Again, with the delayed reviews. Damn, I’m doing a lot of massive failing lately. I can’t help it, I’m all stressed, and working, and trying to find a new apartment–you try walking in my shoes for awhile.

Okay, get outta my shoes.

This Black Gold thing was some major crazy. I was supposed to review them back in November. Well, I didn’t realize they were playing first, so showing up 15 minutes late meant catching a whopping song and a half. Not worth a review. I was disappointed, but happy that another opportunity arose when I got word of them coming back around, and touring with Lydia, no less! Lydia’s cool-friend of a friend plays guitar for them and they’ve littered my living room floor on occasion.

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Omaha’s Indie/Dance/Electro band The Faint has been turning audiences into sweat-drenched hipsters for over a decade and have 4 amazing albums to their credit. I had the chance recently to talk to frontman Todd Fink about the new record Fasciinatiion, the amazing dance party they call their live show and what’s going on in Omaha’s ever-expanding music scene. In our interview he talked about their choice to start their own label (blank.wav), the ideas behind their first album in 5 years (he says really its been about 4), and the artist’s newfound opportunity for creative control in an ailing music business.

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I’d never been the The Empty Bottle before, it’s pretty rad. Cheap booze, a photo booth, and a black cat chillin on the couch when I first walked in. Never underestimate the power of Christmas lights (the blinky kind!), a disco ball, and a dirty couch-it’s like the basement of every guy friend of mine! And it’s in a part of the city that is quickly becoming my new favorite neighborhood in Chicago (a nice medium between my hood and hipsterville).

Shortly after I arrived, I got a drink and found my perch for the evening. Larry (was it Larry? I think it was Larry), the street team volunteer, made his rounds and loaded me up with buttons and stickers. Woot! No phone camera pictures this time-thanks Svetla for letting me use yours whilst waiting for my birthday gift from my co-author to arrive. However, the pictures are still pretty awful-I didn’t take the time to figure out the settings. And yes, that’s my thumb in the picture. Don’t make fun.

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Lollapalooza 2008: Chicago, Ill: Grant Park: Saturday August 2nd: Day 2 – 12:45-1:30pm The Ting Tings @ the AT&T Stage.

If you live in Los Angeles then chances are you listen to Indie 103.1 or KROQ 106.7. They are the main 2 “Modern Rock Alternative” stations and where you will most likely hear Salford, England’s 2-Piece party dynamo The Ting Tings. If you listen to either station then you might even be sick of said band considering they play at least 1 of their 3 singles at least 1 to 3 times an hour. And as far as I remember Indie 103.1 was spinning “That’s Not My Name” since sometime last fall (‘Feel My Heat’ or ‘Big Sonic Heaven’ most likely?). Say you don’t live in L.A…poor thing, you probably got your first taste of The Ting Tings with “Shut Up and Let Me Go” from their iPod+iTunes ad. The Ting Tings album “We Started Nothing” is good. Too Good. Its catchier than Hepititis at a Motley Crue show. Without giving you a full review I’d say the album for its sheer ass shaking power easily scores a 7.5/10.

Here is a recent AvantTrash interview with The Ting Tings’ firecracker Katie White (Guitar, Vox, Bass Drum…Cowbell) and beat master Jules De Martino (the drums, the drums, the drums…):

AvantTrash: That’s not your name? What is your name then?

The Ting Tings: Katie White & Jules de Martino

AT: I’m really bad with names. So you wouldn’t answer to darlin’?

TT: Captain darlin maybe! But just darlin’ …erm no!

AT: I’m sure you’ve met a lot of people lately, how do you remember peoples names?

TT: We don’t really. We become very animated when meeting faces we recognize but names we’ve forgotten. Lots of pats on backs and leans on shoulders seem to do the trick.

AT: Summer festivals, when is the best spot? Early and get it over with or later to a bigger, more pumped up crowd? Whats the biggest crowd you’ve played to so far?

TT: Glasto[nbury festival] spilled out to around 13-14k, T-in the park was about the same. I reckon there’s no time like the headline spot on the pyramid. That’s king. The rest are all brilliant princes and princesses.

AT: It seems that a lot of music is coming from across the pond. What is the musical climate in England right now? What would you say set all of this off?

TT: There’s a lot of real pop emerging! Home made pop not the glossed up manufactured stuff of the 90’s. Technology has set off a bunch of new musicians capable of creating big sounds with few people. That’s how we do it. We once saw one guy start a set with acoustic guitar but within 2 minutes it sounded like 6 Nirvana’s playing all with the aid of loop stations and pedals. Unfortunately in this particular case the artist sounded like 6 Nirvana’s playing different tunes at one time but it can work.

AT: You are a band of two. How do you support the sound of a full band live?

TT: Live looping, fx on K’s guitars, lots of energy on the kit and screaming melodies.

AT: What is your songwriting process like?

