What I've been playing lately on The Knix Mix!

The 2 Bears - The Night is Young

Those cheeky Brits are at it again, albeit without the bear suits this time.  The Night is Young is the sophomore album of The 2 Bears duo of Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell.  Goddard is, of course, also part of the electronic staple, Hot Chip, and Rundell is a UK DJ and producer.  This album has the nod to 90's house with pop hooks from The 2 Bears' first album Be Strong but with a bit of an Afrikaans influence from their travels to South Africa.  Check out the tracks "See You," "Run Run" and "My Queen."

Banks - Goddess

American Jillian Banks' debut album Goddess has been out since September, and the track "Waiting Game" grabbed me in the fall. Recently I've taken a liking to another single from the album, "Beggin for Thread."  Something about the plaintive lyrics against the hum of a synth driven beat is compelling.  Banks' soul laid bare songwriting is a friend to those who have experienced a broken heart and most of us can certainly relate!

Ben Wash - Snob Rock

Snob Rock is the debut album by Ben Wash and the first full length LP that his collective, King's Head Records, has released.  It's like a dance party with an attitude!  Bridget Barkan, the former vocalist for Scissor Sisters, contributes vocals to three tracks. Some of the tracks on the album are brand new and some are previously recorded.  "Give Me" is the single I've been playing a ton, and it handily gives you a sense of the edginess you can expect from the album.

Röyksopp - The Inevitable End

The Norwegian duo Röyksopp have released The Inevitable End as a declaration of their inevitable end.  Making full length studio albums, that is.  If you've ever listened to The Knix Mix, you know that Röyksopp's brand of Scandinavian electro pop is my thing, so I have to pay homage.  And anything they do in collaboration with Robyn is going to make my playlist.  "Monument (The Inevitable End Version)" has been splitting time on my show with "SayIt" from the Do It Again EP.

The Presets - No Fun (Remixes)

The Presets' No Fun (Remixes) is actually pretty fun!  I've been playing the original mix (the radio friendly edit) since I discovered it tucked away in singles section of the music library at the station. The Aussie electronic duo is known for their dance friendly tracks, and "No Fun" is no exception. House party anyone?

Anna Lunoe - All Out EP

Anna Lunoe is another Aussie who reestablished herself in Los Angeles a couple of years ago.  Her Bass Drum Dealer EP and All Out EP go all out!  I read that she said she wants to write lyrics that are raw, honest and come from a real place, but she really just wants to dance.  I feel you sister!  Check out the remixes of the tracks "B.D.D." and "All Out" too.

Oh Land - Earth Sick

Former Danish ballet dancer gone pop singer-songwriter Oh Land's new album Earth Sick is meant to conjure up what it might feel like to be an astronaut longing for home.  Oh Land's given name is Nanna Oland Frabricius.  Now based in Brooklyn, she explored the idea by looking at her own world and thinking of what she might change were she far away and dreaming of home.  "Head Up High" is a stand out track from the album.

Mansions on the Moon - Mansions on the Moon

Mansions on the Moon is a Los Angeles quartet with roots in Virginia Beach.  Their eponymous album features a blend of styles for a sound uniquely their own - synthpop and dreamy vocal harmony.  They're the kind of band that finds fans across genres.  Check out the track "Somewhere Else Tonight."

New Electronic Releases You Shouldn't Miss - Fall 2014

There's so much music out there, how does one find their way to the good stuff?  I've culled a few new releases from the multitude for your listening consideration.

Aphex Twin - Syro

There hasn't been an Aphex Twin (also known as England-based Richard David James) studio album since 2001.  This one is pronounced "Sigh ro" which is apparently a word his kid made up.

Example - Live Life Living

Englishman Elliot John Gleave's 5th studio album.  He's calling out some old school gods as influences (Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Underworld, Faithless), so you know I'm into it.

Busy P - Rainbow Man 2014 EP

French DJ Pedro Winter brings back the track Rainbow Man for 2014. Did you know he used to manage Daft Punk?

Faded Paper Figures - Relics

Fourth album from these indie electronic Californians.  Synthpop sound.  What's not to love?

The Juan MacLean - In a Dream

Namesake John MacLean and former LCD Soundsystem member Nancy Whang. "A Place Called Space" is long for radio play, but I played it anyway.

Audit Division - Audit Division EP

They're American, but they sound like Brits in the mid 80's New Order realm.  Especially on songs like "Tear Me Apart."

