Posts Tagged ‘Kuestionnaires’

Kuestionnaire: Drew Roulette of dredg

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

by merkley

According to many reports, dredg’s upcoming hometown shows at the Great American Music Hall tonight, Bimbo’s 365 Club tomorrow, and The Catalyst on Thursday will feature some very special guests including Ben Henderson of The Good Hustle, members of Trophy Fire, Judgement Day, From Monument to Masses as well as others that contributed to their latest masterpiece, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion. The record is being released on the 9th of June but has already generated rave reviews and is being labeled as the record dredg was always meant to create. Since 1999, the band has captivated audiences across the globe with their unique brand of experimental rock while still keeping it accessible. From the atmospheric metal tendencies of Leitmotif, the sleepy soundscapes of El Cielo, to 2005’s heavy yet tuneful Catch Without Arms, dredg has shown they are a band that believes in evolving their sound while making it seem effortless. Their complex, often dreamlike music works very well because dredg doesn’t rush anything; their songs move swiftly with attention paid throughout to musical texture and mood. The band’s chemistry and ability to make jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, thought-provoking music in unquestionable.

You can catch dredg with Torche and Judgement Day (among many other guests) at the venues above as well as two Troubadour shows in West Hollywood this weekend. More tour dates are available here.

To kick off their hometown shows, bassist/keyboardist Drew Roulette swings by the Kata Rokkar to answer this week’s Kuestionnaire and release a surprise to those of you attending the Great American Music Hall show (be warned).

1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
my pink floyd records and my blank cds

2. What have you been listening to lately?
little dragon

3. What’s your favorite local band?
good hustle

4. What was the last show you attended?
judgement day in chico, ca.

5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
the big bang

6. What show are you looking forward to?
Bill Maher with Seth McFarlane

7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
Steve Albini

8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
The Family picture albums. though, it would be hard to choose which four………………..
8th grade volleyball album?
Moms 40th birthday album?
my first poop?

9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
a geek geek.

10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
caravan of courage and basic yoga for dummies

11. What’s the last book you read?
kill your friends

12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
studio

13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you’d like to share?
tomorrow night (tonight) i will urinate

14. Any favorite tour locations?
the center of Pangea

15. Lastly, what have you done today?
lunch at Ricos Tacos, golfed, blue moons, vaporizer, filled out this Kuestionnaire.

dredg – Same Ol’ Road [Napster Session]

dredg – Sang Real (Dan the Automator Remix)

Good Hustle – Stegosaur-hus

Tags: dredg, Good Hustle, Kuestionnaires
Posted in Concerts, Kuestionnaires, Music | No Comments »

Kuestionnaire: Boy Crisis

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

When I ask a band to do a Kuestionnaire, they usually designate one individual to answer all the questions. Every once in a while I’ll get two band members, but that’s about it. Boy Crisis however, went above and beyond. All five of the guys answered, which makes this one of the most unique Kuestionnaires ever. But that is what Boy Crisis is about; going above and beyond the staple “Brooklyn Band” label and taking it to the next level. Even when Pitchfork calls them the “absolute worst band in the world right now” (they obviously haven’t seen this), Boy Crisis rises above and signs themselves to B-Unique Records. They’re currently working on their wacky rock-dance-electro-disco album right now and will be touring the UK from February ’til March.

So here it is. The Boy Crisis Kuestionnaire. It’s a weird one.

