For more information about the band visit their Facebook page.

Arborea is a musical duo from Maine, formed in the summer of 2005 by wife and husband Shanti Curran and Buck Curran. Since 2007 they’ve toured extensively throughout the US, UK, and Europe, curated two various artists compilations; We are All One, In the Sun: A Tribute to Robbie Basho and Leaves of Life, and released several full length albums including their latest Red Planet which made Rolling Stone ‘Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2011′, Top Vinyl Pick in Mojo Magazine, and Editors Top Pick in Guitar Player Magazine.  Portland Mercury writer Ned Lannamann recently described their music…”If you could take a shiver and slow it down so that it lasted for 50 minutes, you’d have Red Planet, the fourth album from Arborea. It’s folk music that runs through your veins ice cold, but in a way that’s so compelling and irresistible you can’t help be moved by it. Red Planet is released by Portland label Strange Attractors Audio House, but Arborea actually hail from a spot much closer to the other Portland; the husband-and-wife duo of Shanti and Buck Curran live in Maine, a state of rugged beauty, endless forests, summertime bugs the size of hummingbirds, and a cold and rocky coastline. Shanti’s voice rises above sparse instrumental backing like a cool fog, and while the pair has earned comparisons to acts like Pentangle and Alela Diane, to me Arborea sounds utterly unique and entirely captivating.”

TDOA:  We really like the twanginess and dissonance in the first track on Red Planet, The Fossil Sea. What was that intended to convey?

Buck: The Fossil Sea is an improvisation meant to set the atmosphere for Red Planet.  The sustaining notes and overtones of the wood and steel of the guitar conjuring it’s own music. We like to use the banjo in that way too.

TDOA: I hesitate to use the term “indie darling,” but it seems apt in this case. What do you think of the critical swoon over Arborea? Buck- We work incredibly hard and have toured non-stop since the end of 2006.  We put everything we have mentally and physically into the music and performances and getting positive feedback definitely affirms that we are on the right path.

Shanti: I think it’s important to recognize that critical success doesn’t necessarily mean we win the popularity contest. I think it’s wonderful that we’ve had virtually no bad reviews of our music and I often joke that we are ‘straight A’ students’, but we’ve had to work incredibly hard booking most shows ourselves and traveling almost non-stop since 2006. We’ve done all of the recording of our albums at home on a very limited budget and we’ve done 90 percent of the artwork and videos as well.  What I’m trying to say is that we don’t have a team of people working for us who believe in what we do or who think they can make money off of us- we have some good and solid friends who love us but we’re basically lone wolves. I’m definitely not complaining. I think we’ve done this long enough to be able to appreciate the benefits of being in control of our artistic vision. I like going to bed at night knowing that we have the power to shape our future as we see fit.

TDOA: I think the name Arborea is really apt – vocally, the sound is really ethereal and natural. Was that intentional, or has it just worked out that way?

Buck: The name was chosen to represent infinite possibilities.  We are very aware of history and society, nature and the universe.  Our music is the primary vehicle for our creativity, but we there’s also our writing, photography, and video making.  We bring all these elements together when we create our music.

Shanti: The name Arborea seems to have an open ended quality to it- It feels like it could change with the wind and water and seasons.

TDOA: On the vocals, what influences that style most?

Shanti: When I first started singing, I was highly aware of the physical feeling of moving air over my vocal chords and I naturally sought the path of least resistance. I’ve kept that philosophy and always sought to sing within my capabilities. I never push my vocals or try to go places that cause discomfort or strain. I have a pretty wide range but I’ve mostly stayed in the upper registers except in songs like Spain or our version of This Little Light and I’m certainly into the idea of exploring more, but for now my inspiration for my vocals has been the visualization of water flowing or of seeds blowing in the wind- I look for the channel or the stream and try to become a part of that, to dance and twirl effortlessly but only WITHIN the current. I also pay close attention to my emotions when singing, nothing bugs me more than to hear a song with heartfelt words and tear inducing melodies but then the singer feels nothing and sings as if they are dead inside. My soul can immediately tell the difference and I’m sure everyone else can too. You have to feel the blues even if it’s not the blues you’re singing!

TDOA: I think that it’s clear that there’s the influence of nature on the sound, both the instruments and the vocals – what does that come from?

Shanti: I think people are coming to an understanding or realization or discovery perhaps that there is way more to our universe than what we can see and hear and taste and touch. I’m talking resonance man! What I mean is that I think that music and nature are the same thing, or they resonate with the human soul on the same frequencies.  They are after all made from the same base material, wood and flesh and air and sunlight and water…sprinkled with a bit of human intention.

Buck: A lot of the music is created in the Maine wilderness or by the Ocean. When we take the time to get away from the mad rush of modern society…a lot of ideas, visual and musical, seem to come very rapidly.  Hikes along the Maine Coast or in the woods, or staying at our family cabin…these are the places and times that are so very important for us.  Nature is an extremely busy place itself, though it’s buzzing on a completely different plane of existence from that of towns and cities. It’s so nice to be able to tap into a separate stream of existence.

TDOA: The instruments you guys play are very unique – can you tell us about the ban-jammer and other instruments that you use?

Buck: The ban-jammer is a banjo mountain dulcimer hybrid.  Shanti fingerpicks the instrument and also plays it with the Ebow.  It’s a very unique instrument and can sound like many different things. With the Ebow it can sound like a flute, and fingerpicked it has the qualities of a Japanese Koto.  Shanti also has a harmonium that was made in India.  The harmonium has an amazing sound with it’s volume, all the drones, and it’s enigmatic waves of sound.  We do some very ethereal and experimental improvisations with the harmonium and electric guitar.  I also made two of the acoustic guitars we play.  They were designed to be played in alternate tunings and to be super responsive and very resonate.