TT: There are no rules to our song writing. Either one of us will lead the way, on keys, guitar even drums. A rhythm can set of a tune for us. We like to be enthusiastic and keen with any route to a good tune. We often only gave a new idea only 2 hours before either scrapping it or keeping it. If it didn’t feel like a hit in 2 hours it was erased from disc.

AT: Jules: You play the drums live, Why do you prefer them to guitar or anything else you could be behind?

TT: Drums are the most rewarding of all instruments. You can orchestrate from behind them, watch and control the audiences energy, let out the frustration and most importantly hide behind them.

AT: You’re songs are catchier than Bird Flu, how do you come up with your “hooks”?

TT: We’ll Katie has had two encounters with bird forms. A seagull shat in her eye when she was a toddler. Looking up at the sky it landed one right inside and needed emergency cleaning. Then just before forming this band she arranged the removal of tons of pigeon shit from a disused factory loft. So maybe the birds are responsible for the hooks.

AT: Besides spinning a hot Ting Tings remix, what makes a “Great DJ” anymore?

TT: A person that spins great records of course. They don’t have to be anything else but catchy rhythmic songs that make you feel part of the gig. If you’re feeling isolated you’re either in the wrong place or listening to the wrong dj.

AT: Everyone in music anymore seems to have a line of clothes, i’ve heard you make your own stage costumes, do you lust for the life of a fashion designer?

TT: No. I don’t think my clothes would survive a week. They look great but fall apart as I’m not the hottest seemstress.

AT: Well here’s to hoping for a wardrobe malfuntion!

The Ting Tings play August 6th @ the El Rey in Los Angeles and this Saturday afternoon at Lollapalooza and AliUptown and I will see you there!

So my roommate and I ventured off to the Northwest Side (represent) to eat us some ribs and watch us some bands. The Republic Tigers were the first band of the day, and most people were still wandering into the area, the grills were just starting to fire up, good smells and good sounds were soon to follow. Of course, the second the music started, the sky opened up, and Heaven had a good cry. Sprinkles soon turned to tsunami rainfall within minutes. We sought shelter under the tarp where the makeshift sound booth was, while others stood in the pouring rain, their umbrellas making a laughable attempt to keep them dry. See the wetness?

Considering all the PA speakers were covered in blue tarps, and the weather was on the verge of apocalyptic, the sound quality was impressive. The band themselves rocked on, every now and then edging further and further away from the stage front to avoid the inevitable flooding. After about 15 minutes, it was deemed a lost cause and unfortunately, that was the end of the show.

They definitely have an indie-rock flair, but there’s something delicate amidst the rock. There’s a nice contrast between the soft acoustic sounds, and almost 80s-ish keyboard sounds, and that’s what made them so appealing. They definitely kept the attention of the crowd, which was everyone and anyone. They did come down and take time to meet everyone afterwards, very personable (and attractive) dudes.

I managed to stay mostly dry and have a good time. Although I can’t say much for the ribs (or the 6 dollar funnel cake), the band was definitely worth the trip. I wish they could have finished their set, or better yet, had a later time slot, and therefore a much bigger audience to impress.

*sidenote: In the picture, the two girls in the orange Republic Tigers t-shirts couldn’t have been older than 14, and absolutely gushed over the guys. It was sickeningly adorable. One of them flew into Chicago from Tallahassee to see them, after stumbling across them on XM radio a month prior. Now that’s a fan.

Here’s a quick email interview I did with the Republic Tigers before the show, questions answered by Kenn Jankowski, lead vocals/keys/guitar guy:

Avanttrash: Tell me about your influences in music.

Kenn Jankowski: We have many individual influences. But collectively, I’d say we all really love most of the “headphone” bands, like the Flaming Lips and Blonde Redhead. It’s not enough for bands to have beautiful recordings though. We mainly enjoy the ones that have obvious threads of classical influence within the chord flow and melody.

AT: What is the Kansas City music scene like? How does it differ from what you’ve seen in other cities while touring?

KJ: Massively supportive. If you don’t like our band, but you explain to me what kind of music you do like, I can introduce you to a Kansas City band that meets your demands. I see trends within cities, when we travel – it usually seems like 80% of any given city’s music all sounds similar. Where as, Kansas City has Ssion, In The Pines, Namelessnumberheadman, Deep Thinkers, The Rich Boys, Roman Numerals, Ghosty, Ad Astra Per Aspera, Be/Non, Olympic Size, Paper Cities, Beautiful Bodies, Vedera, Bacon Shoe, and American Catastrophe just to name a few.

AT: How does being from the Midwest influence your sound?

KJ: Occasional twangy pronunciation. That’s about it.

AT: Any old bands? What do you bring from those past experiences to Republic Tigers?

KJ: He who smelt it, dealt it.

AT: What’s next after Ribfest?