1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
victor: apparently my most played song on itunes is bob dylan’s “girl from the north country”
lee: neil young
owen: ornette coleman
tal: jimi hendrix: axis: bold as love
alex: sly and the family stone: fresh

2. What have you been listening to lately?
V: leif, ornette coleman, don cherry, clipse, invisible circle, skoal kodiak
L: suicide, my bloody valentine, t rex, jonathan richmond, arthur lee, barry white, smokey robinson, shuggie otis, panda bear
O: ornette coleman
T: love, “i’m so special” by mavado
A: hot 97.1, arthur russell

3. What’s your favorite local band?
V: leif, long bow, invisible circle
L: my favorite local band is us but i also like chairlift and bear hands and das racist and the dirty projectors and panda bear
O: ornette coleman
T: dirty projectors, das racist
A: kate ferencz

4. What was the last show you attended?
V: suicide
L: suicide. it was amazing and boring.
O: city center/grouper/kira brekkan
T: suicide
A: suicide

5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
V: i guess most recently, r. stevie moore and unicornicopia?
L: hmm, green milk from the planet orange is amazing live, especially in a small room.
O: smashing pumpkins richmond coliseum, 1997
T: andrew w.k.
A: suicide

6. What show are you looking forward to?
V: i don’t know…
L: i’m looking forward to seeing mae shi tonight. they are actually one of the best shows i’ve seen too. they tend to give all their instruments to the audience to jam on at the end of the show and i rip off that move sometimes because i like it.
O: new years eve with bear hands
T: i don’t really know
A: the fifth season of lost

7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
V: M.I.A.
L: i’d love to pick john lennon’s mind for a day. ben goldwasser and caley monahon ward. tal rozen.
T: andrew w.k.
A: bootsy collins, dr. dre, perez hilton, prince

8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
V:
nusrat fateh ali khan: shahen-shah
erik satie: piano works (played by daniel varsano)
stevie wonder: talking book
van morrison: astral weeks

L:
the beatles: abbey road
neil young: after the goldrush
my bloody valentine: loveless
jimi hendrix: are you experienced?

O:
ornette coleman: change of the century
charles mingus: ah um
miles davis: sketches of spain
hank williams: gold 20 greatest hits or something

T:
jimi hendrix: axis: bold as love
brian eno: another green world
otis redding: dock of the bay
neil young: trans

A:
bee gees: odessa
serge gainsbourg: la histoire de melody nelson
david bowie: hunky dory
john cage: sonatas and interludes for prepared piano

9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
V: i don’t know, maybe if i was drunk.
O: no
T: no
A: no

10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
V:

Ultramagnetic MCs – Traveling At The Speed Of Thought

Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth – DWYCK

Metal Urbain – Panik

L: I have a video at my apartment i think it’s just called GLAM with gary glitter and marc bolan and some other really weird shit on it that i wish i could remember now. the sweet, alvin stardust i think oh yea sparks. check out alvin stardust it will blow your mind.

also elton john live in the USSR is amazing.

O:
xiu xiu – music videos
violent femmes live
linda ronstadt

Sean Ono Lennon – It’s Alright – 1984

IO Digital Cable Rap (full version)

T-Pain Featuring Lil Wayne – Can’t Believe It

11. What’s the last book you read?
V: the authorized biography of keith haring
L: slaughterhouse five
O: sentimental education – gustav flaubert
T: koran
A: trout fishing in america

12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
V: they’re both fun
L: the studio
O: live
T: with a live studio audience
A: i hate playing shows

13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you’d like to share?
V: we were playing in a bar in downtown indianapolis and we got group pantsed
L: we were playing a bar in indianapolis and i got pantsed
O: every moment is a little embarrassing
T: got pantsed
A: pantsed

14. Any favorite tour locations?
V: all the u.s.o. shows: baghdad, fallujah, kabul, jalalbad, etc.
L: i loved touring south africa and nigeria, somalia, the congo, north korea, sudan, egypt. eclectic haus at wesleyan university is really amazing too.
O: baltimore
T: philippines
A: europa

15. Lastly, what have you done today?
V: youtube, carnitas tostadas, part of a shrimp burrito.
O: drank coffee, read “the last tycoon”, made a xmas playlist for my mom, tried to make a synthesizer patch on a computer, hopefully going to buy a bass drum
T: wrote a song today. listened to the kanye album.
A: tried to not have a panic attack. lost my wallet.

