Rob: Um, how was the rest of your tour?
Eli: Um, It was good, we had some problems with Canada, they wouldn’t let us stay there.
Rob: Oh really?
Eli: Yeah, so we had…we were supposed to play like four shows, we only got to play one.
Rob: Oh really? Did you get…
Eli: It was like, you know, the recording, letter scam…
Rob: Right, right….
Eli: Yeah, it didn’t work…
Rob: So they let you through the border, but they…
Eli: They let us in, but what happened was the promoter in Vancouver fucked up and only put that we were recording for one day, so they let us in for one day only and we had like a 24 hour visa or something…a pass. And we had to be out by midnight…
Rob: Oh, geeze
Eli: …the next day. Yeah, it kinda sucked. But it was cool, we got to hang out in Bellingham and we have friends there. We got to play some shows so…
Rob: Right on.
Eli: Yeah
Rob: I have to get up there and play at – did you guys play at the Three B’s, or whatever?
Eli: Yeah, Three B’s, Yeah
Rob: I’ve heard a lot about that place from Justin, do you know Justin?
Eli: Umm…
Rob: From the Triggers – I used to work with him and he’s told me a lot about that place ‘cause he’s from that area or whatever, but yeah…
Eli: Oh, yeah. It’s the coolest club, definitely
Rob: Right on…ok, shit I don’t even know where to start. I’m just totally braindead ‘cause I’ve been gone for two weeks and I’ve just been getting caught up here…
Eli: Where were you?
Rob: Well, I’ve just been remodeling my upstairs. I just took my two week vacation and have been remodeling my attic room, converting it to livable space, you know,
Eli: Uh Huh.
Rob: …dry walling and stuff like that. So I’m just trying to get caught up
Eli: Yeah.
Rob: So let’s see, I guess I can just start with some basic band related questions. Like um… who comes up with most of the material for the band? Mostly you, I’m assuming?
Eli: Yeah, basically I like, come up with riffs and stuff and bring it to the practice arena, and uh, we like just go over that stuff and new ideas come out of that
Rob: Right on. Um, this is your third full length that you guys are…
Eli: Yeah
Rob: …kinda, promoting and touring on. And they’re all really similar. What are some of the influences that you had growing up? I’m assuming you’re a really big fan of 70s guitar stuff, and classic rock…
Eli: Yeah
Rob: …and what not. It’s pretty obvious. But more specifically, I hear stuff like the Allman Brothers and Thin Lizzy.
Eli: Yeah, I mean, definitely. I mean when, I was more of a kid like in high school, I was into more of the basic stuff like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix and stuff like that.
Rob: Right. How old are you?
Eli: 29… You know, I was into a lot of different stuff. I think stuff like The Allman Brothers and Thin Lizzy I’ve gotten into more as an adult but definitely yeah, I mean, I love both those bands.
Rob: Right. Yeah, I think of people our age that started playing guitar when they were like…I’m assuming you probably started around 13, 14, 15 around then?
Eli: Yeah, I was like 16, something like that.
Rob: Right, yeah, like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, all the basic bands and then later on when you start to understand more stuff and start to realize that other bands don’t suck like Thin Lizzy, and all that,
Eli: (Laughs)
Rob: You know what I mean?
Eli: Yeah, definitely.
Rob: I don’t know, where you really into hard core punk and stuff like that, too?
Eli: Yeah, yeah, totally. When I was in high school, like uh... I really liked…when I first started getting into, like, kinda heavier rock I was into all that 70s stuff and then as I got a little bit older I was into like, Dinosaur jr. and Mudhoney and all that, Nirvana, and stuff like that, and then I started getting more into like, the Melvins and heavier stuff…
Rob: Right, right
Eli: …and uh, like yeah, more like thrashy punk stuff and all that stuff. I think that getting into punk - it definitely, like, liberates…I think a lot of kids that are into guitar, if you never actually get into punk you never have that freeing, it sort of like frees you up so you’re not so inclined to stay on the straight and narrow…
Rob: *Laughs*
Right, well not only that but you can actually pick up a guitar and start playing along and you’re like, “I can actually play this stuff”…
Eli: Yeah, that too
Rob: *Laughs*
Eli: Yeah, I mean, in that way it’s liberating, too, because you can actually have a band, you know, fairly quickly…without much work. *Laughs*
Rob: Oh yeah, absolutely, like everybody our age, and all of our friends were in a punk band at one point or another. It’s just kinda like, inevitable for, you know, when you grow up in the 80s and 90s and stuff
Eli: When you realize how easy it is to play those songs
Rob: Right…So uh, your new guitar player seems like he just like, picked it up pretty quick, he said you like, only practiced a couple times, right?
