樂趣失眠博客

阿對話與鰻魚'馬克奧利弗埃弗里特（五）

邁克拉戈尼亞 ：你有什麼一直沿用至自霍布雷洛沃 ？

馬克奧利弗埃弗里特 ：這很有趣，我們上次談到前霍布雷洛沃出來了，而且僅是去年4月或5月。 這是奇怪我喜歡它，因為它似乎一定是五年前。

問 ：是的，這似乎是一個漫長的時間。

教育部 ：我一直很忙。 有趣的事情對我的生活是我自己沉浸到每一年左右的新的音樂世界，這個時候，我加快了多少次，我怎麼辦，在更短的時間間隔。 因此，去年感覺像是幾年我。

問 ：應該，因為你已經有三張專輯在什麼，一年多一點？

教育部 ：是啊，沒錯。

問 ： 結束時間是今年1月的釋放，對不對？

教育部 ：是的，一個冬天的紀錄。

問 ：現在你把你的上限運行霍布雷洛沃和結束時間與此第三個記錄，我們在談論今天， 明天上午 。

教育部 ：對。

問 ：那麼，在某些方面， 明天上午的決賽似乎是一個三人。 另一方面，好像你打開另一個篇章。

教育部 ：嗯，是啊。 我想這就是問題的所在。 這對我來說，重要的是遵循一個標題叫做結束時間明天上午的標題，因為它改變的意義，然後在標題結束時間 。 怎麼可能到最後，如果有一個明天早上來？

問 ：（笑）非常聰明。 它的有趣的測序。

教育部 ：其實，一開始是在最後的故事，到底是在中間。

問 ：我是一個迷，因為E和你有我在“Nowheresville”和一個名叫（e）項 。

教育部 ：你顯示你的年齡。

問 ：有人要。 你知道，我已經按照你的職業生涯，因為你的“E”的日子，當你成為鰻涉足甚至更多的實驗與流行音樂的旋律和歌詞。 有了這張專輯，你是否也有一個整體的使命與明天早上 ？

教育部 ：嗯，我想作一個溫暖，慶祝專輯，是慶祝生命的所有美好的事物在生活中。 你知道，當你長大，你開始環顧四周，你開始發現，有些事情你應該升值。

問 ：是的，包括愛情。 有一對夫婦的偉大的“愛”你的最新歌曲。 “我喜歡這將會是”是一個非常簡單的歌與您電吉他...

教育部 ：...它只是吉他和貝司，別無其他。

問 ：是的，它是一個真正的歡樂給我。 “生命之謎”可能是我最喜歡的，你的“拉拉”合唱團所有，但戳眼的流行音樂。

教育部 ：哦，很酷。

問 ：有幾首歌曲在這個紀錄，似乎相當複雜的局部，如“我是蜂鳥。”了不起的歌詞和情緒。

教育部 ：這是很高興聽到的，因為我不知道什麼人會提出這一個。 我感覺，那是相當相當多張專輯，到目前為止，似乎和人一樣喜歡它，這是很好的，因為我不知道會發生什麼。

問 ：從您的角度來看，這是最複雜的歌曲從任何角度看？

教育部 ：嗯，他們有很多看似複雜，但你不會覺得。 一個叫做“望”是我最喜歡的可能是因為我有我所見過的最有趣曾在錄音室製作的。 但很多人對這些歌曲都是非常複雜的，因為他們是多層次的。 從字面上看，也只有一層一層後，添加和減去的歌曲下去。 在案件“仰望”，適用於各種不同的打擊樂器的不斷堆積起來的，所以它只是不斷建設。 這是一個不同的方式做一首歌曲，而不是傳統的詩句，合唱，橋樑，outro。 相反，你還可以建立不同的分層歌曲撞擊分子進出。

問 ：綜觀霍布雷洛沃 ， 結束時間 ，和明天上午 ，可能這一個是最個人？

教育部 ：嗯， 結束時間是相當非常個人化的。

問 ：是的。 什麼是您的參觀將是怎樣的呢？

教育部 ：是的，我們即將開始一個50出現在世界巡演。

問 ：你在哪裡去？

教育部 ：日本，澳大利亞，歐洲和美國。

問 ：凡在美國？

教育部 ：他們在網站上。 我是一個需要知道的基礎上，我只知道在未來 24個小時。

問 ：（笑）我可能會問你這個問題時，我採訪了你最後一點，但你有什麼意見，為新的行為？

教育部 ：嗯，我認為最好的意見，我可以給一個年輕的行為，是盡量不被暫定任何事情，你做的事。 即使你不確定自己或你在做什麼，做它喜歡你知道自己在做什麼。 這一權利有成功的一半。 做你正在做的有權威，你會驚訝於它的作品多少，就是有這種態度。

問 ：很高興。 No one else has ever answered the question that way.

MOE : It's actually hands on, very useful advice.

MR : Yeah, it goes beyond just self-confidence, it's just about believing in yourself and what you're doing.

MOE : Exactly. Even if you don't believe what you're doing, lie to yourself that you believe what you're doing as a start, and eventually, you might start believing what you're doing.

MR : (laughs) From your days of making “E” albums through now, what are some of the most significant changes that you think you've gone through?

MOE : Artistically?

MR : Artistically, and maybe personally.

MOE : So much. I've had so many experiences, and I've been through so much since then. I wish someone could have told me back then how things would be for me twenty years later because things are really nice for me now, and I never would have guessed that things could have turned out this nice. So, good to know, and I hope that can serve as a little bit of hope. If a schmuck like me can get happy, anybody can.

Tracks :
1。 In Gratitude For This Magnificent Day
2。 I'ma Hummingbird
3。 The Morning
4。 Baby Loves Me
5。 Spectacular Girl
6。 What I Have to Offer
7。 This Is Where It Gets Good
8。 After The Earthquake
9。 Oh So Lovely
10。 The Man
11。 Looking Up
12. That's Not Her Way
13。 I Like The Way This Is Going
14。 Mystery Of Life

(transcribed by Ryan Gaffney)

A Conversation with Ellis Paul

Mike Ragogna: With more and more artists taking responsibility for the marketing and distribution of their projects, fan funding has become a more obvious route. For The Day After Everything Changed , you raised over $100,000, right?

Ellis Paul : Yes.

MR : How did you do it?

歐洲議會 ：嗯，我們成立了一個三層系統在網站上，人們可以得到的商品和服務，他們購買了。 高端產品是1萬美元，作為交換，你就會得到一把吉他和演唱家，我為你寫一首歌曲的手寫歌詞，你喜歡什麼歌曲。 在低端，15美元美元的規模會得到你預先訂購的CD是和編號，並簽署了類似的。

問 ：難道你的第一個專輯出來的紐伯里漫畫？

歐洲議會 ：是的。 紐伯里迷上了漫畫與我的經理和我，我們開始一個標籤叫做黑狼。 我們把前兩項記錄了他們，並進展順利。 它給了我信心，真正做到這一點。

問 ：是第一個也是球迷資助？

歐洲議會 ：不，我資助它自己。 管理公司基本上把它自己。 我有一個很好的球隊放在一起，現在這種項目。

問 ：那麼，你們有過的歌曲，如金凱利電影的我，我自己和艾琳以及音樂在最後的現場版 。

歐洲議會 ：越來越多的那種東西正在發生，而且我開始變得呼籲從納什維爾對我的材料覆蓋。 我有兩個削減對舒格蘭記錄和其他商業的東西來的路上已經不錯。 但是我想寫歌，我很自豪有寫的，我不想寫嚴格的商業手段。 我只是想寫出好的歌曲。

問 ：你剛才提到納什維爾這是完美的，因為你的材料是如此值得覆蓋。 “安納爾利”聽起來像它應該是某人的打擊，如果不是自己的。

歐洲議會 ：那太好了，我喜歡這首歌了很多東西。 那麼，這部分文字。 寫作輔助功能使得它具有普遍性，所以很多人可以涵蓋歌曲都是這個記錄，而不是我的其他紀錄，更多的是根據我個人的經驗和個人承擔的東西。 我個人的聲音也許有點強於其他記錄較普遍的聲音是這一個。

