Giuda

     In 2009, Giuda went into the studio to record a bombshell by the name of Racey Roller. One year later this megaton glam/punk debut was unleashed on the world and the fans, press and everyone else in between ate it up. And then nothing, nothing was heard from the Giuda front until last year’s Let’s Do It Again. Instead of glam/punk follow-up, Giuda went straight for the ‘70’s glam era throat by recalling the days of T. Rex, Slade and Sweet and laying that sweet sound on analog tape capturing the pre-punk sounds of both yesteryear and for today.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Lorenzo Moretti (Guitar)

Where is the band from?

Roma, Italy

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Lorenzo Moretti (Guitar / Vocals ), Ntandarere Djodji Damas (Vocals), Daniele Tarea (Drums), Michele Malagnini (Guitar), Danilo Valerii (Bass)

How did the band start?

Tenda (vocals), Danilo (bass) and I played together for many years in a band called Taxi, but we broke up in 2007 after releasing our second album, following the sudden passing of our drummer Francesco. Later that year we reformed as Giuda, and went through a couple of lineup changes after that, which is when Michele (guitar) and Daniele (drums) joined our ranks. Our first album, Racey Roller was recorded in 2009 and it came out one year later.

Giuda has really nailed the glam/glitter sound. It’s not just the songwriting, but the instrument sound and tone as well. I had read the Racey Roller was “recorded with vintage all-analog studio.” Was Let’s Do It Again recorded in the same fashion? Can you guys elaborate on how long it took to nail this sound?

In our records the production is fundamental and the analog recording sounds much better than digital. We tried plenty of amplifiers before we decided to use our French ‘60’s guitar amps and we spend long time to find the right outboard gear to record or mix our songs. Recording our first album Racey Roller was difficult because we had no idea how to obtain that powerful drum sound. Let’s Do It Again recording sessions were easier because our ideas were much more clear. We spent six months to making it.

We really have to thank our sound engineer and producer, Danilo Silvestri, for his competence.

I noticed Let’s Do It Again went straight for glam rock gusto. Was there a conscious decision when writing the songs to drop some of the punk influence?

As Taxi, we played punk rock for years and I have to admit that while we were working on Racey Roller we wondered if our audience would have understood and appreciated the style changes, so probably unconsciously we did not have overplayed and denaturalized our old sound. The success that he had with Racey Roller has led us to be more daring, so Let's Do It Again is a bit less tied to our old period, and is undoubtedly more “pop”.

Both Let’s Do It Again and Racey Roller have soccer themed songs, “Get That Goal” and “Number 10,” how excited is the band for the World Cup this summer?

Well, I have to say that I’ll watch the World Cup, but its not my favourite soccer competition. I prefer much more to watch the Serie A and the European Championships to follow the only team I really like which is AS Roma.

What is the punk scene like in Rome? Is there a bovver/glam/glitter scene in Italy?

Actually I don’t think that there is a glam rock scene in any part of the world.

However here in Italy there is another cool glam rock influenced band called Faz Waltz, we shared the stage some times, they are really good. About the punk rock scene or the underground scene in general, it was better about ten years ago, when the gigs were always pretty crowded and lots of international bands came to play here, anyway in Italy there is a good hardcore/punk rock tradition, so there are many bands that are still going on with that stuff.

Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?

Music is all about emotion; there will be always a place for that in such a disposable age.

How was the US tour Giuda did last year? Any shows on the tour that was the band’s favorite or stood out in anyway?

The tour was very good, we played about ten gigs in the Midwest and the East Coast so we spent most of the time in the van and we didn't have many chance to hang around and visit the cities. Some of the gigs were great, I remember the first show in Chicago, the venue was sold out and the crowd loved the show: they were singing to all of our songs, it was amazing.

50 years ago people used to buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. How do you think this affects music in any way?

Well, we’re all in this. Less money for the bands, promoters, producers, labels, no more free records for the music journalists. We need to sell to live our lives but to release better albums too, to produce the album that we would like to produce we need the money, of course. This affects us directly.

