Interview Gareth Liddiard- Lead Singer/ Guitarist for The Drones

While largely unknown stateside, the Aussie garage band The Drones opened up for Built to Spill and the Meat Puppets last Thursday. After playing a fast and furious set, lead singer Gareth Liddiard took some time to talk to the Daily Collegian about his band and the show.

PETER RIZZO: Being from Austrailia how do you like the US so far?
GARETH LIDDIARD: It's great, this is the fifth time we've been and its an amazing place. We've been all over both coasts, but we've never been to the middle but its a lot different than Austrailia.

PR: You lost a couple of big music prizes to fellow Aussies Wolfmother, how do you feel about their demise?
GL: Um...we knew this guy who was cousins with the drummer and they hate the singer, apparently hes the biggest (rhymes with bunt) ever, so we knew it was coming for some time.

PR: Really I was a fan of Wolfmother...
GL: Yeah yeah they were a good band

PR: Is there any small vindication?
GL: Nah I don't really care about that sort of stuff, I mean we knew it was comin', he (the lead singer) was the only guy who didn't actually know.

PR: Are you touring a new album?
GL: No, we're sort of between recording one and when we get back to Austrailia we'll be wrapping it up.

PR: Is it difficult going from playing larger shows in Austrailia to smaller shows in America?
GL: Yeah it is, but it keeps you honest.

PR: They seemed to really like you out there though?
GL: They seemed to be digging it. It was a good reaction, certainly not the worst.

PR:How do you feel about sharing a bill with the Meat Puppets, and Built to Spill, how did that happen?
GL: Yeah it's great. Yeah we've gotten to hang out with them. This is our third show with them, we've got seven more. Built to Spill talked to our booking agents and we knew the band, Band of Horses, who are getting pretty big, they're cool guys. So we ended up talking through them and got all the dates worked out.

PR: How old are you guys?
GL: We're old, I'm 32.

PR: You use a lot of effects up there...
GL: Yeah that's the cool thing. No that's all effects and whammy, I'm a whammy bar man. And there is like a knob when you turn it, it goes (whhhhhrrrrrrr). That's my thing. I started making weird noises then graduated to Led Zeppelin songs.

PR: When did you start playing guitar?
GL: When I was about seventeen.

PR: How long have you been together as a band?
GL: We've had a few different line ups, people in and out, but this lineups been together for eight years.

PR: You're bassist didnt seem to like the crowd tonight, why did she have her back turned the whole time?
GL: Yeaht that's what she does, she does that all the time, shes just shy. Its not that she doesnt like you.

PR: How does a girl end up in such a loud rock band?
GL: She's my girlfriend. Yeah you have to be married into it. Its great we go on tour share a room together, we've been together for like ten years. She goes to all the gigs and it makes it a lot nicer.

New Exhibition at University Gallery

"Of People and Places" is the new exhibition's name that will be in the University Gallery (underneath the lobby of the Fine Arts Center). This exhibition brings together for the first time the work of seven internationally renowned artists working in the field of photography - combining work by young, emerging artists with work by those who are more internationally renowned.


The exhibition's opening is Wednesday, September 24, 2008 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The opening reception Of People and Places includes a panel discussion among artists Yto Barrada, Cuny Janssen, and John Riddy, who discuss their work in the context of the exhibition.

There will also be a reception with food and drink. Yum...

Free and open to the public. Free parking after 5pm.

Come be artsy and meet new people; it will be fun.

To get to know the artists, here is an

interview with Yto Barrada

Photo credit: Clare Richardson, "The Reaper [Beyond the Forest VI]", 2007. C-print. 83 x 71 cm. Cortesy of the artist and Ffotogallery, Cardiff, Wales

A Night at Pearl Street: Stars

Stars with Bell X1 made Pearl Street its first stop on its long North American tour to promote new material and please the crowd with older favorites. 

Dressed all in black, the boys of Bell X1 kicked off the Wednesday night show around 8:30 p.m. From the turned backs, loud talking and shifty eyes, Bell X1 lacked attention from the collegiate crowd. The band was short on enthusiasm and didn't make a strong effort to engage with its crowd. At times, the electric guitarist would be caught with his eyes closed. He probably just didn't want to face the blank stares of the audience.

For a radio pop band like Bell X1, the boys need to work on stage presence. Otherwise, this emotionless band will continue to be a drag.