問 ：這張專輯讓我想起了很多故事 。

歐洲議會 ：你知道，它有更多這樣的故事，種了很多主題的方式。 這就像一個姊妹紀錄。

問 ：有一個親密的圈子裡，以它為你剛才的職業生涯，甚至你這樣的措詞似乎像說什麼事情， 故事 ，那個時代。

歐洲議會 ：很高興你拾起，作為寫作更像是那個時代的東西，比我做之間。

問 ：在另一方面，這一批歌曲似乎很情緒，相反，你剛才，概念驅動的材料。

歐洲議會 ：這些歌曲似乎更從頸部向下，而不是脖子。 歌詞是更容易從一首聽。 我認為這是寫在更多國家的風格你剛才說你的意思，你覺得什麼，而不是試圖以政治一切。 因此，它只是立即連接情緒和生產沒有得到或分散的方式，它支持任何的情緒，歌曲是一個偉大的方式。 我與你。 這是我迄今為止最好的紀錄。

問 ：是啊，我也想這一天後，一切都變了是你最好的，以及你最“商業”專輯的日期。

歐洲議會 ：是的，我認為必須做的直接影響的歌曲。 只需要聽，二來可以拉成什麼歌是什麼。 這部分的寫作和部分生產做出正確的選擇，明智的鉤人。 “商業”生產可能會非常做作。

問 ：是的。 此外，包裝精美，一些真正注重細節。

歐洲議會 ：我不希望人們認為這是做一個小本或乞討的人，我是為錢在互聯網上。 它是真正的錢比任何人都曾經用在我身上，我們並沒有削減任何角落。 我花了更多的記錄，花了更多的藝術作品，並花了更多的市場比我曾經花了任何其他項目。 因此，它不是一個小本一回事。 這是一個在很多移動的方式。

問 ：由於您和您的職業生涯考慮到您自己的手中，不成為behoovin'的標籤，但走的路線風扇的資金，你的任務是任何方式表達自己的需要藝術。

歐洲議會 ：是啊。 他們總是試圖想的底線，而不是什麼真正的實際產品的樣子。 他們給你最後期限，你必須做的，你要花費這麼多錢，你不能超過預算。

所有這些事情都是繞過。 我們花了多達我們需要作一個紀錄的權利，我們聘請了合適的人誰的設計能表達我是誰，我想要什麼，而不是唱片公司想什麼。 這種感覺更真實，更我，更狡猾，更富有創造性。

問 ：我總是很高興的時候這張專輯的概念是支持其作品。 當我們朝光盤退休，我想這是合乎邏輯的藝術品將是最大的受害者。

歐洲議會 ：我認為，人們纏身的CD作品，因為它是如此之小，它的衰落了越來越多的記錄是越來越小，小，要數字。 所以，我們決定最大限度地藝術品會說什麼。 我們真的把我們這個時代的藝術作品和設計師做了了不起的工作。 有樣的主題和更新的洗禮中所有的照片拍攝的水。

問 ：雖然我最喜歡的一個鏡頭是你在房間裡用吉他在角落裡的夕陽透過窗台。

歐洲議會 ：那是在一個小床和早餐宅第橙色，弗吉尼亞，我們發現在互聯網上。 我們認為對每個位置和計算出如何使戲劇的藝術作品與戲劇發生了什麼的歌曲。

問 ：你怎麼使這個最好的在線體驗你的球迷？

歐洲議會 ：嗯，我想了解更多有關YouTube和Facebook與人交往。

問 ：還有的網站的？

歐洲議會 ：我希望它像一個小花園。 我希望它是充滿涼看的東西，而不是雜草。 我認為很多人只是扔掉雜草在自己的網站。 他們只是讓他們的花園完全去，讓它去停滯多年，垃圾扔了它不具有任何價值。 這些都是可以逗留了數年，未來幾年後，我們都是歷史悠久了，所以這將是一個網站，將支持高品質。 我認為這就是為什麼如此重要的藝術品。 我只是想堅持下去。

問 ：剛才，我提出了“安納爾利”，但“玫瑰紋身”也是一個非常吸引人的歌曲完成一唱的一長盛傳在最後。

歐洲議會 ：以“玫瑰紋身，”我花了很多的東西，吉姆克羅齊有兩個吉他搖鏡左，右。 我很高興與該之一。 但是你知道，我很高興與他們都。

問 ：您結束了與激烈的專輯“一無所有以”這是一個很不尋常的歌曲。 你能不能討論一下？

歐洲議會 ：我曾聽過一個故事是關於一對夫婦分手，並有酗酒。 當事人一方是個酒鬼，並陷入了車禍。 所以，我想打扮的故事，很多具體細節種下來的瓶子，而他駕駛的。 曾經有一段時間框架，以打破如何發生的。 15秒，1分鐘，1小時的像一個時鐘滴答作響的歌曲是怎麼回事。

問 ：哪些是你最親密的歌曲呢？

歐洲議會：“颶風天使”似乎是一個，我傾向於給最，儘管它不是一首歌我。 它是關於一個十字路口卡特里娜受害者和風暴發生後，試圖找出如何得到幫助。 他深入到保險公司，主席，神尋找一些幫助和救濟。

問 ：這是年後的善後事宜，並有卡特里娜颶風的破壞仍然存在。

EP : I wrote that after all of the Katrina victims were in the FEMA trailers and were kicked out of them because of formaldehyde poisoning, nearly 40,000 people got their trailers taken away from them. I guess they were getting poisoned from the formaldehyde that was in the walls, and it just spurred me to write it. There is just no way that those people can win down there. It's just speed bump after speed bump after speed bump.

MR : You were a social worker at some point, right?

EP : Yeah, in my early twenties after college for about four or five years.

MR : Do you find yourself wanting to jump into specific social causes?

EP : Yeah. I want to write about those things, but often times, you can't force the subject matter. You start doing that and then a song comes out (that's) a piece of s**t. I try and wrap my head around these problems, but I'm just waiting for the right story to come to me. It's a challenge for me being self-employed to afford health insurance I need in order to cover my family. So, its going to be a social issue that addresses my life in some way, and then I need to find a story that I can address the emotions of, so it took me five years to write the Katrina song.

MR : A balance of sentiment and constructive engagement. Interestingly, it takes a while to know what to be talking about when you're talking about it.

EP : When (Katrina) happened, there were a thousand songs written in the weeks after that. It was too big of an event for me to ever get objective about for me to write about. There were some beautiful songs written, but I have to say, though a lot of songs were written out of that moment, I couldn't do it. It was just too big of a thing.

MR : This project's overall statement seems to be, “Okay, everything has changed and now it's time to start life.” Was that intentional?

EP : I have kids now and I'm looking back at the last 20 years of my life and what am I going to do with the next 20 years of my life, so it seems like, “What am I going to do now?” I'm at the halftime of the super bowl of my life and I'm reflective. I'm looking back, and a lot of these songs are about people who are about, you know, a guy who just got laid off and is at home, and in the first song, there is a guy who is going back to college and wondering what the future holds for him. So, every one of the characters are approaching some kind of major crossroads and are trying to make decisions about what their future is going to look like and which road to take. I guess I am sort of in that place in my own life being at a halfway point too.

MR: At this halfway point, are there things you haven't done musically that might be explored over the next few projects?

EP : I think so. If I can do the next four or five records with the same batch of people and approach the songwriting in the same way, I really feel like we could get locked into something that is like a sweet spot. I feel more centered with my production and writing style. It feels kind of like I found my thing. If I can write out of this place and write the next four or five records this well, even without any commercial success, I would be thrilled just to put out records that are this good every time.

Tracks :
1。 Annalee
2。 Rose Tattoo
3。 River Road
4。 The Day After Everything Changed
5。 The Lights Of Vegas
6。 Hurricane Angel
7。 Heaven's Wherever You Are
8。 Dragonfly
9。 Sometime, Someplace
10。 Once Upon A Summertime
11。 Waking Up To Me
12. Walking After Midnight / Change
13。 The Cotton's Burning
14。 Paper Dolls
15。 Nothing Left To Take

(transcribed by Erika Richards)

PRESS RELEASE :

DISTURBED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated hard rock band Disturbed have released the video for their #1 single “Another Way to Die.”
The video, shot by Roboshobo (Mastodon, Metallica), is a hard-hitting, unsettling look at the dangers of not taking care of our environment. Examples of global warming, pollution, deforestation and overflowing landfills are intercut with a post-apocalyptic narrative. “Thematically, the song's about global warming and how the choices we make affect the planet,” explains guitarist Dan Donegan. “It's a new topic for us, and it'll hopefully raise a little awareness.” Front man David Draiman continues, “It definitely is meant to draw the effects of the indulgent life that most people lead. It is meant to draw a contrast to things and to show the effects of the abuse we are causing to our planet.”
The track itself is already a #1 hit at Active Rock Radio. “Another Way to Die” is the highest Billboard Active Rock debut in Disturbed's history and the fastest #1 for the band on Billboard's Active Rock chart, getting to #1 in just 4 weeks. It is also the fastest # 1 on Billboard's Active Rock chart in over 3 years and is the band's 7th # 1 single on Billboard's Active Rock chart: they are tied with Metallica for the 3rd most #1′s on the Active Rock chart.

