New Jersey-bred indie rocker Ted Leo has been cranking out taut, politically-tinged punk tunes in the manner of The Clash, early Jam and Elvis Costello & The Attractions for nearly a decade. Leo's been on creative roll since 2003's "Hearts of Oak" and 2004's "Shake the Sheets" (both on Lookout Records). The latest CD "Living With the Living" (Touch and Go) may very well be the trio's best, featuring such melodic winners as "Who Do You Love" and "A Bottle of Buckie."
Check out www.tedleo.com, where the singer/guitarist posts incisive comments from time to time (seeking out a fan who was ejected from a club; objecting to being submitted in a Taco Bell Battle of the Bands contest without his permission).
Leo comes from an Irish-Italian family, Spin Magazine called him a "true-hearted Irishman" and "Bottle" has an Emerald Isle vibe. So opening for The Pogues makes sense.
Shane McGowan returned to the infamous band in 2001 and embarked on a successful UK reunion tour, which finally reached America in 2006. Rhino followed suit by reissuing the band's first five albums. This past summer, it was announced guitarist Philip Chevron was battling throat cancer and would not take part in the current US tour. Will McGowan be coherent in Anaheim? Has he really cut down on the booze? Go to the Mouse House and see.
Doors open at 8 p.m. Sunday, House of Blues Anaheim, Downtown Disney, $62.50-$67.50, (714) 778-BLUE.
I just finished watching the second episode of the "Next Great American Band." Have to say, I find it much more enjoyable than "American Idol" (it comes from the same creators/producers, follows the same format, similar set, etc.). They get right down to business.
For the most part, the judges dole out constructive criticism. John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls talks about song structures and hooks (none of that "it's too pitchy" stuff). Sheila E. is sort of a rah rah gal like Paula Abdul, but again, has better things to say. The unfortunately nicknamed Aussie/music biz vet Dicko serves as the hardliner, much like Simon Cowell. I tend to agree with a lot of what he has to say.
Fox has it airing Fridays from 8-10pm, which is an unfortunate time slot.
Among the dozen acts tonight, I think these three stood out:
THE CLARK BROTHERS - sprited alt-country sibling trio TRES BIEN - fun BritPop dudes SIX WIRE - very professional country outfit
Has anybody seen the show? Who are your favorites?
Buy the new Thursday DVD/CD "Kill the House Lights" at The Glass House Record Store (located next to the concert venue) and get a pass for a special soundcheck performance and meet and greet with the band. It takes place the afternoon of their Glass House show on November 13.
Fans can purchase the release and get the pass starting Tuesday. Space is limited.
Bedouin Soundclash plays Sunday at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood and Monday at House of Blues Anaheim. For more from my interview with singer/guitarist Jay Malinowski, read on.
Q: What prompted you to get Daryl Jenifer in to produce again?
A: We wanted to make sure if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. He’s really close to the band - still is - and we talk all the time. It’s important to have people you have that connection with around you when you’re doing something creative.
Q: Did you learn a lot from him?
A: Yeah, if not musical, we always learned a new story about something crazy Daryl’s done in his life.
Q: Were you familiar with Bad Brains before?
A: We totally were. Not like obsessed fans. We knew their stuff. Now I have met a lot of people who are like Bad Brains fanatics.
Q: Wade MacNeil from hardcore band alexisonfire added vocals to some songs on "Street Gospels." Was that a result of the hometown connection in Kingston, Ontario?
A: Yeah, we’ve know them for about four years. We have mutual friends. I heard Wade was coming out with a solo record and listened to his voice. It was really incredible.
Q: City streets and nightlife tend to crop up in your lyrics. Where do you usually find inspiration?
A: Living in Toronto. The inspiration is just everyday stories really and things happening in my life. I always try to make it a macrocosm.
Q: “Gunships” has some vivid imagery.
A: That’s probably one of our favorite songs to play. It is about when two people (in a couple) are fighting for the same thing but in the end no one really wins.
Q: For “Nico on the Night Train,” was she a real person you saw on the subway?