Boy Crisis - L’homme

Leif – Black Magic

Kate Ferencz – Trees for Hands

Tags: B-Unique Records, Boy Crisis, Kate Ferencz, kuestionnaire, Kuestionnaires, Leif
Posted in Kuestionnaires, Music | 2 Comments »

Kuestionnaire: The Mae Shi

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

There weren’t many albums released this year that even resembled the badshit insane sound coming from The Mae Shi’s Hlllyh. Well ladies and gentlemen, this internet age has found it’s marching band. The LA band has been rocking their brand of fuck-you-sideways electro-spazz for the past six years and from the looks of it, aren’t going anywhere but up. They have already secured themselves on a few top 10 records of 2008 lists (mine included) and have become very well known for their frantic and energetic live shows. We’ll see what the new year holds for this bizarre and super fun band.

Upcoming Shows

Dec 11 2008 8:00P
NYU (Kimmel Center’s Eisner & Lubin Auditorium)
New York City, New York

Dec 12 2008 8:00P
Silent Barn
Brooklyn, New York

Dec 21 2008 8:00P
Echoplex w/ Daedelus, Busdriver, Rumpringa, and Fool’s Gold
Los Angeles, California

The Mae Shi’s Jacob Alonzo Cooper answers this week’s Kuestionnaire…

1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

2. What have you been listening to lately?
Lil Wayne, Metronomy, These New Puritans, and other things i find on tour.

3. What’s your favorite local band?
Abe Vigoda

4. What was the last show you attended?
The Dodos. i was really drunk and went with my friend Jax who is good friends with them. I saw the end of it. Does that kind of count?

5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
Well, The first show i ever went to was Korn and Rob Zombie in 1999. i feel like that is unbeatable in so many shitty ways.

6. What show are you looking forward to?
Abe Vigoda, Finally Punk (members of The Carrots from Austin/Portland/Providence/LA), Bobb Bruno (member of Polar Goldie Cats and Goliath Bird Eater)
at the smell on Dec 30

7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
Henry Rollins, though he would remind me of my vet father.

8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
I’m not sure, but they would probably all be sad sounding records.

9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
Yes. It’s trivial stuff.

10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
Fuck DVD. I have blue-ray.

11. What’s the last book you read?
I don’t really read a lot but I was just starting Our Band Could Be Your Life in the van on tour. I didn’t really get too far into it but the Minutemen chapter is DEPRESSSINGGGG.

12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
I prefer that they both differ. Two different ballparks there. I prefer playing live though.

13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you’d like to share?
We sometimes get yelled at. That’s always fun.

14. Any favorite tour locations?
London. Barcelona, Spain is also crazy.

15. Lastly, what have you done today?
Got up. Sat around. Ate something. Checked my e-mail. Ate something again. I am visiting family in Arizona for Thanksgiving. I miss Los Angeles.

The Mae Shi – Run To Your Grave

Abe Vigoda – Lantern Heights

Tags: Abe Vigoda, kuestionnaire, Kuestionnaires, The Mae Shi
Posted in Kuestionnaires, Music | No Comments »

This Week In Bay Area Live Shows

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

Minus the Bear at Bimbo's 365

Here’s some concert photography from the following shows…

Minus the Bear / Annuals / Helms Alee at Bimbo’s 365

Facing New York at The Bottom of the Hill

Well it’s Turkey Day week; so whether you’re going home to family or spending it friends, here’s a few “things to do” in the Bay Area before you stuff your face with extreme yummy-ness.

Sunday (Today):

Drive-By Truckers / The Hold Steady
The Fillmore
1805 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco CA 94115
Note: The Hold Steady will be headlining on Monday at the same venue.