“Another Way To Die” by Disturbed

按照邁克拉戈尼亞在Twitter：

www.twitter.com/ragz2008

Over the years, rock-star side projects have not fared particularly well. More often than not they are a self-indulgent mess or an ill-advised ego-trip, having little worth to anyone other than devoted disciples. So what to make of the news that Philip Selway, the unassuming Radiohead drummer, is to release his first solo album nearly 20 years into the band's celebrated career?

For such a hugely successful group, the members of Radiohead are among the most publicity shy in modern music. They aren't, however, adverse to the pretty odd album stunt, as the no-singles-to-be-released-from-”Kid A” furor and the pay-what-you-want experiment for their last album, “In Rainbows,” prove.

Selway is perhaps the band's most innocuous member, having little creative input into Radiohead's tunes, and being just as well known for his charity work as any kind of musical prowess.

It makes his decision to launch a solo career a surprising one, yet here he is with a world tour to coincide with the release of his “Familial” album. Of his motivation for this new project, Selway says, “When you're the same age as the prime minister, you think 'I'd better get on with this.' “

Produced by Ian Davenport of Radiohead's Courtyard Studios at their Oxfordshire base, “Familial” will shock many. That's not just because the emotional resonance of the sparse folk and haunting melodies inspired by the death of his mother in 2006 is genuinely moving, but because it is actually pretty good.

Japanese fans should be particularly excited, not to mention privileged, as Selway's whistle-stop tour — a date in Tokyo followed by one in Osaka — are his debut live shows. Not even British fans will have had the chance to see what are surely going to be, at the very least, some intriguing shows with Radiohead's unsung talent.

They Might Be Giants won a Grammy Award in 2002 for their half-finished song “Boss of Me,” which served as the theme song for the hit show “Malcolm in the Middle,” said John Flansburgh, one of the founders of the Brooklyn-born band.

“We had no idea that song would be a hit,” he said. “The success of that song really illustrates how you just can't tell how something is going to work out.”

TMBG, who will perform at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz on Friday, has a way of making things that work out.

TMBG, founded in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell — often referred to as the two Johns — started out somewhere in between alternative rock and performance art, Flansburgh said. Flansburgh played the guitar, Linnell played the accordion and saxophone and, true to 1980s dance culture, they rock a drum machine.

“Our stuff was kind of pretty odd album,” Flansburgh said. “We weren't accepted as a real band,' but at these performance art places we were the rock guys,' so we were kind of caught in between.”

但TMBG，出生在時代的自由形式電台和朋克搖滾，也不在乎他們玩的地方，只是只要發揮，他說。

“我們不是名家，”Flansburgh說。 “當你不是大師，而是種在更低。 我不知道這將是想通過世界的看法我完全熱的東西。 我們的技能，是一點點任性。 實際上，我們必須在我們的工作實現的，而我認為我們得到了很多的工作，出

我們做的。“

但是，什麼 TMBG缺乏高手，他們提出，希望能與創造力。

例如，對於他們的表現他們的歌，“三號”，他們放下工具，戴著巨大的，粉紅色，紙型手，製作了Flansburgh，並做了編排舞蹈，他說。

在80年代後期，他們的項目，“打電話問歌”，設置它們除了其他樂隊。

他們記錄了他們的歌曲到一個電話應答機，以便當人們稱他們將在聽取 TMBG的錄音，Flansburgh說。 他們改變了歌曲每天的電話號碼公佈在紐約村聲週報。

“那是相當的現象，”他說。 “這使我們有別於其他任何樂隊和它是，獨特的，我們自己的。”

約翰開始執行的兩個在紐約東村俱樂部現場，在那裡聚集了當地以下，他說。

“東方村現場推動我們進入了全國的聚光燈，”Flansburgh說。 “這是很怪異的在80年代中期。 有一個真正的鐵桿夜總會場景，有很多藥物，一切都被超的性。 風格，我們種了相反的舞池音樂，但我想事實，我們一直與鼓機幫助我們進入那個世界的橋樑。“

TMBG獲得了成功，產生 4個相冊，作為二人，並在九十年代初期，他們擴大成一個完整的樂隊，他說。 雖然他們仍然使用鼓機和預先錄製的音樂，他們把一個鍵盤手，鼓手和貝斯手。

TMBG的非傳統風格，特殊題材和低預算，但野生MTV的視頻，拍攝的電視製片人亞當伯恩斯坦，他們獲得了廣泛認同和一個大風扇以下，Flansburgh說。

他們的音樂錄影帶，其中改編自他們的舞台表演，往往精選出來的，牆的想法，Flansburgh說。

“我認為，我們的影片的原因沒有這麼好，除了我們非常英俊的面孔，是他們拍攝的電影，”他說。 “雖然他們非常低的預算，比它們看起來更真實的視頻於 1986年。 它給我們帶來更多的藝術價值，這是一個幸運的打破了我們。“

2002年，TMBG做了一個孩子的紀錄被稱為“不！”，這是非常熱情接待，Flansburgh說。 在此之後，寫孩子們的音樂成為一個平行的行業。

TMBG最近，2009年專輯的孩子，“這裡是科學，”以引人入勝的另類搖滾聽眾引入到應用科學，根據自己的網站。 歌曲，如“會見元素”，“什麼是射擊之星”和“我的兄弟的猿”，招待以及任教。 該小組正在對更多的兒童的音樂，但也是因為釋放另一個大人專輯在2010年。

“我們只是想找到一種方法，使一首歌曲，一點意外，”Flansburgh說。 “我們只是想找到自己的聲音，一”，“好”“真正瘋狂的世界。”

擁擠的樓主唱一直忙著，所有的東西，一個關於花的廣播節目

由喬治巴爾加 ，聯合論壇報

最初公佈的2010年8月19日在上午09時 49分，更新2010年8月19日在上午10時 56分

世界各地的音樂愛好者都知道尼爾芬蘭領導人的人才擁擠的房子，新西蘭最成功的流行搖滾樂隊永遠，作為一個前成員的斯普利特恩茨，新西蘭有史以來最古怪的樂隊。 球迷也知道，Neil的哥哥，添，成立斯普利特恩茨（其中尼爾於 1977年加入18歲），蒂姆加入擁擠的房子在1991年的幾年，這都是好朋友與前聖 Diegan埃迪韋德，誰出席斯普利特恩茨令人難忘的演出在此間召開的1981年國家劇院。

但這裡有一些事情你可能不知道尼爾芬蘭，誰執行日在這裡與重組擁擠樓漢弗萊的音樂會在海灣，在支持“陰謀家”，該集團的新專輯逮捕。

新鮮綻放：這位老歌手，詞曲作者和樂隊的領導者現在承載一個廣播節目，在新西蘭，“尼爾芬蘭人的聚寶盆花。”迄今為止，他已經用在節目中探討吸引力的向日葵，水仙，梔子，風信子，罌粟，荷花，牡丹。 （你可以聽到“聚寶盆”網上95bfm.com/index.sm） 。 但是，究竟是什麼，他有資格和討論花朵盛開？

芬蘭：“我不想給你任何幻想我有什麼真正的深入了解。 我要求做了表演。 這是極不尋常的事我問過，特別是由於我缺乏知識。 不過，我想：'我永遠不會被要求一遍，所以我應該這樣做。“

踏板推桿：一種狂熱的騎自行車，芬蘭發現，磨煉他的歌曲歌詞都得來不易當他蹬離或當他只是散步。 謝天謝地，他從未出過事故，同時考慮一項棘手的對聯或合唱團在他的自行車。

芬蘭：“我騎約 6至10公里，它是一個偉大的地方可去了歌詞，在你的自行車，或步行以及。 如果你要搜索的幾行，你可以得到它。 這些活動的節奏相當不錯的東西，這是歌曲創作。“

水果及堅果：在偉大的樂隊參加豐富多彩的喜悅中，要求（有時是荒謬的）在他們的項目提供後台更衣室，擁擠的房子是不是其中之一。

芬蘭：“我認為，我們很容易討好。 我們要求鱷梨，鹽和-胡椒土豆片，羅望子，杏仁，水果和一些漂亮的瓶紅酒。 這就是它的程度，真的。 我們不採取喜悅決策（音樂會）發起人找到相當多張專輯的東西。 我們甚至不要求M＆M巧克力！“

