First Look/Listen: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, "Downtown"

Is it too early to declare this song/video of the year? Loving Eric Nally's chorus. And Kool Moe Dee getting some love!

And Ken Griffey Jr.?

Too awesome.

First Look: The Final Girls

OMG! It's like a horror movie version of Teen Beach Movie!



All kidding aside, this looks freaking awesome!

Kim Shattuck: The Culture Brats Interview

Last week, Omnivore Recordings released a remastered edition of The Muffs' debut album, which also contains ten bonus tracks. We caught up with Muffs singer Kim Shattuck to discuss the debut album, the excellent new Omnivore reissue, The Pandoras, the Pixies, the five songs that define The Muffs, and "Kids In America."

What made you decide to do a resissue of your debut album now?
Actually, we just got asked. It's not like it's a significant anniversary or anything. When Omnivore presented it to us, it sounded really cool. And they're tied into Warner Brothers, so it wasn't like just anybody was doing it.

In the liner notes, Ronnie Barnett mentioned that there may have been too many cooks in the studio during the recording...
Oh my God, that's even an understatement. Everyone seemed to have a say. Everyone. Seriously, even people walking by when we were picking mixes. It was super horrible. It was not a good way to operate a band. Everyone should get a say, but not everyone should get a say at the same time. The person deciding should probably be the producer and not everybody. It was very frustrating. It pretty much formed the way I ran the band the rest of the time.

So how much of that album was your vision, given that everyone had an input?
The songs were songs that I had been writing since 1988. The ones before '88 sucked. There was nothing good coming out of me until about '88. I got better and better at songwriting in my own opinion. I was like, "Ok, I can see this being a song. I can see a band playing this song."

The songs were the vision I had, but the collection of songs weren't necessarily the collection that I wanted it to be. That was more Warner Bros. having to do their A&R job. Some of the demos that I presented to them were rejected. When I listen to them again, I'm thinking, "Hmm, these are actually pretty good. I wonder why these got rejected."



He also said that you and he used to dismiss the album. Have you come to embrace it?
Now that it's remastered, yes! The mastering job was so terrible. In the past, I always blamed the mix. Bad mastering can make a good mix terrible. I knew I liked a lot of the songs, but I didn't like the recording of it. Now that I hear the remastered thing, I've changed my mind completely. I love it.

Let's talk about the previously unreleased demos. Were they recorded around the same time as the original album?
They were recorded pre-band. A lot of my demos were recorded around 1989 or 1990. That was pre-band.

I really like songs like "Do You Want Her" and "I Don't Expect It." What kept those from showing up on future albums?
I had forgotten about them completely. I did the demos and I put them away. They were rejected for some reason, I'm not even sure why. They kind of went on the back burner. Eventually, I got rid of my 4-track or it broke or something. I really had no way of listening to them. Part of the process of this Omnivore record was to go through the demos. They wanted to know if I had stuff and I thought, "You know, I do have stuff but I can't listen to it." So I went on eBay and I bought a new TASCAM and I listened to them like that. It was hard because it kept breaking down. I had to hit it like Fonzie to make it come back on.

The answering machine messages at the end of the album... Who's Dave?
Who's Dave? Dave was one of the co-producers of the album and also our co-A&R guy. We had two A&R guys, Rob Cavallo and Dave Katznelson. We decided to have both of them produce, even though Dave had never ever produced before and Rob had only produced one thing. I had never produced.

Does he know those messages are on the album?
He does. We reconnected with him. He's a super nice guy. This answering machine message came after the record was recorded and released. I was really mad at him and I didn't want to talk to him so he drunkenly called me up one night and tried to get me on the phone. He thinks it's funny. He has a really good sense of humor and he was like, "Yeah, put it out. It's funny."

I read on Facebook where you're working with Melanie Vammen again. What are you working on?
The Pandoras. We put The Pandoras back together with me obviously singing. We're not trying to do new songs, we're trying to do the old songs the way we remember them and the way we like them. Melanie and I hadn't worked together in forever, so we're excited to work together again. We've done some shows and we're about to go to Europe and do a big European tour, so that's what we're doing Pandoras-wise.