Eli: Yeah, we practiced like five times before that tour which was like, not very many but yeah, I mean, he’s really good. He had, like, learned a bunch of songs on his own…
Rob: Uh huh. Off of Adult Situations and…
Eli: Yeah, he had learned, like maybe a couple off that but had learned stuff off our first record so we ended up doing a lot of stuff off our like, earlier albums when we were supposed to be promoting our new one.
Rob: Right, I noticed that when you guys played at Ash Street that you were doing quite a few older things here and there and that cover tune of “Whipping Post”, or whatever…
Eli: Yeah,
Rob: So, what happened to your old guitar player, somebody told me he quit right in the middle of a tour, or something like that?
Eli: Not in the middle, he quit like, before we were supposed to do a US tour
Rob: Was it after the West Coast thing?
Eli: Yeah this was, uh, we played like in February, um, I think January or February…um, we did a West Coast tour with Occifer from Portland
Rob: Uh huh
Eli: We had a different guitar player for that tour ‘cause the guy who was…John, who was in the band…couldn’t do the tour ‘cause he couldn’t get time off work, so um, after we got back from that tour in March we were going on like a four week US tour and he just was like, “I can’t tour anymore. I can’t, I don’t want to tour anymore,” so he quit, that was our old guitar player, John. Seriously, we had filled in for this four week tour with this guy Joel, who was like really good but you know, he just wasn’t going to be in the band…
Rob: He was just kinda helping out?
Eli: Yeah, and it was really great, he was so good and also willing to help out, but then this guy Isaiah, who played with us the last time we were there…
Rob: Yeah
Eli: …I totally forgot the question. *Laughs*
Rob: *Laughs* Oh, I was just kinda wondering what happened to your old guitar player but you pretty much explained it. Isaiah’s the new guy, though. He’s in the band now.
Eli: Yeah, I mean, he lives down in San Diego so were trying to get…he’s going to move up here to San Francisco or to Oakland
Rob: Is that were you guys all live?
Eli: Yeah, we live in Oakland. So we’re kinda like…we’re definitely in the transition phase right now.
Rob: Gotcha. So he wants to do it? He wants to come up and do it? I guess it’s probably a matter of finding a job and all the regular stuff.
Eli: Yeah, that’s the main thing, we’re trying to get together a European tour for the fall and he like, wants to move up after that just so that he doesn’t move up and then go on tour for three weeks
Rob: Right
Eli: I mean, it’s a lot harder here, I mean, than some places because the rent’s so expensive and the job market’s so shitty
Rob: Yup. I know. I almost moved down to the bay area ‘cause I was friends with Lost Goat guys and seven years ago, right before I started Witch Mountain. Erika was like, “well I can get you a cooking job here” ‘cause I cooked forever as my fallback-thing, but then was like, man, do I really want to move there ‘cause everything just started to get really, super expensive…
Eli: I’m always envious of Portland…like that aspect of it
Rob: Portland’s kinda like a little San Francisco. It’s got a lot of water and bridges…
Eli: and overcast…
Rob: Exactly, I mean if I were to move to any other city it would be the bay area for sure, like, if I had the money, because they’re so similar and people are sort of similar too.
Eli: Yeah.
Rob: So, uh let’s see….you guys are getting ready to do a European Tour?
Eli: Yeah, it’s still in the planning stages, so but yeah, we’re definitely…
Rob: You’re planning on going, but your not exactly sure when at this point?
Eli: Well, we’re still trying to get a promoter to hook it up. But our Adult Situations is coming out…it might actually be out now…but it’s coming out on, it was licensed to a European lable…
Rob: Uh huh
Eli: …called “Sweet Nothing”,
Rob: Uh Huh
Eli: part of “Cargo”
Rob: Right
Eli: So, they’re putting it out and we’re trying to get over there and promote it
Rob: You guys did that out on “Tee Pee”
Eli: Yeah, Adult Situations
Rob: Have you heard what’s going on with “Tee Pee”, I heard some rumor that they’re merging with another label?
