Teenage Bubblegums

Teenage Bubblegums

     

       In their halcyon days, Teenage Bubblegums used to write and sing love songs. According to the band those days are long gone. Much like one who has had their first taste of heartbreak after the initial “puppy love” period, Teenage Bubblegums have filled their new LP, Days of Nothing with nothing, but “[s]adness, darkness, pain, suffering and death.” No, they haven’t become Bauhaus, but the songs are a little faster, darker and meaner, but still retain an underlying pop-punk charm.

Interview by J Castro

Who is currently in the band and what does everyone do in it?

ALLY: We are a power trio.

Ally Bubblegum, Bass and Vocal

Billy Bubblegum, Guitar and Vocal

Mingu Bubblegum, Drums

How did you all meet and decide to play music together?

ALLY: Billy and I are brother and sister in real life so we started to play music together since we were both young. After some years, we decided to start a band. We met Mingu at the show, with his old band and damn; he was so good. We started to play together in the basement of my home. It was magical.

What band or musician first inspired you to want to pick up an instrument and learn to play and/or write music?

ALLY: When Billy and I were young we used to listen to Ramones and stuff like that. Mingu came out from hardcore before he met us.

How would you describe you band to your grandparents?

ALLY: We are good guys. Just it.

What sorts of things do you typically enjoy writing songs about? 

ALLY: Sadness, darkness, pain, suffering and death. We used to play love songs only but love is a thing of the past.

I’ve heard people say that playing and writing music is therapeutic to them.  Have you ever found this to be true?

ALLY: Sort of. Writing about some painful things in your life is kind of an atonement.

Does it annoy you or distract you at all to see some of your audience members fondling their phones while you’re up on stage performing?

ALLY: We don’t care.

After one of your shows, what sort of feeling or sentiment do you hope your audience walks away with? 

ALLY: The same feeling we have when we listen to a cool band or see a cool show. I still really hope that people will listen to our album the day after.

What is your favorite album to listen to from start to finish?

ALLY: The Creeps - Eulogies

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you that you still follow to this day?

ALLY: Keep doing what you’re doing. Go on stage, switch on the instruments, play non-stop for 20 minutes, switch off the instruments, go off stage.

What is the best way people can hear and get a hold of your music?

ALLY: You can follow us on

www.bandcamp.com/teenagebubblegums

www.facebook.com/teenagebubblegums

or maybe you can grab a copy of our albums or go to our shows.

 What lies ahead for the band in 2016?

ALLY: Touring for sure. We miss the road and sleeping on the floor. We have some shows in Italy until July and some plans for Europe in September. We would like record a new album and do the same old stuff. We love the routine.

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Faz Waltz

     Somewhere in Italy, there is a group that eats and breathes T. Rex records while watching endless reruns of Marc. One of these disciples is Faz Waltz, one of two major glam punk bands originating from Italy. Faz Waltz plays the style of glam, punk, Rock N’ Roll that T. Rex, Sweet and Slade played before they musical term was coined. Just because the 20^th Century is gone doesn’t mean there are those that forgotten the influence of “20^th Century Boy.” It is only fitting Faz Waltz comes from Italy, a country shaped like a boot, and is the heir apparent to wear the same silver glam boots that Slade wore. 

Interview by Ed Stuart

Who’s answering the questions?

Hi, I’m Faz La Rocca.

Where is the band from?

Como, Italy.

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

Faz La Rocca: Vocals, Guitar

Diego Angelini: Bass

Marco Galimberti: Drums

How did the band start?

I have played in a band since 1998 and after some experiences with punk rock; I started to write material for a new project, Faz Waltz in 2006. I just wanted to have some fun with the roots of punk and try to stand out from all the other bands around.

What is it about glam music that is so endearing? At first, glam music was, arguably, thought of a passing fad, but it has been very influential especially in the last few years considering bands like Giuda and Faz Waltz are heavily influenced by glam. Any thoughts on why that is?

Well, glam rock has never been taken too seriously, it has been seen as a kind of joke. At the beginning, it was the same for Rock N’ Roll in the fifties. In 1970, the rock scene was founded on the magniloquence and the virtuosity, with a serious approach to the lyrics and the technical skills; glam rock wasn’t anything like that. Simple, easy, and fun just like Rock N’ Roll. Punk was coming.

What is the music scene like in your hometown?

We’ve got plenty of punk bands, some are very good, The Leeches for example, but apart from Faz Waltz and Giuda, there isn’t really a glam rock scene in Italy nowadays. That’s why in the beginning it wasn’t so easy to get gigs.

Do you feel being in a glam band gives you more songwriting freedom? On Back to Mondo, the band has melodic ballads like “King of Nowhere” and classic glam stompers like “I Wanna Find My Place.”  If Faz Waltz was a punk band do you think you would have the same songwriting freedom?

I’ve never thought about it. I just write songs, the way I like, the way they come, and it doesn’t matter. If a song is good, it’s good, sometimes it depends on who is listening I think. I know punks that love the ballads more than the glam stompers.

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

For sure. music is what I breathe from the time I open my eyes in the morning till I go to bed, the way the music make you feel is irreplaceable.

Five essential glam records you feel everyone should own.

It’s not easy to choose just 5 records. I’ll name the most popular and easy to find records, in case you’re new to the genre:

-Slade “Slayed” LP 1972

-T.Rex “Electric Warrior” LP 1971

                   -David Bowie “The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars” LP 1972

-Gary Glitter  “Glitter” LP 1972

-T.Rex “The Slider” LP 1972

If you had the opportunity to have Marc Bolan or Mick Ronson in Faz Waltz whom would you pick? Or if neither of these guys, whom would you pick? Why?

Bolan was the head behind T.Rex, so I don’t think it would work very well; too many cooks spoil the broth. Mick Ronson did a perfect job with Bowie. He’s the perfect right-hand man.

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, you know, being a musician should be a job, exactly like being a plumber. If you didn’t get paid for your work and your effort it would be very difficult to keep afloat, and it is. Fortunately, for the moment, we all also have a “real job,” like someone use to say.

In a Global Texan Chronicles article, they stated, “Faz Waltz isn't necessarily a straight forward nostalgia band simply re-working bygone sounds in an effort to emulate their sonic heroes. More of a band who understands the importance of an era in music that most have decided to leave to history.”  Do you feel this is an accurate of the band?

We just do our best to make good music in the most genuine way, we don’t try to be spontaneously nostalgic or original, but I don’t think there is another band just like Faz Waltz at the moment.

The band is diehard analog fans. Why do you think recording analog is so important as opposed to recording digital?

It could seem obvious, but I think it’s a just a matter of sound, and what you want to achieve.

Analog recording could work for some bands and not for others … it isn’t a magic formula, for the way we want to sound, it’s perfect, for example.

Where can people hear the band?

You can listen to our music on records and live first then Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Reverbnation, YouTube and on our official site www.fazwaltz.com , where you can find all the links to the social networks too.

What’s next for Faz Waltz?

We’re working on the new album; we’ll be in the studio this summer. Some new songs we’re playing now…

-Kids Are All Wild

-Makin’ Noise

-Hot Class (Working Class Teacher)

-Back In Town

-Crazy Little fun

-Telepath Baby

-Ready To Go

-Let’s Get Around

-Move over

-We’re All We Got

-Change

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