I think the form we were used to imagine the music business when we use to buy records when we were kids practically disappeared in the last fifteen years. Now is slowly coming back because the people out there just realize that there is no future in selling digital only.

Classic Rock Magazine, listed Giuda a one of fifteen bands to watch for 2014. How do you feel about that?

Of course it’s a pleasure also because is not very common for an Italian band to get attention and good reviews from the international press. I have to say that we were a bit surprised to read articles and reviews on The Guardian, Mojo, NME, Q and other stuff like that. This kind of things gave us more credibility in Italy too.

The band’s popularity is on the rise. This summer Giuda is playing the FM4 Frequency Festival in Austria with Queens of The Stone Age, Blink 182 and other giant bands. How did this happen? What has been the bands reaction? What has the fans reaction?

It happens because things are growing, we got enthusiastic reviews from the international press and this has helped to broaden our audience. Of course we also have to thank our agent, Marco Ercolani, who does its job very well. Sincerely when we started to play I couldn’t imagine that we would share the stage with Placebo, Queens Of The Stone Age or Franz Ferdinand and played in giant stages. In such kind of festivals we’re always the “weird” band and it’s fun! I think that our fans are happy to see that things are going better and better and also to see that a Rock N’ Roll band as we are is getting all this attention.

I had read in a previous interview that you run the Proudfoot Sound blog. How has this influenced the band in anyway? Must be inspiring to find some old glam/bovver gem and post it.

Yes, I did Proudfoot Sound blog but in the last months I have a little neglected, because I have been a bit busy with the band. Of course a lot of the bands on the blog were part of our influences and inspiration.

What’s next for Giuda and where can people hear the band?

We will tour all Europe until this summer and then we will fly again to the United States. Come to visit. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for any Giuda’s next move.

Tyred Eyes

     Hailing from the beautiful city of Göteborg, Sweden (I haven’t actually been but I’ve seen pictures and it makes me want to drop everything and move there right now!), these three lads and a lovely lady create tremendously melodic and charismatic Rock N’ Roll music that falls somewhere between a less reverb drenched Raveonettes and The Ramones. The band can excel at introspective slower numbers to urgent garage punk. It’s not often a band can pull something like that off without sounding contrived, but Tyred Eyes run it radiantly with ease and style!   

Interview by Jay Castro

Please introduce yourself and how you contribute to Tyred Eyes.

Hello. My name is Erik Toresson and I play electric bass in the rock band Tyred Eyes. I also write some of the songs. The other members are: Martin Toresson, Johanna Hellqvist and Joel Bjurbo.

Where are you all from originally and how did you all meet and decide to play music together?

Martin (who sings and play guitar) and I are from a small city in northern Sweden called Falun. It’s very cozy up there. I met Martin for the first time when I was 2 years old, cause he’s my brother. 24 years later we both ended up in Göteborg (although Martin now lives in Stockholm). We had been in bands before, but never in the same band, so we talked about starting one and we did. Johanna joined 2 years later. Last year our drummer Joel joined the band. Those two people joining are by far the most vital and important things that has happened to this band.

What’s life like for a Rock N’ Roll band in Göteborg, Sweden?  Are there a lot of other bands there to play shows with and what is the crowd like?

It’s ok! When we started the band it was easier to get shows. Or maybe it’s because the shows were a bit smaller then, and we’ve just gotten pickier about what shows we want to do nowadays. There is a great sense of community between us and some of the other bands in Göteborg; especially the bands that we share our rehearsal space with: Hunt and Killers Walk Among Us. Our musical styles differ quite a bit, so we don’t often play shows together, unfortunately. They are superb bands, I am very proud to count them as my friends.

What’s your favorite album to listen to from start to finish?

Radiohead - Ok Computer or Neil Young - On the Beach.

Do you remember your first Rock N’ Roll show?  Who did you see and what impression did it make on you?