A: That was about a friend we found out had turned to stripping to make money. I wrote that song on the subway - never passing judgment on it, but just hoping for the best.
Q: You had some success with the last CD "Sounding a Mosaic" back home and in England. What to do think was the reason for the U.K. success?
A: They have had this massive history (with reggae bands) and on a grassroots level, I think that’s very prevalent. Their media attention right now is completely focused on the boring indie rock scene. The first time I went over there it was really frustrating to see...(the media had) this flavor of the week style of looking at music. It can be exciting, but frustrating as an artist.
Q: In 2004, you got a fair amount of airplay on the BBC.
A: There were a few bands coming up at that time – the Dead 60s were doing ska and The Ordinary Boys were going that direction as well.
Q: You do all the art design for the band. Do you do a lot of art in your spare time?
A: I was just part of a group exhibition in Montreal last week. I try to keep that going. It’s definitely a love of mine – creating works. I try to do it as much as I can. It’s hard on the road. I try to keep it up.
Q: You also have a new label for outside projects called Pirate’s Blend. Is that Bad Brains mash up I've read about one of the first releases?
A: Yeah, hopefully that will come out early next year. We’re excited about it.
Due to the O.C. wildfires, Velvet Revolver's Friday gig at Verizon Ampthitheatre has been postponed to Dec. 12.
It has also been moved to Gibson Amphitheatre in L.A.
If you purchased tix at TM retail locations or at the venue box office, you'll need to go to the Gibson box office starting on Nov. 5 to exchange them.
Those who bought at TM online or TM charge by phone do nothing - replacements will be mailed to you.
Johnathan Rice is a laid-back guy. The young singer/guitarist talks a mile a minute in an accent that's a combination of his Virginia and Scotland upbringing. Bassist Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello, Cracker), drummer Jason Boesel & singer Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) are among the musical contributors on his exceptional second disc "Further North." NPR stations like KCRW/Los Angeles and other outlets will probably have these alt-country and rock songs in regular rotation (if they aren't already). Rice plays The Glass House on Saturday. The following are excerpts from our chat.
Q: Will this weekend Is this your first time performing at the Glass House?
A: I’ve seen many shows there, but I don’t think I’ve ever played there. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s one of the best places in the whole country. Every time I go to see one of my friend’s bands there…sometimes it’s preferable to seeing a show in Los Angeles.
Q: Do you prefer to perform solo acoustic or with a band?
A: I’m certainly more accustomed to performing solo acoustic, but I have more fun personally interacting with other musicians. At the Glass House, we’ll strive to get a mix. I’ll be doing a couple songs by myself as well.
Q: Considering the amount of touring you’ve done in recent years, do you think you’re more confident as a musician now?
A: Very much so. I just have a different approach to playing live than I did before. People didn’t necessarily pay to see you (at shows), so you want to make sure you don’t rip them off and they’re getting their money’s worth.
[Due to a poor phone connection, I hang up and call him back. He says “it sounded like I was being interviewed by a trout underneath a lake.”]
Q: There are references to California, Arizona, Nevada on the CD. Was that a result of touring those places or leisure time?
A: I think it was between the recording of the first and second album. The first album, I was living in my native Virginia and New York City on the East Coast.
Q: Which 9/11 influenced.
A: People made a lot about that, but I don’t know if it influenced the music itself. I moved to New York within 24 hours of (9/11) happening. I don’t remember specifically thinking about 9/11 when I was writing. With the Southwest, I think it was because I changed my scenery.
Q: "Further North" has a sparer production compared to "Trouble is Real." Did your intend to strip away some of the gloss this time?
A: Yeah, very much so. A lot of people start out spare and become more lush. I started out very layered and produced and I wanted to get away from that. I thought the material, the actual songwriting, was stronger on this record. I just have a different aesthetic than I did. It comes with age and experience. A lot of the records I’ve enjoyed listening to are very spare and almost primal in their approach: Bob Dylan, the White Stripes and to some degree, the Black Keys.
Q: Was is a better recording experience overall?
