OK, so we're back!

Stay tuned.

Sorry for the lack of posts

We'll be back again soon... moving house.

Interview - The Sunday Reeds

The Sunday Reeds are a noise pop band from Melbourne. The name comes from patron of the arts Sunday Reed, a fellow Melbournite, who was prominent in the arts scene in the 1930s and 40s. Originally only two members, Romana Ashton and Drew Jones, they recently expanded with the addition of Jesse Lynch and Jane Sertori for a more extensive live sound. Their music is raw, loud and full of feedback. In 2009 their debut release Drowning in History was nothing short of a remarkable achievement, and with their EP Dark Rainbows from this year they showed that they won't be slowing down any time soon. Now with tour buzz and a second album looming, Blueboy and Popgirly interviewed Romana and Drew to see what's been happening lately and what is in store for the up and coming year.

Your latest EP Dark Rainbows is wonderful, how have you found the response?
Romana: Thanks very much. Some people like it I suppose. We don't actually get that much feedback about it. It has got some good reviews and has been played on various radio stations in Australia and overseas.
Drew: Kramer (producer for Galaxie 500 etc), who mastered it said the songs were great.

Recently The Sunday Reeds expanded. Can you please tell us about the new band members?
Romana: I used to play bass for the band but then decided to concentrate on being the front person more. We knew Jane (drums) and Jesse (bass) from another band called Pioneers of Good Science and asked if they'd do us a favour and play bass and drums for us. They provide a really tight rhythm section and they help us to fill out the live sounds.




You're doing a few shows at the moment on the east coast of Australia, how have they been going? Are your sights set on touring other states?
Romana: We've played a few shows in Melbourne recently and they've been great. We plan to go to Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane in the new year when we have our single launch for 'Kill This Party'.

You toured the UK a while back, what can you tell us about the experience, any memorable shows?
Romana: We went there I think in September last year for a few weeks and played just a handful of shows. It was great to meet the people from Squirrel Records in the flesh. We played in Leeds, London and Brighton. The best show we played there was the one in Brighton. The crowd was really supportive and everything felt really energetic on stage. I loved it. That particular show, we played with Still Corners and Candy Panic Attack and the show got NME gig of the week.

Are you working on new songs at the moment? Are they following the same grain as before or do the new members bring new aspects to the recording process?
Romana: Well, Drew and I always do the core work, we write the songs and record rough demos to know how we want things to sound. It's the same process it has always been. We have new songs and some older stuff that nobody has heard so we are reworking some of that too.

What have you been listening to lately? Do you have any favourite releases from 2011 so far?
Romana: To be honest I don't listen to much music now. I can't keep up with everything anyway. I hear bits and pieces here and there through other people's suggestions sometimes but I don't have a favourite release from 2011. Sometimes I just want to get the fuck away from music entirely.
Drew: I haven't heard anything recently that has made me go 'wow'.

What do you like to do when you are not playing or listening to music? Any hobbies?
Romana: I drink lavender tea and read a lot. I get angry for fun.
Drew: I usually just add names to my list of people to kill.

Is it difficult being an Australian noise pop band? On one hand, you are the best noise pop band in the country, but on the other you seem to possibly have a larger fan base abroad.
Drew: It is frustrating. When we played overseas the reception was great and people really seemed to enjoy the show. People still enjoy the show here but the enthusiasm is not as intense. People seem to 'get it' more overseas. I've started throwing guitars and smashing guitars sometimes at the end of shows out of pure frustration.
Romana: What he said. Even though there's the internet and everything we are still geographically isolated in Australia and it does make a difference.

What's next for The Sunday Reeds?
Romana: We will have a new single out in the new year called 'Kill This Party' on vinyl and for download. We plan to visit New Zealand for some shows too hopefully. We'd love to get back overseas again but it might be a little while before that happens. And, lots of sex.

Here's the new video clip for 'Shiver up my Vein'

From the Dark Rainbows EP.

Go on over to the official website of The Sunday Reeds and download special acoustic tracks for FREE!

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Westkust - demo recordings

Released February 10, 2011 / Bandcamp

LINK FOR ALL DEMOS IS NOW UNAVAILABLE.
BUT HERE'S ONE SONG.... http://westkust.bandcamp.com/

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Interview - Cassie Ramone from Vivian Girls

This year Vivian Girls released Share The Joy, their most ambitious and fulfilling album to date. Frontwoman Cassie Ramone was kind enough to lend us some of her time for an interview. We asked her about the band's progression, the relevance of the album cover, side projects and more.

In addition to her involvement with Vivian Girls, she is also a part of the band the Babies and a talented artist on the side.




Your most recent album Share The Joy is lovely. It has a real 60s girl group feel about it. Were you and the band inspired by much from that era, or did the album just evolve that way?

We were definitely inspired by a lot of music from the 60s, especially girl groups. We're also inspired by a lot of other different types of music, mainly moody punk and garage rock, which I think comes out in our music more a lot of the time. But we consider the 60s pop elements and the more rock 'n' roll stuff to be kind of a yin and yang, a balancing act. I don't think our music would work as well if we just had one and not the other.

Share The Joy is a breakaway from the band's previous efforts. The fuzz and DIY feel has diminished. In a way, it's almost a re-invention. Fiona is also in Coasting, Katy has La Sera and you are with The Babies. Do you think this dissociation for each of you from the Vivian Girls has proven to be beneficial?