糖拉什：芬蘭不承認有甜食，但他也指出：“我不要吃我以前一樣。”他是否有最喜歡的甜品從他的家鄉新西蘭？

芬蘭：“至於糖果去，我很喜歡巧克力魚，它只是正是這聽起來像：巧克力棉花糖，形狀像一條魚。 和菠蘿腫塊也不錯。 我們是否曾經要求巧克力魚和菠蘿腫塊被存放在我們的更衣室？ 不，那將是真正成問題的發起人在美國找到，其中 - 嗯 - 是誘人！“

羅布謝菲爾德的新書， 女孩交談關於杜蘭杜蘭：一個年輕人的追求真愛和冷卻器被評為理髮必須由出版商而不是作者。 有沒有真愛的追問。 思念和緬懷，或許，但沒有採取行動是有跡可尋由作者實際獲得的女朋友。 儘管擁有優勢，三位離任的姐妹誰勇敢地試圖改造他成為一個寶貝磁鐵，一般學校對他微妙的難以捉摸，神秘的頭腦和心臟的少女，謝菲爾德過於恐懼和焦慮癱瘓交談的大多數女孩，更不用說胸圍舉動。 這是可以理解的尷尬，笨拙的15-16歲。 但是，他的神經症擴大到整個 80年代的十年，以及他的20歲出頭。 這當然需要球承認，並讓我感覺好一點，我至少能夠戰勝自己的恐懼略低於 19。

So it's not really about talking to girls, nor questing for love, and not even much about Duran Duran. Instead, it's an episodic series of 25 impressionist vignettes using pop songs to talk about his life, which mainly involved listening to music, driving ice cream trucks, staying with his grandfather, thinking about religion, hanging around some girls and thinking about talking to them, but mostly not. Those looking for a compelling, heartbreaking narrative arc like his first book, Love Is A Mix Tape , will be left wanting. This book will appeal more to music trainspotter types who love the 80s. Really, really love the 80s. One of the most admirable things about the book is that Sheffield manages to be funny without using the crutch of irony. There's very little irony, only sincere love letters to 80s pop as it coincides with his hapless adolescence and early adulthood. I enjoyed Sheffield's enthusiasm for long-forgotten artifacts like Haysi Fantayzee, despite the fact that I hated the 80s. At least that aspect of it.

I was particularly struck with how he made 1986 seem particularly dreary, despite his enthusiasm. It seemed like a year that nothing really significant happened in music. And it does coincide with the conventional wisdom that the mid-eighties were a cultural wasteland. Sheffield characterized that era with Rambo and Top Gun, sources of repeated hilarity and guilty pleasures at the time, but best forgotten. Of course it was also the year of Aliens, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, One Crazy Summer, Blue Velvet, The Name Of The Rose, Down By Law, The Big Easy, Matador, Something Wild, Sid And Nancy, Nine 1/2 Weeks and Pretty In Pink. By now you're realizing this isn't really a review of Talking To Girls About Duran Duran , just like the book wasn't really about girls or Duran Duran. Let's talk more about 1986.

1986 was when MTV started to royally suck. Hit videos were repeated so often they would often appear twice in the same hour, including the likes of Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Heart, Bon Jovi, Bruce Hornsby, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Billy Idol, Mr. Mister, Lionel Richie, Billy Ocean, Starship, Robert Palmer, Genesis, Steve Winwood, Huey Lewis & The News, The Bangles, Falco and Wang Chung. Not all of it was horrible, but just for the indignity of being force-fed the stuff so repetitively, every single one of them made me want to drive nails into my raging, sexually frustrated teenage skull. Or better yet, their skulls. Bon Jovi particularly irked me at the time, because I thought at first he sounded alright, a kind of metallized Bruce Springsteen. But then I saw the videos with his ridiculousy poofed hair and cheesy preening that was blatantly aimed toward an audience of screaming tweener girls, and I somehow felt betrayed. Similarly, the tunes from Madonna's first album made me think she was like a former tough New York punk chick who discovered dance music, like Blondie. But her later hits like “Like A Virgin,” “Papa Don't Preach” and “True Blue” drove me insane with their obviously, cynically calculated, cold feel. Feh, sellout.

1986年感到平靜一些，因為它是一個非常奇怪的專輯明朗之間的大片的驚悚，紫色雨，出生在美國，後來打像信仰，約書亞樹，壞的，歇斯底里 ，以及企業風險管理， 骯髒的舞蹈 。 其他主要的後朋克和獨立樂隊一樣，治愈率，迴聲暨Bunnymen，該替換的波格斯，湯姆等待中，耶穌和瑪麗鏈，裸Raygun和小恐龍還參加了一個喘息的一年，但仍然普遍以每年推出專輯。

1986年是對我個人來說很平靜了。 它跨越了春天，我三年級和四年級的秋天，我在高中。 我跟踪和越野跑，適用於大學，但不知道我在哪裡去未定，不用說我沒有女朋友。 但我的關係與岩石'n'roll音樂是越來越漂亮黨的成熟，如果算上我們第一次約會時，我買了我的第一張專輯，加里努曼的快樂原則於1979年。 我迅速地從購買 45秒到畢業那年的專輯，我著了迷。 我總是對這張專輯。 單是太迅速了，那麼你不得不站起來，翻轉，或放在別的東西。 它就像一個商業或電影預覽。 聽這張專輯更像一個主要活動，或者像讀一本好書。 它給了我時間閱讀或做功課，在雙方 16日至20分鐘。 我是上癮，比我大鏟降雪9-12歲在冬季和夏季襲擊垃圾桶房子後雙方罐裝啤酒，流行與 5美分退款支持我的習慣。

在解放因素easied我的財務限制，是在收購結束 1985年，我的愛和雙卡座迷你立體聲圖形均衡器。 這不是一個真正的立體聲相當，但它是大於 1 boombox，與可拆卸揚聲器。 這是我的甜蜜寶貝，讓我部落10倍的金額比我以前的音樂。 當地岩站將發揮新專輯的全部星期天晚上，我可以帶他們。 But most importantly, whenever I or my small group of friends would get tapes via the Columbia and RCA clubs, local stores The Asteroid or Musicland, or Target's $5.99 sales, we could dub them for each other. At 16 I had a fair collection of 100 or so records and tapes. And a want list of another 500. When college/public radio station KUNI would play something enticing, I'd take notes. I had a long-standing ritual of scouring reviews in CREEM, Trouser Press, Rolling Stone and RECORD magazine, which was bought out at the end of 1985 by SPIN . I was well equipped to side-step the tyranny of MTV and top 40 radio and find out what else the world of music had to offer. By the time 1986 rolled around, I was 5'9″ and barely 100 lbs (with 4 more inches and 60 lbs of growth ahead) of quivering, twitchy teenage music obsession, ready to rock.

[More on music from 1986 with some videos. Click on my dorky picture at the end for the soundtrack, which I kindly matched the sound levels for you with Adobe Soundbooth.] Continue…

由馬克 Saleski

相當多的爵士樂唱片工具：踏板鋼吉他，特雷門，在Samchillian（你必須相信我在這一個。它的“正式”的名稱是“Samchillian提示提示提示Cheeepeee。”不要相信我嗎？ 看它上升 ），口琴，人類的聲音（如果你Shooby泰勒或邁克巴頓），鋸片。 其中有些文書並非“相當多的專輯”這麼多，因為他們是罕見的。 如果你看看總人數的爵士樂唱片在那裡，他們配備的比例是非常小的口琴。 這當然不會阻止我享受我的茨Thielemans和Gregoire馬里特記錄。

Steve Turre's main instrument is the trombone, and his resume there is long and impressive. Here's the short list: Lester Bowie, Art Blakey , Rahsaan Roland Kirk , Woody Shaw, Dizzy Gillespie , McCoy Tyner , Dexter Gordon, Pharoah Sanders . In his own ensembles, Turre's playing style carries the histories of Jack Teagarden and JJ Johnson while bringing modern sensibilities and hints of his salsa roots.

Where Turre really made his mark was when he began to incorporate sea shells into the music. My first encounter with him was with the 1993 album Sanctified Shells . It's a stunning recording that puts the focus on the warm tones of the shells, spiced with plenty of percussion. I was hooked.

On Delicious and Delightful , Turre puts much of his history on display as well as some soulful conch shell magic. Often, it is the surprising juxtaposition of these things that perks up the ear. On the opening “Light Within,” Turre plays a long introduction using three different shells. This segment morphs into the head and then shoots off in another direction as tenor saxophonist Billy Harper shatters the aural space with a blistering solo.