Shanti: The ban-jammer is a hybrid instrument, a cross between a mountain dulcimer and a banjo. It has the scale of a mountain dulcimer and is play across your lap, but the head of a banjo, so it’s much louder and had a twang to it that a mountain dulcimer doesn’t have. I also play the harmonium- an organ type drone that is used in classical Indian music and I also play the banjo, ukelele and acoustic and classical guitar.

TDOA: How has the band evolved from Wayfaring Summer to Red Planet?

Shanti: I look at Wayfaring Summer as a raw and unpolished stone that was found along the path, sparkling in the sunlight in all it’s earnest innocence. Red Planet is that very same stone, worn over and polished smooth from loss and heartache and bitter disappointments and then buffed to a golden glow from risk and adventure and soulful joy and universal resonance.

Buck: Arborea has evolved in so many ways since those first improvisations in the summer of 2005 that led to the recording and release of Wayfaring Summer.  Our music is often created in two different ways…one take improvisations or through a crafting process.  We are always striving to create and after nearly 7 years of doing this together, our musical skills and the intuitive musical communication between us have only gained strength.

TDOA: Husband-and-wife musical duos are relatively rare – how does that dynamic work? Surely it has its ups and downs?

Shanti: If no growth or change could occur without friction then I’d say that working together has allowed us to really grow and change.  United we get to experience so much more than an average couple who lives together but works separately and has different interests and hobbies. We experience an abundance of the good and the bad and we have so much at stake, not just our careers and our artistic passions but we also have two children and a whole life that we’ve worked hard to build together. It has value and tremendous worth but it takes allot of communication and compromise- maybe that’s why it’s rare?

Buck: Being together as a couple for over a decade and working together on Arborea, we really have the advantage of developing and crafting something over time…something that is not very common in this world.  I can definitely say that at the end of the day, sometimes that hour or so on stage can be the most amazing and blissful place in the Universe to be.

For information about Arborea visit their website or check them out via Facebook.

Nathan Binford- Marketing Director at Texas Entertainment Services

We’re very fortunate to have met a lot of great musicians over the years.  Each December, we reach out to a few of them and ask them to tell us what were their favorite albums of the past year.  This year, we’ve also gotten a few writers and other music industry folks to contribute their lists.  To us, it’s fun to see what music our favorite musicians have been listening to.  While some of the selections were obvious, others had us scrambling to find and listen to.  Some musicians chose to rank the albums, while others asked that they not be listed in a specific order.  Essentially, this is your opportunity to hang out with us and see what inspired those who inspire us with their music.  As with our picks for the best of 2011, we’ve given you an opportunity to listen to some of these records while reading the article, thanks to our friends at Rdio.  Unlike that list, we didn’t make every album available to you, but we’ve picked one album from each list.

Tyler Williams- The Head and the Heart

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

2. Yuck – Yuck

3. My Morning Jacket – Circuital

4. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

5. Feist – Metals

6. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo

7. Destroyer – Kaputt

8. Wu Lyf – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain

9. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

10. The Antlers – Burst Apart

Ritzy- The Joy Formidable

(in no particular order)

Telekinesis – 12 Desperate Straight Lines

Gillian Welch – The Harrows and the Harvest

Wilco – The Whole Love

The Antlers – Burst Apart

Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

Airship – Stuck in the Ocean

Dutch Uncles – Cadenza

Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi

The Jayhawks – Mockingbird Time

And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – Tao of the Dead

Peter Hook- Joy Division/New Order/Peter Hook and The Light

Labyrinth- Earthquake

Example- Kickstart

Noah and the Whale- Last Night On Earth

Elbow- Build a Rocket Boys

Peter Hook and The Light- Pictures in My Mind

Foster The People- Pumped Up Kicks

P Diddy- Coming Home

Master Chef- Buttery Biscuit Base

Janes Addiction- Irresistible Force

Miles Kane- Come Closer

Brandon- Crocodiles

Dum Dum Girls – “He Gets Me HIgh” EP/ “Only In Dreams” LP

Reading Rainbow – “Cover The Sky” 7″

Kurt Vile – “Smoke Ring For My Halo” LP

Veronica Falls – “S/T” LP

Hollie Cook – “S/T” LP

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “S/T” LP

Psychic Dancehall – “Dreamers” LP

The Horrors – “Skying” LP

Plateaus – “Beach Coma/Suzy” 7″

John Maus – “We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves” LP

Charles Rowell- Crocodiles

1. John Maus – We Must Become…

2. Peaking Lights – 936

3. Hollie Cook – S/t

4. Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams

5. Maria Minerva – Caberet Cixous

6. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

7. White Fence – Is Growing Faith

8. Zola Jesus – Conatus

9. Colleen Green – Kujo

10. Kurt Vile – Smoke Rings

Courtney Smith- Author- Record Collecting For Girls

Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes

Florence + The Machine- Ceremonials

Los Campesinos!- Hello Sadness

La Sera- s/t

Washed Out- Within and Without

The Rosebuds- Loud Planes Fly Low

Pistol Annies- s/t

Friendly Fires- Pala

The Horrors- Skying

TV on the Radio- Nine Types of Light

Libyans- Kevin (guitar)

Times New Viking – Dancer Equired

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Yuck – s/t

One Happy King – Demo

Outdates – Can’t Motivate 7″

Libyans- Dan (drums)

Ancient Filth – Demo tape

Young Offenders/ Hex Depensers – split 7″s

Wild Flag – s/t LP

Duffy – Endlessly LP

Panzram – A New Mental Disorder For Youth In Disapprovally

Panzram – Reform 10″

Astronauts – Peter Pan Hits the Suburbs (reissue)

Diet Cokeheads – Ocular 7″/ Pro CS Tape

Brain F≠ – Rough Sleep 12″

G.A.S.H./ Cleansing Wave – split 7″

Diehard

Except for a couple of these albums, we couldn’t agree on the same ten records to fill this list.  After we could no longer agree, we took turns choosing tracks.  It’s shocking how well we get along writing songs together when a fist fight could break out over what to put on the car stereo.