Eli: Yeah, I think I heard about it from your website…
Rob: Really? Laughs
Eli: …which was like, whatever, but they’re uh, merging with a label called “Rubrick”, which I don’t know…I don’t know anything about it, they didn’t tell us anything about it, but I only know as much as you do.
Rob: So “Rubrick”, is that what you said? I guess you heard it from me and I know next to nothing…so I guess that doesn’t help any.
Eli: There was, like, a posting on there from someone from “TeePee” who had like, put something on a message board, like hey…here’s what’s up…
Rob: Captain Codpiece, That dude?
Eli: No, I though it was…Laughs
Rob: He’s one of the guys that works for Tony, I can’t remember his real name
Eli: Dale?
Rob: I don’t think it was Dale, it’s some other guy, he’s got really short hair, I met him in Phoenix when we played down there last year, I can’t remember his name for the life of me. Um, so it’s not really affecting you in any way then? They’re going to continue the label as far as I know.
Eli: Yeah, I don’t know. I think so. I would think if they’re doing something like that then they definitely have plans for the future. You know, I would imagine it would make them more viable than being on their own
Rob: Right. Um, so you, the drummer and the bass player have been the core of the band since the beginning, huh?
Eli: Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean, the four-piece you know, is the band that we’ve been since the beginning. Up until recently it was the four of us. There was no change in the lineup but in the last 6 months or so, just with the guitar player quitting – that‘s really been the only change in the lineup, ever.
Rob: Since like ’96, is that when you guys started?
Eli: ‘98
Rob: ’98. You guys have done quite a bit then, since then you started
Eli: Yeah, I mean I’d like to have done more, but *laughs*
Rob: Right, right
Eli: I mean the whole…’cause we were on Man’s Ruin before and that whole thing really set us back with them going out of business, like, right as our 2nd record came out
Rob: That was pretty rough. That was my favorite record you guys put out.
Eli: Cool
Rob: With that whole Man’s Ruin folding under thing, it was pretty much the only major setback for you guys. But it still seems like you guys have put out three full lengths in five years, that’s pretty admirable for a band.
Eli: Yeah, I mean we definitely like to keep working and stuff. We probably would’ve done more if it hadn’t been for that. We always seem to have a lot of songs, always have a backlog of material, so that’s never really a problem
Rob: So, you guys could pretty much go in and record an album right now
Eli: Yeah, pretty much, I mean, more or less
Rob: Is it like, a lot of the songs that are just kinda left over from other recording sessions that you decide that you don’t want to put on an album, or…
Eli: Um, or just more like, you have say, I mean like, I never sit down and say, “ok I have to sit down and write an album’s worth of songs.” I’m always just writing songs, so they just sorta stack up. So by the time we go into the studio, you like say “ok well I can only do 8 or 9 songs.” In a year like, probably like, write 14 songs or something like that. At least the shell, or most of the songs. There’s always ideas bouncing around and stuff. So yeah, there’s always something going on.
Rob: Right. And there’s always incomplete stuff that you might not have ready, or…
Eli: Or you don’t need to get it ready. There’s always a pool of material waiting
Rob: That’s awesome. So, when you bring riffs in do you guys all kinda shape them together, I’m sure you have whole songs and say, this is the way it goes, right?
Eli: Um, I usually don’t ‘cause the way that I like to work, or the way that I’m most inspired, is by hearing things played back with the volume and the drums and everything. And a lot of times, I don’t even like to go that much further without just playing a riff with the band. When I have an idea in my head about a way a song would go, it’s just a theory, so when I actually hear the drums and go, yeah, wait that’s not gonna work, and you try actually playing through a song, there’s always things I didn’t consider or that sound better or different with the drums
Rob: There’s a lot of shaping going on
Eli: Yeah, yeah, it’s sorta like, you come up with theory of the way something should go and then, you don’t know until you plug the numbers in, like you know, feel like a band playing and go, “wait, that doesn’t make sense at all.”
Rob: Uh huh, I totally understand what you saying, in a weird sorta way. So, you guys planning on doing any more recording soon, or you just trying to promote what you already have out there?
Eli: We don’t have any plans to record right now, Also, the other thing is because our new guitar player’s not living here yet
Rob: You guys are kinda like waiting on that, sorta figuring out what’s gonna happen
Eli: I don’t want to go into the studio without that element. And in order to get the songs to the point where I would feel comfortable going in and recording them, we’d need to be practicing a bit more that we are.
