interv. w/ phosphorescent

Magnet writes up a piece about Matthew Houck and his band Phosphorescent. He’s releasing an album of Willie Nelson covers. This confirms the rumblings I’ve heard of Americana bands in Brooklyn. Good interview, though.
The best: “I think doing cover songs is a way to sort of just play, and not worry so much about an artistic statement or anything like that. Just enjoying playing music, you know?”-Matthew Houck in Magnet

Vid of live performance of “Right now I am a-roaming” after the jump.

interv. w/ propagandhi

B/c of my past connex, I love REAX magazine. And here’s a good piece with Propagandhi, the Canadian punk band whom actually I’m not that familiar. Which means I’ve been missing the boat for sure.

The best: “I think we’re just four guys in a band and the things we’re interested in, things we care about, people call those things activism, they call them politics…I don’t identify with being a political person or being identified as being an activist, but the things we do get ourselves wrapped up in are called those things.”–Chris Hannah, vocalist/guitarist of Propagandhi

interv. w/ mc lars

No doubt I’m a big fan of MC Lars, just got his new one–Gigantic Robot Kills in the mail. His cutting commentary about punk rock and other suburban pop topics is definitely needed. Good to see then a nat’l mag like URB is giving him some love with an interview. This is one of the few on-set, in-person interviews I’ve seen with him. (h/t Emotional punk).
And after the jump, a vid of Lars’ “Guitar Hero Hero” with a bunch of kids messing around.

The best: MC Lars: “Honestly, nerdcore to me is kind of a limited genre,” he professes. “There are all these kids now who sample Nintendo music and rap about how high school is boring, and that is so uninteresting to me. It’s hip-hop in that people are talking about their lives, but the problem with nerdcore is that it’s a joke.”

interv. w/ the pains of being pure at heart

really, i don’t get it with this band, but i will give them credit for having the most pretentious indie rock name on the planet. that alone should give them good pub.
The best: Peggy-”However, the first song my guitar teacher made me learn how to play was “Achy Breaky Heart”! To his credit, there are only two chords in that song…I think they are G and C.” (From Pop Tarts Suck Toasted)

interview w/ The Bronx

Punk News did a stellar interview w/ Joby Ford of The Bronx that includes a funny story about GNR and Converses. When they were on tour with As I Lay Dying, I ran into them in the chinese restaurant next to my place of business. I skipped that show, and have been kicking myself ever since.
The best: It’s not just bands that are having a tough time. It’s everybody. It’s definitely not like a sob story, like “Woe is me.” No, this is a choice that we made as five people, that this is what we want to do with our lives, and so that’s what we’re doing. What comes of it comes of it. I don’t know, I’ve worked corporate jobs and it almost killed me…Being happy is more important than being rich.

interv. w/ titus andronicus

When it rains, it pours. First, the first-person of the Los Campesinos!/Titus Andronicus show, now here’s an excellent Titus Andronicus interview from Aversion. That one guitarist dude is always wearing a plaid shirt. It’s like his blanky, I guess.

The best: “You know, it’s kind of like the evolution of species. Traits become emphasized over time. I guess the punk influence on what we now today call indie music has been diluted over the years, for better or for worse. People try to seem to try and choose one or the other. We would prefer to have them both if we can.”–Patrick Stickles (From Aversion)

interv. w/ Jay Reatard

From the AV Club. Don’t see a lot of interviews with Jay Reatard, and this one was pretty forthcoming about song processes and a new album.

…more of “the wire” interviews: michael k. williams

michael k. williams interview via The AV Club (who is turning out excellent stuff these days). Talks about Omar never cursing, and the overall arc of The Wire story.