to everyone because Mr. Airplane Man's music affected me so profoundly.

You can learn about them on their MYSPACE or read up about them on ALLMUSIC

This is one of my all-time favorite bands and I feel like the luckiest boy in the world to be able to share information about them with anyone reading.

Jordan: So how did the band originally start? How did you and Margaret meet each other and decide on playing together?  

Tara: We'd been friends since little kids, we always were super close and had a really strong bond over music.  During our 20s we were totally connecting about certain old records and seeing certain bands live and we just got so obsessed with it we decided to try to play, and then it became a band.

J: Why did you choose the name Mr. Airplane Man?  

T: We had a really hard time picking a name.  it was just a howling wolf song we really liked, and then it kind of seemed like it had another meaning to us, like some weird bird man bringing us somewhere

J: What would you say influenced the style of music that you played? Any bands or ideas in particular that impacted the sound or beliefs behind the band's output?  

T: Sure we were really influenced by really typical stuff: velvet underground, stooges, howling wolf.  as kids we were really into hardcore bands like flipper and black flag and fang, and really into jazz too.  when we reconnected in our 20s we were so influenced by seeing mark sandman (of morphine) play every week in little pubs in boston.  We got to know him and we recorded some songs with him and toured with morphine right before he passed away.  He was huge influence on us as far as trying to be minimalist and not do too much, and also trying to find some magic place he would get to playing live.  Then we were super into lee perry and african stuff, then we discovered howlin wolf which was this huge thing.  Then when i got turned on to junior kimbrough, jessie mae hemphill and r.l. burnside via the Bassholes that was a huge turning point.  As the band went on,  all the great Memphis rock and roll bands and people like Greg Cartwright, Shawn Cripps of the Limes, the Oblivians, Compulsive Gambers, Tav Falco, Jeff Evans became a huge influence.   As well as Boston bands like the Konks--they were like our brothers, we played together all the time in the beginning and really kinda supported eachother.  And of course the Lyres from Boston, they were a huge inspiration to us.  Their drummer is like some crazy mystical force I saw them live every chance I could.

J: How would you guys write and record a song or an album? Did you have specific roles in regards to the creation of your music?  

T: Margaret wrote the songs.  Usually she would bring in the basic melody and otherwise it was totally loose structurally.  We would just jam and mess around with it for hours, or just many times til we started feeling it fall into place.  She was always very patient with me figuring out drum parts or groping around for organ parts or backups.  We figured out songs by playing them out live too.  We played live at least once a week the first few years.

J: How did your music change through the course of the band? Do you feel like there was ever any sort of progression or ideas that made your style change? 

T: sure.  over time i think our different influences came together, and we found our own voice.

J: The recordings clear up a bit as you keep recording. Why did you guys decide to focus on a somewhat less fuzzy higher-fidelity recording style?  

T: It was more like, who came along to do a project with...although margaret may have had a specific desire to "clean it up".  I really love the sound on red light, but I also love the way the Easley recordings sound too.

J: What was it like working with Sympathy for the Record Industry while bands like The White Stripes were a part of it? 

T: Really exciting.  Although the whole White Stripes thing was a drag because of course, we were always being compared to them, as if we were trying to copy them.  Which was so annoying!!  Because we started way back in 1999, having no idea about the white stripes, or garage rock guitar drum duos.  We were such different bands, and honestly we did not like their music, so it just always was a drag to have that comparison going on. 

J: What would you say was the emphasis or differentiation behind writing and recording music versus playing a live show? What was touring like? How often would you all play and where?  

T: We always loved playing live, although i'm sure it didn’t seem it at times hah!  Playing live, well first of all, we always had to be stoned, which now years later, I can't believe it.  Because you'd be going through all the paranoia and confusion and self consciousness and anxiety and then suddenly it would be awesome and then later again weird.  Oh my god, like I can't imagine going through that anymore!  So shows could be a gamble, they could feel really ecstatic or just awful sometimes. But we loved it.  Touring was great.  It could get to be such a grind though because we took such bad care of ourselves.  