A: Yeah, I think because I was very aware of what I wanted to do. I knew exactly how I wanted it to turn out. The first one, I didn’t have any idea. This one was very well thought out. We planned our spontaneity.
Q: On "End of the Affair," your voice is a great fit with Jenny’s. Was it written expressly for a male/female duet?
A: We wrote that song together. In between the touring for ‘Trouble is Real’ and this album, we played all over the world and were singing together every night. We were closing the shows with an old gospel song from the 1800s and we discovered our voices blended quite well. It was a happy accident and we sang more and more like that as we were traveling. It’s something we enjoy doing.
Q: I dig the Byrdsy vibe on "What Am I Gonna Do?" Was Roger McGuinn & Co. an influence on you?
A: Massive. I think one of my favorite musical moments was the first time I heard “Eight Miles High.” It seemed like Eastern and Western music all at once. When I was a kid, I thought it was backwards - the scale he was playing and the sound of the Rickenbacker 12-string...since Roger was a big influence on Mike Campbell and Tom Petty, I also loved the Heartbreakers records so much…that was a conscious influence on the songs and the studio we chose – Sound City in Van Nuys where Petty made a lot of his great records.
Q: I was impressed to see you worked with bassist Davey Faragher on the new CD.
A: He was the most important member of the band in a lot of ways because a lot of the other guys were younger and friends of mine. Having a musical presence like that in the room made everyone bring their A game. He motivated everyone.
Here is more from my chat with James Lavelle, who performs with UNKLE on Friday at the Echoplex in L.A. and Sunday at the Vegoose Festival in Las Vegas.
Q: How did you hook up Chris Goss (ex-Kyuss) to co-produce the "War Stories" CD?
A: We worked on 'Burn My Shadow' (featuring The Cult's Ian Astbury) about six months before we started the album. That clicked really well, so we decided to do the whole album together. I think he’s the most amazing musician.
Q: Were you a fan of Chris & Josh Homme’s 'Desert Sessions' CDs?
A: Yeah, I’m very inspired by him as a musician and a producer.
Q: You always land an interesting crop of guest vocalists. How do these collaborations usually happen? Do you invite some friends to the studio to see what happens?
A: Kind of; yeah. It comes out of relationships you have or being friends and it just organically happens. We try and see what happens really. It’s kind of strange the way it works out. You just meet people along the way.
Q: Do you ever hear someone’s album and say, ‘I’d really like to work with them,’ then call 'em up?
A: Definitely. It’s weird how you meet up because you tend to bump into people, like I said.
Q: Do you ever have trouble clearing samples? On this CD, you used a couple Bowie tracks and on the last one, it was Joy Division.
A: No, fortunately most of the records have been really good on that level. Bowie has been great in letting us use stuff. I think you can see in what he does musically that he’s pretty open.
Q: Have your fans been surprised with the more guitar influenced tracks?
A: I think you always gain some and lose some with a record. We just needed to go in a different direction. There’s some very classic UNKLE moments on this record. You’ve got to do what you feel. You can’t please everybody.
Q: Would you consider UNKLE to be an electronic act?
A: I suppose it’s like a fusion band. We can do whatever we want, which is a great luxury. I hope fans will allow us to grow in that way.
Q: What do you think the state of electronic music in the UK these days?
A: I’m more interested in the underground things like James Holden…I really liked the new Underworld record.
Q: How have you enjoyed doing film scores recently?
A: You’ve got a direct emotion you have to capture. When you write your own records, you’re writing as things come emotionally. With a film, you react to what’s going on in a scene. It’s a different process and it’s great. We just did a documentary called “Odyssey in Rome” about Abel Ferrar, the film director. We scored the whole thing.
Q: Are you still inspired by film soundtracks?
A: Yeah. It’s a combination of both visual and musically what you can do in that respect. When I make records, I tend to have a very visual picture in my head of what I’m trying to do. Films have always been a big influence.
Q: What are some of the favorite remixes you’ve done over the years?
A: Ian Brown’s “The Fear.” “No One Knows” (Queens of the Stone Age).
Q: I read that you have a clothing line and a store in Singapore.
