Future Blues...Gil Scott-Heron

Popular's Album of the Week

Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here


Heard and loved it...Gil Scott Heron famously said "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" pure genius! This amazing album is out now, courtesy of XL Recordings.

And if you’re willing to give those guys your email address, you can download a FREE MP3 right now...

Elaine

Popular interview Crocodiles

The 'Crocodiles' are a band that are constantly compared to ‘Echo & The Bunnymen’, that is because they do sound a bit like ‘Echo & The Bunnymen’. Rather than hide the profound effect that this influence has had on their own music their name pays an overt homage to their
heros.

Just before their gig at 'The Victoria' Popular conducted a roof top interview that is devoid
of any mention of Echo & The Bunnymen, focusing instead on far more pressing issues such as Football hooligans, pirate radio stations and Harvey Milk...

When asked how their UK tour was going the 'Crocodiles' concluded that
it had been fun despite the poor turnout at their gigs. Their Manchester gig had consisted of only 5 burly Mancunians who apparently did not hold back with their constructive criticism of the performance..

‘They where like you need to work on your guitar, your a good front
man but you need to work on your guitar…’

Luckily the gig at the Victoria was pretty heaving and there weren't
overly assertive, well-stacked Northerners to be seen. I often make the naïve assumption that all the bands who are from California must be from L.A. They are not…these guys are from San Diego. There’s also the assumption that the Californian music scene is all sunny, surf-y and The OC , but is that the case?

'We come from a really small town….(the music scene) Is healthier now than its been for a long time theres probably no more than 100 people into the stuff we’re into…culturally its lacking…probably like 5 or 10 cool bands…noone has more then 100 people at a show…the only bands that get really big in San Diego are really crappy blues bands and cheesy hard rocker, white reggae stuff’…

So maybe its not really worth a visit? Where in California should you go in search of the sights and smells?

'You should go to San Francisco it’s the biggest city in California…its really 'East Coast' and what I mean by that is that the West Coast is much younger than the East Coast is and the East Coast
is culturally a lot more exciting….LA sucks, its completely plastic I mean there’s some cool underground stuff going on but its probably pretty hard to find…unless you know people…

And finally, what do you think to ‘the London music scene', any stuff you like?

'Graffiti Island' and 'Pens' who are London based we did a
Westcoast tour with them…they where great…'

Popular Interview Late Of The Pier

We caught up with Late Of The Pier's Faley (Francis Dudley Dance) when he DJ'ed at The Social Club in gay Paris

Popular-What Late Of The Pier record is guaranteed to get the best reception at a gig?

Faley-As a band its probably bathroom gurgle because probably the most popular, space in the woods use to be the most popular but recently with shows 'Bathroom Gurgle' seems to be the one we always play it at the end, and everyone goes 'uuuuuuuhhhh yeh I know this one fuckin ell like'

Popular-What about when you DJ like here tonight?

Faley-When I DJ I don't have a fucking clue, coz I'm not a fucking DJ, I mean I do DJ I have 2 decks and CD mixer, I DJ for myself. I don't really DJ that often to be honest but the only songs you can ever play which are guaranteed to play out and everyone goes 'fucking ell that's incredible' is Daft Punk. Just because they are fucking hell incredible and everyone knows its just pure pop but amazing dance music.

Popular-Favourite city in the world and why?

Faley-Berlin…the first time I ever went there was last year or two years ago and I expected it to be kind of really harsh and and cold, but its twice as chilled out as Amsterdam, everyone kinda just moves at their own speed of life, and the speed of life seems to move to Minimal Techno. It's a really strange thing minimal has never really kicked off in the UK in a big way like it has there. The thing with Germany its not like a music you listen to or DJ its almost a way of life, art and minimal music go hand in hand…a lot of the artist I know over there do very much minimal art it all fits in hand in hand very much take your time, do what you want its all at a certain tempo BPM, life runs at a different speed there its just beautiful.