J: Any noteworthy shows and good stories from them?  

T: I loved playing in Portland, Austin, LA, Cleveland,...we played in some really special places in Holland and the UK.  We met so many sweet and cool people.  I remember doing a couple tours down south in Margaret's 68 Cadillac.  I remember it breaking down in the middle of nowhere in MIssissippi and getting towed on a flatbed truck to our show in Memphis w/the Husbands and the Doll Rods.  That night the Doll Rods were one of the best shows I've ever seen!  We used to play at this place the Union in Athens OH.  The stage was totally haunted.  I remember shows there just being insanely fun and otherworldly.  At one of them I was super spaced out and into the music and then my eyes came into focus and I realized Bim from the Bassholes was crawling across the stage towards me with this intense look on his face I will never forget that!  Another thing was almost driving into a lake at like 4 in the morning in that same caddilac.  Why am i remembering this stuff?  i remember one of our first shows in memphis, at the hi-tone there were like 20 people there, but Jack and Greg Oblivian and jeff evans were all there.  I almost threw up i was so nervous.  Another great night coming to mind was getting to play with Dead Moon in LA.  The door to the backstage was right behind the drums, I remember we were setting up and just about to play and Fred Cole having this big smile and smacking me on the ass and saying "Rock Out!!!!"  I remember freakin incredible shows opening for the Cheater Slicks.  So many great memories.  But I think a lot of my favorite shows were in the early days, at the Plough, and the Abbey Lounge in Somerville and Cambridge.  It was real exciting and all very spontaneous and in the moment

J: Why did the band eventually break up or stop putting out records? 

T: I think looking back we were getting really burnt out and discouraged, i think it may be a typical stage you have to get through, or maybe it was actually because we never had good management, like from ourselves or anyone else.  Neither one of us is good with money or planning things out, and we, well i'll speak for myself, i had this really irresponsible side.  oh man....i wish i could go back in time sometimes 

J: What have you both been up to since the band stopped making music? What sorts of projects (musical or other) have you been working on? Or, to put things even simpler, what has taken over your lives now?  

T: Well Margaret had a kid, I got married and traveled a bit with my Husband and we wound up out here in New Mexico.  We have a baby boy and it is the best thing ever.  I love being a Mom.  We also have two bands going on, and we dj, and do shows on the college radio here, and I would love to get a record distro or store happening someday...

J: Has music retained its importance in your life? How has its role changed in your life? 

T: Of course its still important!  It always will be.  I am missing live music so much since we moved here though.  I think it depresses me to not have that kind of cellular rearrangement you get at a really cathartic show, you know? 

J: Which bands are you into now?  

T: Ha not a good time to ask me....I have been so NOT into most bands that come through the last couple years.  Not to sound like a jerk but I am so sick of the happy surf beat stuff.  We saw a great band recently though called Spray Paint.  A frames played here a couple years ago they were amazing.  But really I am soooooooooo not on top of what is going on.  I have been so absorbed in being a mom, and been totally into the Saharan guitar stuff coming out on Sublime Frequencies, all the great African Reissues --loving the orchestre polyritmo stuff on analog africa.  Justin got me on to the sun city girls.  Listening  to a lot of Lee Perry and Roland Kirk too.  And back to my Jesse Mae Hemphill records all the time too.

But I hate when some old person is like, all the bands now suck, and they only say that because they have no idea what is going on. I think I kind of sounded like that, so I just wanted to say I know there is really great stuff going on right now, there are ALWAYS good bands, but I am so deeply in Mom-of-a-baby right now and I have no time or idea what is going on at all...and kind of not much interest. But I know that will change when the kid is older and I have more free time and my bed time is not 9 pm

J: Do you think there is any possibility of getting back together or recording more or even playing more Mr. Airplane Man shows? 