A: In LA, we do it with Union…I’ve been involved with people in Japan for a long time. It’s a DIY thing – having your own label, making your own records, your own clothes, art. It’s about having the freedom to do what you want. The corporate thing doesn’t work for me. I’m just trying to be as creative as I can.
Q: The last CD wasn't as popular in America as 'Psyence Fiction.' Were you disappointed?
A: It wasn’t as successful here, but did pretty well globally. I think it helped reinvent what we were doing. I’m happy with the way ‘Never Never Land’ worked out.
Venues affected by the wildfires in San Diego now include the Belly Up, the Casbah and 4th & B.
Today's J. Lo/Marc Anthony show at Cox Arena has been moved to Nov. 10.
If you planned on heading down to San Diego this week for concerts, be sure to call first to make sure the venue is still open. Both SOMA and House of Blues have cancelled shows due to the current wildfires.
Last Saturday, I headed out to the Showcase Theatre in Corona for the first time in years and caught The Avengers, Pansy Division and The Go Sheilas.
Unfortunately, only about 100 people turned up. Those that did were treated to a great night of punk rock. Among the opening acts was O.C. band The Go Sheilas. Lead singer Sheila was spirited (despite some microphone problems) as was backing vocalist Darlene on “Holiday,” “Simple Plan” and “I Can Make It.”
The sound reminded me of a cross between Dancehall Crashers and the Go-Go’s. Their professional sounding three-song EP was mixed by Karl Derfler (Smashmouth, Roky Erickson), partially recorded by Cameron Webb (Social Distortion, Zebrahead) and features No Doubt’s Tom Dumont on a cool cover of Nena’s “99 Luft Balloons.”
Some of their songs have been featured on network TV shows. Definitely one to watch. You can catch them live at the Gypsy Lounge in Lake Forest tonight.
Next up was queercore band Pansy Division, making their first I.E. appearance in nearly a decade. The fun 40-minute set prompted a small slam pit (yours truly got dragged into it at one point). Drummer Luis pounded the skins like a machine, while lead guitarist Joel provided several memorable riffs.
But it was bassist/vocalist Chris who totally stole the show, constantly making suggestive moves and gestures. He took off his shorts to reveal a sparkly red woman’s dress at one point and was surprised when one of the mosher guys ran onstage and planted a kiss on him.
Lead singer/guitarist Jon Ginoli was no slouch either. He was in fine voice throughout and also seemed to be having a great time. The set was solid from start to finish, notably “Fem in a Black Leather Jacket,” the folksy “Luv Luv Luv,” “Alpine Skiing,” danceable “No Protection” (sung by Chris minus the vocoder heard on CD), “Deep Water” and “Political A******” (Jon said they wrote it before Bush was elected but it was so appropriate now). Hope the band doesn’t wait as long to return.
Affable rock vet Penelope Houston – sporting a two-toned bob that made her look 10 years younger - and her reunited Avengers put on an invigorating 75-minute set including all the old faves, plus a fiery encore cover of The Stones’ “Paint it Black.” I saw a few grey-haired guys in the crowd who were obviously diehard fans singing right along.
There's a great new interview show on VH1 Classic (at least I think it's new) called "Inside Track."
Mick Jagger recently sat down for a one on one with Mark Goodman, while Bruce Springsteen chatted with his frequent biographer Dave Marsh (taped for the journalist's satellite radio show). Both were insightful.
It's cool to see Goodman as a regular VJ on VH1 Classic. I remember watching him on the early days of MTV in the '80s.
I'm a little late on this, but Satellite Party sure put on an invigorating show last Sunday at the Glass House. Too bad only a sparse crowd (my estimate: about 150-200) was there to see it.
Leader Perry Farrell was a burst of energy as usual. Wearing a black top hat and silver scarf, he gave a shout out to promoter Goldenvoice and slapped high fives with fans.
The 65-minute set included several sizzling Jane's Addiction tunes ("Stop!," "Been Caught Stealing," "Mountain Song"), some Porno for Pyros ("Pets," "Tahitian Moon") and fewer than I expected from the new album "Ultra Payloaded" (the spacey title track, funky "Hard Life Easy," "Wish Upon a Dog Star").
