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Birdmonster entered bloggers' and critics' consciousness in October of last year on the strength of a self-released EP that, with its brash Springsteen-meets-Fugazi aesthetic, opened doors to high profile supporting slots with the likes of Art Brut, Sound Team, Catfish Haven, and Division Day, not to mention the type of buzz that forces Pitchfork to wallow in its limitations as a credible source for anything.

The San Francisco quartet's storied live shows and unique D.I.Y. sensibility very much paved that road, but, as they revealed last month on an eerie Dallas night, Birdmonster's true ambitions are focused on the songs and an ever-growing sonic palette.

This week, Birdmonster's Peter Arcuni and David Klein sit down to discuss their just-released debut long player, No Midnight, and how the experience of communicating their live energy on that record whet the band's appetite to develop their studio sound and the burgeoning songwriting methodologies that will shape their sophomore effort.

The Birdmonster Beauty Bar photo and more by Chad Wadsworth.

Mp3: Birdmonster - "'Cause You Can"

Mp3: IndieInterviews podcast

On a sweltering Friday evening in June, Barry Hyde of UK quartet, The Futureheads, kindly invited me into the band's well-equipped (and air conditioned) tour bus to escape, well, the summer and the throngs encircling Dallas' Gypsy Tearoom.

"How can you possibly stand this heat?" he asked as we sat down.

"I can't," I remarked.

When we sat down, Hyde, the Futureheads' frontman and chief songwriter, cut right to the chase and thoughtfully unraveled the executional and philosophical approaches to the songs and harmonies on their just-released News and Tributes LP, exhaustively contrasting their latest effort with their critically-acclaimed eponymous debut.



Assessing the Futureheads' rise -- and his scorn for their former label, Warner Brothers -- Hyde generously shed light on the inner-workings of a band that began, as he will admit, with few and simple expectations.

If there ever was any uncertainty about their rise, Hyde et al affirmed his confidence, and the audience's high expectations, pushing the limits, lengths, and structures of their crafty cache of songs for almost two hours. It was an impressive set and, for your host, at least, the show dutifully proved why the Futureheads have garnered such praise from a growing network of famous friends, influential publications, bloggers, hipsters, and the rest.

Downloadable PDF of Episode 41: The Futureheads

Download Podcast of Episode 41: The Futureheads

Over the last two years, The Long Winters have quickly become one of my all-time favorite groups. The pop songs have crisp and precise production paired with articulate and emotionally insightful lyrics. If possible, I could sit for hours talking with frontman John Roderick about his songs and the ingredients that make these records truly incredible.  

Through a series of e-mail exchanges, Roderick has answered some highly specific questions concerning lyrics off the new record.  Putting the Days to Bed will be released July 25th on Barsuk Records.

I have placed the lyrics in the order they appear on the record. Enjoy.

Track 1: "Pushover" - "Unkind girlish walk, like a deed to the world without the talk"

JR: Well... you know there are some coquettish walks, some flabbergastingly captivating gaits, which cross the line. They aren't innocent, they're wielded like a flaming sword, and they have the power to own a man for a period. That doesn't mean they're a force for good in the world.
(MP3)


Track 3: "Teaspoon" - "You weighed your suitcase down, but it still wouldn't sink"

JR: This happens to all of us at one point or another. We have a small suitcase worth of stuff, thoughts, feelings, recent events, that we would give anything to just sink to the bottom of the sea, but it's always that suitcase that refuses to go down. You can't just leave it floating there, so you have to take the damn thing home again.


Track 4: "Hindsight" - "I'm baling water and baling water 'cause I like the shape of the boat"

JR: I'm afraid that this lyric is already perfectly self-explanitory. When I say it's self-explanatory I'm not trying to be difficult, it's just to me nothing could be clearer than a lyric like that. It's a lyric about the small-scale, almost charming, tendency we all have toward self-destruction. If we weren't humans, if we were able to judge like computers or Vulcans, the only logical criteria for a BOAT would be that it floats without leaking. How it looks couldn't be less relevant to how it functions. Our humanity is revealed by our love for lost causes, for three-legged dogs and rusted-out "classic" cars, and there's something pathetic about us for that reason. The same eye that loves art and music will plunge us into buying a house with a cracked foundation, while a perfectly solid, and cheaper, house next door is rejected for being not as "cute". I celebrate this quality in people; it's what makes us interesting, and lovable, and individual, even if it means that we're doomed, somewhat. Why be in a relationship with someone? For love, comfort, support and encouragement. How many of us are in relationships that provide none of those things, but which we fight for against all odds?


Track 5: "The Sky Is Open" - "My propeller tries to find the air"

JR: Overtly, this is meant literally: the pilot is so high up and the air is so thin that his propellor is cleaving into the ragged edge of a vacuum. Indirectly it refers to the propellor in each of us which is always chewing up the air, taking us higher, hungry for sky.