T: Absolutely!  When the time is right.  We've been talking a lot lately.  moi j'connais is reissuing the stuff we did with mark sandman this winter, which....i dont know how good it really is...it makes me cringe with embarrassment to hear myself back then....but they seem to feel real strongly about it so why not!  Anyway i miss playing with Margaret.  I think when my son gets a little older, we'll be able to move and I'll have some more free time for music

Anything else you'd like to say?  Oh yeah, the bands i'm doing now with Justin [editprs note: her husband] are Far Corners and Germ House.  Far Corners has put out a couple 7"'s and just has a new one out on Volar.  Germ House is about to go record a lp for Windian.  We are gonna do it w/Matt from the Resonars and Isaac from Lenguas Largas in Tucson which I am super super excited about! Margaret has some new bands lately too :)

Interview with Fancytramp!

A female centaur playing the git-box under "Fancytramp"

Every now and then, I'm hanging at my pad (probably eating rice) and scouring the internet for new stuff. Then usually my buddy Kyle turns me to Get Bent for a band he really likes. I don't know what it is about Rice ad Kyle (possible link since they both use long "i" sounds in their names - must continue research) Kyle's got great taste in music so I generally take him up on that. And usually, amid mouthfuls of rice, I, for lack of a better word, lose it because I am so impressed with the quality I hear. That's exactly what happened when I first heard Fancytramp. These guys rock in the best way possible. Think Golden Triangle met PJ Harrvey and then Ty Segall decided that he had crushes on these two girls and needed to impress them by playing guitar (for free!) for them - it's got a powerful female singer backed by a relentless howling guitar over some rickety rocking drums.

So I bought the EP off their bandcamp, which you can listen to for free as well, which can be found here - www.fancytramp.bandcamp.com. I usually include links up here at my description before the interview, but Fancytramp incorporated them into the interview, so I figured I didn't have to. Sorry if I let anyone down though.

The band is currently on a short tour, which I unfortunately missed in Chicago, but the band is sure to please and seems to have a lot of shows so I wouldn't be surprised if they get to your city some time soon. Here's a video of them performing "Fault Lines Fact" live and it's AWESOME. 

They also have a casette of their current EP out as well, so you can e-mail the band for that.

The Band

I e-mailed them and they e-mailed me back. So we set up an interview. Here, without further ado, is that interview

Jordan : When did you start the band? Who's in it and how did you meet each other? We're oh in different bands before?

Fancytramp: Fancytramp started as Olivia Scibelli's solo project and morphed into a full band with Katie Banyay on bass and Matt Manning on drumbs in April 2012. Matt and Olivia worked together at the Groove (local record store). Olivia tamed Katie's hair (and she continues to do that....well) and they instantly clicked. Matt previously played drumbs in Nashville's Big Whig.

J: Your band name comes from a Charlie Chaplin film. Are you guys big into movies? Do they inform your work or output? What kinds of movies do you like?

F: We love movies and we hope to one day create a score for film.

Playing in a Store

J: On Get Bent you guys were likened to an amalgamation of grunge icons. I didn't really buy it, but I liked the thought. How would you describe your musical influences? How did you arrive at your sound? Who ends up impacting the music you make?

F: We all came together with the love of heavy rock and melodic music. Olivia's lyrics are influenced by poetry and punk. Email us at fancytramp@gmail.com and we'll make you a mixtape!

J: Does the Nashville scene inform you guys a lot? Who are some of your favorite bands from there? Any favorite labels or venues?

F: It inspires and motivates us to continue on our path of making music and to try to bring something new to the table.

Crybaby, Ascent of Everest, Those Darlins, Ranch Ghost, and RI¢HIE.

Stone Fox, The End (RIP Brad & Stacey), and Marathon Music Works.

The album cover of the available EP

J: What releases do you guys have? How do you decide when a release is complete? Do you guys do physical releases? What do you think is the role of physical media in today's music climate?

F: Yes we have an EP on tape called Singing Tower at Sunset. Owning a physical copy of any type of music is so important. It allows the band to compile lyrics, artwork, and share anything else they please. We cannot wait to release music on vinyl because we're all collectors of it.