Diamond Version - CI

An collaborative effort by Germans Byetone and Alva Noto.  Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys supplied vocals for "Were You There?"  CI stands for "Corporate Identity" for those in the know.

Fenech-Soler - Rituals

The second album for this UK duo.  A special version with 4 tracks from their first album hit the US this summer.

Starwalker - Losers Can Win EP

French Jean-Benoit Dunckel of Air and Icelandic Bardi Johannsson of Bang Gang collaborate on this strangely pleasing EP.  Check out the Bloodgroup Remix of "Bad Weather" should you get the chance.

Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again EP

Norwegian duo Röyksopp partner up again with Sweden's Robyn.  You remember "The Girl and the Robot" on Junior.  One of my favorite albums in life.

The Sexbots Do Japan

In December of last year I had the pleasure of interviewing The Sexbots' Ilima Considine on The Knix Mix.  (Check out the December 15, 2013 blog post here.)  Big things have been happening in her life since we last spoke, including a tour in Japan, a break up and a new album inspired by the breakup.  The new album drops soon, and Ilima has plans underway for a supporting tour in the Northeast.  
Ilima says that the new album was meant to be a concept album of light and life, and some songs were already written.  That changed three week after her return from Japan, when she broke up with the person she describes as "the love of her life."  She found herself grieving and unable to work. After a couple of months, she dusted herself off, dyed her hair red and turned her sorrow into an EP of songs about the relationship.  The working title for the album has been "Songs for Jamil," but she says that it's not a diss album.  She maintains that, while they didn't always bring out the best in each other, this man still remains the love of her life.
Our chat covers such varied topics as what does a person with severe food allergies find to eat in Japan, the difficulty of navigating your hometown when you could run into your ex anywhere you go, going on the road when you're a single mom of two and planning a tour on the other side of the country.  You know you want to know the answers to these and many other questions!

Listen to The Knix Mix Interview Here
The Sexbots Website
Support The Sexbots on Patreon
The Sexbots on YouTube

Volunteer Profile Kristie Billings

Kristie Billings could be the girl the Heads were singing about in "Punk Lolita."  She is free spirited, unedited and unapologetically herself.  Not to mention her distinctly punk aesthetic.  As Kristie tells it, she marched to a different beat early on.  On Saturdays at 6PM, you can hear her on WERU as one of the hosts of Daydream Nation.  Kristie plays an eclectic mix of everything:  punk, blues, rock 'n' roll, reggae, Motown, 1980's.  "Whatever," she says, "I feel like busting out that night!"
You might not guess it when meeting her, but Kristie grew up in a fishing family in the small coastal village of Deer Isle.  She describes a time when there weren't many kids who had dyed hair or shaved heads or rocked the goth look.  She says people could be judgemental about the way she looked.  "Why?  Who knows?  I didn't look like anyone else.  That scared some people."  Kristie says that her early love for music, especially punk rock, gave her an important outlet to express herself and shaped her into the person she is today.
Kristie asserts that she is a Mainer through and through.  Her childhood in coastal Maine gave her a deep love for the ocean.  She affectionately describes lobstering with her dad, who sadly passed away last year, and her frequent swims in the crisp coastal waters of the Atlantic.  "I like to make things interesting," says Kristie. "Still do."