What is not surprising are the nice grooves that result when guitarist Russell Malone enters the picture. The title track is a blues vamp that leads to some particularly hot solos. On the closing “Ray's Collard Greens,” originally written for Ray Charles (see Turre's album In The Spur Of The Moment ), Malone takes a solo that gives way to the trombone, piano, and then the shells. I guess I had forgotten what Turre can do with these things because he ends up going all Rahsaan on us, with multiple tones being sounded, shaking with passion. Really great stuff.

這裡有許多 hilights（更透露自己每一天），但我的耳朵你不能擊敗燃燒的切諾基上，類固醇的“黑腳”和非失衡洗牌的“舞瞪羚”。前調聽起來像什麼功能解構“切諾基”，介紹了快速傳遞片段，然後以最激烈的獨奏方案。 杜偉次之現場只傾斜到它。 後者組成揭開序幕與一個邪惡的小鞋面具有公正打擊樂和低音。 鋼琴然後進入了緊張的固定低音的密封槽的獨奏來。 班輪注意到國家的節奏正在使用的“非洲6。”分拆出來的互動，它只是脆皮能源。 一度回落的號角，讓節奏部分推槽，一個了不起的設備，因為當比利哈珀重新進入，你不僅聽到它，你會覺得它。

你可能會覺得用砲彈在爵士樂方面有一點做作，1種爵士客廳的把戲。 一個聽這張專輯，你會相信史蒂夫杜偉是嚴重，你的生活。 當我們走到了一致的意見，也許我們可以坐下來談談 Samchillian。
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Out of everything featured this week, Thorsten Sideboard's Highpoint Lowlife label stands out as an anomaly, not least because it has existed in some form since before what became known as dubstep had even begun to escape from its South London crucible. And over the last few years it has had very little to do with the evolution of that genre specifically, instead focusing on the pretty odd album hinterlands where genres intersect – formless noise blending into electronica and indie rock, hip-hop, techno and, in recent years, latent influences from the expansion of UK bass music. So a quick word of admission then: this week offered the perfect opportunity to feature one of my personal favourite record labels, despite the fact that it fits loosely at best with its overarching theme.

In any case, the last few years though have been particularly fascinating to witness, as Highpoint Lowlife made the transition from a label focused on physical products to primarily digital distribution. In doing so they forged an inspirational path, making roundly excellent full-length albums available for only a fiver, and even less for EPs – and selling through its own website, they were able to generate enough income to support the label with far lower outside costs.

So the last few years have seen the label's release schedule pick up momentum. The reduced costs of releasing digitally have allowed them to put out recent acclaimed albums from the likes 10-20, The Village Orchestra and Roof Light, as well as a host of other smaller names. And as the scene that grew from dubstep has gained momentum and begun to infiltrate other sounds, its presence has gradually made itself known in subtle, subconscious ways – sub-bass bubbling up through the aquatic hip-hop of 10-20 and lending extra weight to TVO's techno hybrid tracks and genre-bending DJ sets.

At this point his label has never been in greater health, but Thorsten has chosen to finish its tenure this summer to focus on other projects. His label biography, also on the site today, explains a little about its history. Still, as the Highpoint Lowlife story is coming to an end it also seemed appropriate to snare him for a short interview, where he reveals a little more about the label's story and the exclusive mix he's recorded for us.

DiS: When you first started the label, did you have any inkling that you'd still be running it nearly a decade later? And was it ever intended as a long-lived thing?

Thorsten: No, absolutely no idea! Although in saying that, I don't think anyone ever really plans ahead like that when you're starting out, you just go with it and its only retrospectively you realise how long you've been involved in a project.

Was there a particular aesthetic you intended to pursue with the label – either artistically or musically – or was it more of an organic thing? I feel like there's a very strong common thread running through everything on Highpoint Lowlife, though I'd be hard pressed to put my finger on what exactly it is…

Yeah, although the roster evolved in a very organic manner, from the beginning there was a conscious decision to focus on music that was personal, from friends and like-minded people. It was always based around the assumption that our taste would never be unique – that is, that if we simply focused on music that sounded good to us, that we wanted to listen to, there would invariably always be somewhat of an audience who agreed and would want to listen also.

Obviously you were very involved in the digital face of the music industry from the very beginning, and able to adapt quite quickly to changes as a small label. How did you find the process of adapting to changes in musical consumption – and how challenging was the final shift from physical to digital?

There was definitely something of a stigma attached to non-physical releases to begin with, but I think that was purely an anachronism of the time and looking back, it seems funny to think that way. It's still lovely to have a physical object – I do love having a vinyl release, holding it in your hands, feeling the weight and tactility of it; however CDs were never a nice experience, the squashed 5″ artwork, the growing mass of homogeneous and fragile jewel-case covers littering your desk and shelves. I find it frustrating when labels deliberately hold back the digital release a week longer than the physical, as if they think somehow it will stop piracy or force people to buy the physical version – some people want physical and some want digital, they don't encroach on one another, and I find it arrogant of a label to try to force me into their preferred format. If someone has just released an album and I want to buy a copy of it, to pay them money for it, it just strikes me as daft that they won't let me. Chances are by the time the following week has rolled around, I will have found a leaked copy to download for free and that I'll just spend my money on something else.

Do you have any particular opinions yourself about the digitisation of music, and the shift away from a physical product to something essentially intangible?

I believe there is still a special place for a physical object and well-thought out design to accompany musical works, but I feel that it can be something different and special, now that it's no longer an essential component. Again going back to the example of a CD, for several years it was common to buy the CD, use it once to rip mp3s from it, then for that disc to sit unused and unneeded on your shelves. That's not artwork, that was just a temporary distribution and backup solution until we received ubiquitous bandwidth, and worked out some basics for how a digital music economy should function. Looking back more historically, music has always been intangible, however we've grown so used to the idea that music is a commodity “product”, when it's actually something so much more, it's a feeling, an experience, a social event or a private one.

Do you see the future of music distribution and consumption as lying primarily in digital media? And by extension, do you think that the future lies in smaller, relatively niche labels like Highpoint Lowlife, rather than impersonal majors?

I've always believed it will be a combination. Digital is the more convenient and cheaper method for distribution and consumption, and as such will definitely be the standard. Conversely though, that opens up an avenue to be explored, where the physical and tactile are given back the magic and special feeling that were so often taken for granted, where you are aware of the time and effort spent in the design and construction. Niche and specialist definitely seem like the future to me, however I never believe it's that black and white – it's not like niche and mainstream can't exist side by side, it's purely a personal preference.

There have been huge shifts in electronic music over the time the label's been around – and in the last few years, as your label has become more prominent, the rise of dubstep has been a huge thing. It seems to have had a real effect on electronic music far outside its expected spheres of influence.

I agree, I think dubstep has had a massive invigorating influence on the whole electronic music world. By 2004 electronic music was looked pretty flaccid, with IDM being a dirty word, but dubstep got me out clubbing again after a couple years of not having been interested in house and techno. That physicality brought about by large soundsystems, and that space to breathe provided by the halfstep beat opened up a lot of room for experimentation and thought. It created a massive splash, and its effects are still rippling and mutating through the production world.

What does the future hold for the artists currently operating on Highpoint Lowlife? Some of them – 10-20, TVO, Hot City, Roof Light – seem to be making a real name for themselves, and I presume they'll move onward and carry on doing other things?

Yeah, most definitely, I can see big things coming for them all – Roof Light has some other pieces coming out soon on Styrax and L2S, while Hot City has officially signed with Moshi Moshi records, with an album due for next year. TVO has just started his own label called Broken20 – which I think will really make a name for itself. 10-20 has been working on some great new stuff, and has a few pieces due out soon on compilations

Could you tell me a bit about the mix you've recorded – what's on it, what range of stuff, any particular theme, etc?

I wanted to reflect the history and scope of the label, but it was quite hard to do that within an hour's mix, and as such it shows more of the beat driven electronic side. There are a couple of key things missing – the guitar influence (apart from the opening Mandelbrot Set track) such as the releases we had from Like A Stuntman who were a big part of the label for a couple of years, and also Fuck-Off Machete; The ambient side of things also isn't well represented: the work we've released from Pausal and Alpine, Ruaridh/TVO's more ambient side, and Erstlaub (although the Daigoro track finishing the mix is also by Dave Fyans from our compilation of Scottish electronica). Having said all those disclaimers however, I think it's a good, fair representation of the spirit of Highpoint Lowlife and features most of the artists we've worked with over the years. Hope you enjoy it!