Rob: So you guys aren’t really practicing right now?
Eli: Actually, we’re still playing, we just played a party on Sunday with the guitar player that went on tour with us
Rob: The guy that filled in?
Eli: Yeah
Rob: That’s cool. At least you have that option for now to do local shows
Eli: Yeah, We’re definitely lucky. And we are going on tour in July with Isaiah, the new guitar player, and we’re doing like 6 or 7 shows with High On Fire...
Rob: Oh, ok. We’re playing that HOF show here in Portland. Todd called us and asked if we wanted to do that…
Eli: We’re playing, too.
Rob: That’s awesome. I think I knew that but I forgot, so that’s cool. That’ll be a good show
Eli: Yeah, it should be fun
Rob: You guys just going up the West Coast, kinda making a loop-thing?
Eli: No, we’re going out to Colorado, then up to Billings, Montana, then across through Spokane
Rob: Right, and all that, then Missoula
Eli: No, not Missoula, just Spokane and I think Seattle, Portland and Eugene
Rob: That’s a nice little loop. Like 8 or 9 days…
Eli: 6-7 days, yeah. So, yeah I’m looking forward to it
Rob: So you’re hitting us on the way back so you’ll be all dialed in. *Laughs*
Eli: Yeah.
Rob: You ever notice after you play 12 or 13 days in a row you can almost have a conversation with someone while you’re playing?
Eli: Oh, yeah. When we did a four week tour and then got back and then did the tour where we just played up there, was that in May?
Rob: Uh huh,
Eli: Yeah, so we’d been like, we were just so…I would play a show where I wouldn’t remember playing the show.
Rob: Totally. How often are you guys in full action when, let’s say, your original guitar player was still in the band? How often do you guys practice a week?
Eli: Twice.
Rob: Twice a week, and then the option of more if you’re getting ready to go out or play a show? Do you do that kinda thing?
Eli: It depends. There was a time when we were practicing like three days a week but I think two is pretty good. It depends. But yeah, it seems like two is enough.
Rob: Couple times a week. It’s just so much harder nowadays. When you have jobs, pay rent and bills. I don’t know how a lot of bands do it anymore because bands get less and less respect as time goes on. It’s not like the 60s and 70s when you could dedicate your whole life to it.
Eli: Yeah, it’s true. It’s definitely hard to. I think the music definitely suffers for it. People don’t have the time and effort for it that they used to. There are some bands that are successful and are able to make a living off it. But it’s hard for people to be really ambitious…
Rob: It is, I know what you mean, I’ll be 33 this year and I’ve been doing this shit since I was 14. It keeps getting harder and harder as time goes on.
Eli: It’s like survival of the fittest. But we live in a time where it’s relatively easy to get a band together. It’s relatively easy to get shows. And so there’s so many bands, people don’t really…there’s not even a demand for live music so much. There’s so many bands out there that every town is inundated. So that going on tour, it’s like, “Oh wow a band from outta town, big deal. We’ve got 400 bands here. You’ve gotta be like really, really good, or at least have a good shtick to make people notice or pay attention.
Rob: Absolutely
Eli: I don’t know if that’s such a bad thing, though because…
Rob: It kinda weeds out the crappy bands
Eli: Yeah
Rob: There’s probably 500 bands in the metropolitan area of Portland and I might like less than 1% of them
Eli: Yeah, it’s just the way it is ‘cause there are so many bands that will play for free, or whatever
Rob: Or pay to play, in most instances nowadays
Eli: Yeah, ‘cause it’s a lot of fun to be in a band
Rob: Right, I know. It’s funny ‘cause when I started playing guitar, I didn’t start doing it to get chicks. And now it’s such a cool thing…
Eli: Yeah, I guess *laughs*
Rob: I saw this band one time when I was working at Fellini, they were like some crappy band with a couple token chick members and they had all these people taking pictures of them and stuff, and they left the table and I go over there and there’s this piece of paper at the table it’s, like, a zerox copy of a list of rules: “How to Behave in a Professional recording environment”
Eli: *Laughs*
Rob: And it was all: “Don’t be drinking, there’s plenty of time to drink when the session is over…” And I was like, this is what it’s coming to. You know, the media just totally hypes how cool it is to be in a band. It makes it kinda…either separates it more or makes it easier, I don’t know.