Monday:

Portugal. The Man / Wintersleep / Earl Greyhound (HIGHLY Recommended)
Slim’s
333 11th Street
San Francisco CA 94103

Deerhunter / Times New Viking / Common Eider, King Eider
The Great American Music Hall
859 O’Farrell Street
San Francisco CA 94109

Tuesday:

The Decemberists / Loch Lomond
The Warfield
982 Market Street
San Francisco CA 94103

Wednesday:

wallpaper. / The Lovemakers / Hottub
Mezzanine
444 Jessie Street @ Mint
San Francisco CA CA 94103

Thursday:

What are doing looking here? You should be with people you care about on this day! And what kind of venue would open their doors on Thanksgiving Day anyway? You obviously aren’t a very good businessman to think that this is possible. Phhhh.

Friday:

M83 / School of Seven Bells
The Fillmore
1805 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco CA 94115

Saturday:

Dizzy Balloon / The Frail / The Picture Atlantic
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell St
San Francisco CA 94102

Let me take this time to share some Kata Rokkar news (among other things). Before you go…

We have a Facebook Fanpage that you can instantly make yourself cooler by joining. Also, two older Kuestionnaires with Division Day and Robby Roadsteamer are the TheHyp.net.

Oh yeah, Chinese Democracy is out. Pick up your free Dr. Pepper. (I think the website crashed though, heh)

Far is currently touring the UK right now. So if you’re in that neck of the woods, do yourself a favor and see them live. This may not happen again…

Members of Death Angel, Will Haven, Phallucy, Eightfourseven, Death Valley High and other “special guests” will take part in a benefit concert for Deftones bassist Chi Cheng on Saturday, November 29 at Fat City in San Francisco, California.

Fat City
314 11th Street @ Folsom
San Francisco, California 94103
Cost: $12

All proceeds will go to Chi’s family.

wallpaper. – Evrytm We Do It

Deerhunter – Wash Off

Drive-By Truckers – Zip City

Dizzy Balloon – Raise A Glass

Loch Lomond – Tic

School of Seven Bells – Connjur

Portugal. The Man – Stables and Chairs

Tags: Chi Cheng, Chinese Democracy, Deerhunter, Dizzy Balloon, Drive-By Truckers, Earl Greyhound, facing new york, Kuestionnaires, Loch Lomond, M83, minus the bear, Portugal. The Man, School of Seven Bells, the decemberists, The Hold Steady, wallpaper., wintersleep
Posted in Concerts, Music, News | 1 Comment »

Kuestionnaire: Gavin Hayes of dredg

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

The anticipation of dredg’s 4th full length album is beyond comprehension at this point. With a few leaked live tracks and the ‘leaflet’ series of studio videos, dredg has only themselves to blame for the hype on their upcoming masterpiece. Listening to the live tracks and the recent studio footage, one could hear that the new record sounds like a mix of the critically acclaimed El Cielo and the somewhat commercially successful Catch Without Arms. But I could be totally wrong. dredg’s experimentation can often be unpredictable…which makes this upcoming release all the more exciting. Well we have no name for the record yet and no release date, but lead vocalist Gavin Hayes decided to answer the Kuestionnaire and shed some light on what he’s been up to and probably give the best answer to question #8 so far.

1. Of all the bands/artists in your CD/record collection, which one is your most cherished?
My own

2. What have you been listening to lately?
The sound of an AM radio, traffic, and a pump organ

3. What’s your favorite local band?
John Vanderslice

4. What was the last show you attended?
The Trophy Fire at Bottom of the Hill (SF)

5. What was the greatest show you’ve ever been to?
Paula Abdul, Milli Vanilli, and Information Society at Great America in Santa Clara, CA

6. What show are you looking forward to?
(no answer)

7. What musician would you like to hang out/work with for a day?
Peter Gabriel

8. What four albums you would bring to a deserted island?
inflatable ones

9. Would you call yourself a music geek?
No…more of a coffee and architecture geek

10. Any favorite music-related videos/DVDs you own?
All my DVD’s are in a box somewhere

11. What’s the last book you read?
The God Delusion

12. Do you prefer live performances or recording in the studio?
Live performances when we are in the studio and recording when we are on the road