海波因特出身卑微：混Thorsten邊櫃

Mandelbrot Set – Astronomy and Allied Sciences 1b
Depakote – Darby
Izu – Get In And Don't Come Out
Roof Light – Kite Tails And Redwings
n.ln – thoughts
Marshall Watson – Invariant
10-20 – Globe
Dalglish – untitled
Funckarma – Stub Dane
Recon – Circle
Fisk Industries – Crowley
Rashamon – Windo Loca
The Marcia Blaine School For Girls – The Ratio
Bovaflux – Kleine
randomNumber – Troubled Moves
Hot City – Head Work
Erik XVI – Unionens sista dagar (Ali Renault Trill Remix)
Daigoro – Lumimotion

Download at higher quality here .

Check out more about Highpoint Lowlife and their release catalogue at their website and in this article here

Another, arguably more important guiding principle for N vs. S is friendship. As corny as that may sound in this irony-saturated age, the incestuous nature of the 55 bands on display, with members shared between at least two or three, acts, denotes the companionship that comes from shared vision. This is true of the audience as well – not only were the crowds made up largely of musicians (a common occurrence at the Hole in the Wall anyway), but it was filled up by various longtime friends and family members – sharp observers would notice the same faces we've seen for years at these acts' shows.

Bringing these folks together for this festival was simply a love of music. At a mere $20 for three days of performances, the price was such a bargain the festival couldn't possibly go into the black. The vast majority of the acts didn't bother to push merchandise – indeed, the Pedaljets, one of the few who did bring CDs and T-shirts, were happy to give their goods away. Making money or raising profiles were not the driving forces behind what went on here – the North Vs. South Festival, and the bands participating, were united simply by the joy of playing rock & roll together. How much more pure can a motive be?

The first act up on Thursday was fest co-founder Baby Grant Johnson. Normally the leader of the Bitter Spills, the Minneapolis-based singer/guitarist put his raspy voice and superb fingerpicking skills to the service of a set of blues and country covers and his own originals. Strong tunes like “Take a Whiff on Me” and Lefty Frizzell's “Saginaw, Michigan” resonated, no matter what the age of the audience, but the amazing sound of his open-tuned 12-string slide work dominated. Less crusty or theatrical than Austin troubadour Scott H. Biram, Johnson nonetheless traveled a similar dirt road, mixing Mississippi John Hurt, Hank Williams and Doc Watson as naturally as a bartender mixes an old-fashioned. While hampered a bit by his self-criticism at how long he took to retune between songs, Johnson's set was a great way to start off a long night of music.

Next up was Austin's own working class heroes/court jesters the Service Industry. The SI is one of those local acts that makes the incestuous nature of the River City scene clear, as the band consists of current and former members of the Wannabes, the Wayouts, the Rockland Eagles, Fire Marshals of Bethlehem, the Picket Line Coyotes, the American People and Cher UK The latter two were represented by festival driving force Mike McCoy, who traded vocals and lyrics with Julie Lowery like the Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra of Texas indie rock. While the band is well known for songs addressing class warfare and the issues of art versus the day job, they've expanded their concerns considerably, adding more social commentary and relationship grumbles. Loud, catchy tunes like “Calm Down,” “Phi Beta Kappa Queen” and “This Town Makes My Skin Crawl” use pithy lines to get the points across, but it's the kind of humor that springs first from a grimace. It was a strong set that really set the bar for the rest of the night.

Back on the Foley stage, Austin was represented once again with Militant Babies, a muscular power trio. The band's jagged postpunk came off as competent but uninspiring at first, but gained strength as the set progressed, with guitarist Geoff Lasch – way off the reservation of his former band the Golden Apples – providing most of the fireworks. The only response to that kind of pummeling is something more overtly tuneful, and Moonlight Towers definitely delivered on the Sahm stage. The Austin band's rootsy power pop is so consistent it's easy to take for granted – the quartet's tight, well-crafted tunes hold few surprises, but never lack in quality, either. A new album is imminent.

Next up, the Scriveners represented Kansas City with snotty punk/pop. Tunes like “Catching Some Z's” and “Playing Pinball With the Stars” betray the influence of the Dead Milkmen – not a bad thing, frankly – but the cleverness of the lyrics wasn't enough to overcome the routine noise of the music. Kudos, however, to the musicians – except for the singer, the other guys were not regular band members, joined for this gig only, and they sounded surprisingly tight for an ad-hoc lineup.

Far better was the debut of another Austin act made up of scene veterans: Polite Society. Filled out by members of Stretford and the Golden Apples and fronted by singer/songwriter Steve McCarthy – normally the drummer in the Diamond Smugglers and the Wannabes, as well as a principal in the Fighting Brothers McCarthy – the name of the game was straightforward, no-bullshit melodic rock & roll. “Fly to Me,” “Take You Down” and “Too Beautiful” boasted sing-along hooks and plenty of firepower. Ending with an ass-kicking cover of the Kinks' “Do It Again,” Polite Society established itself as a band to keep an ear on in this town.

After all the electricity in the air, it was time to get back to more wooden music with Deano and the Purvs. Sort of a Bloodshot Records supergroup, the Purvs consist of guitarist Bill Anderson and mandolinist Pete Stiles from the Meat Purveyors and a harmony singer, while Deano is Dean Schlabowske of the Waco Brothers. A showcase for Schlabowske songs like “Vacant Lot” and “Same Time, Same Channel,” the group moved from acoustic C&W to, with the addition of a rhythm section and Anderson switching from acoustic to Telecaster, boisterous country rock. Fans of the Bloodshot aesthetic would know what to expect, though the band played with a refreshing lack of the irony that slathers so much of the Chicago label's output.

Following a set of barroom country rock was the closest thing the festival had to a jam band. Mr. Marco & His v7s hail from Kansas City and make the kind of music that grows out of virtuoso exploration, rather than down-to-earth songwriting. While the nimble jazz/funk bass of Johnny Hamil and the spaced-out, atmospheric guitar beds of Mr. Marco himself provided the backbone, the real star was electric mandolinist/steel guitarist Michael Stover, who carried most of the melodies with his unassuming musicianship. The quartet's smooth mixture of folk, funk, worldbeat, skronk and metal – Hamil described one song as “what happens when Bad Brains and Iron Maiden make love in a Turkish hashbin” – came off like Friends of Dean Martinez with balls the size of sperm whales.

Nebraska's Platte River Rain cancelled, so their place on the Foley stage was taken by Faster Horses, another Kansas City act that had played outside earlier on the Lar Lar stage. The quartet's roots rock wasn't bad, but suffered from a lack of imagination, despite writing a song based on “Patsy Cline x 2,” an imaginary tune from the novel High Fidelity. Even that song was forgotten once Leatherbag ascended the Sahm stage. Led by songwriter Randy Reynolds, the Austin band proved why it's a fast rising favorite in the River City with a set concentrating on the rockers in its repertoire. A few tuning issues raised some bumps in the momentum, but every time the group tore through finely crafted numbers like “Here Comes Change,” “Senseless Irony” or “Forever Blue,” any awkwardness was forgotten.

Up next was yet another Austin supergroup: Why Not Satellite, fronted by Larry Seaman of Standing Waves (one of Austin's first new wave bands), joined by Cindy Toth of the Reivers, Randy Franklin of the Wild Seeds and Terri Lord of Sincola and too many other bands to count. Yet more technical issues (not an uncommon occurrence at the Hole, sadly) killed the set's momentum, but individually the band's jangly pop rock songs were quite good. The music may have been new, but the veterans' musical confidence made it as polished as anything more well established.

The night closed out with the Gay Sportscasters, another act stuffed with Austin vets and scenesters. Led by Hickoids frontman and Saustex label owner Jeff Smith and guitarist Three Dollar Bill, the Sportscasters – which also included Service Industry guitarist Alan Thomas, Moonlight Towers' keyboard player and longtime scene drummer Rob Gaines – good-naturedly strutted and stumbled their way through a set of noisy, novelty-fueled country and garage rock. Originals like “Swap Meet” and “Me and My Wallet” (“inspired by the city of hate – Dallas, Texas”) bumped uglies with covers of the Standells' “Dirty Water” (given Austincentric lyrics), Gary Glitter's “Rock 'n' Roll Pt. II” and KC & the Sunshine Band's “Get Down Tonight.” The music itself shared space with Smith and Bill's ongoing comedy routine and the slinky gyrations of the Lollygaggers, a pair of go-go dancing cleavage queens. Want to know where the Sportscasters are coming from? Check out these lines from “Denim Friendly”: “Sweet Jesus shovin' cooze/You know I was born to lose.” That says it all.