1. Favorite genre of music?  I would have to say punk/rock/post punk.  The first LP I ever purchased was a Beach Boys' record.  They were my first favorite band.
2. First music memory?  I was a little girl.  Maybe 3?  For some reason, I believe that Donnie Osmond was coming to Stonington to play at the Legion Hall.  Who knows how I came up with this?  I went and got myself all dressed up and waited and waited for one of my parents to take me to see "Donnie Marie."  My mother did not know what to make of it.  She told me to wait until my father came home from lobstering.  Typically, when my father returned home from after a long day of fishing, the last thing he wanted to do was go see a concert.  But he was a good sport.  He played along with his youngest daughter's funny ideas.  He told me to go ahead and get in the truck, and we'd find Donnie Marie.  We drove to the Legion Hall, and he proceeded to drive me all over Deer Isle looking for the elusive Donnie Osmond.  I was a bit disappointed to have missed him, but I was happy to have had a reason to get dressed up and cruise around the island, listening to the radio, with my dad.
3. If I could hang out with anyone who would it be?  Oh boy.  Jeez.  This is a tough question.  I am such a geek.  I would have to say Henry Rollins.  I have been a huge fan of his and his music since high school.  I would love to spend a day with him; record shopping, book shopping, drinking coffee, anything.  I have great respect for him.
4. What animal would you be?  If I could be any animal I would be a seal.  I used to think I would want to be a cat.  I am a crazy cat lady.  However, I love to swim.  I think seals are gorgeous, graceful, and playful.  Just amazing.  I would like to spend my days sunning myself on the rocks, slipping gracefully into the ocean and being a seal.  Sounds perfect!
5. What would people be surprised to know about you?  I think people would be surprised to learn that I am shy.  
6. What three words best describe you?  Goofy, loving and funny.
7. Who has inspired you?  My family, Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Nick Cave, Sylvia Plath, Michael Gira, Boy George and many others!
8. What is your favorite color?  It's a tie:  black and purple.
9. What makes you laugh?  Nearly everything!  I laugh every day.  I laugh all the time.  I can't pinpoint what I find funny.  Silly, nonsensical, the everyday blah...all of it!
10. What did you want to be when you grew up?  Here's a list of things I have wanted to be since I was a child:  A nun, a race car driver, a fashion designer, a fashion merchandiser, a writer.  Now I believe I would be a great cat sitter.  Or a vinyl sitter.  Let me come and sit with your vinyl records!

Wrongchilde: Gold Blooded

Wrongchilde, the solo project of Kill Hannah frontman Mat Devine, is set to release Gold Blooded on August 19th.  The moniker Wrongchilde can be traced to a dream Devine had while still in high school.  A self release funded entirely by PledgeMusic, the album has already been generating a bit of buzz.  Fans can contribute to the cause and receive exclusive items like Gold Blooded pendant necklaces and a limited edition heart shaped vinyl. Devine, who is afraid of needles and blood (Also clowns, by the way, which are my personal nemeses.), pledges to donate a pint to the Red Cross for every 10 necklaces purchased. He promises to record the moment for posterity and the amusement of fans!

The album features some impressive guest vocals by artists like Morgan Kibby of M83 and White Sea, Sierra Kusterbeck of Versa and Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance.  Alain Whyte of Morrissey fame lends his talents on guitar.  Interestingly, Way performs a duet on the lead single "Falling in Love Will Kill You," which was originally intended for a female vocalist.  The unexpected combination of male vocals adds complexity to the guitar ballad.  The title track from the album, "Gold Blooded," is a good example of the bridge that Wrongchilde builds between dream pop and electro pop.  "Gold Blooded," according to Devine, is a phrase that represents the spirit of youth.  "Love is a Battlefield," the song Pat Benatar made famous, appears on the album in romanticized version with fluid vocals supplied by Morgan Kibby.  Fans still have a chance to get in on the limited Gold Blooded items on PledgeMusic and show their support for the project!

Volunteer Profile Elaine Shute

You can hear programmer Elaine Shute when she takes her turn at the helm on On the Wing on Monday's at WERU.  Elaine says she wanted to be a DJ ever since she could remember but was too introverted as a kid to imagine being on the air. Instead she became an art major, envying the kids running the college radio station. She describes subbing for On the Wing and eventually getting her own show as fulfilling a dream.

Elaine chronicles fostering her love of music while growing up in Southern Maine "before it was the cool place it is now." "In those pre-Internet days, in a rural state, you had to work hard to be aware of music that was not on Casey Kasem’s American Top 40. I remember being able to pick up a Boston station, WMEX- FM, at night and hearing great rock music that had not yet made it up to Maine."  

Elaine says she developed a lifelong habit of reading voraciously about rock, biking down to the local bookstore to pick up the latest issue of CREEM magazine when she was a teenager and these days grabbing a copy of Mojo magazine, which Elaine considers "the most intelligent writing currently available about rock."