The Muffs recently did a string of dates in Spain. How did that go?
That was really fun! It was the most sweatiest time. Every club was super hot, super packed, super excited and fun.



Before the end, what was it like performing with the Pixies?
Before the very end? Actually, it was fun playing with the Pixies. It was really fun. Their crowds, the people that go see Pixies shows, are really into it. It was fun performing for those people. The behind the scenes stuff was a little bit awkward. Sometimes it was fun, but sometimes it was awkward. I feel like it was a good experience overall.

I've got one more question for you: what five songs do you feel define The Muffs?
I always pick my favorites, I don't know... I'm going to say "Sad Tomorrow," "From Your Girl," "Honeymoon," "Lucky Guy," and unfortunately or fortunately, "Kids In America," not even a song I wrote.

Were you involved in anything regarding the twentieth anniversary of the Clueless soundtrack?
We were asked to play on the VH1 morning show with Nick Lehee... Is that his name? Lahee? I don't know how you pronounce it.

The guy who was married to Jessica Simpson?
Yeah! It was his show. We played "Kids In America" on his show. We had to learn the song because we had never ever played it. We learned it and now we play it live sometimes. It was funny. We had never really considered playing it live. It was always a thorn in our side but we ended up doing it.

Why did you feel it was a thorn in your side?
The lyrics are really stupid. It's very embarrassing to sing them. I just had an attitude about it because I didn't write it. We play other cover sometimes... I don't know. It was just kind of weird and awkward for us to play it but once we started playing it, we realized people really enjoy seeing us play that song and the fact that we didn't really play it was kind of rebellious for no reason.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to talk with me today and I hope this reissue leads to further reissues down the road, too.
There are more coming down the pipe!

More Muffs: Facebook | Twitter

More Kim Shattuck: Facebook | Twitter

More Omnivore Recordings: Official | Facebook | Twitter

Seven Questions In Heaven With Skittish

Today we're spending Seven Questions In Heaven with Skittish's singer/songwriter/bandleader Jeff Noller!

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
Folk-rock, with thorns. Arcade Fire indie sensibilities with a literary writing style and a flair for the dramatic.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
Beatles, Radiohead, Bright Eyes, Trent Reznor, Paul Simon.

What was the first album, cassette, or CD you bought with your own money?
I think it was a Nirvana bootleg CD from Germany. Live performances and unreleased stuff. It was in a dingy little independant record shop in a strip mall. There's no replacing the feeling, smell, and sounds in those kinds of places. The iTunes store doesn't have quite the same vibe.



What was the strangest gig you've ever played?
A street fair in San Diego. I remember looking out from behind the microphone at one point and seeing a giraffe walk by. I've played plenty of venues, but rarely do you see a giraffe while playing.

What is your current favorite guilty pleasure?
The TV show Rick And Morty. Its great, but hours of watching a cartoon instead of doing something productive brings the guilt.

If they named an ice cream flavor after you, what would be the name and why?
SexyLexy. For when you want to go out and try to meet that special someone, but your social anxiety won't allow it. Its mostly made of whiskey and Lexapro, with a few Altoids sprinkled in for fresh breath.

Final question: You're the opening act of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five do you choose and what song do you all perform as the final jam?
Johnny Cash, The Doors, The Smiths, Radiohead, and The Beatles. After Jim Morrison passes out backstage in a drunken stupor and Morrissey storms off in a huff about some trumped-up travesty, the rest of us would gather on stage to sing "All You Need Is Love" with John Lennon in the middle.

More Skittish: Official | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp

Seven Questions In Heaven With SHEL

SHEL are sisters Sarah, Hannah, Eva, and Liza Holbrook. They were nice enough to spend Seven Questions In Heaven with us!

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
Eva: Our music is a journey, an exploration of moving sounds, so you hear classical and cinematic influences mixed with beatboxing, fiddle solos, raging drums, and thrashing mandolin.  Since we all sing, four-part harmony is a big part of our sound as well.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
SHEL: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Harry Nilsson, Bach, Chopin, Florence and the Machine, The Eurythmics, The Who, Imogene Heap, The Police.

What was the first album, cassette, or CD you bought with your own money?
Eva: The Police, Greatest Hits.