Wye Oak – Civilian (huge band crush action going on here)

Radical Dads – Mega Rama (fellow Brooklynites with some sweet ass tunes)

St. Vincent – Strange Mercy (Hogging all the talent)

Feist – Metals (Hogging the rest of the talent)

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Mirror Traffic (Now we all know what to get our favorite Senator for the holidays)

Quilty – Strange Matter EP (A Halloween EP from Quilty)

Wild Flag – S/T (Ezra)

Diehard – The Times We Didn’t Have Fun (Liz)

Julianna Barwick – The Magic Place (Evan)

Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu (Zeph)

Ainara LeGardon

1- PJ Harvey- Let England Shake

2- Za!- Megaflow

3- Big Sexy Noise- Trust the witch

4- Jaap Blonk – The Splinks and  BRAAXTAAL recordings

5- Screaming Trees- Last Words: The Final Recordings

6- Lisabö . Animalia Lotsatuen Putzua

7- Thurston Moore- Demolished Thoughts

8- J Mascis- Several shades of why

9- Eddie Vedder- Ukulele Songs

10- She Keeps Bees- Dig on

//orangenoise- Talha Wynne

Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts

Thundercat - The Golden Age of the Apocalypse

Com Truise - Cyanide Sisters EP (reissue)

Battles - Gloss Drop

Incan Abraham - Sunscreen

Flaming Lips & Neon Indian  - Flaming Lips & Neon Indian

Run DMT/Happy Family - Banana Split

Chicago Odense Ensemble - Chicago Odense Ensemble

Kneebody - You Can Have Your Moment

Shattered Darlings & Liquid Kisses- S/T

Captain Polaroid

1. Johnny Foreigner – Johnny Foreigner vs Everything

2. REM – Collapse Into Now

3. The Birthday Suit – The Eleventh Hour

4. Bright Eyes – The People’s Key

5. The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

6. The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar

7. Death Cab for Cutie – Codes and Keys

8. Roddy Woomble – The Impossible Song & Other Songs

9. Point Juncture, WA – Handsome Orders

10. Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness

I’d like to point out the Male Bonding miss out because the album was too similar to Nothing Hurts and Yuck because while I like the record, I keep forgetting it exists. Warm Brains might’ve been in there but I didn’t get my mp3s with the vinyl so I’ve only had chance to listen to it a handful of times. Enjoyed the Radiohead album eventually but it’s too short and their worst collection of songs.

Dirtblonde

1- PJ Harvey, ‘Let England Shake’

2- Black Lips, ‘Arabia Mountain’

3- Ladytron, ‘Gravity The Seducer’

4- Lykke Li, ‘Wounded Rhymes’

5- Thee Oh Sees, ‘Carrion Crawler/ the Dream’

6- Duke Spirit, ‘Bruiser’

7- S.C.U.M., ‘Again Into Eyes’

8- John Maus, ‘We Must Become The Pitiless Sensors of Ourselves’

9- EMA, ‘Past Life Martyred Saints’

10 – Kurt Vile, ‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’

Ryan Coseboom- Stripmall Architecture

Washed Out – Within and Without

Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Soft Metals – Soft Metals

I Break Horses – Hearts

David Lynch – Crazy Clown Time

Still Corners – Creatures Of An Hour

Teeel – Amulet

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Widowspeak – Widowspeak

Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact

Kjartan Holm- For A Minor Reflection

1. Ceremonials – Florence + The Machine

2. Cherish the Light Years – Cold Cave

3. David Comes To Life – Fucked Up

4. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

5. Cloud Nothings – Cloud Nothings

6. The Big Roar – The Joy Formidable

7. Big Spring – Helgi Jónsson

8. Life Sux EP – Wavves

9. Strange Mercy – St. Vincent

10. Metals – Feist

The Field (Alex Willner) Favorites Of 2011 (in no particular order/not necessarily released in 2011)