Eli: Well, I don’t know, I kinda don’t like to get into it to much ‘cause I feel like it’s been talked about to death. But there’s definitely a difference between people who are really truly fans of music, and who listen to music and then there’s the people who are fans of the idea of music. Like the social aspects. You know, they like a band because of the way they dress or the social environment that will exist at their shows. You know, they sort of identify their lifestyle with a band. And the music is more or less…it’s just basically not that important.
Rob: It’s like a catalyst in the mix
Eli: Yeah, it’s just part of…there are a lot of people that are obsessive about records and guitar tones and recording. And not everyone’s like that. It’s become this thing where the most important elements are not the music itself but what kind of jacket the singer has
Rob: Right. *Laughs* I know it’s a weird world we live in…
Eli: But it’s a product. That’s just the way capitalism works, everything has to be marketed.
Rob: Right, so true. So, are you a full on Gibson-guy or do you have a couple of Fenders? Are you into different guitars, or…
Eli: Yeah, I have a Strat. But it’s like…I like it a lot, it’s a 80s Japanese squire…
Rob: Right, those are nice. You know about the Japanese Fender company, they bought all the original tooling that made all the 50s, 60s and 70s Fender American guitars ‘cause CBS Fender was basically gonna throw them out, so they auctioned them off. And the Japanese company bought them. So if you get one of those squires, I don’t know if it’s a squire with the big head stock, but if you got one of those early Japanese squires, or you get one of the Japanese reissues from the late 80s early 90s there actually made with the original tooling.
Eli: See, I’d always heard that they’re really good and I really like the one I have, but I never actually knew why
Rob: Uh huh, it’s all the original tools as the 50s, 60s and 70s…
Eli: That’s cool. Yeah, so I’ve been using the strat…recently using it live, mixing it up.
Rob: A little tougher to play, huh?
Eli: Yeah, definitely, it’s a handful
Rob: They’re a little bit longer scale and they’re just not as forgiving. Gibson’s are way more forgiving
Eli: Yeah, definitely yeah, and the action’s a little higher and the neck’s a little wider. It’s definitely a hand full. But the difference…it’s like a whole different world, like, tone wise. A Gibson’s very uh…I dunno it’s almost one dimensional…
Rob: What, Gibson or Strats?
Eli: Gibsons
Rob: Yeah, they’re kind of a one trick pony. With a Strat…I don’t know what kind of amps you use…do you use Marshalls, or…
Eli: No, Ampegs
Rob: Ampeg? Oh, cool. Those are great. Do you outfit it with 6550’s or do you re-bias them with something smaller?
Eli: No what…
Rob: El34’s or 5881’s, or something
Eli: No, I think…what was the 2nd one you said?
Rob: El34s
Eli: Yeah, what were the ones that are from like, Czechoslovakia.
Rob: Oh, Svetlana or Teslas? Svetlana’s are Russian but the Czechoslovakian tubes are Teslas. They make those in the Czech Republic
Eli: They’re imported by Ruby…
Rob: Oh, ok. They’re probably like, what I just said, the, uh…Tesla’s. They’re probably a company like Ruby where they’re buy the tubes wholesale…
Eli: There’s some 7027, 8’s in there, yeah Tesla.
Rob: Oh ok. Those are old…the original tubes that came in there, then. Those are cool. Probably spendy to re-tube, huh?
Eli: Yeah.
Rob: So, you know what I mean with a cranked up quitar sound if you like, use a Strat you can kinda back off the volume and it’s still kinda clean on the guitar, but if you do it with a Gibson it gets kinda muddy and…
Eli: I know, and at least with my experience with a Strat you can have it cranked but you just play a little bit lighter and you get a lot cleaner sound. There’s a lot more dynamics within your playing you know, like with how hard you hit the string, you get more distortion or it’ll break up easier the harder you play.
Rob: Right, Right
Eli: And just the springiness of the Strat…it’s just got so many more levels, like tone wise. It’s a lot of fun.
Rob: Yeah, I love them
Eli: That’s what you play right?
Rob: Yeah, you know, I played SG’s for a long time and then I kinda went back and forth. But I’ve been playing Strats for about 8 years now. I’ve had the same Strat and my wife bought me a Japanese reissue last year almost exactly like it. But yeah, I love them they’re my favorite guitars…
Eli: Yeah
Rob: …because you almost can make it - with the right combination or pedal, amp tones, and pick ups - you can make it…I always tell people I can make a Strat sound like a Gibson if I really want to, it might not be exactly the same, but I can make it sound damn close. But you can’t make a Gibson do what a Strat can do. Like you said, they’re so dynamic. There are just so many options involved.