To be completely honest I'm not sure. There is a part of me that wishes we had stuck together as a unified team, but at the same time that is not how the planets were aligned for it to happen. There are pros and cons to every situations, and I think that the experience that we have gained through playing other kinds of music with other people were beneficial for all of us individually but perhaps not as beneficial for the well-being of the band. C'est la vie.

We were particularly engaged with the video for 'Take It As It Comes'. Who came up with the concept for the video? We loved the decorated bedroom and especially The Cure poster. Did you three help design the set?

Travis the director and I came up with the concept together. The video was more or less inspired by Desperately Seeking Susan and this album cover (Alisha, pictured below on the left), and late 80s sitcoms. A set designer put the rooms together, but Katy and I added a lot of our own touches to each room. All the drawings on the walls are ours!

Do you find it difficult playing in two bands? Have you sometimes written songs and wondered which band it would suit better? Or do you sit down with the straight up intention of writing a song for Vivian Girls as opposed to The Babies?

I rarely write songs for the Babies, because it's not my primary outlet. Almost all of my songs which have been used in the Babies was a matter of circumstance. I find it counter-intuitive to write for anything in particular. I just play and see what happens - and usually what happened has been applicable to Vivian Girls. There are certain things that are like, oh this couldn't be a Vivian Girls song, because it's either too minimalistic or would require an important second guitar part, but usually it has worked out.

Do you have a favourite song to play live at the moment?

'Sixteen Ways' and 'Before I Start To Cry'.

Have you heard any albums this year that have blown you away? What are they and are there any bands that have intrigued you recently?

I really love Widowspeak's debut album - they are really good friends of mine and I'm so amazed at how great their album turned out. The new Girls album Father, Son, Holy Ghost is great. White Fence - Is Growing Faith. Hunx and His Punx - Too Young To Be In Love. I really like this band Dutch Treat from Brooklyn. They don't have an album out yet but I think when they release one it's going to blow minds.

Besides music you are also a talented illustrator. Is illustration your speciality, do you work with any other mediums? How do music and art relate for you and do you feel as though the album cover is losing relevance in today's computer driven music world?

I don't think the album cover is losing relevance but I do feel as though the current trend with album artwork is to make something that'll look good as a 100x100 jpeg, as opposed to something that'll look good as an LP. One thing that I really can't stand (for the most part) are album covers that are just a photo, with no writing on the cover. I get the reasoning behind that, but do you really think that your LP artwork is so iconic that ten years down the line, when it's in the used bin at a record store, it'll be easily that recognizable? Just a gripe that I have but occasionally it works, I guess. Anyway, I like to dabble in pretty much all mediums! Drawing is my forte, but I also sculpt, paint, and silkscreen occasionally. I used to want to be a fashion designer, but my mom talked me out of it. Music and art are totally intertwined. I can't imagine a world with one and not the other.

I watched a video a while back where you were discussing your love of Project Runway. Have you been keeping up with this season? We think Anya has a good chance of winning.

I haven't been keeping up with this season that much because I don't have cable. But I did watch a few episodes at my parents' house, and I LOVED Anya's stuff! And her hair is amazing!

Thank you so much Cassie for taking time to be a part of this interview. You're a gem!
Thank you!!

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Interview - Brian Hancheck from The Arctic Flow

The sound of The Arctic Flow is dreamy, full of lush sound scapes and floating guitars. Brian Hancheck is The Arctic Flow and this week Blueboy and Popgirly caught up with Brian to ask him about his music, his inspirations, his music interests and his upcoming EP release As Close To A Kiss As We'll Ever Be.

First of all, where does the name The Arctic Flow come from? And what inspired you to become a musician, has it been something you have always thought of doing?
When I was first starting The Arctic Flow I was really interested in ambient music and had a few songs in the very beginng that were kind of ambient, but because of my short attention span I soon gave up on that and started writing pop songs. The actual name "The Arctic Flow" came from a lyric of a song I misheard from this band I used to be really into. I just recently read the lyric sheet to find out they weren't singing about the arctic flow at all.

Anyway, growing up I was always surrounded by music. My parents and brother played music so I guess it comes naturally. One magical day when I was 5 or 6 I was messing around with my dad's tape player and all of a sudden the song 'Red Rubber Ball' by this obscure 60's band The Cyrkle came on and all of a sudden...it was really one of my first emotional experiences... I heard it all: the guitar, the melody, the melancholy, and even though I didn't understand the lyrics, I felt what they were singing about. That is what got me interested in music, being able to express these complex feelings that I could not otherwise say.

A lot of your music is incredibly dreamy. Do you produce all of the music yourself? Or do you have people who you collaborate with to create such lush landscapes? Can you tell us about The Arctic Flow recording process?
Thanks so very much. Actually I do everything in The Arctic Flow primarily because after years of playing in really bad bands that I'm embarrassed to admit, it just seems easier to do it all myself instead of telling some producer to turn the reverb all the way up and get really strange looks. The actual recording process isn't epic or anything, but just to give you a glimpse, I usually start the rhythm tracks and bass first and then I become a kid in a candy store and go crazy with everything else. The absolute worst part are vocals...I cringe when I have to do vocals because I have such little confidence in my voice, so I just sort of sing and drench it all in glorious reverb. That's pretty much it. Then I will leave it for about a week and come back to it with fresh ears and start mixing. 