1. Favorite genre of music? We listen happily to nearly every genre in our household, although neither my husband, my teenage son or I have ever developed a taste for country music. Rock of all sorts is definitely the default genre at our house.
2. What was the first LP or CD you bought? Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story on vinyl. Boy, how the mighty have fallen.
3. Where have you traveled?  Favorite destination? I’m a complete Anglophile. I have been to the U.K. three times and someday might just not come back. It’s the music, movies, humor, accents, scenery, everything! I feel utterly at home in Scotland, my favorite place in the entire world.
4. Favorite movie? To Kill a Mockingbird Never has there been a more perfect adaptation of a book to the screen with child actors so thoroughly believable, and a sweetly melancholy score by Elmer Bernstein so beautiful as to make you weep. My perspective on movies is similar to WERU DJ Jay Peterson’s perspective on music: Yes, there are still great films being made, but the best ones all came out prior to 1965.
5. Favorite holiday and why? Halloween. It comes at my favorite time of year, appeals to my love for Gothic drama and doesn’t require buying gifts for anyone!
6. What would people be surprised to know about you? I’m a distance runner. Probably only because of music. When I got my first Walkman (Yes, Walkman!), I discovered I could just about run forever if I had music pumped directly into my head. A little-known fact: It converts to adrenalin once it enters the body. I was ecstatic when the MP3 player came out. I can run even further now.
7. Any special talents? I can read the thought bubbles over my dogs’ heads. I know what they’re thinking at any given moment.
8. Best compliment ever received? When music is so important to you, there’s nothing better than hearing “I love your show." When people say that, I float on air!
9. Who has inspired you? My husband, whose exacting standards in everything he does, which I try to apply in my own life.
10. What makes you laugh? My pug. Or practically any dog. Nature’s noblest and funniest creatures.

Busker Ball VII on July 24th

Theo Eastwind

If you've visited an urban center and appreciated the unique talents of the street performers you encountered there, then you are already familiar with busking, a term used to describe the practice of performing in public for gratuities.  New York City is home to some of the best street performers around.  Described by The Village Voice as "New York's Own," Theo Eastwind has been a street musician since arriving in NYC from Vienna, Austria in 1995 with nothing more than an old guitar on his back.  He heard a man singing a cappella while walking through the subway and an idea took shape.  The future "King of the Buskers" was born.

Since then, Theo has become a strong advocate for performers working in the subway.  In an effort to give back to the community while showcasing some of New York's finest street musicians, Theo organized what is now a quarterly event called the Busker Ball.  On July 24th, National Busker Day, Theo will be among the performers for Busker Ball VII, which takes place at Spike Hill in Brooklyn Hill.  The talented line up also includes Ken Ruan, Emore Saylavee, "NYC Subway Girl" Cathy Grier, Gabriel Royal and Mr. Reed, some of whom will be performing at the Busker Ball for the first time.  The doors open at 7PM. The suggested donation is a mere $10 for what will surely be an evening of great entertainment and celebration!

I had the pleasure of chatting with Theo, Ken Ruan, Emore Saylavee, Cathy Grier and Mr. Reed on The Knix Mix.  To hear the Knix Mix interview in its entirety, check out this link!

Live Knix Mix Interview

For more information on Busker Ball VII, how to  and the artists who will be performing, please check out the websites below!
NYC Busker Ball

NYC Busker Ball on Facebook

Cathy Grier (photo credit Amel Chen)

The Knix Mix Interview with Ki:Theory

Ki:Theory (pronounced "key"), Virginia native Joel Burleson, is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording artist.  And since someone is likely to ask, Joel explains that the name Ki:Theory came about from having lived abroad in Japan.  It's the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese word "chi," which - in simplified terms - means "energy."  Even if you don't yet know Ki:Theory by name, you have likely appreciated his artistry in one medium or another.  He has remixed tracks for artists as diverse as Kings of Leon, Queens of the Stone Age, UNKLE, Daft Punk and Ladytron, among others.  His original music has been featured on TV shows, commercials, films and video games.  His remix of Daft Punk's "The Son of Flynn" for Tron:  Legacy was featured on the official remix album, Tron:  Legacy R3CONF1GUR3D.  I mean, how cool is that?

I've been playing the 2 disc deluxe edition of Kitty Hawk, which dropped in April, on The Knix Mix since it arrived at the station. It's crazy good!  The album, which you can download on the Ki:Theory website, features 6 unreleased Ki:Theory tracks and some amazing remixes.  I was curious to interview the maestro behind the music, but what impressed me the most in chatting with Ki:Theory is that, despite his achievements, he is both genuine and modest.

Kitty Hawk is at times haunting and moody; at other times pounding and danceable. His rendition of "Stand by Me" is uniquely dark and moving. The vocals supplied by Maura Davis (of indie band Denali fame) add an engaging feminine energy to the tracks "I Wanna Run" and "Needles."  While Ki:Theory's origins are alt rock, there are electronic elements to his music, which stands out on banging tracks like the Break Science remix of "Kitty Hawk" and "Lay Our Body Down."  "Open Wound," both the original and the Odesza remix, and "Holiday Heart" are a couple of my personal favorite tracks off the album. 