KJ: Finishing out the tour with Nada Surf – Indianapolis, Columbus, and Cleveland. Then we go home for a few weeks and play a benefit show in KC on June 28th at Crosstown Station. West coast touring after that. Not really sure beyond.

Moral of the story: Good guys, good music, catch them if they come to your area. Pray for sunshine.

In honor of the recent release of Priscilla Ahn’s debut album A Good Day and her recent appearance on Jay Leno. Here is an Email Interview I did with Ms.Ahn a couple weeks ago:

AvantTrash: When i’d seen you last year at a school fundraiser in the back of a store; your set painted a lovely picture of Pennsylvania. How would you describe your upbringing?
Priscilla Ahn: In general, it was pretty quiet. My parents were strict as I got older, so I didn’t go out much and “party”. I spent most of my time at school. I was involved in sports and music and drama, which took up most of my time. When I got home I studied. The older I got, the more I fought with my parents, so I tried to spend most of my time in my bedroom, reading, playing guitar….

AT: What made you pick up the guitar or start writing songs?
PA: My Dad always urged me to do it. But I never had any real interest in it until 9th grade, when a guy I liked played the guitar really well, like James Taylor style. I thought it was the coolest thing, and dug out my mom’s old guitar she had brought with her from S. Korea.

AT: Did you tour? Did you do the coffee house circuit? Any busking or singing for your dinner?
PA: When I first started out I did a lot of coffee houses. I also tried to get gigs anywhere I could. A lot of those places were restaurants and bars. I’d play for like, 3 hours, and make $60. I never liked to “busk”. I was never in a position where i had to, so i figured why should i? it’s exhausting work. But when my family and I were on vacation at the beach, my dad made me sing for change on the boardwalk. I was into the first night, but then…..well, like i said….it’s exhausting. You’re constantly giving energy to a majority of people who didn’t care, and your only real validation that people like you, is their loose change. Although, i have to say, I didn’t do too bad.

AT: And the trip out to L.A.? What prompted it and how was your trip out here?
PA: My first trip out here was with 2 other musicians. Our goal was to write songs on the road. We never wrote anything, but the traveling was unforgettable. And the moment we drove into L.A. I knew it was a place I wanted to be. So….one month later I packed up my car and drove out. It took me 5 days. It was truly an adventure. I was 19, traveling alone across the country, staying in hotels by myself for the first time, blasting Led Zeppelin in my Saturn. It was cool.

AT: I heard you waitressed… where was it and how long did that last?
PA: I waitressed at a restaurant called Cheebo. I was there for a year.

AT: How did you get hooked up with Joey Waronaker?
PA: My manager hooked me up with him. We had coffee and I really liked his personality, and we became friends from there.

AT: How was the Hotel Cafe tour? Who do you think is going to be the next big thing from that group?
PA: The tour was a lot of fun. All good people, singing together, traveling together. It was pretty cool. I have no idea who’s gonna “blow up” next. I’m never really good at guessing those things, cuz the ones you would think are the least likely to, are playing in the grocery store the next day. I can say, though, that I listen to Buddy’s album ALL the time. He gave me an advance copy of it about a year ago (lucky me!) and i think i’ve worn it out.

AT: With all the craziness in the music business, where do you see music going?
PA: Who knows? It seems like it’s going into the hands of whoever wants it, really. Music will always be one of the most popular forms of art and entertainment. It’s just, how people hear it, and how people choose it, that’s changing. I love that music is available wherever you are, and that I can record a song on my laptop and post it to a bunch of people on myspace in a matter of a few hours, or less. Things are just gonna get faster and more efficient…..and smaller probably.

AT: Thanks for your time.
PA: no prob! :)

—–
How Lovely. So a couple days ago I asked for people to send me emails telling me why they should get Priscilla’s CD and that I’d give them to the best 2 answers. Well the winners were Tonya Howell from Grand Island, NE and Mrs. Beth Miller from Lebabon, PA
Mrs. Miller Wrote:

Priscilla Hartranft Ahn is from Bernville, PA but also descends from Korea.
I was her high school counselor at Tulpehocken High School where she was encouraged to follow her heart and not the expectations of others.
She resisted those enormous conformity pressures and look what has flourished!
I am a proud mama. We are a Tulpehocken Proud village.
That is why I want to win the CD.
Otherwise, I will have to call her mother and pay for one!
(^_*)
Mrs. Beth Miller, retired

Wow! My guidance counselors weren’t that helpful!
Tonya Howell wrote:

Why I should get the CD? Because her song “Rain” has gotten me through these massive amounts rainy days, flooded basements and sewer back-ups on the island that is Grand. I included it on my mix: http://www.mixwit.com/tonya_howell/rain-more-rain-even-more-rain

Yeah that weather stuff is nasty. We don’t have that stuff in L.A. anymore. Congrats to the winners and stay tuned for more contests and a LOT more live reviews!