Friday night was more inconsistent in its pleasures, but still offered plenty of strong moments. We arrived to the sounds of Wood Roses, another project revolving around Mike McCoy. An Austin/Kansas City hybrid, featuring McCoy backed by members of the Scriveners, Mr. Marco's v7 and the Wannabes, the Roses played stripped-down country rock. No frills, no flourishes, no hot licks – just the straight, unfancy presentation McCoy's tunes demanded. 尼斯。

Back at the front window, the Tinys arrived on the Foley stage. Consisting of KC bassist Matt Cook, Gourds guitarist Charlie Bernard and Service Industry drummer/Hole in the Wall manager Travis Garrafa (who seemed to play with every other Austin band this weekend) and featuring special guest Michael Crow from Grand Champeen (who walked onstage in the middle of the set), the band essayed plainspoken power pop with some country seasoning. Unfortunately, the same virtues displayed by Wood Roses did the Tinys in – the lack of color only emphasized the weakness of the vocals and absence of energy. Only when Crow was allowed room to roam did the set pick up, and that wasn't very often.

After that underwhelming experience, it was time to head to the Lar Lar stage on the patio for the Rusticators. This River City combo was another entry in the country rock diary – two guitars, bass, drums and twang. The band's songs were solid but fairly generic, a fact underscored by more successful reworkings of Bob Dylan's “You Ain't Goin' Nowhere” and Alejandro Escovedo's “Pyramid of Tears.” Guitarist Kirke Mecham's busy fills gave the performances more color than the tunes themselves. In addition, the band was hampered by a lousy mix, which lost the quartet's vocals somewhere in the air around the stage. One suspects the Rusticators might be more effective in a more conducive sonic setting.

Far better was the next band to hit the Foley stage: Magnet School. A big, fat wad of jagged postpunk psychedelia, the Austin quartet sprayed guitar effects all over the front room of the Hole. Like a mating dance between Polvo and Swervedriver, the Schoolers really understand how to manipulate dynamics so it's more than just abrupt shifts from light to heavy or soft to loud. Dissonance subtly gives way to melody as the intensity slowly builds. Sometimes the band just lets sweet and sour clash, like the contrast between the clanging Telecaster and lush Jazzmaster wielded by the two guitarists. The music stopped just short of overwhelming, never devolving into formless noise – there are actual songs buried under the nuclear shimmer, after all. Some of the momentum was lost whenever the band had to retune, but those were minor blips on an otherwise compelling sonic stream.

The other parts of the country finally asserted themselves when Kansas City's Brannock Device took the Sahm stage. The foursome's angular postpunk revolved around the dueling dichotomy of extremely skilled musicianship and fairly annoying vocals. It's not that the singers lacked talent – quite the contrary, in the case of frontwoman Elaine McMilian. But this kind of blurted vocal style blessedly went out of fashion when the no wave movement hit its expiration date in the early 80s and wasn't missed. Still, the playing was often extraordinary, and the band's grasp of almost-but-not-quite-danceable rhythms was pretty impressive.

Back outside on the Lar Lar stage, Austin act the Perilous Tide brought the rawk & roll back in a big way. A bit too muscular to be called power pop, but too nimble and melodic for hard rock, the quartet confidently but not arrogantly occupied the guitar rock middle ground with tunes like “I Got Over You,” “THC” and “The Steal.” Four guys (including guitarist Geoff Lasch of Militant Babies and Polite Society) who don't look like rock stars playing music this loud and powerful is always welcome. Just call what the Perilous Tide does rock – because it does.

Once the Tide was out, the stage was quickly taken by the Daylight Titans, another long-running Austin institution with deep roots in the scene courtesy drummer David Mider (Javelin Boot, the Fire Marshals of Bethlehem) and guitarist Tim Swingle (Doctor's Mob). With a bit of jangle, some crunch, quite a bit of melody, the Titans are one of Austin's many responses to the 80s Midwestern explosion, with just enough twang in their approach to make their state of origin obvious. Frontdude Andy Smith's commanding baritone was a definite asset, cutting through the muddy sound and helping get sturdy songs like “C'mon C'mon Halfway Gone” and “The Ghost” across. Ending the set with the uncharacteristic but fun punk explosion of “Sharp Stick in the Eye,” the Titans blazed a familiar but still scenic trail.

Back inside on the Sahm stage, the Keep Aways held court. The Duluth trio was essentially a punk rock band, but with a metal edge. This came less from any inherent heaviness than from singer Mindy Johnson's penchant for guttural screaming and her razor-edged guitar tone. The band likes to fold thrash metal dynamics into its arrangements, yet there's enough melody and indie rock moan in Johnson's stance to keep the band far away from DRI territory. It's the little things that give the band's punk pop its own distinctive sway.

Due to a shuffle in the lineup, Austin's Corrina Corrina next took the Foley stage. Led by singer/songwriter Colin Swietek (and with Minneapolis/Austin gadfly Mike Nicolai in the lineup), the band played melodic folk rock that put emphasis on songs above all else. Tunes like “Black is the Color of Your Old Love's Heart” were impressive, but the band allowed the late Doug Sahm to steal the show by performing a soulful version of “At the Crossroads” directly below the painting of Sahm that hangs above the stage. Still, the band had a lot of promise.

Manheat, another Duluth act, played next on the Sahm stage. With a little punk, some pop, some arena rock and occasional flashes of U2's the Edge in the guitar work, the band was solid, but their songs weren't very memorable. Nice cover of Public Image Ltd.'s “Public Image,” though. The Foley stage next hosted the quirky Austin act Dorito, a psychedelic jam band with two drummers whose kits took up the entire stage, leaving the guitarist and bassist to stand on the floor in front of the tables. Between the propulsion provided by the extra percussion and the tendency of the string-slingers to be flashy but not over the top, the set ended up being rocking instead of meandering.

The show took another 180 degree turn with the presence of Ratcatcher (formerly know as Bastard Saint). The Minnesota trio was an out-and-out metal band – no hiding behind punk imagery or indie rock irony. The big blond Viking fronting the band tended to yell and scream more than sing, but his guitar work was stellar and he displayed a sense of humor in tracks like the raging “Winter Wants Me Dead.” One of the few bands unconnected to the rest of the lineup by shared membership, Ratcatcher nonetheless held the attention of the meager crowd, especially once they launched into a metalized cover of Cheap Trick's “Surrender,” inviting anyone who desired to join them on vocals.

Billy Joe Winghead finally took the Foley stage, to sighs of relief all around – the band's trailer has unexpectedly detached itself from their van during their drive to Austin, necessitating a lineup rearrangement in order to give them time to repair and get back on the road. The Tulsa favorite was Oklahoma's answer to satirical roots rockers Dash Rip Rock or the New Duncan Imperials, though punkier, noisier and just plain weirder. A BJW show means songs like “Branson On My Mind,” “Porno King” and “Rest Stop Romeo,” lyrics like “Jesus loves you but not that well/You're going straight to hell” and Theremin swoops garnishing otherwise straightforward covers of Santo & Johnny's “Sleepwalk” and Duke Ellington's “Caravan.” Gritty guitar and vocal noises get shot through with flamboyantly played mistakes – all part of the act, folks. One of the most seriously fun shows of the festival.

The final artist of the night was Kansas City legend Season to Risk. The on again/off again quintet has knocked their furious artpunk around for nearly two decades, and their professionalism was evident in its vise grip-tight attack. But not being a full time band also meant that the performance was infused with the enthusiasm of people who do this for fun, not as a job – singer Steve Tulipana was as interested in making jokes and connecting with buddies as in growling his way through the group's “hits.” S2R's meld of Fugazi, Helmet, Jesus Lizard and Jawbox (with added synth bleets and washes) hit all the right (noisy, dissonant) notes, firing up an unfortunately sparse but enthusiastic crowd.

The final day of the fest, Saturday began early on the Foley stage with Minneapolis guitarist Al Grande. We confess to arriving late for his set, but we were able to catch his crunchy version of the Motels' “Only the Lonely” (not a common cover choice), as well as one solid original tune and a closing cover of Chris Isaak's “Wicked Little Town.” Grande's voice was pretty flat, which puts the Isaak tune beyond him, but his guitar work was often stellar. If he's not a first call session man in his hometown, he should be.