The sound of Bell X1 is versatile, which served as the band's lifeline. The thumping bass and roaring guitar that brought Pearl Street to a darker place is when Bell X1 shined the brightest. On this number, the five of them proved to Pearl Street that they did, in fact, have functioning legs; specifically Noonan. He stammered to-and-fro center stage to work up a sweat that was often seen dripping from his forehead. Noonan's outburst of weird dreariness and robotic movements with little fits of rage was a refreshment from the lackluster performance Bell X1 had been putting on the entire night.

With his eyes shut tightly and him making inaudible statements, his performance was borderline funny to watch. He looked as if he was having some religious experience.

Just beginning the tour, Bell X1 did attempt to throw out an excuse for itself for the lame show: "It is 4 a.m. in Ireland right now," said Noonan.

When it became time for the main act to perform, the lights dimmed to a complete darkness. Then, the crowd was faced with the brightest beaming light panels that pulsated at the rate of a steady heartbeat. As the lights blindingly pulsated, above was a black light design that danced over the audience.

To set off the cosmic and electric set, Stars intertwined lovely and blossomed white and red roses. 

Set far apart from Bell X1's black attire, the members of Stars went their own ways when choosing their clothes. The different clothing styles made the stage a more colorful spectacle than it already was. From Amy Millan's gray conservative blazer to the drummer's decadent sunglasses and pink mohawk, Star's mismatched look wasn't a reflection of its cohesiveness as a band.

The introduction of the show featured a small bit of music from the new EP, but Stars made the decision to hold off and begin with older work from the band's previous albums.

Throughout the show, Stars occasionally stripped the flowers from the stage to throw them into the audience. While Stars was gracious with the flowers, Torquil Campbell (co-lead vocalist) gave praise to Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth who happened to be downstairs in the clubroom of Pearl Street playing in his other band.

On the horn heavy song, "Soft Revolution," Campbell was the premier player when he picked up his trumpet and sang in a lecturing and authoritative manner. With a lot of finger points, Campbell glared at his crowd with fiery eyes to get the song's message across. 

With any band that promotes unheard material, audiences usually are apprehensive and take more time to warm up to it. About midway through the show, Stars knew it was time to release the unknown. The band started with a reinterpretation of band's older song, "Going, Going, Gone." The band's loose nature quickly tightened up when Campbell's voice went awry to crack mid-note.

Stars played a repertoire of two or three new songs with nervousness, but the overall turnout was commendable on account of it being the band's first time performing these songs in front of a live audience.

In past shows, Stars has been known for taking opportunities to voice American political standpoints (even as Canadians!), which swing pretty far left. Stars didn't only speak out loud on stage, but went to the expense of making buttons for purchase that say, "If they win, we'll leave." and "If they steal it one more time..."

Aside from bashing politics, Millan was at her sweetest when she crooned and pretended to be boxing with her microphone on the harmonious pop tune,"WIndow Bird." Millan is a mystery to watch because of her collectiveness and natural calmness under hot bright lights. She is always looking forward but staring blankly into the unknown. As a blatant dreamer, Millan captures the interest of the ponderous.

It is paradoxical to watch Campbell and Millan as a team because there is little physical interaction between the two. Campbell usually tries to show Millan affection throughout the show, but most of the time that affection was deferred until the last song that ended in an embrace, "The Woods."

Stars one and a half hour performance was filled with gratitude, dedications to the people of Massachusetts, and most of all - love and joy - the whole reason Stars does what it does.

"We're Stars from Montreal. Thanks for coming out. We appreciate it very deeply," Campbell said.

 

www.myspace.com/stars

Rest In Peace, Total Request Live Wherever You Are

RIP

Here Lies TRL

1998-2008

Ah...remember the days? Running home from school to catch the debut of a fresh TRL? 10 songs that mostly stayed the same for weeks at a time, but nonetheless must be seen in order to stay up to date with those long lunchtable discussions. I myself have some nostalgic memmories of the show. I remember seeing Kid Rock's debut of "Bawitdaba," Eminem's mooning of times square and of course Tom Green's video which glorified all the things his "bum" has been on.

The first video I ever saw was Blink 182's "What's My Age Again," I had a friend who wore a red New York Yanakees hat a la Fred Durst and I remember being forbidden from watching The Bloodhound Gang's "The Bad Touch" as lame as that might be in retrospect. I will even cop to owning Sisqo's "Year of the Dragon" and the Eiffel 65 album that featured "Blue," both no doubt influenced by MTV and its best three letter show TRL.

After 10 years though MTV has decided to scrap the once venerable franchise. MTV is planning a final send off for the show slated for November and it is reported that many of the show's original stars such Eminem, 'N Sync, will attend. Also there will be Carson Daly himself, the loveable everyman who was just bland enough not to offend anyone and who might just have been the glue that held the entire show together. With his happy to be there appearance he never seemed to take his job too seriously, something that other hosts struggled with. And most importantly with all those stars, it is likely that the hordes of young girls with homemade signs that once crowded Times Square will return as if returning from a migration south.