As far as the dreamy sound...it's just a combination of reverb, chorus, and delay. For the guitars I never record anything "dry". I will get as much chorus as possible just before it starts to warble and record with about 40% reverb...then during mixing I'll add even more chorus and more reverb over the track.

Does song writing come fairly naturally to you? Are you ever stuck for inspiration or do you find inspiration easily?
Song writing is as natural to me as breathing. I don't ever spend much time pondering over something, but most of the times I come up with the chorus first and then once that's done I write the verses. I usually start and finish a song in just a few hours... music and lyrics. Even though I've tried to take on some serious subjects it usually comes out sounding forced so I just write about things I've gone through, boy/girl things, living and growing up at the beach, being a loner...

Who are some of your musical influences? 'The Pink Beds' reminds me of early Cocteau Twins, while 'Heart In Flight' reminds me of later Cocteau Twins, and 'Lemonade Kiss' is very Jesus & Mary Chain. Who are some other bands that inspire you?
Oh man....this might take a while. The Cure really changed my life in 7th grade. I saw the 'Fascination Street' video on MTV and I was never the same..actually I think it was that video, 'So Alive' by Love and Rockets, and 'Enjoy The Silence' by Depeche Mode all played back to back...just completely turned around and confused at the same time. I went out and over the next few years devoted my life to The Cure. When I was a senior in high school I bought Hatful Of Hollow by The Smiths and I was done. That was probably the greatest musical moment ever to me...hearing those songs. I really believe The Smiths are the greatest band ever...greater than The Beatles, greater than...they were the perfect band. I became very obsessed with Mr. Marr. In college my next great discovery emerged in the form of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine and The Cocteau Twins...so between The Cure, The Smiths and Slowdive and the Twins you have my influences. Oh and I forgot to mention The Ocean Blue and Starflyer 59.

These days my favorite band is The Radio Dept. I just love their sound.  I have really been into this band called Delorean and Horse Shoes as well as Isles of Kin, Data Unit, Tony Pucci, The Consolation Project and The Bilinda Butchers. The Bilinda Butchers are one of the best new bands I have ever heard.  They are going to be the next big thing. I also love Sundae, The Tough Alliance, The Embassy, Air France, Boat Club, The Field Mice...Really that doesn't even scratch the surface.

I never thought of 'The Pink Beds' as being influenced by early Cocteau Twins, but I can totally see that now. 'Hearts in Flight' was deliberately influenced by them, though. 'Lemonade Kiss' is right on too. That song came was only a single, but I had a bunch of songs I was working on at that time, but it really all sounded too much like Psychocandy.

Have there been any standout releases that you have heard this year? What have you been listening to lately, old or new?
The new Embassy album is going to be amazing. The Bilinda Butchers EP is just beyond words. I know I mentioned them earlier but Isles Of Kin is this shoegaze band from L.A., actually it's just a guy named Kyle, but he does this really Lush, A.R. Kane influenced sound that is among my favourite this year. To be completely honest I haven't listened to many new releases, I usually wait until the end of the year and just saturate myself with a whole year's worth of stuff. The new Drums album is pretty good, it will have to do since Horse Shoes isn't doing much, are they? The new Sundae EP is super cool... really good.

Tell us about the upcoming release of your new EP. It's the first CD release of your music which must be incredibly exciting.
The new EP is called As Close To A Kiss As We'll Ever Be and it's the first CD release for us, everything else up until now has been free digital downloads so this is uncharted territory. It's coming out on Little Treasure, a new imprint of Bubbletone Discos, which we had a single on last year. Cris is one of the nicest guys I know and he has done some really cool artwork.

The songs are some of the best I've done. They sound...well they sound like The Arctic Flow, but there's a lot less guitars and more keyboards. I didn't realize until after I heard it that there is absolutely no distortion on it. It's lush, very lush. If you liked the 'Sentiments and Artifacts' single, you would probably like this one...

This EP contains my favorite Arctic Flow song to date called 'Vanity of Human Wishes', it's kind of autobiographical. It's very exciting!!

The internet has been a great way of promoting your music. What are your thoughts on the MP3 industry?
The fact that it is an industry is really sad, because industry = money. That's why up until now I have given away my music for free because I believe music should be free as long as the artists get credit. The internet is just an amazing tool... I wouldn't be doing this had it not been for being able to use the internet for promotion.

Do you perform many live shows?
I have this shyness thing going on. I'm not the most extroverted person in the world so I don't play live, yet. I am waiting for a show invite. One day I hope to be playing at the NYC Popfest... that would be amazing... I mean The Drums exploded after doing NYC Popfest. But I think I would do OK live, it would probably be just me and my guitar and some backing tracks.

If you could only play 4 songs to best describe your sound, the essential Arctic Flow songs, which 4 songs would they be? And why?
Oh... where do I start? This will be different if you ask me tomorrow, so here it goes.
1- 'All The Way Until December' from All The Way Until December LP. This is one of the best pop songs I've ever done. It was the first song written for that album and the rest of the album followed quickly. It is the culmination of an amazing year.
2- 'Sentiments And Artifacts' single. This song is one of my biggest productions ever. If I can remember there are seven guitar tracks and three bass tracks on this song. Plus it just sounds really cool.
3- 'Dear Diary' from the Starflow Lightning EP. I was gaining confidence as a writer and producer and was saying things in a song that I hadn't before. I really liked how the chorus turned out and it way my first use of piano on an Arctic Flow song.
4- 'Raincheck' single. This is our latest song it originally started sound like an Ocean Blue song, but I rerecorded it and I'm really happy with the way it turned out... very simple with my homage to Peter Hook in the middle.