Popular- We talked earlier before about whether decent electronic music only emanates from Europe and you spoke about Japan (earlier being before the interview)

Faley-Japan yeh there's a lot of weird crazy electronic stuff coming from there
But yeh to be honest most of the electronic music I listen to comes from…Buts to be honest there's 14000 kids in the UK making amazing electronic music, but you've just not heard them because they're 16 yr old kids in their room making it for themselves they're making it for the sake of making music, and for what they like, they are not trying to make it big or anything…and for that reason they haven't got picked up by major record companies and for that reason you don't know them and they've not got massive and they haven't been spread all over the world

Popular-What sort of sounds have an influence over what you do?

Faley-Late 90s house music from france, even early 90s house, absolutely amazing.been a massive influence to me, not so much the rest of the band, but I really do fucking love it, just like good feeling good happy electronic music

Popular-How important is aesthetic image to the band? To the band yes definitely, we all believe that image is part of it…if you step on stage and you look like a group of kind of boys next door its not gonna go down as well. All the greatest pop icons that you can think of everyone from daft punk to Kylie Minogue all have that solid image which makes them almost inhuman…so you cant touch.

….but to be honest personally I don't actually give a fuck, honestly I've been so unselfconscious about all that all my life, I'm the sort of kid who was bullied in school for having long hair, which has just made me be like, I don't give a fuck I'm gonna dress how I want. I'm gonna do it how I want and that's all that matters. For me personally music is about music and when you see it live it's about the music that they play and the energy and how you feel. Admittedly,how you look in costumes becomes a part of that energy..But again for me personally if I saw kinda four kids get on stage, play the music we make and they did just look like kids from like down the road, real scummy kids…I'd be so much more impressed than if they all stepped up on stage and they were all wearing the kitsch like American Apparel…oh fuck I'm wearing an American Apparel T- shirt. Shit..

Popular- ha ha

Faley-No it was given to me, part of our video I turned up and they were like free t-shirts. Image. I don't give a fuck, its about the music..i'm a skinny long haired kid nothing looks good on me…

Popular- How do you formulate a track as a band, what are roles that are played out whilst formulating it? Do you have a concept in mind before or does it just come to you?

Faley-9 times out of ten it's the lead singer Sam, basically he's a musical freak, I could say prodigy but that just sounds like I'm blowing coke up his arse..I mean he is honestly a really really talented musician, for the soul fact that when everyone else was at school, going out getting drunk and whatever he was at home hulled up in his room and was making tunes on 'Fruit Loops' or like playing around with synths or guitars or base or drums that his dad has left him, usually its him, he'll come over and he'll be like yeh I've made this track and we'll all listen to it you know and go fucking hell that's incredible. Its usually like very electronica based because its built on 'Fruit Loops', and then we basically try and take it and turn it into a band song..there have been a lot of exceptions , as with 'random film', 'mad dog' where its been ideas he's had and we've just jammed and played it live until it formulates itself into a song, but usually its not actually a fucking song, its just a group of ideas put together and then when you play it if people are like 'oh I like that' for instance bathroom gurgle was about three ideas chucked together that never really worked but as we played it live it actually became something on its own, it's a really strange thing..

also Sam makes a lot of remixes and his own electonic tracks..under the name of 'LA priest'..and I'd say some of the tracks from the album have defiantly taken an influence from that..taking Electonica and relating it to instruments..

we use old synths, base guitars from 84, guitars from the 80s early 90s..all the syths are from the 80s…all the instruments are from the 80s! I don't have a fucking clue! We just do what we do and see what happens..if people pick up on it then eh...

....especially with the lyrics it's a massive part Sam's written some fucking deep lyrics..if you look at space in the woods its so funny I've read a lot of reviews that write it off like 'Oh yeh its some Emo teenage angst' 'its like suicide was in my blood it always was'..but if they actually listened to it its more about the deep philosophical side of man against earth and space..and how one is all the same.. but yeh everyones like 'uuuhhhh teenage angst fuck off' there is hell of a lot more thought that goes into it than people first pick up on, and sometimes people can read into it in completely different ways….