The Ki:Theory mini tour in support of the album had just begun when The Knix Mix live interview took place, but as of this blog post, the tour has come to a noteworthy conclusion.  Ki:Theory played at Great Scott in Allston, Massachusetts on June 21st, so I hope local Knix Mix fans were able to make the trip!  I wish I'd been in the audience for his hometown appearance in Richmond, Virginia on June 28th at Strange Matter.  Maura Davis was scheduled to appear, and I imagine that had to be an epic event!  

There are official videos for "Stand by Me" and "Venin," which you can find in links below.  Give a listen to the complete Knix Mix interview with Ki:Theory here!  Find out answers to questions you didn't even know you had.  Like who would Ki:Theory choose, living or not, to sit down with for a meal and talk?  I know, but you'll have to listen to find out!

Ki:Theory Website

Ki:Theory on Facebook

Ki:Theory on YouTube

Ki:Theory on Twitter

Mainland - "Leave The Lights On"

The video for "Leave The Lights On" has New York City transplants Mainland breezily zipping around the city proper on skateboards with the languid ease of adolescents everywhere.  There is something captivating about the grainy home movie quality of the video set against a summery cityscape with the quartet hitting Eight Avenue, hanging out by the Hudson River and meeting up with some unintentional costars along the way.  The song itself has a certain retro quality with the angst of the 80's alt bands that defined my youth (think the Pixies) and the rock out energy of a punk band, a genre that Mainland has appropriately coined as "puke-up punk."

Mainland came to be through an eclectic music collection, a rehearsal space under the Manhattan Bridge and a spontaneous recording session with Jim Eno of Spoon.  The NYC by way of California band consists of enigmatic frontman Jordan Topf, who also plays guitar and synths, Corey Mullee on lead guitar and synths, Alex Pitta on bass and Dylan Longstreet on drums.  "Leave the Lights On" is a track from their second EP, Shiner, which debuted with the title track "Shiner."  As a follow up to their first EP, Girls Unknown, Mainland has secured a name for themselves in the local music scene, and the word is starting to spread. Two more video installments chronicling life in the city will be released this summer.  Can't wait to see what else the boys have in store!

Mainland on Facebook

Q&A with Resistor's Steve Goldberg

It isn't every day that you come across an album that successfully combines pop music and parody as social commentary.  Like Devo with their satirical humor or Talking Heads with their deadpan Delphian lyrics. Then along comes Resistor with First World Problems.  The first single from the album, "Narcissist," was immediately on my playlist because of its irresistibly catchy refrain.  It's equally irresistible to picture the narcissist in your life while the song plays.  Doesn't everyone have one?  The video for the track has all the elements of a Saturday Night Live skit set to music.  Funny and with cultural references that you will surely appreciate.  Note the nod to the iconic Say Anything boombox scene but with a twist.  Brilliant!  Steve does the Star Wars sleeveless t-shirt and red jogging shorts justice, I must say.  The rest of the album is equally cheeky. You'll have to give it a listen to know what I mean.

Resistor, the nom de synth of Philadelphian Steve Golderg, arose from the ashes of a previous band, Goldberg's financial and emotional resources were low, and he needed a way to make music quickly and cheaply without depending on anyone.  He began writing songs with only his computer and his voice, and Resistor was born.
Resistor's debut full-length album, First World Problems, was released on May 20th.  With a synthpop sounds reminiscent of The Human League and OMD, the record was recorded and mixed by Jeff Zeigler (The War on Drugs with Kurt Vile) in Philadelphia.  While songs like "Narcissist" and "Choose Your Parents Well" are tongue in cheek, the core of the record is genuine.  Over a bed of New Wave synths, energetic drum machines and multilayered vocal harmonies, Resistor parodies the pursuit of fame and questions the meaning of artistic success.  He wonders "Why do I crave the spotlight?  Do I deserve it?  And why should anyone care about what I have to say?"