I'd definitely suggest fans check out the disc and the band next time it returns.
She Wants Revenge sure knows how to create the right mood.
The Los Angeles band makes dark, seductive and seedy music inspired by The Cure, Depeche Mode and film noir soundtracks. I'd imagine their music is popular in strip clubs and the Red Light District in Amsterdam.
Over the past couple years, She Wants Revenge toured nonstop, playing everything from small clubs to Coachella and the Greek Theatre (where it headlined off the strength of KROQ hit “Tear You Apart”). Surprisingly, the self-titled 2006 debut only sold around 300,000 copies. With any luck, strong new disc “This is Forever” will push it to gold status.
During a sold out gig at the Glass House last Friday, singer/guitarist Justin Warfield and multi-instrumentalist Adam “12” Bravin (augmented by two tour musicians) performed under shadowy lighting. The set opened set with eerie instrumental “First, Love,” the first of several “Forever” selections.
Warfield - frizzy hair covered by a stocking cap – didn't sing in a low monotone like on the CDs. “Written in Blood” proved scary while “Broken Promises for Broken Hearts” was highly danceable. Several young fans did wild herky jerky moves in the back of the floor area. One even exclaimed “let's give it up for rock 'n' roll!”
A vigorous “Tear You Apart” was dispatched early. The crowd went wild and formed a mini slam pit. Bravin played guitar, bass and keyboards at various points in the concert. Warfield gestured to the bleak lyrics.
“The Glass House has always been a special place for us. There's no place we'd rather start a tour,” said Warfield. Standouts included “Red Flags and Long Nights” with its spooky Bauhaus vibe and the quick-paced “Replacement,” driven by a New Order sonic bed.
Some technical difficulties prompted Warfield to attempt an a capella version of “She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not.” He did an admirable job, but was obviously uncomfortable, stopping halfway through to admit “this is too weird.”
Funny, I thought that was the whole point of the show. She Wants Revenge still managed to impress in Pomona.
It's been a few weeks now since the LA County Fair and its End of Summer Concert Series finished. I definitely think the horseracing grandstand should be refurbished, repainted or something. This event supposedly has the largest attendance of any county fair in California (organizers say in the country; I find that hard to believe), but the caliber of acts is sorely lacking compared to OC.
The ticket prices are a bit outrageous as well. Fair admission isn't included. What's up with that? At least if you shell out close to $100 for a fair concert in OC, you can attend the fair for free. A band like Earth Wind & Fire charged the same amount as Bob Dylan would. That's just wrong.
More than 2300 students and music fans turned up on Sept. 30 to watch Jimmy Eat World rock University of Redlands’ Fall Fest. Held at the outdoor Greek Theater, the event featured a half dozen opening acts throughout the afternoon.
Midnight to Twelve, an average NuMetal group from Alabama that has toured with Joan Jett and Buckcherry, recalled Papa Roach and Evanescence at times. “King of Spain” had a Rage Against the Machine-styled sonic attack. They even segued one song into a snatch of Rage’s “Bulls on Parade.”
The Higher performed to an indifferent crowd. The Las Vegas pop/punk combo turned in an upbeat, thoroughly enjoyable set featuring several songs heard on its latest Epitaph Records release “On Fire.” Among the highlights were a dramatic “Our Movie Rules,” with Cure keyboard atmospherics, the brief “Histrionics,” danceable “Weapons Wired” and “Dark Pop” (a Justin Timberlake cover was appended to the latter tune).
Dropping Daylight went down well with the crowd. Hailing from Minneapolis, the band’s emocore songs (“Lucy,” “Brace Yourself”) were merely standard issue. “Apologies” did have a good melodic sense though.
As dusk approached, Jimmy Eat World got right down to business by opening the 65-minute, 16-song performance with current propulsive hit “Big Casino.” It was the first in a handful of tracks from upcoming CD “Chase the Light” that were previewed.