I don’t remember any specific show from the age when I started going to concerts at the local youth center in my home city. But the first rock show that really had an impact on me is probably when I skipped school and took the train to Stockholm to see the Australian band The Datsuns. But it was more the sense of being in a real rock club in a real city, and smoking cigarettes and drinking beer next to the members of The Hellacopters, than the concert itself. Also I met Andy Bell from Ride/Oasis in the urinal. It was a big night for me because I realized that there was a very exciting world waiting for me out there. One thing that I have thought about a lot recently is that nowadays when I go to a concert I spend more time complaining that my feet hurt, rather than being excited about the band, even if it’s a concert I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. When I was younger I went totally crazy before a concert, just by the sheer fact that the band that I was there to see was about to be a couple of meters away from me in 5 minutes. That doesn’t happen anymore, and it scares me. Sometimes I do get excited though, it’s just less frequent. I saw my absolute heroes Neil Young & Crazy Horse this summer, something that I had been waiting for as long as I can remember. My most vivid memory from that show is when Neil played a song just by himself, and Ralph Molina, who plays bass, stood by the side of the stage drinking tea and chatting with the guitar tech. That’s my biggest memory from that show. What’s wrong with me??

In your opinion, what bands do people need to know and understand in order to appreciate your music more?

Broder Daniel.

I don’t like using the term “guilty pleasure” just because I don’t think people should be ashamed by anything they really like.  With that being said, do you guys listen to anything that some of your fans would be surprised by?

My fellow band colleagues will probably hate me for revealing this... I do however agree with your statement that good music is good music, and you should never be ashamed of what you listen to. Having said that I can’t seem to outgrow a lot of the emo bands that I listened to a couple of years ago: My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Taking Back Sunday to name a few. Just for the record, I started with all the cool bands, from the second generation of emo bands, like Sunny Day Real Estate (although they might actually fit more as a first generation emo band?) and At the Drive-In.

What’s been the most unforgettable show you’ve played, good or bad and what made it so memorable?

The latest show we did. We played in Stockholm at the now closed venue Debaser Slussen. It’s probably Sweden’s most famous venue, and we played the second to last night it was open. That was a huge deal for me personally because it was the same venue as I went to when I was young (as I mentioned in a previous question). If someone had told me at age 18 that I was gonna play a show there myself in 10 years I wouldn’t have believed it.

Also it was memorable because we were fucking great that night! We played a lot of new songs from the new album for the first time and it was so much fun. We also had my very good friend Stefan with us on stage on third guitar, which really added to the sound. In my opinion we have never sounded that good before, which brings me to the sad part, and the biggest reason why it’s the most unforgettable show I’ve played. And that is that my dear friend who played with us died 2 months later, before we had time to ask him to play with us again. We did this really cool outro for the last song, where we took turns to get off stage, and it all ended with this huge wall of noise from everyone’s amplifiers. I have spent many hours daydreaming about doing that outro again with the same people, but now that will never happen. Luckily, someone filmed it, and it’s on Youtube. It breaks my heart every time I watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze4JW2TVk54

The cassette is making a raging comeback.  Do you think it’s a viable and collectable form of music or just another hipster trend that will soon go hobbling back to its dark cave of obscurity where in belongs?
Actually the first ever release that we did was a split cassette with a band from Santa Cruz called The Groggs. I never collected cassettes or made mix tapes when I was young, so I don’t really have a personal connection to that storage device. But I really like the size of it, and it seems to be a good substitute for making an expensive vinyl release. I would love to do a new cassette release for Tyred Eyes, so if there are any cassette labels out there reading this, let me know!

What does the band have in store for us in the near or not so near future?

We have just finished our second album. It will be released after the summer, and it’s called Elevator. I am very proud of this record, and can’t wait to let people hear it! I think we really gave it all this time, and now all four of us writes songs, and play different instruments, which was a lot of fun. Musically it’s quite a big step up from our previous releases, and that has always been my goal: to do different and better things for each record. The first single from the album is called Lunar Escapade, and will be released on the 16th of March. 