Any special talents?  Immense physical strength.  My best squat, bench and deadlift to date are 405 lbs., 290 lbs., and 525 lbs., respectively.  By powerlifting standards those aren't elite or anything, but I think by like synthpop or hipster standards they are.  There are probably a lot of guys in metal bands who lift a lot more though.  Also I'm good at JavaScript; check out my 100% hand-crafted artisanal website http://resistorsings.com/.
Favorite movie?  Is it still okay if I say Annie Hall?  Woody seems like he's probably messed up IRL, but it's still a great film.
What did you plan to be when you grew up?  I really wanted to be an actor when I was in high school. Making the music video for "Narcissist" was a great opportunity to show off my acting chops, just really get into character and do some method acting like back in the day.  Plus it was my debut as a serious filmmaker. Look for my entry next year at Cannes.
Favorite funny story about you?  So a little while back I took part in this "fitness transformation" contest on the Internet where you had to post 12 week before and after photos.  I had taken my "after" photos flexing in a pair of Star Wars tighty whities and put them online for the contest.  Some months later, a friend told me that they'd seen my Star Wars undies photos on the Tumblr of Wil Wheaton, the actor from Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Big Bang Theory.  It turned out that a random Internet person had posted them on his gay beefcake Tumblr, then they got reblogged on a satirical Tumblr called "Fake Geek Guys," then Wil Wheaton reblogged them, and then tons of other people did.  I just checked and the post has 11,176 notes, mostly from gay porn Tumblrs.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  That's probably been the peak of my fame to date.  Also, I didn't win that round of the transformation contest, but I entered it again the next time and took first place.  (Way to go, Steve!)
If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?  "Probably a shark riding on an elephant's back, just trampling and eating everything I see. Because it's sink or swim out there."
What three words would best describe you?  Curious / Sensual / ECMAScript compliant
What makes you laugh?  I like the Mel Brooks saying, "Tragedy is when I stub my toe. Comedy is when you fall down a manhole."
Favorite food?  Gonna go with the Shooter Sandwich. Check this shit out!
Do you have a nickname?  Some people call me "The Space Cowboy." Just kidding.  Nobody has ever called me that, but I probably wouldn't mind.
What was the first band you saw in concert?  I think it was Blink 182 at The Electric Factory in Philly.  I was really into Enema of the State.

Q&A with Danny Van of sMALLTIME

I'm excited to unveil a new profile feature you'll be seeing regularly on The Knix Mix blog where readers get to learn a little bit about their favorite artists in the artist's own words!  Danny Van, front man for the rock outfit sMALLTIME, has graciously accepted the challenge of answering my inaugural artist profile Q&A.  sMALLTIME is a unique rock outfit from Orange County, CA consisting of Danny on lead vocal and rhythm guitar, Kenny Goorabian on lead guitar, Steve Clayton on bass guitar and Dusty Slaybaugh on drums.  Their music is a mix of rock, blues, country and soul with an inspiring message of grace, recovery and redemption.  It's clear this band of musical veterans knows how to use their God given talents.  Danny explains, "We try to write songs that stand the test of time.  A good rock song, in my humble opinion, is honest and simple and sometimes 'simple' is very allusive, but that's what we aim for."  The sMALLTIME EP was released May 20th and is available everywhere.  sMALLTIME has just finished their video for "Ya Never Know," which you can see on YouTube.  Planning for a summer tour is underway and details will be announced on their website.

Ten Questions and Answers with Danny Van!

1. Favorite band?  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2. Favorite genre of music?  Straight ahead honest ROCK!
3. What was the first band you saw in concert?  Jethro Tull @ the Fabulous Forum in LA
4. Do you have a nickname?  Our drummer, Dusty, does.  His given name is Daniel.
5. If you could hang out with anyone who would you pick and why?  Jesus, He has all the answers.
6. Favorite food?  Most everything, look at me! (We think you look great, Danny!)
7. Favorite book?  Green Eggs and Ham.  There's a moral in there somewhere.
8. Favorite movie?  It's a Wonderful Life
9. Favorite holiday and why?  Christmas 'cause we get to watch It's a Wonderful Life.
10. Are there any issues you feel passionate about?   sMALLTIME is all about the message.  God's BIGTIME we're sMALLTIME.  We're just trying to be as honest as we can. That's where good rock music comes from.  We want to write songs that are good today and still good twenty years from now. I love any rock performed with passion.  Like if AC/DC's “Highway to Hell” comes on the radio, I gotta listen.  That rock cord progression is one of the best ever written, and when Bon Scott sings “I'm on the highway to Hell,” I believe him.  I don't agree with the message but I love the song.  I'm hoping I sing our songs with that same passion.