The dreamy, midtempo “Carry You” had frontman Jim Adkins on acoustic guitar and taped keyboards. Here, he sang the choked up lyrics, “I could never be the one that you want/Don’t ask.” Another new one, “Firefight,” was driven by the trademark frantic Jimmy Eat World sound.
Except for a couple comments (right before the concert’s end, Adkins looked at all the trees and exclaimed, “It’s great to be outside. In Arizona, you can’t go outside.”), the band basically let the music do the talking.
Their melodic alt-rock music packed quite a wallop. 2001’s self-titled platinum CD was well represented: “Get it Faster” (where Adkins and guitarist Tom Linton engaged in a great duel), an intense “Salt Sweat Sugar,” wailing “A Praise Chorus,” and the hits “Sweetness” and “The Middle.”
Plenty of selections from “Futures” made the set as well, notably the majestic “23,” insistent “Pain” and lurching title track. Fans danced around wildly and some young guys started a small mosh pit – sure signs that Jimmy Eat World is popular as ever.
More excerpts from my interview with Perry Farrell are below. Satellite Party performs Saturday at the Detour Festival in L.A. and Sunday at the Glass House in Pomona. "Ultra Payloaded" is now available on Farrell's own label, Bells Are Ringing.
Q: Have people been grooving out to songs from the new album on tour?
A: You know, I’m not only doing new stuff. I’m also doing Jane’s and Pornos stuff - going through all my catalog and mixing it up.
Q: So you’re not one of those artists who totally abandons their past when you start a new project. You embrace it.
A: Yeah, man. Why not? Those songs are great. They come off great live and that’s part of my repertoire.
Q: I caught your performance earlier this year at Coachella, where you seem to be a regular.
A: We only did one or two songs from Jane’s (there). I’ve been touring for 20 years, right? I can do stuff that worked for Jane’s and Pornos and put in new ones too and it slides right in there now. Goes down easy like an oyster [laughs].
Q: Where do the group of characters known as The Solutionists fit into the Satellite Party concept?
A: As I began to write the lyrics (for the album), they began to tell me a story. Really, it was about what’s going on today in the world of art and media and how it has become a level playing field...The Solutionists aren't waiting for Fox News to tell us what’s going on in the world. If we, the artists, get together through the strength of our creativity and tell people what’s going on, I think we’re going to turn heads.
Q: How did the song "Hard Life Easy," John and Flea from the Chili Peppers come about?
A: Flea was in the studio with me and I told him what I wanted to do with the music, how I wanted to market and distribute the music and put this live show together. He was just hanging out with me, having a sandwich in my garage... I told him, I’d do everything by myself, which is what I’m doing. I’ve got my own label now. The frontier for real musicians – not pop musicians; people that play music – is a new world. I think by the next year, you’ll see the entire record industry on it's flipside.
Q: The lush sound of "Awesome," where you almost sound like Bowie, is a highlight of "Ultra Payloaded."
A: It’s about the birth of my son and obviously my beautiful wife. I think I’ll begin recording another body of music in November. It won’t be like the last time. I’m just going to record for a month, then get back out on the road. Keep things vital. It’s important for real musicians to constantly be out on the road and recording. I think it has to happen simultaneously. There’s no such thing as a record cycle in my mind. I can’t use that system at all. Maybe a pop person can do that. For me, the most important thing is, coming out and playing in the flesh and blood to the people and at the same time, having material I can distribute to them digitally.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: Wait until you see our party, it’s fantastic!
Note: the audio isn't quite in synch with the video on this, but it's a good overview of the band. -GP
When you see Editors live, you're amazed at how lead guitarist makes all those squalling sounds look effortless. Then there's Tom Smith, who can barely contain his energy long enough to stay at the microphone stand. The singer/guitarist will often fling himself across the stage while playing a counterpoint riff.
A few weeks ago, I got to watch firsthand, when the British alt-rock band did an all-too-brief half-hour set at Street Scene. Here is a Q&A from my brief chat with Smith backstage at Coors Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.
Q: The new CD "An End Has a Start" debuted at No. 1 back home. Were you pleased with the early reception?
A: Yeah. You don’t expect it. The last record got to No. 2. It’s amazing.