What was the strangest gig you've ever played?
Sarah: Our very first gig as young kids was a performance on vacuum cleaner pipes. Nothing's topped that for strange:) But the most nerve wracking is to play one of your songs while the bride walks down the aisle. You only get one shot. Talk about pressure!

What's the first thing you look for when you hit a new town?
Liza: A good spot for fresh fish tacos and a good drink.

What is your current favorite guilty pleasure?
Liza: "Don't Tell Em" by Jeremih. Also Oreos.

If they named an ice cream flavor after you, what would be the name and why?
Hannah: This actually happened!  An ice cream shop created a flavor to match our song "The Latest and Greatest Blueberry Rubber Band." It was blueberry flavored with blueberry licorice.  I didn't even get to taste it because it sold out so fast!  If we did it again, I'd pick some sort of vanilla/strawberry cheesecake/cotton candy flavor to match our song, "The Man Who Was The Circus."

Final question: You're the opening act of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five do you choose and what song do you all perform as the final jam?
Hannah: Best question EVER!    The Beatles, Sting, Ennio Morricone conducting the Boston Pops, Imogen Heap with her awesome vocalizing keytar, and John Mayer. And we'd jam out on Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks."

More SHEL: Official | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Seven Questions In Heaven With The Karma Killers

Today we're spending Seven Questions In Heaven with The Karma Killers' Micky James!

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
We consider our music as 'Night/Pop.' We blended a melting pot of our influences and infused them together to make what we feel comes across as 'Night/Pop' music.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
Our musical influences are very broad as a band. As for me, I am very influenced by The Beatles, David Bowie, Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Nirvana, The Strokes... the list is endless.

What was the first album, cassette, or CD you bought with your own money?
The first album I ever bought was when I was around 6 or 7 and it was the self titled Third Eye Blind record. Still until this day one of the most influential albums of my generation. I listen to that record as much as I can.



What was the strangest gig you've ever played?
The strangest gig I ever played was back in 2012 with The Karma Killers. It took place at some bake shop in Gillette, NJ. It was bizarre. It's hard to explain.

What's the first thing you look for when you hit a new town?
Clothing stores. Always.

If they named an ice cream flavor after you, what would be the name and why?
Vanilla. Cause it's fucking awesome.

Final question: You're the opening act of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five do you choose and what song do you all perform as the final jam?
Queen, INXS, Nirvana, The Doors, and The Rolling Stones. We would close the show out with Bohemian Rhapsody. It would be absolutely magical.

More Karma Killers: Official | Facebook | Twitter

What Makes Taylor Swift A Star?

Recently, I saw Taylor Swift perform and as the more than two-hour show progressed I was struck with a stunning thought: how does a girl with very limited singing ability, and even more limited dancing ability, sell out a 45,000-seat baseball stadium two nights in a row?

I don't mean to hate on Ms. Swift. She seems like a nice person, and obviously I forked over the cash to see her, so I must be a fan. She is currently in the midst of her 1989 World Tour, to support its namesake album that has sold more than 5 million copies to date in the US, a feat unheard of in an era where people would rather listen to albums for free, or maybe a small monthly subscription on Spotify. Not even Beyoncé is moving those kind of units.

I saw her show at the Nationals Park in DC and as I stood there watching her perform, I started to think a lot about the importance of the ever elusive x-factor. Vocally, it's not that Swift sounded terrible she sang on key the whole time. It's just it was nothing to write home about, I would say she is a good as a random high cool student who practices for a few weeks before the big spring recital. A friend of my later suggested poor acoustics could have been the reason for the less than strong singing, so who knows? Dancing wise, well she didn't dance per se. It was more fast-paced walking, and poses that inferred dancing. Yet still the audience was raptured.

So how could this be? I would say the x-factor, a nearly indefinable thing that makes a person interesting, so interesting that you want to spend your hard earned money on concert tickets, merchandise or their albums.

This same quality would explain how fellow pop star Britney Spears, whose Vegas residency show I saw earlier this year, can sit down on some steps, look bored, wait for the CD version of a song she recorded when she was a teenager to start and mouth along YouTube "Lucky" and "Piece of Me," and you'll see what I'm talking about. Yet Spears has one of the most successful shows on the strip, and its run has been extended multiple times.