Tame Impala- Innerspeakers

Gas- Zauberberg

Hans-Joachim Roedelis- Wenn Der Südwind Weht

Arthur Russell- World of Echo

Ashra- New Age of Earth

Bolywool

Explosions in the Sky – Take care take care take care

The Appleseed Cast – Middle States EP

Mogwai – Hardcore will never die

Radiohead – King of Limbs

The Horrors – Skying

The Marshmallow Ghosts- s/t

Anna Järvinen – Anna själv Tredje

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Woods – Sun and Shades

Sigur Rós – Inní

Home Video

James Blake – James Blake

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Other Lives – Tamer Animals

Lia Ices – Grown Unknown

Austra – Feel It Break

Hess Is More – Creation Keeps the Devil Away

The Field – Looping State of Mind

SBTRKT – SBTRKT

Mark E – Stone Breaker

Penguin Prison – Penguin Prison

Brooke- East Hundred

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

2. James Vincent McMorrow – Early in the Morning

3. Jessica Lea Mayfield – Tell Me

4. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient

5. Other Lives – Tamer Animals

6. Feist – Metals

7. The Dodos – No Color

8. AA Bondy – Believers

9. Cults – Cults

10. Drive – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Letting Up Despite Great Faults

1. Bombay Bicycle Club – A Different Kind Of Fix

2. Tycho – Dive

3. Korallreven – An Album By Korallreven

4. Craft Spells – Idle Labor

5. Wild Flag – Wild Flag

6. Metronomy – The English Riviera

7. Cults – Cults

8. Youth Lagoon – Year Of Hibernation

9. Papercuts – Fading Parade

10. The Drums – Portamento

Apteka

Kurt Vile- Smoke Rings For My Halo

M83- Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Pure X- Pleasure

Mogwai- Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will…

Esben and the Witch- Violet Cries

Cold Cave- Cherish The Light

Explosions in the Sky- Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

Little Dragon- Ritual Union

Dirty Beaches- Badlands

Each year, we’ve posted our top ten albums of the previous year. 2011 was an intriguing year.  The best albums were fantastic, but it felt like their was a dearth of great new bands.  Bands that put out great singles in 2010, tended to follow up with mediocre albums in 2011.  You’ll certainly want to check out our list of Top 10 EP’s of 2011, as we think there’s still a few bands with great promise on the horizon.  Thanks to the bands, the labels, the promoters and most of all….the readers. Over the next week, we’ll also be bringing you the top ten lists of some great musicians, writers and music industry folks for you to peruse. Check back soon!

This year we’re presenting individual lists from the three main contributors to the site. Each brings their own tastes and we hope you’ll enjoy them all.

Special thanks to our friends at Rdio, who’ve helped us to embed virtually every album on our top ten lists, so that you can listen to them in their entirety.   Enjoy!

Todd- Editor/Writer

01  We Are Augustines- Rise Ye Sunken Ships

02  The Duke Spirit- Bruiser

03  Apteka- Gargoyle Days

Striking Violet by apteka
Listen on Spotify: Apteka – Gargoyle Days

04  Adele- 21

05  Dum Dum Girls- Only In Dreams

06  Cerebral Ballzy- Cerebral Ballzy

07  The Black Keys- El Camino

08  Libyans- A Common Place

09  The Field- Looping State of Mind

10  Johnny Foreigner- Johhny Foreigner vs. Everything

Amy- Writer

01  Adele- 21

02  Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes

03  Cults- Cults

04  Panda Bear- Tomboy

05  The Decemberists- The King Is Dead

06  The Antlers- Burst Apart

07  Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues

08  Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne

09  Active Child- You Are All I See

10  EMA- Past Life Martyred Saints

Sania- Writer

01  The Horrors- Skying

02  Black Lips- Arabia Mountain

03  The Black Keys- El Camino

04  The Duke Spirit- Bruiser

05  Night Beats- Night Beats

Night Beats – Puppet On A String by BurgerRecords
Listen on Spotify: spotify:album:2bKHbnyTpfVWyQDen9Pgg0

06  Bass Drum of Death- GB City

07  Battles- Gloss Drop

08  Dirty Beaches- Badlands

Listen on Spotify: spotify:album:2vW79BiE5ngvlFe7JMcBAx

09  Psychic Ills- Hazed Dream

Listen on Spotify: spotify:track:0QncJR9cLt5SgFrq7qGxO9

10  Ringo Deathstarr- Colour Trip

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Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Anne resuscitate the spectre of early 4AD and Factory recordings of the 80′s in a way that creates a fresh landscape of beauty and intrigue.  Their new 12″, Dream Punx is one of the best EP’s we’ve heard this year, which led us on a search to find out a bit more about the band.  Revel in the videos, learn a little, but the real treat is the music.

TDOA: Ok, we have to start with the inevitable, “what are you?”. How many people are in the band, what instruments do you play?

David: There are four of us, I(David) play guitar and sing, Brenton plays synth, Adam plays bass and Jared plays drums.

TDOA: We’re sensing a love of the great shoegaze music of the 80′s.  What music do you feel influenced your music?

David: We certainly do employ much of the aesthetic qualities of shoegaze and other 80′s / early 90′s music. I would like to think we speak with our own voice, that is not a direct rip off of that stuff. At

least personally, strong song writers really influence me, since that’s what I want. To write great songs.

TDOA: Some bands eschew videos, but with two videos produced for this album, you clearly feel differently.  Can you talk about your thoughts on the “visualization” of your music?

David: I think videos are important these days, YouTube and the various streaming video sites are a place where people go to listen to music. I have no issue with visualizations for our music.  It’s really not something I am super worried about.

TDOA: Is there a theme or message that you’re trying to convey through these videos and the record?

David: The videos do not have any sort of message, the video for “All Your Time”, was inspired by a piece of art we saw at the Modern Art Museum. I just wanted to use the general concept for what the video was, because we all thought it was so great.

As far as a message of the record itself, its hard to say. Some songs are about things that are real in my life, while others are very general ideas that may not relate to anything real. I would like to think that our music is about being who you want and doing what you want. Though it’s much more likely it’s just me complaining about things that bother me.

TDOA: What’s next for the band? Any plans to play SXSW or elsewhere beyond the northwest?

David: We have a split 12″ coming out next year. I won’t say with who, or on what label yet cause its not announced.  Our booking agent is currently working on sxsw stuff so we should be out there. Hopefully we will get out east too and start making plans to do a proper album.

For more information about the band, check them out on Twitter, Facebook or on their website.

Back in October of 2009, we told you about a band from Chicago that merited your attention. After tearing it up at SXSW, they released a 9-song EP that was as good as any album released that year. While the influence of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Janes Addiction (in a good way….) and Creation Records bands could clearly be heard, they wove it in a way that made it fresh and invigorating.
Next week, they release their first full-length album, Gargoyle Days, which is an early candidate for album of the year. Their songs build in a crescendo of sweat and beauty, creating epic landscapes that have left me with permanent goosebumps since I first listened to the record. Adam Lukas talked to us about the new record and provided us with the exclusive world premiere of a track from the record, Striking Violet.