J: How do you record? Is there a decided songwriting role for each person? How does a song become finished? Do you use analog or digital recording?

F: We record at Battletapes. Olivia creates the skeleton, melody, and lyrics. Matt and Katie help with working on the structure. We've used both to record.

J: What can you say about your upcoming release? You mention something about a tentative summer 2013 release. How did you arrive at that? What are you all doing until that comes out?

F: We are in the process of writing and recording songs for a new record between touring, so we get in the studio when we can. We will release a 7" beforehand hopefully by winter.

J: Can you say anything about your current tour?

F: We are currently driving our beloved minivan Ursala in Kentucky with our beautiful merchmaiden, Coco. We're playing through the Midwest for a week.

10/4: Bloomington, IN
10/5: Chicago, IL
10/6: Detroit, MI
10/7: Cleveland, OH
10/8: Cincinnati, OH
10/9: Bowling Green, KY

Check our Facebook for more deets.
www.facebook.com/prettyfancytramp

J: Anything else to say?

F: You can listen and download our EP at:
www.fancytramp.bandcamp.com

Email us anytime!!!! We would love stories to read while in the van!

Fancytramp@gmail.com

Interview with Billy Jeans of the Mean Jeans

The Cover of Mean Jeans' Newest LP

Mean Jeans are a band from Portland, OR that plays a punk-tinged brand of garage rock n' roll. They recently released a new album on Dirtnap Records called On Mars. The album art looks about like the band sounds. One part mars. One part jagermeister. And then there are some dudes inside the bottle that has actually become a spaceship. Plot twist. On Mars is completely solid - it's a garage record, so naturally it has 13 songs over about forty minutes and each song is a blast, which isn't to say that the lyrics are all positive - if you look to the interview, Billy Jeans (frontman/guitarist) of the Mean Jeans talks a bit about the record and its subject matter. He mentions going forward from their first record and from where the band comes.

From what I've heard, the band rips it live. They recently played Chicago at a show that I could not attend, but heard was very good. THIS is an example of the raucous shows that they play live. I would highly recommend checking out their records, which you can find HERE. To learn more about the band, you can check them out on FACEBOOK or see where they played HERE

Here's the interview:

Jordan: So how mean would you say your Jeans are on a scale from 1 to Mean Joe Green?

Billy Jeans: 69. I have no idea how to answer this question, but I've been asked it 20 times!

J: What was the basis behind your name?

BJ: It was spray painted on my parents house by Jr. Jeans' bitter ex girlfriend. We stuck with the name cuz it had already built a reputation for itself, spray painted all over the suburbs of Washington, DC. 

J: Who all is in the band and what are your roles?  Does one person write most of the songs or is it collaborative?

Mean Jeans at a Show

BJ: Billy Jeans on guitar/voz, Jeans Wilder on Drums/vox and Jr. Jeans on bass.  I write most of the songs, Jeans Wilder writes some, and we put it all together… together. In leather. Whatever. 

J: What do you all do when you aren't playing or recording?

BJ: I like to draw, collect records, swim in rivers, eat mexican food, see bands play portland and experiment with drugs and alcohol. 

J: How did you all originally get connected with Dirtnap?  Did you have releases before your first LP?

BJ:  We recorded some songs on my ex girlfriends laptop, using no microphones, just placing the computer in the corner of the room and hitting record on Garageband.  We posted those on Myspace and were contacted by Rehab Records who wound up releasing them as our first seven inch, the Stoned 2 The Bone 7".  Ken from Dirtnap saw us play and one time when I was buying records at his shop he said he wanted to do a record.  So we did our second single with him, the License 2 Chill 7", and next did the LP. I think.

J: How was the process recording your first album?  Has it changed much or do you have a routine down?