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Shannon and The Clams

     Shannon and The Clams, who last year were one of Lenny Kaye’s Garage Rock’s Next Generation: 10 Bands to Watch, originally started out as a solo project by Shannon. A chance invite to play a party got her thinking about adding members to make a band and The Clams were born. Shannon and The Clams sound like they could have been right at home on any Nuggets and/or Pebbles compilations, but add in surf guitar and guy/girl vocals to a make dreamy pop cocktail soaked in reverb and analog.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Shannon

Where is the band from?

Oakland, CA

Who is in the band and what instrument do they play?

Shannon plays bass, Cody plays guitar, Nate plays drums.

How did the band start?

The band started out as a solo thing, just me and my bass. I usually only played at open mic nights and eventually was invited to play a party but was too shy to play solo so I recruited a band for the night. I enjoyed it so much more with people in the band that I kept it that way. There have been minor lineup changes, but it's been mostly Cody and I for the beef of the band now. We have a new wonderful drummer named Nate! 

Lenny Kaye wrote an article for eMusic titled Garage Rock’s Next Generation: 10 Bands to Watch. What was the band’s reaction to being on the list and being the photo choice for the article? Did Kaye or eMusic let the band know about the article or did you find out another way?

We were on tour in Europe at the time and no one thought to tell us! We saw people writing about it on the Internet, some people scoffing, some people rejoicing. We finally saw a really nice post about it from our first record label and tried looking the article up on our crappy cell phones using poor Wi-Fi in the mountains and couldn't get it. I didn't get to see till we returned 5 or so weeks later. I was insanely flattered of course. It was a total honor; I mean, Nuggets was my personal soundtrack for many years and opened my eyes to a lot more music. This is true for so many amazing musicians I know. I don't think we sound at all like Goldie and the Gingerbreads but I loved the Chocolate Watchband reference. 

Why the decision to release the new LP Dreams in the Rat House on Hardly Art Records instead of 1-2-3-4 Go! Records, which were the bands, label home for the previous two LP’s and a slew of singles?

I have worked with Hardly Art with my other band Hunx and his Punx and love them as well. We just wanted to try something new for The Clams. It's been going well with both labels.

Which compilation does the band feel is more essential to a record collection, Nuggets or Pebbles? 

Nuggets, of course.

Cody, songs such as “Warlock in the Woods” and “The Woodsman” have such in-depth background stories, do you do any other kind of writing besides songwriting?

Yes, he is the most amazing short story writer. I would love to someday collaborate on a book of new fairy tales with his stories and my illustrations. It would be really cool.

Richard X. Heyman

     In 1980, Richard Heyman wrote and released one of the catchiest power-pop A-side’s ever with, “Vacation, ” and then fell into the hardships of the endless cycle of recording demos, trying to get a record deal and never getting anywhere. In the late 80’s, Heyman decided to record himself at a friend’s apartment and the rest is history. Ever since this, Heyman has been steadily writing, recording and releasing music “on his own terms.” Currently, Heyman is busier than ever with his solo work and playing drums with The Doughboys, the late ‘60’s garage rock band that he was an original member of, that has been revitalized in recent years.

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Richard X. Heyman

Where is the band from?

Originally from Plainfield, New Jersey, now living in NYC.

When you play live do you have a revolving group of musicians or use the same group?

I rarely play out live, but when I do, I call on people I've gigged with in the past. My wife Nancy is a great bassist and I use my nephew Russ Kaplan on keyboards. We also frequently ask our long-time guitarist Andy Resnick and drummer Kurt Reil to play with us.

Are you familiar with the Shake Some Action Compilations?  Your song “Vacation” is on volume 4.

I was not aware of that. I am now!

The “Vacation” b/w “Takin’ My Chances” single was released in 1980, but there was a six-year wait until the Actual Size EP was released. What was going on in those six years?

I was playing the club circuit in New York City and other east coast cities. I performed many times at CBGB and other venues here, most of them long gone. I couldn't afford to record in a proper studio yet, and I didn't have it together enough to release my home recordings. So mainly I was writing songs, doing demos, and trying to get a record deal.

  

Why did you originally choose to record by yourself in the late 80’s in your living room?