So just what happened to the staple of our MTV viewing youth? It seems in the Youtube era, no one wants to watch 30 seconds of the same video for 60 some odd days. But while this may seem as an advantage, think about what is lost in the process.

What kind of healthy male bonding can take place without the shared experience of being exposed to sensual videos like "Baby One More Time" and my personal favorite "Genie in a Bottle." Some of my first comments to girls were over my anger that the Backstreet Boys and 'N Syncs dominance of the charts. Certaintly any sense of a mass cultural consciousness will be lost in the process. The aility to all be able to look back and collectively ask "why the hell did we all think any of it was cool?"

Britney's Back?

I sat in my apartment last Sunday cursing the fact that I only have $7 cable. With no MTV, I couldn't catch Britney Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. A video surfaced on the internet a few weeks ago showing her and dancers in a studio kicking some dance floor ass to a new song.



After last year's disaster, I was renewed with a hope that Britney would be back, (bitch?). Later Sunday evening when MTV started posting clips from the VMAs I learned that Brit didn't even perform as rumored.

She did however win three moon men. She won the night's biggest honor, Video of the Year, Best Female Video, and Best Pop Video. She also kicked off the VMAs, introducing the 25th show.

So I was happy for her, but these awards were all for her video "Piece of Me." The video is OK, but I think she's done better work. She was nominated for 16 moon men in the past and never once won. Surprising considering her career was much better years ago. I feel like it was almost like they gave her pity awards this year, or it was payback for burning her all the other years.

Also after 2 kids, she was in amazing shape, especially in comparison to last year. This year she looked confident, healthy and happy. I know that last year I told everyone I was sure she was making a comeback, but I really think it's gonna happen this year.

Pedovan in Boston

Newest Judd Apatow Joint Secretly Filmed in Boston

The newest Judd Apatow movie, producer of such wildly popular films as The 40 Year Old Virgin, Pineapple Express, Knocked Up and Superbad, just wrapped up filming last month in Boston reported Boston's Weekly Dig. It's so new, that it's still for the most part un-known.

What is most surprising is that this project, Pedovan, has already finished filming, yet it's not even know about on the world's favorite internet movie resource, IMDB.com . IMDB.com usually lists even rumored movies, but when a film is in production it's usually listed on there. Also surprising is the fact that I interned in Boston all summer, but didn't even get the chance to meet the man of my dreams, Apatow actor and writing genius, Seth Rogen. OK, it's not surprising, it's just downright disappointing and sad.

The movie stars Jonah Hill of Superbad fame and other Apatow films. Martin Starr, of Freaks and Geeks also has a role in the film. Saturday Night Live star, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen reprise their Superbad like roles as dim-witted cops. There are supposedly more cameos than you can shake a stick at, including R. Kelly and Celtics star Glen Davis.

Jonah Hill's character in short in a mis-guided hipster who loves children... mistaken for a pervert. I think you get the idea.

The Dig reported that in 2006, only four films were shot in Boston. But ever since Massachusett's July 2007 credit cap on the filming industry, 88 films have been shot in or around Boston.

Right next to my home town, a Kevin James film about mall cops entitled, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, was filmed this past spring in the mall that I hung around in during high school. Movies are everywhere in the Commonwealth lately. Next time, someone just tell me when Seth Rogen is around.

Blue Eyed Soul Lady has "Acid Tongue"

The indie songstress of Rilo Kiley gone country is back with her sophomore solo album, Acid Tongue. Recorded in about a month earlier this year, the phantom that is Jenny Lewis is scheduled to release AT on September 23rd on major record label Warner Brothers. 

While her counterparts The Watson Twins are out making a name for themselves, Ms. Lewis beckoned close friends like Johnathon Rice and M. Ward. Both pals were also major contributors to the 2006 release, "Rabbit Fur Coat", Lewis' debut. Ms. Lewis  also called on some other indie stars like Zooey Deschanel, Chris Robinson (The Black Crows) and even the famous Elvis Costello and Eddie Gordon. 

Who else?

Ms. Lewis even calls on her family for assistance in all different departments. Isn't one Lewis enough? It was with her last album, which happened to score critical acclaim by magazines like Rolling Stone that crowned it as one of 50 Greatest Albums of 2006. 

For some fun and some previews of her new tracks, visit www.youtube.com/user/jennylewis

Watch Lewis relive her past days as a child actress!