Thanks for taking time out of your schedule for this interview. We look forward to reviewing your EP in the near future.
Thanks so much. Oh yeah, if you can go over to Facebook and like us... shameless plug. Thanks again!

Here's a free download of the fantastic Starflow Lightning.

FOR MORE FREE DOWNLOADS FROM THE ARCTIC FLOW GO TO BANDCAMP!

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Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls

Released September 20, 2011 / Slumberland

Found Love In A Graveyard
Right Side Of My Brain
The Fountain
Misery
Bad Feeling
Stephen
Beachy Head
All Eyes On You
The Box
Wedding Day
Veronica Falls
Come On Over

Veronica Falls have been creating well-deserved buzz for the past couple of years thanks to 'Found Love In A Graveyard', a stylish cover of Roky Erickson's 'Starry Eyes', and 'Beachy Head'. These songs, with the exception of Starry Eyes which can be found on an upcoming covers EP, have been reworked on this album for a clearer sound. The splendid 'Found Love In A Graveyard' has singer Roxanne Clifford telling a tale of falling in love with a ghost, it's upbeat while at the same time being gloomy. One cannot deny falling for their lovely doo-wop and boy-girl harmonies which create an engaging setting throughout the album. 'Misery' could be a spooky nursery rhyme with it's darkness buried beneath the sweet pop. The irresistible 'Beachy Head' is surf-rock genius. The song refers to the 530 foot cliff in East Sussex, notorious for being a popular suicide location. But don't be confused with the titles of these songs, this isn't macabre indie-pop. Sure it's a little dark on themes, but the band restrains themselves from becoming horror-pop. Ultimately the themes centre on chasing the unachievable with a small glimmer of hope in sight. 'Stephen' sounds how I wish Belle and Sebastian would sound these days. Elsewhere 'Bad Feeling' and 'The Fountain' have all the ingredients of being classics with their dynamic harmonies and energetic drums. The album is full of texture and immaculate sounds. In particular the guitar work of Clifford and James Hoare is second to none. As a band they make it seem effortless and it is clear that they are focussed on creating interesting indie-pop music with a post-punk edge. This album is clearly a contender for being voted album of the year by Blueboy and Popgirly, so go and get it!

Veronica Falls Website (links to blog, shop, Facebook, Last.fm, Myspace and Twitter)

Kids On A Crime Spree - We Love You So Bad

Released May, 31 2011 / Slumberland

I Don't Want To Call You Baby, Baby

Trumpets Of Death

Sweet Tooth

To Mess With Dynamite

Dead Ripe

It's In My Blood

Impasto

Jean-Paul Sartre 2

Mario Hernandez has a knack for making fun and exciting records, see Ciao Bella and From Bubblegum To Sky for examples. Here he joins Becky Baron from #poundsign# on drums and Bill Evans of From Bubblegum on guitar, to make one of the most thrilling indiepop releases of the year. Distinctive vocals, excellent songwriting, C86 drumbeats, reverb-soaked guitars and well produced song structure help this EP flow flawlessly without a missed step. The catchy hand-clap driven 'Sweet Tooth' and 60s surf pop 'Trumpets Of Death' are remarkable vibrant pieces of pop. 'To Mess With Dynamite' has a vocal on the hook that pays homage to The Ramones song 'Judy Is A Punk'. Personally, Blueboy and Popgirly much prefer the newer of the two. The joyous titled 'I Don't Want To Call You Baby, Baby' has a cool bass line together with a hint of fuzz that calls for repeated plays. This debut EP is infectious and fun. Highly recommended!

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Camera Obscura - Live in North Carolina, 2004

30th July 2004 - Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, North Carolina, USA

Teenager
Anti-Western
Keep It Clean
A Sister's Social Agony
Before You Cry
Lunar Sea
Sugar Town & Blue Moon
Quiet One
Eighties Fan
Suspended From Class
Let Me Go Home

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Brilliant Colors - Again And Again

Released July 19, 2011 / Slumberland

Hey Dan
How Much Younger
Value Lines
Round Your Way
Back To The Tricks
Cult Face
Painting Truths
Hitting Traffic
Telephone Stories
L.A.s

Again and Again is the sophomore release from Slumberland's Brilliant Colors. Carrying on from their 2009 debut Introducing, they have again created perfect summer music that is lively and playful. However this new release is much sharper and more focused than their previous effort. The vocals are higher in the mix, the guitars are clearer and the drums hold more of a punch. Indeed, the album is more diverse and shows a stylistic progression. 'Hey Dan' makes you want to twirl under the warm sun. The song 'Back To The Tricks' has so much character, blistering guitars, rapid fire drums, Jess Scott's cool vocals and an unexpected rupture of guitar near the end. Sure to be included on many mix tapes are 'Painting Truths' and 'Value Lines' which are both exciting and infectious. Again and Again is a good album, but some of the songs crave more lyrics, this would give the album more of a kick. Still worth checking out though!