I started recording at our friend Nick DiFabbio's apartment, whose tape deck was set up in his living room. He had a Tascam 8-track recorder and a vintage Neuman microphone.  That's where I recorded “Actual Size” and “Living Room!!” I performed mostly by myself because we could only lay down one instrument at a time.

On your website, there is a quote that states “The technology today allows independent artists to record at home or wherever they want and still achieve a high level of sonic quality. I am so grateful for that. On one level, I feel bad that many fine studios have gone under and the whole seismic shift in the music business but…hey you can’t hold back or deny the times.” Since your first EP, Actual Size, you have been recording in a home studio, but the drums for X were recorded in a recording studio. What is the difference for you between the home recording and studio experience?

I always record the drums in a studio because at home I still can only record one track at a time and don't have the equipment, mics, inputs, etc. to record a full drum kit. So I go to a studio here in New York or to Kurt Reil's studio in New Jersey, where they can devote a track to each drum plus overhead and room mics, which takes about ten tracks. Once the drums are done, we load the tracks into our home studio computer and record everything else (guitars, keyboards, bass, vocals, percussion, etc.) in the privacy of our bedroom. The big difference, other than the equipment and size of the space, is the studio charges an hourly rate so I have to be cognizant of the time elapsing, whereas at home, it's free! 

Do you think music can still be a vital force in such a disposable age?

I hope so. I think it depends on the listener. I'm sure there are many people who are still emotionally moved by music. I know I am, when I hear something really good. I've heard songs while driving in my car that have affected me so much I've had to pull over to the side of the road to pull myself together.

50 years ago people used to buy music and get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for free. Considering your lengthy career in music how do you think this affects music and bands in any way?

Computers and digital technology have changed the way music is recorded and listened to. The old adage "the cat's out of the bag" applies. The print media, recording industry, film industry and other businesses are greatly - and at this stage usually adversely - affected. I don't know how it will play out in the future. I hope musicians will be able to be compensated for their work, but we are in a transformative era where people are trying to sort out what's fair. So you still have musicians that lived through the pre-digital age and are trying to adjust to the fact that a large percentage of their effort can be downloaded for free and that other income streams will have to be cultivated. 

In the bio on your website, there is a part I wanted to ask you about. It states, “Recording for a corporate label [Sire] helped to win Richard a wider audience and a higher media profile. But it also proved to be a frustrating experience, and it wasn’t long before he was back in indie territory, making and releasing his music on his own terms.”  What was so frustrating about recording for Sire? Why did that experience make you want to just release your music on your own terms?

The label, which was handled by Warner Bros., didn't put much effort into promoting my album. The record got a lot of favorable press, but was overshadowed by other Warner Bros. releases that came out at the same time by their heavy hitters. It's definitely liberating to be able to completely in control of the creative process, like I am as an independent artist, and without the studio clock ticking away the dollars. Now if I record something that I consider to not be up to scratch, I just redo it, without worrying about time or money.

In recent years, you have been very busy between writing, recording and releasing LP’s for both yourself and The Doughboys. How have you been managing the time to be active in both? How exciting is this?

The Doughboys record very quickly. We track the whole band live, including the lead vocals. So that project doesn't interfere with my solo work time-wise. I can record at home whenever I have a new idea. It is exciting doing both my solo career and The Doughboys because the music is so different between the two. The Doughboys are more raw and raucous, while my stuff leans toward the melodic pop side.

How was it to have your song “Why Can't She See Me?” chosen as #3 Coolest Song in the World on Little Steven's Underground Garage Sirius XM channel for 2010?

It was very gratifying to have "Why Can't She See Me?" chosen as #3 Coolest Song In The World, especially because it was voted for by the fans and listeners of Little Steven's Underground Garage.

What are your favorite power-pop LP’s or singles?

I think The Who's first LP "My Generation" is the greatest power-pop album. Though I don't like to use that term, mainly because it's been watered down and wrongly used to describe a lot of music that is neither powerful or "pop"ular.

Where can people hear your music?

Amazon, com, iTunes, www.richardxheyman.com, CD Baby -- all the usual outlets.