So, you’re a full blown tone guy then, huh? Getting back to what we were talking about earlier, I’m sure you’re pretty obsessive with records to a certain degree
Eli: Yeah, definitely. I’m not as maniacal about it as some people I know, but yeah, I’m definitely really interested in it.
Rob: This is probably what no one wants to hear about. Are you big vinyl person?
Eli: Yeah, definitely
Rob: What are some of your favorite bands out there nowadays? What are you listening to lately, whether it’s new or old?
Eli: I’ve been listening to The Band a lot lately.
Rob: Oh really, that’s cool. Didn’t Bob Dylan play with The Band for a while?
Eli: He like…they were kind of a rockabilly type band, like a R and B rockabilly group, and they were touring around and Bob Dylan got them to back him up when he first went electric
Rob: Was that the folk festival that everyone got freaked out about?
Eli: It wasn’t that one ‘cause that was some other people. This was when he started touring…not like that very first - not that famous show
Rob: Was it ‘67
Eli: Yeah, ’66, something like that. But they were getting booed at every show and people were like freaking out. It’s a pretty fascinating story. I guess they were all, like, speeded out the whole time and staying up for days on end. Bob Dylan was being really antagonistic and he was really into the fact that he was challenging all these people... Pretty amazing. People don’t do that any more Just to go against…the fact that not only did people hate it, but not enough to not go to the show or not buy the records. He got more popular after that. Who does that nowadays?
Rob: Madonna’s the only person who’s really pushed the envelope in the last 15- 20 years
Eli: I guess…
Rob: I know it’s a bad comparison, but it’s the only person I can think of that’s really pissed people off and making them love her more
Eli: Yeah, but it seems like all her decisions are just safe enough and calculated to evoke the least amount of fire Just enough to get some extra press, but not enough to alienate anyone I don’t know, maybe Radiohead, or something like that. I guess…
Rob: Right
Eli: I guess they caused some sort of controversy with their records being less pop oriented than…but I don’t know, it just seems like nowadays if people were confused about someone’s music they’d just not go or not buy it,. I guess it’s just testament to that time when music was way more vibrant than it is now.
Rob: It was changing quick, too.
Eli: Yeah, yeah. I don’t know what about The Band that was…
Rob: Which albums do you like by them? You know, I’ve never really listened to them, so it’s interesting that you said you like them, I might go pick up a couple albums
Eli: The first two: The Music from Big Pink and the one that’s just called; The Band. Some of it sounds kinda hokey at first, like, I don’t know what it is.
Rob: Kinda country-style-y
Eli: Sort of, There’s a lot of different elements. They definitely have the old rock and roll bass to it and yeah, some country rock, and some like, New Orleans funk, but in a real subtle sort of way. I ‘m really into vocal harmonies and there’s a lot of really cool vocal harmonies in it.
Rob: Excellent.
Eli: Kind of sad. Sort of…I think one of the cool things I got into about them…I got sick of everytime I’d go out, AC/DC would be playing on the juke box, every fucking night…Especially here, I’m sure it’s the same there
Rob: Yeah, it’s pretty trendy. All the hipsters are wearing the tight AC/DC t-shirts…
Eli: And people who don’t even listen to AC/DC.
Rob: Yeah, it’s disgusting. I’ve really been getting into that (AC/DC)
Eli: It’s good stuff
Rob: Yeah, if you’re a guitar player you can’t help but love it
Eli: Yeah, yeah
Rob: What other kind of stuff you listen to, like what are some of the bands nowadays? I mean I pretty much listen to classic rock, like when I sit down it’s gonna be something old
Eli: Yeah, I’ve been listening to The Zombies a lot lately
Rob: Oh cool
Eli: That Odyssey and Oracle album
Rob: Right, that’s awesome
Eli: It’s fuckin’ so good. I’ve been listening to The Action. Have you heard of them?