Q: Do you think that chart placing was a direct result of all your constant touring?
A: Yeah. The first record purely went over from word of mouth. It didn’t start high early on and peter off; it built gradually and got more in line with the old fashioned way of doing it. We built that fan base, so we knew when we came out with a new record, ideally we’d built something solid.
Q: Before Coachella 2006, Chris told me you came to prominence in the U.K. by keeping your integrity intact and not selling yourselves out to the press. Do you think that has helped the perception of Editors in the eyes of fans?
A: I think we’re seen as a good, honest, hard-working band who is hopefully trying to do it the right way. The music industry is so full of (garbage).
Q: Flavors of the week.
A: Exactly. For that reason, we’ve done it as much as we can on our own terms.
Q: The band just did the summer festivals in Europe. How were V and T in the Park for you this year?
A: V was really good, but T in the Park was amazing. We were in the tent and 10 minutes before we went onstage, they shut it and said it was full to capacity. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a gig in Scotland, but the crowds up there are totally enthusiastic, singing every word, every note and guitar line at you. The whole tent was jumping. I’ll never forget that; it was amazing.
Q: What was it like working with Jackknife Lee, who has done stuff for Snow Patrol and U2?
A: We worked with him very briefly on the first record. He produced one song that made it to the American version. He really wanted to do it with us. We weren’t sure to start with. We tried him out again and once we got to know him, we realized we’d taken our band somewhere we wanted to go…he has an amazing way of describing sounds using words and expressions that don’t make sense to start. But after two months in the studio with him, you kind of get in tune with what he’s going on about. He makes amazing modern sounding rock records. And he pulled it out of us.
Q: Whose idea was it to use the string arrangements on a couple tracks?
A: We said from the start that we must get some strings on this record. Generally, we wanted to add more colors to our sound. That meant strings and a choir, a piano here and there, other instruments.
Q: You’ve said that death played a role of many of the lyrics this time out. How did you counterbalance the music so the songs wouldn’t be gloomy?
A: I think we naturally do that. Especially on this album. We’ve always tried to make music that’s uplifting and has some kind of sense of spiritual, rewarding feel. They’re not 10 funeral marches. They’re uplifting, alive rock songs of hope. Yeah, some of them deal with death. Even when the lyrics do go with that, there is some kind of redemption and always looking for that light at the end of the tunnel. It comes across in some of the lyrics. The last record was seen as kind of gloomy lyrically, but I think we still make authentic, uplifting songs.
Q: Last time I caught you live, back in Aug. 2006 at Avalon Hollywood, you did a Talking Heads cover. How do you go about choosing remakes?
A: It comes very last minute and naturally. There isn’t too much discussion. Every now and again you have to do one for something.
Q: And you just did The Cure’s “Love Song” was the 40th Anniversary of Radio One FM.
A: Yeah. With the Talking Heads, we did an acoustic version and it grew from that into a live thing. (Touring off) the first record, some of those sets – you play for an hour and you have an album that’s 40 minutes long. It gets tricky.
Q: Notice any changes since Epic partnered with the Fader label to put out the CD?
A: It’s too soon. I hope we’re going to spend a lot of time here with this record. We’re fully aware that it doesn’t happen overnight here and it takes hard work. We’re prepared to do that.
Q: Although Editors have been compared to Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, you and Chris have said you really weren’t aware of them when you made the first album. Did you guys go and look into their music out of curiosity?
A: The Bunnymen were the one band that we really went back and discovered. We listened to them a lot in the recording of this record. Those first four records they made are still unbelievable. The way they’re arranged; different sounds sonically. Joy Division, not so much. I don’t know. I find it hard to get into that band. Obviously, we know they’re amazing and know the popular songs. But we couldn’t sit down with a Joy Division fan and have a discussion about their work because we would feel ignorant.
L.A. alt-rock band Born as Ghosts, featuring actor Eric Balfour ("24"), appears at The Vibe in Riverside tomorrow. Admission is $8. The club is located at 1805 University Ave. More info: myspace.com/disasterbooking, (909) 518-5010.