Brilliant Colors Blog
Slumberland Page
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Widowspeak - Widowspeak

Released August 9, 2011 / Captured Tracks

Puritan
Harsh Realm
Nightcrawlers
In The Pines
Gun Shy
Hard Times
Fir Coat
Half Awake
Ghost Boy

This debut album by Brooklyn's Widowspeak showcases the flawless style of members Michael Stasiak and Robert Thomas, coupled with Molly Hamilton's incredible voice. At times her voice is reminiscent of Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. However, Widowpspeak as a whole run with an indiepop crowd, especially with the jangly guitars featured on tracks such as 'Fir Coat'. The album is beautiful, gentle and atmospheric, with hints of psychedelia surrounding the hauntingly dreamy vocals. 'Brain Freeze' has thumping drums, hand claps, cool guitar riffs and Molly's gentle voice, what more could you want? On 'Harsh Realm', also available as a 7 inch, there is plenty of heartache; "I thought about how it was / I thought about you because... I always think about you". A drug induced haze covers 'Ghost Boy' with a rad tambourine and a heavenly slow building effect, it reminds me of the title track from Mazzy Star's So Tonight That I May See. 'Half Awake', 'Fir Coat' and 'Gun Shy' each have their own unique bright feel and add a glimpse of lightness to the album. 'Half Awake' in particular, is going to be one of the best songs of the year for Blueboy and Popgirly. Overall, this is an extremely engrossing debut full of blissful and darkened sounds. The artwork on this album is lovely, as too are the 7 inch sleeves of 'Harsh Realm' and 'Gun Shy' so don't forget to check them out as well!

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Interview - the bilinda butchers

The bilinda butchers are a dream pop duo from San Francisco. Their name is obviously taken from My Bloody Valentine, and their music shares the same dream like tones. Recently their EP regret, love, guilt, dreams was released with critical acclaim. As a duo, Michal and Adam work extremely well together, and we reviewed their stunning EP here. We were fortunate enough to interview Michal and Adam, and they filled us in on what a lot of fans have wanted to ask.


Your music is very beautiful and it feels as though it takes its influences from nature, sorrow, love and dreams. Do you agree with this? Can you expand any further?
Adam: Those are absolutely influences, but I think the most important one you mentioned is love. To clarify, it's not specifically romantic love, but love in general. Love for one's friends as much as for one's lovers. Our friendships have played an immense role in our songwriting.
Michal: Yeah, it has a lot to do with the relationships we've had in our past and present. Darkness and sorrow plays a big role in the way I write personally. We try to create music that brings people back to a place and time in their lives that has relevance to love or friendship (whether good or bad) and elevate that experience. I picture a lot of scenes in movies when I listen to songs which is a huge influence. Glorifying the emotions of romantic situations within the context of a melody.

The Bandcamp website has been a great asset since they have helped in distributing your 6-track EP 'regret, love, guilt, dreams'. And you've been receiving quite a bit of attention lately on internet mixes and blogs; do you find the internet to be a blessing for the bilinda butchers?
A: The internet is an interesting beast. For a small band like the bilinda butchers, it's certainly a blessing. It's allowed us to share our music on a large scale without a major financial investment, and to do it freely without the constraints of a label or anything like that. We love being featured on mixes and blogs -- it really gives us satisfaction to know that people out there like our songs enough to want to share them.
M: The whole Bandcamp idea is definitely a strong asset with helping musicians get their music out to fans while also giving the option to preserve an aesthetic. We were able to make our entire page fit alongside the cover art and "feeling" of the songs. So for the bb's, this was a great help. It saved us a lot of time and effort with getting our stuff out and to the fans, but to be honest it's not my favorite method. The music industry and distribution for our generation is so different from what it was when I was younger, we've had to adapt and see what would work with the way we like to work. So far it's been pretty successful, but I miss the romanticism and mystery of a traditional band that doesn't have a Facebook and is constantly telling me what they are doing and also having physical copies of albums to cherish.

On the topic of the internet, your tumblr (http://thebilindabutchers.tumblr.com) is very nice. Do you follow other bands on tumblr?
M: Haha, thank you! We definitely wanted to keep a very calming and simple aesthetic that focused on photographs alongside music. Simplicity has a lot of character. We hold on to that very tightly.
A: We actually don't follow anyone on tumblr. I don't really know how that works very well, but we just wanted to have one as a commonplace for people to find our music and bits of news that we choose to share. It's more of a band website than a traditional tumblr in our eyes. I just don't want to have to deal with seeing a bunch of stuff from other people every time we log on haha.

Blueboy and Popgirly first heard about you through your lovely cover of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's 'This Love Is Fucking Right!'. The next song we heard was 'Girls Don't Cry', yet another cover originally recorded by the Pillows. Are there any other cover songs you have dabbled with? And what songs would you like to perhaps cover one day?
M: The covers we've done have been very spontaneous. Covering songs isn't really my favorite thing to do because all the songs I love and would love to cover I think are already perfect. There's no point in covering a song that has no flaws, but occasionally we're curious to see if we can do an exact opposite of what an original sounds like. The Pains of Being Pure at Heat cover we did was originally very fast with electric guitars so I was curious to see what would happen if we did a really mellow version with acoustic guitars. Same with the Pillows cover. That song was very guitar orientated so we tried to incorporate a lot of synthesizers. Recently we also recorded a cover of The J. Arthur Keene's Band song 'Low Tide' which was completely comprised of 8-bit instrumentation. So we did the complete opposite and used all real instruments. Link here. Adam and I have talked a lot about songs that we have wanted to cover in the past and only a few times we go through with it. We were working on a Magnetic Fields cover and a Drake cover, both of which kind of fell through. I think for now we'll stick to writing more of our own material haha.
*note - Popgirly LOVES The Magnetic Fields, and NEEDS this cover.