Mean Jeans with some goo or something

BJ:  We just showed up at this gross house where a friends band had recorded and played every song we had.  There was very little effort involved. Since that first record, we've recorded with several people, in different places.  Our 2nd LP was actually recorded at that same shitty house but with completely different people who rented that same space.  So we've spent a lot of time drinking and getting covered in mildew on the corner of NE 17th and Ainsworth in Portland.  To be completely honest, I am not satisfied with any of the recordings and am still looking for more options.  Or maybe I just need to accept that we are a shitty band. 

J: What was the writing and recording of the new album "Mean Jeans - On Mars?"  Would you say that you wrote with a theme in mind?

BJ:  If anything was predetermined, it was that we didn't want to just make the same record again as Are You Serious?.  Cuz that would be really easy. So we tried to flip the script, and go a little popper.  I don't spend much time at all listening to music made after 1990, and not much of the fast punk / pop punk that's come out of the past 20 years.  We were listening to more 70s and 80s pop like Rick Springfield, ELO, Dwight Twilley, the corny shit.  Not to say On Mars sounds like any of those bands, but we wanted to give it more than just 3 power chords, a verse and a chorus.  So it is what it is.  

Thematically, the album talks about flying to mars to get away from our lives, creepy slugs, self-loathing, day to day disappointment, and of course partying. 

J: How has touring your new album been?  Have you seen an increase in crowd-size?

Another Bit of Mean Jeans Art

BJ: Yea we just did a US / Canada tour and it was the best one we've done yet.  I had a great time and more people were at the shows, which is always nice when you are playing a city you've never played or been to. 

J: Do you all play in other bands or have other projects?

BJ: Jr. Jeans plays in a punk band called Freedom Club.  Well it sounds punk to me I don;t know what other people think it sounds like. Jr. and Jeans Wilder did a US tour as bass and drums for Peach Kelli Pop.  At the beginning of August we are playing as the Groovie Ghoulies with Kepi Ghoulie. I am stoked.  We all play in another group called Junior Membah as well.  You'll have to see it to get it. 

J: Do you all have any plans for the future in terms of the band (I know you just finished a full-length album)?

BJ:  See what we can get away with before we're old. Skate the line of total implosion until it happens. Terrorize the world. 

J: What other music are you guys listening to or excited for in the future?

BJ: New bands I am digging: Big Eyes, Dancer, Bi-Marks, Audacity

Interview with The Transistor's

The Members of The Transistors in a Car

I am so glad that I got to the Guitar Wolf show at Local 506 early.  I hadn't heard of either of the opening bands, but when I saw the second opener, the Transistors, I was blown away (perhaps even more than the Guitar Wolf headline).  These guys put so much energy into their show I couldn't believe it.  I'll admit I was excited when the lead singer/guitarist James Harding came onstage wearing a Sonic Youth "Goo" t-shirt, which is something that I want for my personal catalogue.  Simply put, these guys rock.  Hard.  They write amazing pop songs, but their live show is truly something with which to reckon.  At one point, James sprung off the stage with his electric guitar in hand, landing somewhere in the middle, and played in the punk-rock legs-apart stance that we all know and love.

James is Jumping

I bought two 7"s after.  I just had to.  Surprise, surprise, they kick ass.  I saw them, I believe, in March, and they just finished up a HUGE tour with Guitar Wolf, which must have been really nuts.  I believe that they are back in New Zealand working on a new record, as they cover in the interview, but I cannot wait for them to keep making music.  You can check them out on their facebook page HERE or their tumblr page, which can be found HERE.  The Tumblr page has a lot of awesome videos of them live and some great pictures, so you should definitely check that out to see what I'm talking about.


In terms of getting recordings, they're all free on their bandcamp, which can be found HERE


Luckily, I got to hang out with them a little bit after the show and they agreed to an interview, which follows.

Jordan:  How'd the band start?  Have you guys all been playing for a while?

Transistors:  We started jamming in high school so we've been playing together for a pretty long time. We all picked instruments at around the same time and that was when we first started mucking around in our garages, we learned together.

Jordan:  What's the new Zealand garage scene like?