sMALLTIME website

sMALLTIME E-mail

sMALLTIME Facebook page

sMALLTIME on Twitter

sMALLTIME on YouTube

Lawrence Preston

Eclectic Soul may be Lawrence Preston's first widely released album, but he is no newcomer to the music scene. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay area, Preston comes from a musically gifted family. His parents once had a gospel band called The Sensational Travelers.  As a child, he joined his family in a group dubbed The Gospel Jackson Five. The multifaceted Preston is not only a talented singer, he is also a musician with a particular affinity for the bass guitar.  He began by the trombone in a jazz ensemble as a teen and by learning lead guitar at home from his dad.  As he progressed, he began to play the bass guitar, even playing bass for Dorothy Morrison's gospel band.  With Eclectic Soul, Preston tries his hand as a solo artist.  The album, says Preston, "comes from the heart."  Eclectic Soul has an R&B sound with a side of funk, but Preston's early exposure to gospel is an influence that can be heard throughout.
Preston says "What is close to me about the CD is it's a collection of some of the first songs that I wrote that I had an opportunity to evolve to this level."  Preston feels the album authentically represents him as an artist. He also was able to develop his hand as a songwriter.  "As a songwriter you want to be a story teller. I'm proud of that, that I got to tell my story and tell other stories too.  Some tracks on the album are derived from his own experiences and some are based on the experiences of others. Preston says "Driving Me Away" is autobiographical while the inspiration for "Stood Up" came from observation and talking to people. Preston likens it to hanging out at the local barber shop and hearing the stories, which he describes as a "collage of experiences."  Preston's experience of creating Eclectic Soul was a positive one.  "At this point, for me, it's becoming easier because I'm understanding more of who I am as an artist.  Musically, in that context, it helped me with the direction I want to go."
Preston says that Eclectic Soul is doing well nationally.  He's looking to start a tour and response to the album will determine where dates will be set up.  Preston can be found online at his website as well as iTunes and YouTube.  If you want to give him a shout out, he'd love to hear from you on Twitter!  You can find links below as well as the audio from the on air interview.

Live Interview on Soundcloud
Lawrence Preston Music
iTunes
YouTube Live Performance

The Knix Pick for Best New Album: Liars Mess

Mess is dance-punk veterans Liars seventh full length album since the release of They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top in 2001. The Los Angeles based trio, consisting of Angus Andrew, Aaron Hemphill and Julian Gross, has undergone a number of paradigm shifts since their early years as an art punk band. Mess is a synthesizer album to be sure, but unlike the 2012 WIXIW, Liars first foray into heavy electronic instrumentation, they know what they're doing. Recording WIXIW (pronounced 'wish you') involved a steep learning curve and the prolonged reading of manuals, but the pay off of their prior labor was that the recording of Mess was a more spontaneous and immediate process. And most of all, the band wanted to get back to the place where making music was just plain fun.

Mess focuses on the theme of duality:  a mess as beauty to some, disaster to others; choice as possibility or consequence; look to the past or toss it out, art as a cerebral exercise or a fun pursuit. And, as Angus unambiguously declares in the track "Mess on a Mission," the concrete paradox that 'fact is fact and fiction's fiction.' The concept for the album cover art makes this duality stylistically clear with simple yarn in bold colors forming a pseudo wig. The yarn makes appearances in other images such as stuffed down a pair of tighty whities and as accessory to the band's white suits. In a well played move, Liars carries the concept to physical form by producing vinyl with string embedded into it, as well as a limited edition run of 500 vacuum-sealed 2xLP's with string stuck on them by hand. The artistry, or alternatively the mess, is in the perception of the beholder.

The album starts off with the up tempo intensity of the track 'Mask Maker." Angus Andrew's voice, masked through a voice manipulator, implores the listener to "take my pants off," "smell my socks," and "eat my face." The ploy is both innocuous and vaguely disturbing but gives the listener an early clue that Liars are as eccentric as ever. The second track is the danceable "Vox Tuned D.E.D." that has more of a darkly moody electro industrial sound. "Mess On A Mission," the album's frenetic lead single, is all quirky synths and catchy lyrics. (The official video for "Mess on a Mission" is done on a green screen and ridiculously watchable for all its simplicity.) "Pro Anti Anti" (See, even the song titles are ripe with dualism.) is Liars at their most dance worthy.