Grande was followed almost immediately by Kansas City quartet Miss America. The band's rootsy power pop showed serious attention to craft, with well-written songs that went beyond three chords and three-part vocal harmonies that showed real ambition. There were a couple of clunkers, including the trendoid-baiting “Chillaxe,” and the group seems trapped in a midtempo groove, but tunes like “Your Condition” and “How Far We've Come” were too good to deny. Mr. Marco/Wood Roses steel guitarist/mandolinist Michael Stover guested, contributing swooping Theremin to a lovely cover of Electric Light Orchestra's “Can't Get You Out of My Head.”

Inside on the Sahm stage, the Fighting Brothers McCarthy also worked in a fairly traditional power pop idiom. Basically the Polite Society with Steve McCarthy's brother Kevin as frontman, the McCarthys were unsurprisingly reminiscent of Kevin's former band Wheel Local 404 – with Kevin's built-for-pop voice fronting the same kind of instantly catchy, rocked-up melodies, how could it not be? The Austin band claimed to be under-rehearsed, but the energy and craft behind “Running in My Sleep,” “Cara” and “Only One You Know” belied that assertion. Power pop fanatics would need a cigarette after a set this good.

Back on the Foley stage, the Austin quintet Youngmond Grand was apparently undergoing a reunion gig. “I promise we're not going to fight onstage,” the singer declared, an utterance that seemed to mean something to the substantial crowd. After an opening number in which the bass cut in and out – a definitely hindrance to music this rhythmic – the group settled into its pop rock rush. Vigorously strummed guitars, hyperactive drumming and emphatic synthesizer bleets pointed the Grand in the direction of the neo new wave, but Clint Myers' raw emotion on tunes like “I Like to Break Guitars” put the band in its own space. Most interesting moment: substituting overlapping conversation for a conventional guitar or synth solo in “Crashing Down.”

A group that included Tinys bassist Matt Cook, Kansas City's Hot Dog Skeletons took the Sahm stage next. The quartet's classic rock-frosted roots rock was solid but indistinct – there was nothing that the Drive-By Truckers or Slobberbone hadn't already done better. The Skeletons' genericism was quickly forgotten in light of the arrival on the Foley stage of Austin's Right or Happy. Essentially the Reivers plus a keyboard player, the band continued in the tradition of its former incarnation. The Reivers' signatures were intact: the distinctive vocal blend of John Croslin and Kim Longacre, Croslin's tasteful lead guitar, the exploration of the various shades of midtempo, adult guitar pop. But there was a subtle musical shift as well, with less of a folk subtext and more of a Beatlesque pop foundation. Sprightly rockers like “Confidence” and “Back at You” were balanced by pretty ballads (the providence of Longacre's quavering but still gorgeous voice) like “Wait and See”, with only one Reivers song (fan favorite “Dragonflies”) added to the mix. The Reivers may be a nostalgia act, but Right or Happy has a bright future.

From one veteran act to another: the Sahm stage next played host to underground rock legend Grant Hart. Though still best known as the drummer/co-leader of the influential Hüsker Dü, Hart has a fine catalog of solo records and work with his band Nova Mob to his credit as well. Working with an impromptu rhythm section of drummer Travis Garrafa from the Service Industry and bassist Tony Zaccardi from Kruddler, Hart seemed loose and relaxed as he worked through selections from his new record Hot Wax (“You're a Reflection of the Moon On the Water,” “California Zephyr”), catalog gems (“2541,” “The Main,” transformed into a country waltz) and Hüsker classics (“Never Talking to You Again,” “Diane”). The performances occasionally displayed the lack of rehearsal, with casual cues and some off-key notes, but the strength of the material, the spirit in the playing and Hart's still powerful voice made quibbles irrelevant.

After a brief glimpse of Mike McCoy's punk rock institution Cher UK (who unfortunately were performing at the same time as Hart), it was time for Grand Champeen, probably the purest distillation of mid-period Replacements – loud, tuneful and barely in control – in Austin. The quartet packed the room in front of the Foley stage with their usual energy-spewing set that somehow managed to be tight and loose at the same time. Pushing catchy pop/rock melodies to the edge until they explode, the Champeens delivered one of the most exciting sets of the festival.

Minnesota asserted itself once again on the Sahm stage in the form of power trio Kruddler. The St. Paul band's mere appearance – a skinny middle-aged white guy with ridiculous pony tails wielding a Flying V and a chubby, dreadlocked African-American bassist – was striking enough, but they backed up the visual element with funny, catchy songs in tribute to Tom Cruise (“Cruisin',”), Natalie from The Facts of Life (“Go Natalie”) and, of course, “Droids.” Other highlights were the sharp power pop of “About Her” and a rousing song “about going to a show and finding a band you like,” guest-starring Channing Lewis from Grand Champeen. One might wish the vocals were stronger, but the songs and playing crackled with cool fire.

Following Kruddler came one of our most anticipated acts: the Pedaljets. In the late 80s the Kansas City quartet put out a couple of excellent, though little known, records that fell under the Midwest ragged-but-right pop/rock banner pioneered by the Minneapolis bands, then disappeared. But the band has launched a comeback, and proved itself more than just a second-tier act with a fiery performance. Fronted by songwriter Mike Allmayer, who looks like Paul Simon's long lost little brother, the band heartily bashed through classics “Dumbwaiter,” “Bulletins” and “Tiny World” to the delight of their KC homeboys and new fans alike. The addition of new tunes like “Terra Nova Baby” served notice that this wasn't just a nostalgia show – the Pedaljets are a still vital band, and a great one at that. Special treat: a cover of the Undertones “Teenage Kicks,” sung by drummer Rob Morrow in his best Feargal Sharkey quaver, with Mike McCoy joining in.

Following that stellar set came another highly anticipated show. Austin's Doctors' Mob have played only one other show since its breakup in the late 80s, and while its members have remained musically active (singer Steve Collier with the Rite Flyers, bassist Tim Swingle with the Daylight Titans, drummer Glen Benavides with Buick MacKane, Don Lamb as a manager at Waterloo Records), few of their projects have inspired the devotion of their original combination. The band's sound fits in the fest's unspoken musical aesthetic well – fans of Grand Champeen, the Pedaljets, etc. likely felt right at home with the Mob's punky power pop rush. But the band's country and folk shadings – very subtle given their high-volume attack – set them apart. The substantial crowd was easily swept up in the memorable melodies and surging power of “Hangers On,” “It's Up to You,” “Time's Up” and “Why Should You Care Now?” The band members themselves seemed to be having a blast – hopefully this was more than just a one-off reunion and signaled a new beginning for a band that broke up too soon.

Next up on the Foley stage was one of the stranger detours of this year's festival. The Austin-based Dung Beatles – the McCarthy Brothers, drummer David Mider and bassist Hunter Darby – have a very specific shtick: playing nearly note-perfect Beatles covers, pre-Sgt. Pepper's, complete with the requisite suits, wigs and instrumentation. The only difference: the lyrics have been altered to revolve around the theme of feces. Thus “A Hard Day's Night” becomes “A Hard Day's Shite,” “From Me to You” transforms into “From Meat to Poo,” etc. There were a couple of truly clever bits, including “I Really Got a Load in Me,” derived the Fab Four's take on the Miracles' “You Really Got a Hold On Me,” and “Poor Ragin' Wood,” a version of “Norwegian Wood” that went beyond the band's obsession with poop. The musicianship was impeccable and the adaptation of some of Lennon's famous quotes into the theme – “I never meant to compare a big shit to Jesus, what I meant was, 'Jesus, what a big shit!'” – was pretty funny. But let's face it: the joke gets old fast. Maybe that's the point.

The final act of the festival was a cross-pollination of North and South, as Minneapolis-to-Austin and back (and forth) transplant Mike Nicolai joined Grand Champeen to form the Bremen Riot. Opening their set by transforming Doug Sahm's “Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day” into a soulful anthem, the band otherwise tore through a set of punk/power pop/arena rock melodies. There was an pretty odd album contrast to the Champeen boys joyfully rocking out while Nicolai skewered the rock frontman moves that would normally follow such noises, but whatever layer of irony existed was disguised by the energy and tunefulness powering “Growing Down” or “Surveillance.” The band ended the set with a dichotomous one-two punch: another version of “Teenage Kicks” (with McCoy once again putting in an appearance) and a noisy devolution of Lou Reed's “Waves of Fear” that ended with Nicolai rolling on the stage floor and the Champeeners abandoning the field one by one in a squall of feedback. Considering the rock & roll abandon that powered the North Vs. South Festival this year, how else could it end?