Apteka_GargoyleDaysLP_StrikingViolet by PressWolfPR

TDOA: When I interviewed Peter Hook a few years ago he theorized that bands have had a lifetime to write that first record, but when it comes time to write the second record, they’ve had a year, which is why most of them fail. As you wrote the new record, can you talk about the challenges you felt?

AL: In many ways this feels like the first record for us. It was the first time we went into a proper studio to record. All the other music we’ve put out so far was recorded in our practice space, so this was a chance to really explore and push the possibilities of what we could do as a band.

TDOA: Sonically, the record references a multitude of bands, from Janes Addiction to My Bloody Valentine. Is your musical taste reflected in your music or is it a coincidence?

AL: Not sure if the references are really conscious or intentional. I think we were just trying to make the best record we could. Of course we draw from our influences, but more in terms of creating a vibe or a certain feeling they may have created in us.

TDOA: Who produced the new record? Can you talk about the approach that you were looking for sonically as you recorded the record? I think the vocals are multi-tracked, but I’m not sure about the rest…..

AL: We spent the entire month of May recording with Brain Zieske at Gallery of Carpet studio. We tracked everything to analog tape and really focused on capturing the energy of the performance. It was all done in a very old school way and we really got lost in the whole “making a record” trip. Paying attention to detail and tone. Experimenting with different moods and instrumentation. Everything seems so fashionably disposable and lo-fi at the moment, I think in some ways this record is a response against that.

TDOA: Lyrically, can you talk about the themes that are addressed on the new record?

AL: Most of the record revolves around fist fights at dawn and the passage of time.

TDOA: Can you talk about the experience of playing a show with Janes Addiction? Did you get even a second to talk to anybody from the band? If not, is there anything you learned from watching them “behind the scenes”?

AL: Very surreal in the best sort of way. I mean playing two sold out shows at the Metro would have been crazy enough, but playing two nights as direct support for a band we all grew up admiring was an incredibly special moment for us. Especially given the crowd reaction. It really affirmed what we’re doing as a band, and all the guys from Jane’s were super cool to us. Jesse even got to play Steven Perkins’ drum kit during soundcheck.

TDOA: How do you fell about videos and do you plan on doing one for the new record?

AL: Excited to explore this with the new album. We have some video ideas in the works, and we’re really happy with the way the Gargoyle Days teaser video by Drew Reynolds turned out.

TDOA: What’s next for Apteka? Touring, etc,?

AL: We’ll probably do a tour sometime soon, but there’s no concrete plans at the moment. We’re just excited to see this record get out into the world, and we’ll see where it leads us.

If you live in or near Chicago, join the band at the Empty Bottle on October, 31 for the release party for Gargoyle Days!
Pre-order the album here.
Follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

Dirtblonde are a Liverpool based rock’n’roll band. They seek inspiration in the darker, more exciting side of rock’n’roll – the noise of The Jesus And Mary Chain; the intensity of PJ Harvey; the fresh-faced attitude of early NYC punk, the detached energy of early New Order, circa Movement and buzzsaw guitars of Sonic Youth. And if all that doesn’t get you excited, you’re at the wrong website.

Their new EP, Token Rose will be released on October 6th and is available from http://dirtblonde.bandcamp.com/ as digital download or CD. Their first album ‘White Noise, Rubber Heart’ is available on iTunes

Todd and Sania collaborated to interview a band that ought to be the next big thing.

TDOA: The Token Rose EP was just released, real great stuff, as a teaser for a new album in the works. How is that coming along, and is the sound on the EP what should be expected?

IVAN: We’re halfway through the recording of the album…we hope it’ll sound pretty unique. We’re using more sounds and instruments than before, and the mood will be bleaker than what we’ve done in the past.

LULA: The song Token Rose will give the best idea of what the album will sound like. It’s more of a dark and moody feel than our older stuff. The rest of the tracks on the EP are a collection of more mellow and lo-fi songs.

TDOA: You’re also working on a video for the Token Rose single?

IVAN: Yeah, we had this idea of a black and white video with weird, dreamy images in the style of a David Lynch or Kenneth Anger. We met a Spanish guy who’s doing a great job – he started filming some scenes in Madrid and we’re doing some band shots here in Liverpool.

TDOA: You’ve played with some really amazing bands like The Crystal Stilts, and Vivian Girls this year, both Brooklyn bands actually, how was that? Also, Leeds Festival, do you more enjoy the small club shows, or an experience such as that?

IVAN: It was great to play with those Brooklyn bands because we feel we’ve got more in common with them than with bands from the UK, especially from Liverpool. Here, most people don’t get us. But playing with bands such as Crystal Stilts or Vivian Girls exposes us to the right sort of crowd. So things are slowly getting better, it seems. We’re playing with another Brooklyn band next month, She Keeps Bees, so that should be cool, too.

We played at Leeds festival a few years ago and it was fun. Some reviewers said we were the most rock’n’roll thing at the festival, which was quite a compliment. We’re not a ‘party’ band here to entertain people, so we divided the festival crowd, which is just as well – so many people go to festivals in Britain just because it’s trendy, they don’t care about music that much! One reviewer said we scared some people away and the rest who stayed were ‘a fierce cluster of disaffected and wonderful looking kids drawn like bruised moths to a rather guttering candle of venomous wax.’ Which sounds about right to us…

LULA: Some of my favourite gigs have been smaller ones. We played some amazing shows in Brazil which were small but with a great crowd and atmosphere. We played in a book shop in Rio and at a club in Sao Paulo, which were both cool. I like it when people are up close.

IVAN: We don’t care about the size of the gig – the important thing is whether there are any people there to see us! Playing on a big stage in front of lots of people is not a big deal, it feels just right, in fact. There’s nothing worse than playing in a small club to no one.