The importance of the x-factor was very apparent even during the sets of the opening acts for Ms. Swift's show. Shawn Mendes was one of her openers. He sings pretty well and could play a guitar, but the audience was paying him dust. They were looking at phones, talking to friends, giving him little attention

He seemed noticeably irritated by this, at one point saying, "you guys probably don’t know who I am" and he was right. He was so desperate to have a stadium singing along with him than he sprinkled his set with covers of Ed Sheeran and Plain White Ts songs to get some sort of audience participation. While people sang along, he seemed to win over few fans. "Why doesn't he sing his own music?" a mother of two middle-school aged girls asked aloud next to me.

Minutes later, Swift had people shouting back every word to her songs, even the filler tracks that have yet to be released as singles.

Swift may be able to do a bit more than carry a tune, but she is a masterful performer. A key strategy is to make every show unique, even if it's her second night in a city, as was the case with the show I saw. At one point she decided to perform one of her old hits, "You Belong to Me," instead of a new song called "You Are In Love." She did this she said, because she sensed the audience would have preferred listening to that song.

She also does something I haven't really seen any other pop star do, randomly fly in other performers and duet with them on one of their hits. Day one in DC it was Lorde, and a rendition of "Royals." Day 2 in DC it was Jason Deru;o and they belted out his summer jam "Want To Want Me." Fans know when an artist is phoning it in and going through the motions, and Swift expertly avoids falling into that trap.

She also knows her audience is still mostly high school and teenage girls and it's this awareness that makes me want to compare Swift to a Pixar movie. She writes songs that are emotionally general enough that they can be about any time in a person'’s life. Her hit "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" could easily be about a middle school break up as much it could be about a broken engagement of someone in their thirties.

But it's a tightrope to walk, and sometimes you see Swift break a sweat while doing so. For the 1989 tour, she had a troupe of all male dancers. While other pop stars may have had these guys shirtless or even less clothing during their shows, these guys were always modestly dressed as not to offend anyone. When Derulo surprised Swift and removed his shirt, she laughed nervously and her faced tightened. "Would the Dads with their little girls in the audience be upset?" her expression seemed to say

This awareness of her audience could be the key to longevity for Swift career wise. Far too often after a child act enters into their 20s, songs become about wild club nights and sex leading to limited commercial success. I’m thinking of Miley Cyrus here. Bangerz and its namesake tour may have been modest successes but nowhere near Swift's level.

Seven Questions In Heaven With Jasmine Thompson

Today we're spending Seven Questions In Heaven with Jasmine Thompson!

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
You will find lots of stripped back acoustic covers of mine on YouTube. I am also featured on a few more upbeat dance songs. My single "Adore" and the upcoming EP is somewhere in between the two styles.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
I love Florence And The Machine. Her voice is so emotional and her songs are amazing. I also love watching Pink performing live.

What was the first album, cassette, or CD you bought with your own money?
The Ting Tings' We Started Nothing.



What was the strangest gig you've ever played?
There was one gig in London where I was the only the one in the audience watching the band play before me and then they were the only ones in the audience watching me when I sang. I still had fun, but it was a bit awkward.

What is your current favorite guilty pleasure?
Sleeping in late and watching Netflix!

If they named an ice cream flavor after you, what would be the name and why?
It would have to be something other than Jasmine because I don't think actual Jasmine flowers would taste nice. Maybe they would call it TantrumJas like my YouTube channel, but I don't know what that would taste like either!

Final question: You're the opening act of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five do you choose and what song do you all perform as the final jam?
Florence And The Machine, James Bay, Rudimental, Ella Eyre, and Pink. We would sing "Dog Days" by Florence And The Machine.

More Jasmine Thompson: Official | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

Song Of The Day: Love Zombies, "Be Honest"

Damn, this song is catchy as hell. From 2015, here's Love Zombies with "Be Honest."

Enjoy!

First Listen: Gin Wigmore, "Written In The Water"

Gin Wigmore, the girl with the "weirdo voice," is back with a new song! "Written In The Water" is off her upcoming album Blood To Bone, which should hit stores on August 28th.



We can't wait to hear her new album! Her last album, Gravel & Wine, was our fourth favorite album of 2012.