Though as much as the beginning of the album is intently up tempo, it can't really be called a dance album. The sequence of songs, according to frontman Angus Andrew, was chosen to pound the listener through the first half of the record and move to more ambient, abstract songs on the second half. Songs like "Dress Walker" and the 9 minute "Perpetual Village" have a decidedly more minimalist vibe, but there are still plenty of the experimental electronic elements that define the earlier tracks. Everything slows way down for the surprisingly beautiful "Left Speakers Blown" that concludes the album.

I think that one of the reasons I like Liars so much is that, despite their American homeland, they have the keenly idiosyncratic and detached demeanor of the Euro electro bands that I love so much. Maybe this has something to do with the art school beginnings of Andrew and Gross, or the fact that the band spent time in Berlin, having recorded their third album Drum's Not Dead there in 2004.  Germany produced the iconic Kraftwerk after all.

Anna Rose at Port City Music Hall

I had a chance to speak with rock songstress Anna Rose on The Knix Mix prior to her opening for former Live lead singer, Ed Kowalczyk, at Port City Music Hall on March 23rd.  Anna is touring in support of her sophomore album Behold a Pale Horse.  Anna's name may be sweet, but the New York based performer is a self described "old soul," and she channels the edgier blues tinged rock sound of a Janis Joplin or Stevie Nicks.  Anna worked with producer Kevin Salem on the album, and she credits him with helping her to grow as a songwriter.  Of the eleven songs she wrote or co-wrote for the album, her 5 year stint in Los Angeles and subsequent return to New York influenced a number of them' including "Los Angeles" and "Beautiful World."  Anna likens the title track, "Behold a Pale Horse," to the legacy one leaves behind.  And Anna hopes that Behold a Pale Horse is a real and authentic representation of the kind of rock music she wants to leave as her musical legacy.
Listen to the entire interview on SoundCloud. Anna Rose Interview with DJ Knix

Meghan Clark on The Wicked Good Music Hour

Meghan

Meghan Clark is a thirteen year old songstress from Calais, Maine, a small community in Washington County that borders Canada.  Meghan is the kind of homegrown talent that we love showcasing on The Wicked Good Music Hour.  Accompanied by her mom, Dorie, dad, Matt, and bestie, Priscilla, for her appearance; she also has a supportive fan base in her extended family and hometown.  I happen to know Meghan's mom from high school, but Meghan's spot on The Wicked Good Music Hour was earned purely by her own extraordinary ability. Listening to her sing, you would never guess that she's so young.
Meghan began singing at the tender age of 7 and taught herself to play acoustic guitar.   She has written and arranged a number of original songs and has an impressive array of song covers in her back pocket.  I was busy in the music stacks before the show and had to stop and listen when I heard her singing an arresting rendition of  "Royals" by Lorde in the break room.  On The Wicked Good Music Hour, Meghan sang her own songs and tracks as varied as "Pumped Up Kicks" by indie rock darlings Foster the People to an a capella version of "(Paris) Ooh, La La" by American rockers Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.
Meghan has done a number of local appearances including a benefit concert for the Eastport Art's Center and as a guest at Bordertown Coffee House in St. Stephen, New Brunswick.  She recently pulled off singing The National Anthem at the State House in Augusta, which is a song that has been known to trip up seasoned professionals.  In 2013 Meghan competed in and won the teen division of the Machias Savings Bank's Downeast Idol contest.  On the immediate horizon is an exciting trip to Nashville, Tennessee to work with producer and songwriter Beau Fuller to collaborate on writing songs and recording a demo.  Beau launched Next Big Thing Entertainment in 2011 to help talented artists like Meghan to reach their dream.
Meghan cites age appropriate influences such as former Disney gone teen dance-pop artist, Demi Lovato and country to pop crossover star, Taylor Swift.  She enjoys listening to artists like Ed Sheeran and the bands One Direction and The Maine.  Meghan has the vocal chops and songwriting skills to tackle the country or rock/pop markets if she chooses.  The future is wide open.  Listeners to The Wicked Good Music Hour were impressed with how genuinely gracious Meghan is, and I was really happy for Meghan that one listener took the time to call as soon as the show ended to congratulate her on a job well done.
If you're interested in learning more about Meghan Clark and her music, you can contact her via her Facebook page or via her father at mattclark@consultant.com.  Check out the podcast of her March 15th performance on The Wicked Good Music Hour.

Meghan Sings

Dorie, Matt & Priscilla