What’s next for Richard X. Heyman?

I'm writing new material for the next Doughboys album as well as songs for my upcoming LP. I do a lot of animal rescue as well as tending to the wildlife in my neighborhood.

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The Wild Ones

     The Wild Ones were a fun female four piece shakin’ and shimmyin’ band from Santa Cruz, California. The band played a wonderful style of fun, sun kissed 60’s garage Rock N’ Roll. One of the things that set this band apart is the heart and sincerity that was fixed into their music. This added an inimitable style to their music and made repeated listens to Wild Ones records a must. Sadly though the world is a little less feral now, The Wild Ones played their last show on February 21, 2014 at the Jury Room with tour mates Bummer City. Here’s hoping these ladies return to music in some form or another. Their talents will be missed. 

Interview by Jay Castro

Please introduce yourselves and how you contribute to the Rock N’ Roll machine known as The Wild Ones?

Rachael–Lead guitar and vocals

Belle-Rhythm guitar and vocals

Hilary-Bass and back up vocals

Marisa-Drums

Where are you all from originally?

Santa Cruz!

How did you all meet and start playing music together?

Belle: I’ve known Rachael for years and she was always trying to get me to start a band. I was way too scared, but one night we were at a show with Hilary and the three of us decided we could do it! Rachael was originally gonna play drums, but I had never played guitar so it was decided that she would play lead and we needed to find a drummer. Marisa was an old friend of Hilary who heard that we needed a drummer and she fit in perfectly. We had our first show a month later and the rest is history!

What or whom influenced you as a kid to want to play music and write songs?

Ramones, Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Nikki Corvette, and The Pleasure Seekers.

 

Besides your Nikki and The Corvettes/Runaways influences, I detect some of the more melancholy side of 1960’s girl groups in your songs too. Am I totally wrong on this?

I’ve loved 1960’s girl groups since I was a kid. I’m glad that seems to have worked its way into our “sound.”

The band just finished a fairly extensive U.S. tour with Bummer City. How do you feel that went? What has been the most memorable show for you?

Tour was the best! We were on the road for a month, played so many great shows and met a lot of friends along the way. We played with some great bands such as Big Eyes, Audacity, Primitive Hearts, The Bills, The Brothers Gross, The Rich Hands, The Bad Lovers, Mikey and the Drags, Bombon and so many more! We’re still talking about that tour!

What was your reaction when you first saw that fan made video for “Mad About You?” I thought it pretty terrific myself.

We love it! We don’t even play that song anymore so its nice that someone out there made such a sweet video that totally fits the song.

I don’t like using the term “guilty pleasure” because I don’t think anyone should be made to feel ashamed of anything they like. However with that being said, what to you listen to that you think a lot of fans may be surprised by?

Robyn!

So you have the Nasty Habits EP and the Dream On LP available for one’s listening pleasure out now. The soon to be released Day Drunk 7” is coming out on the La-Ti-Da recording label. How did that relationship begin?

About two years ago we played with The Tranzmitors in Vancouver, BC. We made some friends up there and returned to play the Fall Down/Get Down festival, which was amazing! Tim Horner of La-Ti-Da asked us if we’d like to put out a 7” through them, which of course we did! Not sure when that’s gonna be available but hopefully soon!

You guys are on the recently released Fuzz City Records cassette compilation with some other great bands, Warm Soda, Ramma Lamma, how did your involvement with that project come about?

We’ve played with Warm Soda a couple times and became friends with Matthew Melton. He asked if we wanted to have a song on the mix and of course we did! We love pretty much all the bands on this mix so it’s great to be among them.

What else do the Wild Ones plan for us in the near, or not so near, future?

Things are changing up for us in the near future! Marisa is moving to New York! We’ll miss her but we’re all so excited for her. Rachael’s going to Europe for a few months and then moving up to San Francisco. We won't be able to practice and play shows regularly, but we don't want to call it quits! So the hope is to play together when we can. And start new projects as well!

The Wild Ones - mad about you from ein dünner Speichelfaden on Vimeo.

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