Fri, 12 December 2014
Ben Sterling of New York pop band, Cookies, joins me for a drink beside the pinball machines of Park Slope's Owl Farm. Having started recording in 2009, the final year of his time in Mobius Band, Sterling tells why it took until this year for Cookies' debut LP, Music for Touching, to come out, amidst a changing music industry and a changing New York City. www.cookiesltd.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Fri, 5 December 2014
Zac Colwell and Dave Heilman of Fancy Colors meet me in the Lower East Side at Whynot Coffee & Wine for some glasses of the latter. The duo formed while both members were in indie rock outfit Jupiter One, when it became apparent that Zac was writing too many songs for one band to keep up with. Since 2012, Fancy Colors have released an EP and two albums, including this summer's Island of the Dead. Colwell and Heilman often perform with artists as diverse as Of Montreal, Sondre Lerche, and Nicole Atkins, and they reflect on how playing with different musicians influences them. fancycolorsmusic.com drypaintsigns.com |
Wed, 19 November 2014
The Majorleans' Nicky Francis and Chris Buckle knock back some bottles with me at Mission Sound in Brooklyn, NY during the making of their album, Black Belt. Mission is actually the fourth studio they've cut the tracks in, with the recording process ranging from a dangerous Chinese church basement to Nicky's living room. While the guys both play guitar in the band, they explain why they wrote most of the LP's songs on drums and bass. Their Grammy-winning engineer and co-producer, "Bassy" Bob Brockmann, has worked with everyone from Bob Dylan to the Notorious B.I.G. He reveals what attracted him to the Majorleans, why he prefers tape to ProTools, and the story behind his nickname. themajorleans.com bassybob.com drypaintsigns.com |
Fri, 14 November 2014
Kenny Vasoli has a beer with me in the backyard of Brouwerij Lane in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. While you may know him from The Starting Line, Vasoli has been making "nu-hula" tunes with his band Vacationer since 2010. He describes how the group used audience reactions to their live set to inform the mood of their more-realized follow-up LP, Relief. He also explains how he got into Polynesian music, what it's like singing about a former love, and why he wouldn't mind being the new Jimmy Buffett. vacationermusic.com drypaintsigns.com |
Fri, 10 October 2014
Dave Wakeling of the English Beat invites me onto the tour bus before a show at Brooklyn Bowl. With songs in films like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Kingpin, and Clueless, Wakeling has seen his fanbase continue to grow long after the breakups of the Beat and General Public. Now those fans are even able to sing on For Crying Out Loud, the first English Beat album in over 30 years. Dave shares the stories behind a few of the new tunes and tries his hand at standup comedy. www.englishbeat.net www.drypaintsigns.com |
Thu, 10 July 2014
Speak's Joey Delahoussaye and Nick Hurt join me for some witte beers in the front bar at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg. For their sophomore LP, Pedals, the band took every aspect of the album into their own hands, from the writing to the mixing to the artwork. The guys discuss that lengthy process, their collaborations with RAC, and how they adapt their multi-layered sound to a live setting. www.hearspeakhere.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Sat, 28 June 2014
All four members of Miniature Tigers sip on summer ales in Dumbo, Brooklyn, as they discuss their sunkissed fourth album, Cruel Runnings. The Tigers explain how they intended to create a classic record reminscent of their teens, and how recording the LP in Jamaica actually helped them to focus. With the quartet scattered across the country, they also offer advice on how to keep a long-distance band together. www.miniaturetigers.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Fri, 20 June 2014
Jon Cleary left England long ago for New Orleans, and over the years, he has gained considerable acclaim as a sideman, solo artist, and bandleader of the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Over breakfast at White Oak in Brookyn, NY, Cleary discusses the history of NOLA funk, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the thrill of playing with a live band. www.joncleary.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Thu, 12 June 2014
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith has a beer with me at One Mile House before his show at Bowery Ballroom. Messersmith explains how the phases of his life, from his Christian upbringing to majoring in computer science to becoming a college professor have all had a role in his craft. Jeremy also describes his demoing process and how his fourth record, Heart Murmurs, ended up with a much larger sound than his earlier albums. www.jeremymessersmith.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Thu, 5 June 2014
Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park sips a soda at The Globe prior to the band's gig at Gramercy Theatre. He tells the tale of why he doesn't drink before a show, and how the group collaborated with Mordue Brewery to create a beer called Maxïmo No. 5 in honor of their fifth LP, Too Much Information. He discusses all aspects of the record, from self-production to mixing via Skype to the story behind the tongue-shaving artwork. Smith also reveals how the band came to choose the cover songs included on the deluxe edition of the album. |
Fri, 30 May 2014
Mad Caddies' trumpeter Keith Douglas drinks a few brews with me at the Whiskey Tavern in Chinatown to celebrate Dirty Rice, the band's first album in seven years. Keith reveals what they were doing on their break, and how recording in an old barn from their past helped to shape the sessions. A self-declared food lover, Douglas also shares some of his favorite things to eat on tour, as well as an eel-filled drinking story from Germany. www.madcaddies.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Thu, 22 May 2014
Terri Nunn of Berlin has her first-ever pre-show drink before a gig at NYC's Cutting Room. She explains how punk music opened the door for the band's electronic pop sound in the late '70s. Despite a few battles over some suggestive content, Nunn attests to the power of MTV in its early years. Terri also reveals how a lucky encounter with Giorgio Moroder resulted in the international #1 hit "Take My Breath Away," and how a job as a radio host inspired her to incorporate EDM into the band's latest album, Animal. www.berlinpage.com www.drypaintsigns.com
