Posts Tagged ‘the trophy fire’

Kuestionnaire: The Trophy Fire

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Ben Flanagan and Jamie McGoldrick, also known as The Trophy Fire have built up a respected name for themselves and have already performed with prominent acts like Ozma and dredg, and they’ve landed spots at festivals like SXSW and this year’s Noise Pop. Although it may seem like gentle pop music at first, the brilliance of their 2008 debut, A Lifetime in the Middle of the Ocean is slowly revealed over repeated listenings. The songs are buoyant and lively at times, melancholy and dark at others, and always resonate with an underlying intensity. The Trophy Fire lays out beautiful melodies that are deceptively complex, layering sounds and instruments upon one another and trading contrasting vocal parts with ease.

You can catch The Trophy Fire in our Noise Pop co-sponsored show featuring Far, Picture Atlantic, and Stomacher at the Bottom of the Hill at 8pm Thursday.

Today, the day of their enormous show with Far, lead vocalist/guitarist Ben Flanagan answers the Kuestionnaire.

____

1. Could you state your name and what you do in the band?
Ben Flanagan, Vox/Guitar

2. How would you describe your sound?
Loud and Pretty

3. What is your favorite local band?
Dredg and Picture Atlantic

4. Any concerts that blew your mind recently?
Them Crooked Vultures at the Fox Theater. Absolutely blew me away!

5. Any non-musical influences you would like to mention?
Richard Dawkins, Paul Auster, Ray Kurzweil, Sartre, Camus, the big Dragon with the Ring Wraith on it in Lord of the Rings

6. If your music was to be the theme of a film/TV show, what would it be?
good question….I am watching six feet under right now so we’ll go with that.

7. What musician/artist would you like to collaborate with for a day?
Freddi Mercury

8. What is the album you listen to on a cold rainy day?
Turn on the Bright Lights by Interpol

9. List four songs you would listen to on a roadtrip?
” When the Levee Breaks”Led Zeppelin, “Everything Means Nothing to me” Elliot Smith, “Love Ridden” Fiona Apple, “Head over Heals” Tears for Fears

10. Where do you see yourselves in 7 years?
not sure

11. What is the last book you read?
“The Road” Cormic Mcarthy

12. Is image a factor in music or is it a waste of time?
It’s both

13. Any embarrassing moments on stage you would like to share?
Put my foot on the monitor in Seattle once and started slipping and our guitar tech had to lift me up in front of a coupe thousand people. that sucked.

14. Any favorite tour locations?
The Slowdown in Omaha, Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC, Nokia Theater in NYC

15. Lastly, what is your present state of mind?
scattered

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

[mp3] The Trophy Fire – Divide from A Lifetime In The Middle Of The Ocean (2008)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

[mp3] dredg – Gathering Pebbles (Son Of Robot Remix) (2010)

Tags: A Lifetime in the Middle of the Ocean, dredg, Far, Noise Pop 2010, Picture Atlantic, Stomacher, the trophy fire
Posted in Concerts, Kuestionnaires, Music | No Comments »

This Week In Bay Area Live Shows: Aug 16th – 22nd

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

Just another eventful week in the Bay. Vans Warped Tour returns with another mediocre line-up, but I’ll do my best to pick out the best in case you’re going. Here we go…

Tonight features the “Divas of the Dark” showcase with dark cabaret soulful singers Jill Tracy, Nicki Jaine and Loop Station at Café du Nord.

Monday has Elvis Costello & The Sugarcanes at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga and the whimsical mighty tiger play at Om Sweet Om.

Tuesday it’s going to be Green Day and Franz Ferdinand at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Emilíana Torrini sweetens up The Great American Music Hall, and Pissed Jeans tours their new album with Mi Ami opening at Bottom of the Hill.

Wednesday has post punk act The Prids, Swann Danger, and Butterfly Bones at the Bottom of the Hill, Crocodiles rocking at the Rickshaw Stop and Canadian indie pop act Mother Mother kick it at Café du Nord.

Thursday has Vans Warped Tour 2009 visiting the Shoreline Amphitheatre. Another shit line-up but there are a few gems if you’re one of those unlucky enough to go. OKay only four; Thrice, Less Than Jake, P.O.S., and Manic Hispanic. Thrice has always been a favorite of mine and P.O.S. has made one of my favorite hip-hop albums of the year. Less Than Jake and Manic Hispanic are just a blast to see live. That’s about it.

Friday hosts minimalistic electronic artist Steve Bug at 444 Jessie St, Dizzy Balloon rocks The Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, and straight-up rock act The Trophy Fire play Blake’s on Telegraph in Berkeley.

Saturday we’ve got technical thrash metal band Forbidden play at Slim’s, Jedi Mind Tricks hit up The Independent, and Bay Area favorites Flipper and Triclops! destroy Annie’s Social Club. Oh and don’t forget to check out Jay Reatard playing at San Francisco’s Amoeba Records at 6pm.

See you out there!

Pissed Jeans – False Jesii Part 2 from King of Jeans (2009)

Mother Mother – Hay Loft from O My Heart (2008)

Crocodiles – Neon Jesus from Neon Jesus (2008)

Thrice – Kill Me Quickly from The Illusion of Safety (2002)

Jill Tracy – The Fine Art Of Poisioning from Diabolical Streak (1999)

Tags: Crocodiles, Divas of the Dark, Dizzy Balloon, Elvis Costello & The Sugarcanes, Flipper, Green Day, Jill Tracy, Mother Mother, Nicki Jaine, p.o.s., Pissed Jeans, Steve Bug, The Prids, the trophy fire, This Week In Bay Area Live Shows, Thrice, tiger play, Vans Warped Tour 2009
Posted in Concerts, Music, This Week In Bay Area Live Shows | 5 Comments »

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