Track 7: "Clouds" - "False prophesy doesn't mean prophesies are true"

JR: I'm continually amazed at how easy it is for people to recognize and laugh at the preposterous aspects of every religion but their own.


Track 8: "Rich Wife" - "So tell me, is your high horse getting a little hard to ride -- and your little bit on the side getting harder to find"

JR: You can be a snotty little brat all you want when you're twenty-five, but the day you turn twenty-seven you start to notice your friends don't think it's so cute anymore.


Track 9: "Ultimatum" - "Crave translates into slave, No-one can harness the rain, And I can make myself into rain,You feel me on your cheek, And on your sleeve"

JR: When you're in love it's very easy to start ascribing supernatural powers to your lover. "How can they make me feel like I'm about to explode, yet they seem so unperturbed?" I have felt so strongly about so

Before his recent Dallas show, I had the chance to pull Red aside for an expansive interview and an impromptu recording session, which resulted in two single-mic performances of some of his most beloved songs, "Red Sun" from Peter and the Wolf and Adventure from MTV2's Wonder Showzen.
Red Hunter isn't like most musicians I've talked with over the last year. Maybe that's because he's so willing to ponder, detail, even perform, his many diverse interests. He will tell you about playing shows in graveyards and dressing up like a Vet for a case study in audience reaction.  He will tell you about jokingly suggesting he and a peer tour in a sailboat.  He will cite Chomsky and address the perils of media propaganda and,
in a twist, tie it all -- and convincingly so -- to independent music. He will offer perspectives, ideas, and insights that only hint at why he's one of the more compelling figures in underground music

Peter and the Wolf - Red Sun (IndieInterviews) (mp3)

Red Hunter - Adventure (Wonder Showzen cover) (Indie Interviews exclusive mp3)

Upcoming Peter and the Wolf Dates
7.06 San Diego, Scolari's Office
7.07 Los Angeles, The Echo
7.08 Los Angeles, Il Corral
7.09 San Francisco, Hotel Utah
7.12 Portland, Towne Lounge
7.13 Seattle, S.S. Marie Antoinette
7.14 Victoria BC, Orange Hall
7.15 Vancouver BC Pat's Pub
7.18 Seattle, live on KAOS at 9pm
7.20 Salt Lake City, Vagabond
7.21 Denver, Rhinoceropolis
7.22 Omaha, O'Leavers
7.23 Lincoln, Chatterbox
7.24 Ames, The Practice Space
7.25 Iowa City, The Hall Mall
7.26 Columbia, Ragtag
7.27 Columbia, Live on KOPN at 3pm
7.27 St. Louis, The Ground Floor
7.28 Chicago, Logan Square
7.31 Ypsilanti, Banana Tina
8.02 Kutztown, GoodVibes
8.03 Charlottesville, Tea Bazaar
8.04 Baltimore, Talking Head
8.05 Philly, Avant Gentlemen's Lodge
8.09 Portsmouth, Chutney Flatz
8.10 Portland, Strange Maine
8.11 Montreal, Green Room
8.12 Toronto, Tranzac
8.13 Rochester, The Bug Jar
8.14 Kingston, KMOCA
8.15 Northampton, Gallery THINK
8.17 Boston, P.A.'s Lounge
8.18 NYC, Goodbye Blue Monday

This week, British MC Mike Skinner of The Streets, sits down with your host, Garrison Reid, to discuss his private imprint, The Beats, and various other business flirtations, the essence of American rap culture, and the relative disparities in courting women at home and abroad. In addition, we've taken the podcast and brought it to new life in a downloadable PDF filled with the text of the interview and amazing photos taken at The Streets Austin tour date by Chad Wadsworth. As we've hit podcast 40, we're looking for some feedback. What have been some of your favorites so far? What are your thoughts on the new transcription feature? Hasn't the audio quality improved in the last 11 months? Feel free to leave your thoughts within the comments section.

Download Audio: Episode 40: The Streets



Downloadable PDF of Episode 40

Visit Chad Wadsworth's Flickr

On the eve of the release of their highly anticipated Capitol Records debut, "Movie Monster," Sound Team's Matt Oliver and Sam Sanford discuss, among other things, the band's rigorous approach to multimedia filtration and typographic design, their give-and-take collaboration with famed indie producer, Mike McCarthy, and their multi-pronged songwriting aesthetic.

Full Downloads from Movie MonsterSound Team - Movie MonsterSound Team - Your Eyes Are Liars


Stream the Born to Please video clip.(Broadband)
(Dial-up)

Previous Sound Team IndieInterviews Bill Baird from early August 2005
"My friend's band is" by Sam Sanford
"The new record I'm into is" by Sam Sanford
"My favorite city to play in is" by Sam Sanford
"Explains 'Your Eyes Are Liars" by Sam Sanford
"If I could ask" by Sam Sanford