TDOA: What is the vibe like at a typical Dirtblonde show?

IVAN: Hard to say…perhaps loud, messy, tense. It feels like things could fall apart at any moment and sometimes they do. When we played our first ever gig we were told to leave the venue after we finished playing, because of our behaviour onstage. Once Lula and I had a fight during the set, she stormed off the stage and I smashed my guitar. Some people thought that was the end of the band!

LULA: In bands there is often a battle between the singer and guitarist about who is too loud or not loud enough and we are no exception to that! But we know each other so well there is a great chemistry when we’re onstage. We react off each other. I think it’s quite rare and people seem to pick up on that and enjoy it.

IVAN: For us, when it’s a good gig, it’s a release…we like going crazy, getting lost in the moment. And no two Dirtblonde gigs are ever the same. We always change the ending of whatever is the last song on our set, so it always descends into an improvised, chaotic noise. We never know what’s going to happen.

TDOA: Reviewers cite the Mary Chain, Velvet Underground and others as kindred spirits. One of the things I enjoy about your sound is that each song seems to vary in style and influence. However I feel like I hear a Joy Division/early New Order sound through much of your work. Am I on the right trail?

IVAN: It’s funny, lots of people mention Joy Division when they talk about us. We certainly love them, and there are similarities – we like simple beats, simple basslines, simple guitar riffs. I remember that when I started playing guitar, Bernard Albretch was a big inspiration. I didn’t want to be Jimmy Page!

LULA: When I came off stage at SXSW one of the guys from the next band told me that I sounded like Ian Curtis, which I took as a compliment. I have been influenced by other singers but really the way I sing is hopefully just a reflection of me. It’s been called ‘slacker vocals’ before! I like that.

TDOA: Do you like comparisons to older bands or do you worry that it pigeon-holes you, especially given that your sound seems to be changing?

IVAN: We don’t mind comparisons. But unlike most new bands out there, we have lots of ideas and lots of personality. Our songs vary in style but they all sound like Dirtblonde in the end.

We’re not a one-trick pony. So many bands just have one sound . There are all those bands out there that have a very clinical approach to their music – ‘let’s be indie pop’, ‘let’s be grunge’, ‘let’s be a shoegaze band’. They bore me to death.

I think people sometimes look at us and think, “Hang on, what are they trying to do?” But that’s precisely the thing – we’re not trying to do anything, we’re just being ourselves.

LULA: Everyone sounds a bit like someone else, unless you produce atonal-prog-acid-space-jazz. It’s not the 1950s anymore, nothing is new and what we do is not re-inventing the wheel. We’ll always wear our influences on our sleeve, whether it’s older or more recent, from other bands or from artists or poets or writers. The thing is just to put yourself into it as well and we try to do that.

TDOA: Can you talk a little bit about the production on the newest single (we like to talk about the technical side too)? It sounds super compressed, which gives it a cool sound that you don’t hear many bands using anymore.

IVAN: We don’t really care about the technical side of things that much. With the exception of ‘Token Rose’, which was recorded in a studio, all the songs on the new EP were recorded just by the two of us in a tiny bedroom at home using an 8-track recorder. We have a Unidyne mic from the sixties, a valve mic preamp and a Sonic Maximizer…but no compressor! Maybe it’s the Fuzz Face I used for my guitar parts, some people say it gives a more compressed sound.

All of the songs on the new album will be recorded in the studio though, we just didn’t have the money or time to do the EP there as well!

But we definitely don’t care about whatever are the recording trends today, or what are the current ‘production values’ most bands adopt. We just plug things and tweak things until we get a sound we like. As everything else we do, we’re quite carefree…we just run with it and do something we enjoy. If we think it sounds good, then we keep it. Simple.

TDOA: Will we be seeing you guys around more in the States anytime soon?

IVAN: We hope so! We loved it when we played at South By Southwest in 2009 and we really hope we’ll return for SXSW 2012…but that’s not up to us! If they book us, we’ll come.

We’ve also played in New York before and we loved the city, we’d like to play there again. First time it was a very ad hoc affair, so it’d be nicer if we played to more people. But it was a great experience and it was cool to meet BP Fallon, who’s a total legend and who booked us to play a couple of gigs there, including Death Disco at the Annex.

We’d love to play in other places in the States, too. We’ve got much more in common with American bands, and we think people over there would like our sound. I think we just need more people in the US to be aware of us. We need more sites like yours talking about Dirtblonde and hopefully there’ll be a demand for us there someday!

TDOA: You were included on the bill for a show called Snub Festival, what is that whole thing about? Your inclusion had something to do with experiences in being represented at SXSW music festival here in Austin?

IVAN: Well, Snub was just a nice little one-day festival showcasing bands that were NOT picked to play at Liverpool Sound City – a popular music festival in Liverpool. It was quite ironic that Sound City didn’t want us to play, because they basically want to be a ‘British SXSW’, and we are a band who not only played at the actual South By Southwest festival before, but who was named by the press out there as one of the ‘Top 8 must-see UK bands’ at SXSW 2009!

So, for Sound City to think we were not good enough to play at their festival…it was a bit ridiculous. But that’s how things go for Dirtblonde in Liverpool – some people here just don’t like us, and don’t take us seriously, for whatever reason.

TDOA: What’s currently on your favorite music playlists?

IVAN: I love Deerhunter! ‘Halcyon Digest’ was my favorite album last year. I love the Black Lips, too. I think ‘Arabian Mountain’ is probably their best album. Also, I fell in love with Sonic Youth again, after reading a book about them (Leaving the 20th Century Behind) and I have been listening to everything they did, from their first EP right through to newer stuff like Murray Street and The Eternal. As for newer releases, I’m loving Ladytron’s new album, ‘Gravity The Seducer’ and John Maus’ ‘We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves.’