Popular- And finally something a bit topical….Do you think the worlds gonna end?

Faley-The world or the human race? The human race…yes but not in our lifetime, maybe our kids…

Popular- Well what do you plan to do about this?

Faley-The end of the world? Well I could say..travel forward in time and tell everyone to chill out but no one would listen to me they'd be like who the fucks this skinny cunt…?

Popular interview Simiam Mobile Disco

Name one thing that has had a colossal influence on your sound?

We made our records to play in clubs basically every single thing did we just wanted to play out on a weekend and get people to dance….I suppose clubs..

How do you see yourselves progressing musically in the next year?

We never really think or plan what we do ….listening to a lot of Space Disco and Vitalic and stuff like that at the minute I probably wanna make tunes like that, it might change when I finally get round to making a record which is not gonna be till next year.

In terms of a venue, who would you say plugged you the most?

Loyalty would probably be at 'Fabric'….in London…we owe a lot to them…probably one of the best venues in the world!

What was the first album you remember buying? Don’t lie!

It might have been a Now 24…or something (hides head in shame but then quickie regains composure) ummm but the first album I remember was Revolver by the Beetles.


Mystery Jets 2009 interview

Popular caught up with Blaine from the Mystery Jets for a quick interview…

Popular- What have you been up to lately?

Blaine-Well I've been painting….and uhhhhhhh watching ballet…….been re inventing the wheel (adopting an accent from 'The Importance of Being Ernest')…..We've been…uhhhh..bringing our art back to is fundamental elements...and reconstructing it. In the most...pretentious way possible.

Popular-Last time we did an interview William told us about a band called the 'Hallelujah Chicken Run Band'…they're great…you got anymore recommendations we can juice out of you?

Blaine-Do you want some cutting edge shit?!
The most recent thing that I bought was a record released on Analogue Africa which is a German reissues label.....Of a band called Green Arrows......It's a 70's Afro Beat Zimbabwean funk band

Popular-okay i'm satisfied with the obscurity whether or not there is any truth in it….

Blaine- William just distracted you.....William go away!.....we're trying to do an interview...

Blaine- 'Green Arrows' other people hmmmm.....i'd like to talk about a couple of bands that we've been on tour with us 'Stricken City' http://www.myspace.com/strickencity..really good band…

Popular- Alright…what about books…anything you've recently read that has particularly stuck in you mind?

Blaine –Hmmmmm...Okay the last book I read was called 'Kill your friends' by John Niven. But William…ask William about books…William's the one who knows about books….(William wanders over)

Blaine- (Goading William) Lets have some edgy author….lets throw some edgy authors out there....

William-BLAINE SHUT UP.

Blaine- Ellen this interview so far…no ground has been covered, lets cover some ground....Let me ask the questions, I'll ask the questions…..(Blaine takes the crumpled up piece of paper and asks himself a question) Right...

'Really liked the art work on the Twenty One album, does anything visually inspire you to make a track?'

We're definitely visually inspired I mean.... i wouldn't like to say we're an art school band or anything but both myself and William went to art school...and I think that when we were making our previous record Twenty One, we got to a point where we had all the songs but we weren't sure what kind of identity the record would go on to possess. Once we found the art work (Natro Alegros photography) we really thought about the record in respect of 'coming of age, and falling in love for the first time and having your heart broken...I really think that with his photography (Natro Alegros) that was when we really finalised the ideas. So I'd say yeh we are visually inspired... i don't necessarily know if images inspire the song but ..i think perhaps they're kind of like mental images that brought the album together…the running order and all that....

Popular- How do you go about composing or laying down a track?

I think when we write there's a bunch of different things sometimes i'll sit down and i'll have an idea... I'll just write a melody and some lyrics and let the band do the rest and you know William writes and when he writes it he does it in a very open ended way which allows the band to create their own paths… which I think is kind of how I see this album happening. As writers i think our job is to lay down what the song is trying to say and then allow the band to explain the message in a sonic way..

