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November 1, 2005
Shorties
Popmatters interviews David Berman of the Silver Jews.
PM: Any news on when those early Silver Jews tapes of you, Steve Malkmus, and Bob Nastanovich improvising songs will be edited down, mastered, and released?
DB: There are three shoeboxes of tapes I need to go through for that record to happen. I'm kind of offended by bands that try to sell you their DVDs, unreleaseds, tour-onlies, remixes, etc. It's kind of sad. I think a certain amount of reserve with regard to what you release is necessary to avoid letting the listener degrade him or herself in their pursuit of trivia, irrespective to what it says about an artist's confidence in his work to come.
The Denver Post reviews the "non-elitist" Vegoose Music Festival.
Snow Patrol have finished eight songs for their next album.
Stylus plays god with U2's Joshua Tree album.
The Constantines' Steven Lambke talks to the Toronto Sun.
"When you've made a few records, people compare a new one to what you've done before, rather than evaluating it for what it is," Lambke said. "I think these are better songs than we've ever had. We consciously tried to write songs with melodies and chord changes and structures; whereas some of our older stuff was more like collections of riffs."
Brian Eno talks to the Belfast Telegraph.
"Among artists there are people who are the explorers or the pioneers, and the settlers," Eno says. "And those are both very important jobs, but my thrills come from the pioneering side. I thrive on the feeling of being where nobody's been before. I don't thrive on the feeling of exploiting the territory once I've got there."
Matt Berninger of The National talks to The Daily News.
"There's a funny dynamic between people who have been following us for awhile and new fans ... There's sort of a conflict because (older fans) jump up and say, 'This is ridiculous that people didn't know you 'til now.' I think there's sort of a bitterness, and they liked the fact we were a secret."
Chris Burney, frontman for the Ohio band the Sun, talks to Rolling Stone.
"I've sort of had a falling-out and disillusionment with art and have been trying to play more sports, get tougher. It's a crossing point between idealism and realism -- all that bullshit. I thought I had a whole lot to say for so long, but that kind of imploded on itself."
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor is interviewed by Rolling Stone.
Six years ago, you said in Rolling Stone that rock & roll "has taken a big shit." How do you feel now?
Well, we've managed to put rap rock -- or, sorry, new metal -- back where it belongs, as a forgotten footnote. I'm a bit more optimistic now, but in the alternative-rock world I see a lot of hype over substance. I think Radiohead are great, and Arcade Fire -- I saw them live and couldn't believe how good it was. On the other hand, there's a band like Franz Ferdinand -- all the cool people say they're good, but it sounds like I'm getting bullshitted by somebody.
Tikkun reviews a recent Sufjan Stevens show.
Maybe Stevens is singing as someone other than himself, but if that is the case he shows a remarkable preference for first-person narrators who wear their religion, if not on the sleeve of their coat, then in the satiny lining inside it that flashes whenever they move.