Both of you are multi-instrumentalists. What are your biggest strengths as individual musicians?
M: I sort of play a bunch of instruments, but I'm not very good at any of them. Mostly I identify with the guitar and under that, piano or synthesizer.
A: I'll always think about popular music in terms of how it's played on the guitar.





We couldn't see any evidence on the internet to say that you have played live. Have you performed live before? Have you encountered any difficulties as there are only two of you, or due to the complexities of your music?
M: We still haven't played live. We never have, and we rarely ever play in a live context. Everything we write is recorded immediately and we build on top of that. So because of that work flow we are very nervous to transition into the live setting. It's going to definitely to be an interesting experience for both of us.

Obviously both of you are on the same musical wavelength, but have you encountered any challenges as a duo?
M: Adam and I grew up together. We've been best friends since were about 13, so we share so much in common. He showed me everything I know about music and playing music. We're like brothers. So haha, you can imagine how difficult it is for us to get serious at times. We almost always end up joking around and not getting much done haha. But when we're writing, we write a lot separately. We usually sit and work on our own song for a while and then show them to each other and go from there. But it's really in the nature of who we are and our band to work separately. We don't really jam or anything like that so there's a pretty big contrast to the songs we write.
A: It's equal parts burden and blessing to operate as a duo -- what usually happens is that we'll write songs separately and then work the kinks out together. I admire groups that can write as a consolidated unit, and I'd like to try that someday, but what we've done so far works well for us.

What have you been listening to lately? Any underground bands that you could recommend we should check out?
M: I've been listening to a lot of mainstream pop and rap lately. Nothing too underground. But Adam and I have been making mixtapes. We have two up at the moment on our tumblr. Link here. They kinda showcase our different tastes and what we've been listening to. Adam is a bit more up to date with good underground bands than I am.
A: My girlfriend successfully got me into Thee Oh Sees, so I've been digging them lately. Lamp (from Japan) is a wonderful indie jazz pop group that I've been listening to nonstop for the past few months. Aside from that, I've sort of been revisiting a lot of groups that I've been into in the past. As far as recommendations, everyone that enjoys dream pop and shoegaze should listen to Luminous Orange.

What are some of your favourite releases of 2011 so far?
M: I don't really know what's been going on in music lately. I've been out of the loop so long because of all the work we put into our EP. But the two songs that Drake put out were really good. (Marvin's Room and Trust Issues). Also the Weeknd's mixtape House Of Balloons was incredible.
A: I like Panda Bear's new record a lot. I've been meaning to listen to Yuck's album, too, but aside from that I don't really pay attention to new music enough to know what's come out this year.

When you aren't playing or listening to music, 
what do you enjoy doing?
M: Well I love to cook. I grew up around my mom cooking my entire life and as soon as I moved out it struck me. Now I have to cook all the time. I definitely think if I wasn't in music or audio I would pursue cooking. Also I've been dipping my foot in the water of photography. It's such a complex subject matter I almost want to stay at the rivers edge with it. I recently bought an old polaroid land camera that is tons of fun. We use a lot of the photographs from that camera on our tumblr.
A: Hanging out with my friends, which usually boils down to drinking together and talking about ourselves.

Pick one or two songs from each of the past 5 decades; the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s, that you love. In addition, do you have a favourite decade and is there a decade that inspires your style both musically and personally?
M: For the 60s, 'Great Pumpkin Waltz' by The Vince Guaraldi Trio.
For the 70s, 'Oh Yoko!' by John Lennon.
For the 80s, 'Gypsy' by Fleetwood Mac.
For the 90s, 'Kiss From A Rose' by Seal.
For the 00s, 'Cherry Blossom Girl' by Air.
I feel that I take a lot of influence from the music and styles of the 80s. Not so much the stereotypical 80s sound but more of the dark jazz and ambient 80s sound. I listened to a lot of smooth jazz with my dad growing up so I think that style has had a huge impact on me.
A: For the 60s, 'Yes It Is' by The Beatles.
For the 70s, 'So Far Away' by Carole King.
For the 80s, 'Teenage Riot' by Sonic Youth.
For the 90s, 'Off Your Face' by My Bloody Valentine.
For the 00s, 'Someday' by The Strokes.
Having experienced the awakening of my musical consciousness in the 90s, I think that's the decade that I most identify with, but I quite like 60s music (and 70s music, and 80s music...), too.

What does the future of the bilinda butchers look like? Have you been writing any new material since the release of the EP, or are you taking a well-deserved break?
M: Haha, I took a 4 day vacation a little while after we released this EP, but as soon as I got back I was ready to start working again. We're about to sit down and start recording our second EP, which we are really excited about. I think it will be a lot more poppy then the last one. This one will be kind of a sister EP to regret, love, guilt, dreams. All the songs are pretty much written so we're hoping for a January or February release next year. And after that we plan on playing live shows for a while.
A: We never take breaks!