Popular- Do you have an agenda, of how you want people to think or feel when they listen to a song?

Blaine- Yeh of course...I mean i think you know songs should inspire, thoughts and I'd hate for our music to just be. I think we want to create music that inspires thought...and some kind of reaction you know...reactionary music I think is what we've wanted to always to do...

Popular-Do you feel that being in 'the band' has ever in anyway hindered you…as in do you feel in anyway that doing this has stopped you from doing anything that you might have done otherwise?

Blaine- I think the bands been a really good kind of platform for us to create some kind of reaction with our songs and I think that whether its this band or any band, what we all want is to inspire ideas and do it through our music. I mean if you were to say to me 'what are you trying to say with your music?' I couldn't say but I think with every song has its place, was born…its got its own ideas about what its saying

Popular- I guess if a song has the ability to move someone then that's an achievement in itself…

Blaine- Absolutely. I'd like to kind of take words out of peoples mouths...perhaps feelings that people have felt...but have never really found the words to say, you know try and find the words to say....and put it across in a language that people can understand...

Popular-Kate (one of my friends who is suppose to be here)wanted to ask about Astoria the closing gig...about how you lot felt about playing that?

Blaine- i think for us it was a tremendous privilege to play, I saw my first ever gig at Astoria..in about 96 a band called Japan a kind of weird new wave band from the 80s they reformed with a different singer. I didn't really know who they were at the time either but it was just ingrained in my memory as my first live musical experience and I've always thought back to that. It was so loud! And the lights were fucking blinding, it kinda of inspired me to put a band together and play live gigs.
We played at the Astoria 5 times we where privileged to be asked.. And the last gig there that we played was amazing, we only played 3 songs, but on the last night it ever opened its doors…to be invited to do that......

TOP TEN'S OF THE LAST DECADE

Elaine's Top Ten of the Decade

1. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2. M.I.A - Arular
3. The Maccabes - Colour it In
4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
5. Battles - Mirrored
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show your Bones
7. The Rapture - Echoes
8. N.E.R.D - In Search of
9. Four Tet - Everything Ecstatic
10. Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner


Leon's top 10 list of the Decade

1. At the Drive In - Relationship of Command (2000)
2. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
3. Coldplay - Parachutes (2000)
4. The Libertines - Up The Bracket (2002)
5. Interpol - Turn on the Brightlights (2002)
6. The Streets - Original Pirate Material (2002)
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell (2003)
8. Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams (2006)
9. Phoenix - Alphabetical (2004)
10. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
Bonus Album: The XX - X (2009)


Lou's (WILD PALMS) Top Ten list of the Decade

TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Sigur Ros - Takk
The Fall - Fall Heads Roll
Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Grinderman - Grinderman
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
Battles - Mirrored

(bonus album. Campag Velocet - Voice or Exit)


James' (WILD PALMS) Top Ten list of the Decade

1. Battles./ Mirrored.
2. The Knife./ Deep Cuts.
3. Gang Gang Dance./ Saint Dymphna.
4. Maps./ We Can Create.
5. Tom Vek./ We Have Sound.
6. Antony And The Johnsons./ I Am A Bird Now.
7. Celebration./ Celebration.
8. Portishead./ Third.
9. Bjork./ Volta
10. yeah fuck it. The XX./ X.


Ellen's Top Ten list of the Decade

1.Twice As Nice Vol.1: Mixed By DJ Spoony/Steve Sutherland
2. Pure Garage IV 2001


George's Top Ten list of the Decade

1. The Maccabees - Wall of Arms
2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
3. Beach House - Beach House
4. Phoenix - Wolf Gang Amadeus Phoenix
5. Good Shoes - Good Shoes
6.The XX - The XX
7. The Maccabees - Colour it in
8. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
9. Mystery Jets - 21
10. Golden Silvers - True Romance