Rob: I’ve heard of them but I don’t think I’ve heard any of their stuff
Eli: It was like, late 60s British. They’re like a mod band but they have this one record - it’s just the demos for it – the cd’s called Rolled Gold and it’s like kinda psychedelic…like poppy…that kind of mod-edge but pretty rockin’ too. I’ve been really into that lately. And that new Led Zeppelin DVD
Rob: Oh I haven’t checked that out either
Eli: It’s pretty rad
Rob: So you were a big Led Zeppelin fan growing up?
Eli: Yeah, I mean I always liked them, they’re amazing
Rob: What about newer bands, like bands that are around nowadays?
Eli: There’s a couple of local bands I really lik
Eli: There’s a band called The Cuts that are really good. They’re a poppy psychedelic rock band. The vein of older stuff. You know what I really like, is the new Federation X record.
Rob: Oh yeah, they’re great
Eli: Have you heard the new record?
Rob: I haven’t heard the new one but they’re a great band
Eli: Yeah, they’re really good and the new record is just amazing. It’s recorded by Steve Albini
Rob: Oh, cool
Eli: You know, it’s just like, I take that with a grain of salt but this sounds really fucking amazing ‘cause I’ve heard a lot of stuff by him that was kinda like, “Eh it’s ok.”
Rob: He’s good at what he does but he’s kinda hit or miss. Just like Billy Anderson – he’s really hit or miss, too capturing the bands sound...
Eli: Something about this – I think it’s cause there’s no bass and really the room sound is fucking really amazing ‘cause it doesn’t have the low end and like, kind of muddying anything up. So like, the drums just sound fantastic. And the guitars are really unique-the sound of each guitar is really different. And yeah, that record is just like, blowing me away.
Rob: Yeah, Steve Albini has an amazing drum sound. He actually makes the drums sound like they’re drums.
Eli: Yeah, playing in a room
Rob: I dunno, he’s just really good at doing that. I think if there’s one thing I credit him as doing really well, it’s capturing a good drum sound, for sure
Eli: Yeah, you know I was listening to some other records and I wasn’t so impressed with stuff that he does. But this one, he fucking nailed it.
Rob: I’ll have to check that out.
Eli: Yeah, and I’ve been listening to Bob Dylan and Bob Seger
Rob: Seger? Laughs
Eli: Yeah, like early Bob Seger, Have you heard any of that stuff?
Rob: No, I’ve always kind of written that stuff off ‘cause of the Chevy Truck commercials
Eli: Yeah, I know. It’s pretty sad how that can ruin it
Rob: So some early stuff, huh?
Eli: His old band called the Bob Seger System. They were actually like contemporaries of MC5 from Detroit. I think they played shows togethe
Rob: You’d see their names together a lot. They were kind of like, pretty garage-y. That type just reminds of like 13th floor Elevator, but a little bit harder
Rob: Oh yeah? Garage Rock MC5 style…
Eli: Not as bombastic as MC5 or like, that cusp between the hard rock and the garage rock where MC5 definately pushed over the edge to kicking way more ass, but this is more on the garage side of things. But really, really good. There’s this album called Mongrel by the Bob Seger System that has some really awesome songs on it
Rob: How easy is it to get? Can you get it on CD or something?
Eli: I’ve got them on record. I see Mongrel all the time
Rob: At used record stores?
Eli: I think it’s getting harder to find since more people are picking up on it. But you can get them for under $10. Mongrel I see all the time for like 5 bucks. The Seger section is a no man’s land for a lot of people
Rob: Laughs
Eli: But I got this other record Against the Wind from like 1980 and it has a pretty kick ass song on it. Then I got this other record called Back in ’72, which is a Bob Seger record and you know that song “Rosalee” that Thin Lizzy do?
Rob: Yeah
Eli: He wrote that song
Rob: I had no idea
Eli: Yeah, it’s on this record
Rob: I find that out a lot and am like, “whoa, that guy wrote that song?” Wow, it’s called Back in ’72?
Eli: Yeah and it’s pretty easy to find…
Rob: Well, I’ll check it out on your advice, for sure
Eli: Yeah, definitely get the Bob Segar System. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man is like, you can’t go wrong with that. Back in ’72 has like a couple…you gotta get your feet wet before you get into that one ‘cause if you hear that one right off the bat, you’ll think this band’s lame
Rob: *Laughs* Really?
Eli: *Laughs*
Rob: Yeah, I understand that. I went through this big Beach Boys kick for a while, where I got really into one thing and started understanding that the more publicly known hokey stuff…
Eli: Yeah, exactly. You start to appreciate it.