Thank so much for the opportunity to interview you!
M: Thank you! <3
A: Thanks! <3










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Interview - Dora Hiller from Sneakpeek

Sneakpeek is a brilliant new band from Echo Park in California. They play music that is loud and infused with droney lo-fi psychedelia. The band intends on releasing their debut EP later this year, but they have already generated a buzz that is hard to match after Bandcamp made 4 of their songs (two demos, a live track and an alternate track) available for a low price. Their lead singer, Dora Hiller was kind enough to agree to an interview. Make no mistake, Sneapeek are an exciting band that will blow you away!

How did Sneakpeek form? Can you please tell us a little about the members of the band?

Sneakpeek formed rather naturally. After I quit the all girl folk band I was in, I started writing and messing around with garageband and before I knew it I had all these songs. Aric, my boyfriend, had left his band The Willowz a few years before, was super supportive from the beginning and soon we got our best friends Mike and Aaron to fill in on drums and guitar.

Are you still living in Echo Park? What is the culture of Echo Park like?
We do still live in Echo Park. We have a house where we can practice and make loud noises until all hours of the night. It is a nice little haven in the middle of the urban jungle that is Los Angeles.

What bands have influenced Sneakpeek and your own personal style?
Well, when I write a song, I don't really have any specific genres in mind. I don't want to make music that sounds like something that already existed before. A lot of people compare us to The Breeders and Jesus and Mary Chain, but they're not really our influences. I do love 90's rock such as Smashing Pumpkins, Singapore Sling, and My Bloody Valentine as well as shoegaze bands like Galaxie 500, Mazzy Star and Innocence Mission. I think my love for that kind of music seeps through the cracks a bit.

When did you start playing bass, and do you want to play any other instruments?
I started playing bass a few years ago and I also play guitar.

Tell us a little about the Sneakpeek writing and recording process. As the vocalist do you write the songs yourself or is it a collaboration with the other band members?
Most of the songs I've written while the boys are in the other room playing video games but each member brings so much to the band that it is always a constant collaboration.

What have you been listening to lately that you would recommend?
I'm a little behind on new music. We just saw Yuck in concert, they were rad and super nice. Mostly I stick to the old classics The Velvet Underground, Nirvana, and Neil Young.

What do you do with your free time when you're not playing or listening to music?

I work for a vintage clothing company so I'm constantly swimming in old clothes.

Is the Sneakpeek EP still being recorded? Are you happy with the results so far?
It is still in the process of being recorded! But everything has been going well so far.



When can we expect the Sneakpeek EP to be released?
The release date will be announced soon! Keep your ears open for a lot of new songs. We can't wait.

Bandcamp features 4 Sneakpeek songs for download

Walk All Over Me (Live) Free download
Waytoomuch (Early Demo) $1 (US)
Western Sky (Early Demo) $1 (US)
Melancholy Heart (Alternate Version) $1 (US)

If you like fuzzy droned-out tunes with angelic vocals, be sure to look out for Sneakpeek.

Burning Hearts - Into The Wilderness (EP)

Released June 21, 2011 / Shelflife

The Swallows
Fever
A Matter Of Timing
Into The Wilderness

Fans of Burning Hearts will not be disappointed with this four song EP. The opening song 'The Swallows' is a dreampop work of art with swirling synth work and handclaps together with Jessika Rapo's fascinating vocals. Following this is a song I couldn't help but repeat over and over again, the warm and precious 'Fever'. The pretty 'A Matter Of Timing' is the slow melancholic moment of the EP. The closing song 'Into The Wilderness' is an incredible track, Rapo sings "You walked with the foxes dancing around your feet / They followed you into your dreams / And they followed you / Into the wilderness away from the loneliness". Any song that mentions foxes is a winner in Blueboy and Popgirly's book. This EP is passionately created with perfect melodies and is definitely worth checking out.

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Brave Irene - Brave Irene (EP)

Released March 15, 2011 / Slumberland

No Fun
River To The Sea
Tangled Line
Bank Holiday
Longest Day
Hit The Grass Running
Good Ideas
Campfire

This first offering from Vancouver-based Brave Irene is energetic and addictive. Indiepop legend Rose Melberg is back, with the help of Caitlin Gilroy, Jessica Wilkin, Amanda Pezzutto and Laura Hatfield for this polished Slumberland release. The keyboard contributions from Caitlin and Jessica are priceless and play an outstanding role in these Brave Irene songs. From the opening track 'No Fun', you'll get your shuffle on. 'Tangled Line' features brilliant keyboards bouncing off each other and furious drumming which balances delicately with Melberg's silky vocals; the track is danceable, lively and warm. In a career that spans over two decades, Melberg has written some of the loveliest songs about friendship and love, 'River To The Sea' is beautiful and adds to this tradition. The opening line "I prefer the river to the sea / I'd rather come to you than let you come to me" is a perfect example of the sweet intimacy on this EP. And timeless lyrics are again displayed on the lovely 'Bank Holiday' where Melberg tenderly sings "I walked all this way and forgot it was a bank holiday / Nothing was open, still I was hoping I might see you". 'Good Ideas' is bouncy and worthy of being one of the best tracks of the year. Throughout this 18 minute release there is a sense of classic jangle pop, but with Rose Melberg in charge we shouldn't expect any less. Brave Irene have delivered a great first impression with uptempo tunes and great melodies.