LULA: There’s a British band called The Duke Spirit who I’ve been listening to for a few years and they’re starting to do really well – their new album ‘Bruiser’ has just come out – and I’ve been listening to some of their new songs recently. I always come back to PJ Harvey, both new and old stuff, plus I love the Warpaint album.

IVAN: We also listen to a lot of 1950s music like the Elvis Sun sessions, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent. And blues, Chess Records, that kind of thing…

TDOA: If you had to hand someone one album to change their life, which would it be?

IVAN: I remember ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana made me interested in noisy, alternative, obscure bands, so maybe that’d be a good one.

LULA: I would probably give them ‘Horses’ by The Patti Smith Group. It’s the perfect combination of the sound of freedom, passion, classic rock and roll, experimentation and spoken word.

TDOA: If someone had never heard your band before, what would you tell them about it?

IVAN: I would tell them that if they love bands like Sonic Youth, Jesus & Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine, they will probably love us, too. I’d tell them we’re the best and most exciting band in the North of England right now. I’d tell them we’re much better than lots of ‘hype’ bands out there such as Yuck or The Vaccines, for instance. I’d say; ‘Don’t believe the hype, just listen to your fuckin’ ears, and you’ll realise just how good we are!’

LULA: There is a line from a review in a little fanzine that describes Dirtblonde really well, saying we are; ‘A delicious slab of nasty rock scuzz… it’s the sound of motorcycle crashes, of bruised eyes, of existential rage and a yearning for glamour in a grey world.’ I’d try to remember it and tell them that!

TDOA: What can we expect next from Dirtblonde?

IVAN: I don’t know. We never make any plans. We feel like splitting up every year come December, when we look back at yet another year of struggle and frustration. We’re making the new album, ‘Hours’, as if it was our last. Doesn’t mean it will be, but it could. It certainly reads like an epitaph in parts. The cover is just a skull. The last song is called ‘Too Late’…

LULA: We’ll be having a launch for the Token Rose EP in October and we’ll be playing some gigs to promote the album in early 2012. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to play SXSW too.

“Simple and sad with a shot of scotch.” That’s how musician Sara Lov describes her simultaneously dark and angelic sound. The former frontwoman of Devics (who were signed to Bella Union by Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde) and current solo singer paints an apt picture of melodies that are both minimalist and poignant with heady vocals that warm you from the inside.

Singer/songwriter Sara Lov was born in Hawaii in 1970 and later was raised by her mother in Los Angeles after the divorce of her parents. At the age of four she was kidnapped by her father and taken to Israel. Sara Lov lived there with an international fugitive from justice until a decade later when an uncle brought about her repatriation to the United States.

With the release of a new record and a penchant for creating brilliant cover versions of artists like Arcade Fire, we were absolutely enamoured with Sara. Amy talked to her about songwriting, her influences and the future.

TDOA: I think you mix twee and folk in this really interesting way. Can you talk about the variety of sounds on this record?

Sara: A lot of what you are hearing is the amazing talent of Mr. Zac Rae who produced the record and played most of the instruments. My idea was to try to translate these songs into a style that fits me. It’s hard to say in words how that happens or why, but what I like to do is choose musicians that I love and trust and let them do their thing. Patrick Park is an incredible guitarist and song writer in his own right and he played guitar on a few tracks, which added so much depth. Blair Sinta played drums and Joe Karnes played bass. I love those guys. They are such incredible musicians and they are super fun to play with.

TDOA: Your highly-interesting past is obviously an influence in your lyrics, but how do you think it influences the raw emotion your voice has?

Sara: I suppose my voice is the transmitter of my emotion and my personality. We are all influenced by our past and it shapes and molds how we view the world and express ourselves. My intention in singing is to deliver my truth and I suppose the truth is sometimes sad.

TDOA: You’ve released several EPs and albums since 2008 – 5! What do you think makes you so prolific?

Sara: Wow. Sheesh, I certainly don’t think of myself as prolific, but thank you. I am actually a really slow writer which is why you’ve been hearing so many covers coming from me. I don’t put too much weight into what I’ve done. I’m more focused on things I’d like to do in the future.

TDOA: How do you think those releases have evolved? How have you evolved as a musician?

Sara: It’s a constant growing process. I hope I am getting better, but sometimes I feel like I just keep getting harder on myself. At the same time, I have relaxed a lot with my whole outlook on music. I have learned that I write a lot better with a partner. I definitely miss writing music with Dustin (my partner in the band Devics). It’s been great to explore writing songs with new people.

TDOA: Nothing’s better than a good cover. How did you decide that Beck & Arcade Fire were the best fits for this record?

Sara: The Beck song was sort of a happy accident. Zac and I were in the studio messing around and we started playing that and it, but it wasn’t planned. That Arcade Fire song was my favorite of that record. At the time I had finished my first full length, but we thought it would be good to release an ep first. We needed a few extra songs and quickly, so covers were a good idea. This was back in 2009. We released “The Young Eyes” ep first and then the album.

TDOA: You’re joining a pretty thick repertoire of raspy-voiced female singer/songwriters. What do you think is differentiating about Sara Lov?

Sara: I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to know what your own voice sounds like. I love playing music but I’m not good at analyzing mine.

TDOA: Ultimately, though, I think your best comparison is to Tori Amos – who do you think your contemporaries are, male or female?

Sara: I have so many current favorites that it would be hard to narrow it down, but some of the big female ones that come to mind are: Feist, Beth Gibbons, Cat Power, PJ Harvey, and on and on and on.
I’m a pretty big music fan, so I’m always discovering new things that I love. At the moment I’m loving Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jackets new records, as well as James Blake, Vetiver and lots and lots of old music too.