Transistors:  There sort of isn't really one specifically, in Whanganui in the North Island there's the Stink Magnetic label which puts out a bunch of bands and there are bands dotted around the country but in terms of a proper scene we don't really have one.

Jordan:  Who all makes up the band?

Transistors:  Olly Crawford-Ellis - Drums/Vocals, Colin Roxburgh - Bass/Vocals and James Harding - Guitar/Vocals

Jordan:  What sound are you guys trying to make?  What influences your music?

Transistors:  I think really we just want to write good catchy songs with a lot of energy and power behind them. We've always been influenced by punk and garage bands as well as more out there crazy sounding stuff. When we first started out we were heavily influenced by a lot of sixties pop music but what came out ended up just being really rough punk songs so we just naturally headed in that direction. We've always tried to write poppy songs I guess.

Jordan:  What do you guys do outside of the band?

Transistors:  We all work, Olly is at University doing a Masters Degree in English, Olly and Col play cricket, just pretty normal stuff really.

Jordan:  How many records have you all released?

Transistors:  We released our first album Shortwave in 2009, then we released an EP called Flux Pentaphile in 2010 and we put out an online single last year which is going to be on our new record. They're all available for free on our bandcamp page.

Jordan:  What is in the future of record releases for the transistors?

Transistors:  Our second album is due for release this year.

Jordan:  Can we expect to see them stateside?

Transistors:  We don't have international distribution for our first two releases but we can ship overseas if people email us, we're almost out of both of them now though. Our new album will hopefully be released in the states.

Jordan:  How's the tour with guitar wolf going?

Transistors:  The Guitar Wolf tour was amazing! One of the best things I've ever done, we had an incredible time travelling through the states and met some awesome people. 

Jordan:  What have been your favorite shows you've played?

This is the show Set up

Transistors:  Portland was probably my favourite show of the tour, we played in an enormous old theatre and Steve Turner from Mudhoney was there. I also loved playing in New York, Minneapolis and San Francisco but everywhere we went was great.

Jordan:  Which new zealand bands should we check out?

Transistors:  Street Chant, T54, The Situations, Rackets, Shaft, Teen Fortress, Psych Tigers...I know I'll be forgetting some here.

Jordan:  What goes into a live show?

Transistors:  HEAPS!!! Don't piss around, people have come to see a show so give it everything.

Jordan:  What can we expect for the future of the transistors?

Transistors:  We'd like to go to Europe and Japan and come back to the states of course. Our main priority right now is getting the new album out.

Jordan:  What about the most exciting releases coming up? 

Transistors:  If you mean from us, we just put out a new video for a song called Abandoned which is on the upcoming album. You should check it out.

Worldly Garage Focus: Guitar Wolf

Guitar Wolf, Bass Wolf & Drum Wolf living the Dream

What's that?  There's another Japanese Garage band with an amazing band name and they're coming to the triangle area?  Yes, folks, Guitar Wolf is indeed coming to Local 506 tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28, 2012.  WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY!  and they're gonna show you what this whole garage rock thing's all about!


With three band members (guitar wolf, bass wolf & drum wolf), the band has a great triforce trio power that is sure to knock your socks off!  Plainly, these guys rock.  They've been around since the late 80's and have never stopped expanding their feral-canine empire.  Having over ten full-length records is only one of their highest selling points.  In addition, they have created the space-zombie-rock movie "Wild Zero," a rollicking surreal adventure delving to the heart of the rock n' roll horror cross over.


Yeah, these guys are goofy (and they include the word "jet" in just about everything, including their new 10"!), but they wield really tight songwriting with energetic songs.  Check Jet Generation here!


Anyway, they are playing the 506 tomorrow for $10-$12 and have two great openers.  The show is sure to be a rollicking fun and stumblingly drunk set.  These guys supposedly drink like Andre the Giant and play like the Stooges, which is sure to be a great show with lots of energy and fun!  I'm excited.  You're excited.  We all scream for ice cream!


Get your cheap tix here


Peep the band here!