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Help Stamp Out Loneliness - Help Stamp Out Loneliness

Released May 9, 2011 / Papillons Noirs

Cottonopolis + Promises
Angelyne
Record Shop
The Ghost With A Hammer In His Hand
Biergarten
Palma Violence
Me, Sola And C
My Window
Cellophane
S*W*I*M
Tracy Tracy
Split Infinitives

Born out of the defunct and sorely missed Language Of Flowers, Bentley Cooke and Colm McCrory have got together with Louise Winfield, Ben Ambridge, Kath McMahon and the incredible D. Lucille Campbell to help deliver one of the best albums of the year with this self-titled debut. The album opens with the tongue tied track 'Cottonopolis + Promises'. It's clear from the beginning that this is an up-tempo summery album. Campbell's voice is to die for. Her sense of variety and dynamics is masterful throughout the record, and, providing that the listener is willing to be infatuated by her auditory spell, there is never a dull moment. The breezy layered celestial harmonies and gorgeous melodies make sure the album glides along in an highly accessible way. The Johnny Marr inspired 'Record Shop' has a beautiful lush quality about it, and 'The Ghost With A Hammer In His Hand' will be a mix tape favourite, with its playful keyboards and addictive lyrics. The more guitar driven 'Angelyne' is a gem with vocals straight from heaven. 'Me, Sola and C' is remarkably tender, while 'Tracy Tracy' declares "A cosmic shower isn't half as bright as you". While the vocals are certainly the standout, the band is talented and creative enough to put together a brilliant musical canvas to showcase the vocal abilities. Surely one of the years very best!

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Interview - Katie Crutchfield from P.S. Eliot

For those of you who don't already know, Katie Crutchfield is the singer of P.S. Eliot. Her work with The Ackleys and P.S. Eliot has been critically acclaimed and her new projects with Bad Banana and solo work as Waxahatchee, further display her musical talent and song writing abilities. In the past year P.S. Eliot lost band members, came close to calling it quits, picked the guitars and drum sticks back up again and recently released Sadie, which has been lauded a great success. Katie, along with sister and fellow P.S. Eliot bandmate Allison, have been recording demo tracks under the band name Bad Banana. And alone, Katie records under the name Waxahatchee. With all this work being released, how does Katie deal with the pressure of being a work-aholic and what inspires her to create music? Blueboy and Popgirly asked Katie a few questions to see what makes her tick.

First of all, thanks for taking part in this interview.
Yeah of course!

Allison and Katie

Obviously your sister Allison is also musically talented, what about the rest of your family? And when did you and your sister start playing music?
Allison and I are sort of just total freaks. My mother and younger sister both love music as much as we do but they're not as creatively energetic. Allison and I started playing music together when we were freshmen in high school. We had a falling out with our mutual best friend who had, formerly, introduced us to Bikini Kill and at that point we had no one but each other. So we started a band. That was 8 years ago.

It must be difficult working on P.S. Eliot, Bad Banana and Waxahatchee . Have you had difficulty deciding which penned lyrics should go with which band? How do you approach the process?
Oh no, I write melodies first and lyrics immediately following, usually. Even though I try not to premeditate this, I normally go into songwriting with the intention of writing a song for a certain project. It's usually not an issue, deciding which song is for which band.

Are you under pressure to stray away from P.S. Eliot-esque songs when you record as Bad Banana?
Definitely. It's something I struggled with a lot and one of the reasons why Bad Banana isn't going to be an active band anymore. I was the sole songwriter in P.S. Eliot and in Bad Banana that duty was shared with Allison. It was a complicated dynamic and I think I was super self-conscious about straying from P.S. Eliot. Writing songs with a certain "sound" isn't something I do consciously so trying to stray from a "sound" is really hard.

Chayse Porter is a new face in the band, what dynamics has he added to P.S. Eliot? Who are the current band members and can you tell us a few things about them?
Chayse and I have been friends since I was in my old band the Ackleys! He played a few shows with P.S. Eliot back when Allison and I still lived in the south. These days Kate Eldridge and Colman Durkee are playing with us. Kate was in a band called Cheeky and is now in a band called Big Eyes. Colman's in a band called Natural Law and another one called Creem. Kate's moving to Seattle later this year so once she goes Kyle Gilbride is taking her place. He's in a band called Big Soda and another one (with Allison) called Dear Marje.

What have you been listening to lately that you would recommend?
I listen to Go Sailor everyday. I play 'Rumours' by Fleetwood Mac every time I work (I work at a coffee shop) My favorite band making music right now is Sourpatch from San Jose and my favorite band from New York is Aye Nako.

What are you up to right now music wise?
I'm about the release a Waxahatchee record called "American Weekend" and I'm working on a hiphop project with my friend Marlee called Pregnancy Pact.

What’s next for Katie Crutchfield? Any chance on touring outside the US?

Yeah, hopefully P.S. Eliot will do a Euro tour in the next 12 months! Fingers crossed!

P.S. ELIOT

BAD BANANA

WAXAHATCHEE

THE ACKLEYS

Katie Crutchfield (free demos available)

P.S. Eliot Blog

P.S. Eliot 

Bad Banana

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Salinas Records

The Ackleys

Waxahatchee Facebook

Other band member projects:

Dear Marje (free demos available), Big Eyes, Big Soda

Katie's recommendations:

Sourpatch, Aye Nako (free demos available)