TDOA: Another cool “meshing” together of themes on this record is how the dark undertones sort of struggle with innocence/tenderness in the songs. Can you talk about that a little?

Sara: Yeah, I guess I always lean towards the dark. It’s important to me that it always has a thread of hope though it somehow. I don’t want to be so bleak. I think my next record will be a bit brighter.

TDOA: “La Bambola” is also a unique track/cover. What made you choose it?

Sara: This is one of the songs I first fell in love with when I was living in Italy. It’s from 1968 from a woman named Patty Pravo who is sort of a legend and a bit of an eccentric woman. It’s a song that everyone knows and loves there and really resonated with me. I wanted to do a song in italian since I spent so much time there and do lots of touring there. It was really fun playing this song on tour in Italy and having the whole crowd singing along.

TDOA: What is in the future for you – are you touring, recording, just chilling out?

Sara: I’m always working on something. At the moment I have a couple of things going, but I also have a day job so it’s whenever I have time. There is a Smiths tribute record coming out and I did the song “Well I Wonder” for it. That should be out soon. I don’t have any touring plans at the moment, but the next time I release a new record I will.

Purchase Sara’s newest record, “i already love you” and visit her facebook page, here.

Where have we been? I’ll tell you where we’ve been: in a state of boredom. Virtually nothing in 2011 has moved us in the ways that the bands we’ve brought you in the past have. We could have easily regurgitated the latest Pitchfork-darling/ high-priced PR firm offers you tickets to Lolla in exchange for… crap. Instead we stuck to our principals and decided it would be better to bring you nothing, than to bring you crap.
We spent the last month (or so) scouring the globe for the best new music that we could find. Finally, we have come to you with wonderful news. In a sea of adult-contemporary masquerading as “alternative-indie”, Ceremony swims against the tide with a sense of violence and passion that gives us hope for the future of music. With the release of their new EP, “Not Tonight, TDOA writer Krystal talked to the band about the obvious imagery and the undercurrent of genius.

TDOA: The name Ceremony immediately conjures up memories of bands like Joy Division and New Order, both of whose sounds seem to have an influence on your music. What was the reasoning for choosing this song as opposed to others?

Paul: We used to cover the song “Ceremony” in our old band Skywave. When we started this band, we had a gig but not a name and just thought of that. It wasn’t meant to stick, but we just never changed it.

TDOA: What less obvious influences might one find in Ceremony?

Paul-I love Big Star, The Crystals, Kraftwerk, Club 8, . John is a big Ministry fan, and we both love The Misfits. I don’t know what’s obvious to listeners and what isn’t, really. I can’t separate myself from it, I guess. Really, you’re even influenced by things you don’t like. Even if it makes you NOT do something, rather than makes you want to do something.

TDOA: Both of you were in the band Skywave with A Place To Bury Stranger’s Oliver Ackermann. How would you distinguish Ceremony from APTBS to a new listener?

Paul: Until recently the biggest difference was that we used drum machines and they had a live drummer, Jay Space, who’s a fantastic drummer and a really cool guy. We recently added a live drummer, Ben Wood, so I think the most obvious difference is that APTBS is still a bit more on the sonically extreme or experimental side, and we’re into making tight noise-pop songs that sometimes veer into that same sonic abyss. Honestly, I think a fan of one band would probably be a fan of the other. I’m fans of both groups.

TDOA: What can you tell us about Skywave’s music and how do you think it has influenced Ceremony?

John-It’s the same thing.

Paul- John’s basically right. I don’t think I made a conscious decision to make a different style of music or anything. But of course Oliver was a huge part of Skywave and it would have been wrong to keep the name without him.

TDOA: How have you found the transition to a two piece band? What is the songwriting and recording process like?

Paul-The main difference is that when using a drum machine, you can’t make a mistake and look at somebody and correct things, you just have to deal with it. For the most part we write our songs separately and then show them to the other. Then maybe we make some little adjustments to the structure or something. Again, now we do have a drummer, but we still write separately.

TDOA: What can one expect from a Ceremony show? You’ve been told by venues to turn the volume down. As a two piece, how do you manage to pack so much sound in?

Paul-We just try to play our songs as well as we can. To achieve that sometimes requires quite a lot of volume and noise. We play with the same kinds of amps as lots of other bands, so I don’t know how we’re “louder” than anyone else. We just like loud, effected guitar sounds. I guess a lot of venues don’t feel the same way.

TDOA: Fredericksburg, VA seems like an unlikely place for a band with your sound. How is the reception at gigs in your hometown?

Paul-Yeah, we don’t play here very often. We have fans here, but the venues here especially don’t know how to handle us. We’ve even had a bar manager
literally unplug our equipment while we’re playing and tell us to get the fuck out of his venue. That was a great night.

TDOA: Tell us more about your gigs in Japan. How did those come about?

Paul-Wow, that was a really cool experience! A guy who works for Amazon in Japan was a fan of ours and said he could book us 4 shows in Tokyo and guarantee us enough money that it would be worth it. We got him to agree to let us bring Screen Vinyl Image with us and it turned out to be really great. He was a great guy and we had a lot of fun! Venues there are great, with excellent sound systems and engineers, and it seemed like the crowds enjoyed our music.

TDOA: Ceremony’s full length album, Rocket Fire, was just released last year. Whats on the horizon for the band for the rest of this year?

Paul-We released the “Not Tonight” EP of new songs, as well the “Extended Play” EP with remixes and cover versions of our songs back in April. Now we’re working on the follow-up to “Rocket Fire”, as well as a split LP with the band Stellarium, who are from Singapore. We’re working on setting up another European tour for next spring as well. We’re always working on something, however slowly.