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Thu, 15 May 2014
Hollis Brown is a current rock band that makes the kind of songs you would've heard at Woodstock. Singer/guitarist Mike Montali has a beer with me to celebrate the band's latest record, Hollis Brown Gets Loaded, a Velvet Underground tribute album released as part of Record Store Day. He discusses the recent changes in their lineup, a collaboration with rapper DMC, and how a Salvador Dali painting inspired him to write lyrics in Spanish. www.hollisbrown.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Fri, 9 May 2014
Ed Williams, Michael Girardot, and Andrew Campanelli of the Revivalists throw back some brews in their (parked) van on Wythe Avenue before a concert at Brooklyn Bowl. A renowned live act out of New Orleans, they just re-released their album City of Sound with a bonus disc of live cuts. They share their rules for selecting a cover song, their favorite food on tour, and how a gig at a craft beer festival landed them a trip to India. therevivalists.com drypaintsigns.com |
Thu, 1 May 2014
Jake Smith a.k.a. The White Buffalo pounds a beer with me in a backstage hallway at Irving Plaza in NYC. Known for his ferocious live shows, Smith could potentially tour for eternity on his latest LP, Shadows, Greys, & Evil Ways. A timeless concept album about the trials and tribulations of a young couple, it's been praised by fans and critics alike. Jake tells how the songs came together to fit the story, what it's like playing onstage with his son, and why alcohol often plays a role in his tunes. thewhitebuffalo.com drypaintsigns.com |
Fri, 25 April 2014
As a founding member of the Mekons, Jon Langford has been making music since the 1970s, so we had a lot to talk about in this two-beer chat at Halyards in Brooklyn. He covers his entire history, from his childhood in Wales, to art school in Leeds, to his migration in the '90s to Chicago, where he formed the Waco Brothers. Now backed by his band, Skull Orchard, he's just released Here Be Monsters, his critically lauded sixth solo LP. Langford also explains how he came to design labels for Dogfish Head Brewery, and reveals the greatest gig he's ever seen. facebook.com/jonboylangford drypaintsigns.com |
Tue, 15 April 2014
As the drummer of Soulive, Alan Evans has played several concerts over the years, but the biggest event is always the band's two-week Brooklyn Bowl residency known as Bowlive. Over a backstage beer during Bowlive 5, Evans gives a brief history of the tradition and shares his daily routine on a gig day. Alan explains what it's like to feed off the energy of the audience, his bandmates, and any number of special guests that frequently sit in with the band. He reveals it's this same energy that inspired the Alan Evans Trio to record their latest album, Woodstock Sessions Vol. 1, live in a room full of friends. soulive.com drypaintsigns.com |
Wed, 9 April 2014
The World/Inferno Friendship Society's Jack Terricloth has a few drinks with me at Matt Torrey's in Williamsburg. He shares his thoughts on what makes a good bar and why he prefers to write songs about historical figures. Jack reflects on his first punk show, his time in Sticks & Stones, and the collaboration with Mitch Clem to create a comic book to accompany the band's latest EP. worldinferno.com drypaintsigns.com |
Mon, 31 March 2014
Gordon Voidwell sits down for a drink between DJ sets at Brooklyn Bowl. He explains why he classifies his music as "memory pop" and why fashion is important to him as a performer. Having just released his third mixtape, Bad Études, Gordon shares his thoughts on the current state of the music industry, as well as his picks for a dream producer. www.gordonvoidwell.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Tue, 11 March 2014
Chris Mills and I sit down for "the best interview he's ever been a part of" in this funny, milkshake-fueled chat at Fort Greene's 67 Burger. Mills explains how teaching affirmed his idea of the power of a song, and how Kickstarter demonstrated that power firsthand with fans of his around the world. Some have even named their children after him! He talks about a few of the tunes on his latest LP, Alexandria, a full-band effort that can't easily be confined to a genre. www.chrismillsmusic.com www.drypaintsigns.com
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Thu, 6 March 2014
Philadelphia folk artist Chris Kasper has a pre-show drink with me at Little Town in NYC. On the road with the Wood Brothers, Chris takes a guess at why artists from Amos Lee to Tristan Prettyman choose to bring him along on tour. He details the entire process of his latest album,Bagabones, from workshopping tunes in a primitive cabin in upstate NY to the finishing touches that were funded via PledgeMusic. He also tells what makes a great cover song, and champions the healing power of music. www.chriskasper.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Tue, 4 February 2014
Dan "Lebo" Lebowitz of ALO has a beer with me at the Wythe Hotel's Rooftop Bar in Brooklyn, NY. Having just played a show at Brooklyn Bowl with his latest side project Incidental Animals, he explains the nuances of performing with improvisational groups like Everyone Orchestra and Kimockowitz, as well as backing singer-songwriters like Brett Dennen and Jack Johnson. Lebo reveals how an interest in jazz led to his discovery of world music in college, and why it was important for ALO to establish their Hot Tub Club fan service. www.alomusic.com www.drypaintsigns.com |
Tue, 28 January 2014
Sasha Carlson of the alternative shoegaze band Splashh joins me for some New York beers at the Gibson in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In the midst of a two-night stand at the Brooklyn Bazaar, he explains how he's road-testing songs for the upcoming Splashh LP. A native of New Zealand and Australia, Carlson tells how crowds vary worldwide, and divulges his dream vacation. splashh.co.uk drypaintsigns.com |
Tue, 14 January 2014
Brian Sendrowitz a.k.a. Beat Radio joins me for happy hour at the Churchill in New York. A self-proclaimed "dad rocker," he explains that having a day job and a supportive family actually allows him the freedom to make the kind of music that he wants to make. He also discusses the difficulties of crowdfunding, what it was like being a music blogger's darling in the early days of blogging, and how he found inspiration in a certain Swedish pop star. beatradio.org drypaintsigns.com |